Determining and/or using end user local time information in an ad system

• US 20050076014A1
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Sumit, Koningstein, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The usefulness, and consequently the performance, of advertisements are improved by allowing advertisers to better target their ads to a responsive audience. End user local time information, such as at least one of (a) a local time-of-day, (b) a local time-of-day range, (c) a local date, (d) a local day-of-week, (e) a local date range, (f) a local day-of-week range, and (g) a local season, is determined (or simply accepted) and used. For example, end user local time information may be used in a relevancy determination of an ad. As another example, end user local time information may be used in an attribute (e.g., position) arbitration. Such end user local time information may be associated with price information, such as a maximum price bid. Such end user local time information may be associated with ad performance information. Ad performance information may be tracked on the basis of end user local time information. The content of an ad creative, and/or of a landing page may be selected and/or modified using end user local time information. Finally, tools, such as user interfaces, may be provided to allow a business to enter and/or modify end user local time information, such as end user local time information used for targeting and end user local time-dependent price information.

Claims

1. A method for determining a relevancy of an ad to a request, the method comprising:

a) accepting local time of interest information associated with the request;

b) comparing the accepted local time of interest information associated with the request with local time of interest targeting information associated with the ad to generate a comparison; and

c) determining the relevancy of the ad using at least the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request further includes search terms, and wherein the act of determining the relevancy of the ad further uses a comparison of keyword targeting associated with the ad and the search terms.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request further includes document relevance information, and

wherein the act of determining the relevancy of the ad further uses a comparison of ad relevance information and the document relevance information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the local time of interest information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the local time of interest information is end user local time information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the request further includes search terms, and wherein the act of determining the relevancy of the ad further uses a comparison of keyword targeting associated with the ad and the search terms.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the request further includes document relevance information, and wherein the act of determining the relevancy of the ad further uses a comparison of ad relevance information and the document relevance information.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the end user local time information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

13. The method of claim 5 wherein the local time of interest information is end user local time information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the end user local time information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least ad performance information.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least end user local time ad performance information.

9. A method for determining a score of an ad, the method comprising:

a) accepting local time of interest information associated with a request;

b) determining whether the ad has local time of interest price information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted; and

c) if it is determined that the ad has local time of interest price information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted, then determining the score using at least the local time of interest price information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the local time of interest information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least ad performance information.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least local time of interest ad performance information.

17. A method for determining a score of an ad, the method comprising:

a) accepting local time of interest information associated with a request;

b) determining whether the ad has local time of interest performance information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted; and

c) if it is determined that the ad has local time of interest performance information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted, then determining the score using at least the local time of interest performance information.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the local time of interest information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least ad price information.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least local time of interest ad price information.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the local time of interest information is end user local time information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the end user local time information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least ad price information.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the act of determining a score further uses at least end user local time ad price information.

25. Apparatus for determining a relevancy of an ad to a request, the apparatus comprising:

a) an input for accepting local time of interest information associated with the request;

b) means for comparing the accepted local time of interest information associated with the request with local time of interest targeting information associated with the ad to generate a comparison; and

c) means for determining the relevancy of the ad using at least the comparison.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the request further includes search terms, and

wherein the means for determining the relevancy of the ad further uses a comparison of keyword targeting associated with the ad and the search terms.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the request further includes document relevance information, and

wherein the means for determining the relevancy of the ad further uses a comparison of ad relevance information and the document relevance information.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the local time of interest information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the local time of interest information is end user local time information.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the request further includes search terms, and

wherein the means for determining the relevancy of the ad further use a comparison of keyword targeting associated with the ad and the search terms.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the request further includes document relevance information, and

wherein the means for determining the relevancy of the ad further use a comparison of ad relevance information and the document relevance information.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the end user local time information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

33. Apparatus for determining a score of an ad, the apparatus comprising:

a) an input for accepting local time of interest information associated with a request;

b) means for determining whether the ad has local time of interest price information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted; and

c) means for determining the score using at least the local time of interest price information if it is determined that the ad has local time of interest price information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the local time of interest information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least ad performance information.

36. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least local time of interest ad performance information.

37. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the local time of interest information is end user local time information.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the end user local time information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

39. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least ad performance information.

40. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least end user local time ad performance information.

41. Apparatus for determining a score of an ad, the apparatus comprising:

a) an input for accepting local time of interest information associated with a request;

b) means for determining whether the ad has local time of interest performance information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted; and

c) means for determining the score using at least the local time of interest performance information if it is determined that the ad has local time of interest performance information corresponding to the local time of interest information accepted.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the local time of interest information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least ad price information.

44. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least local time of interest ad price information.

45. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the local time of interest information is end user local time information.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the end user local time information includes at least one of (a) at least one local time-of-day, (b) at least one local time-of-day range, (c) at least one local date, (d) at least one local day-of-week, (e) at least one local date range, (f) at least one local day-of-week range, and (g) at least one local season.

47. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least ad price information.

48. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the means for determining a score further use at least end user local time ad price information.