MAINTAINING TARGETABLE USER INVENTORY FOR DIGITAL ADVERTISING

• US 20120054003A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: ZHANG, SIJIAN, JIN, LEI, YEH, ERH-CHUN, ZHOU, SHAOYU, CAO, FEI
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that maintain a targetable user inventory for digital advertising. In embodiments, a request is made for user data associated with a user identification. If the user data or user identification is not available, a list of alternative user identifications is ranked according to various criteria based on identification signals. A match is selected from the list of alternative user identifications and user data associated with the alternative user identification is communicated in response to the request.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method for maintaining a user inventory for digital advertising, the method comprising:

receiving a request for user data associated with a user identification;

determining that user data associated with the user identification is not available;

requesting from a user identification mapping service a list of alternative identifications corresponding to the user;

sorting the list of alternative identifications to identify a match to the user identification; and

associating the match with the user identification.

2. The media of claim 1 further comprising receiving a plurality of identification signals to associate with the user identification.

3. The media of claim 2 further comprising storing the plurality of identification signals in a memory.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identification signals comprises more than one of an internet protocol address, a browser type, a browser version, cookies, and user identifiable signals received from a web request.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein sorting the list of alternative identifications comprises ranking the list according to most recent access.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein sorting the list of alternative identifications comprises ranking the list according to a confidence factor.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein the list of alternative identifications comprises user identifications with at least one identification signal in common with identification signals associated with the user identification.

8. The media of claim 1, wherein the request comprises an advertising call.

9. The media of claim 1 further comprising assigning a new user identification for the data associated with the match.

10. The media of claim 1 further comprising throttling requests to the user identification mapping service according to a desired impact on real-time performance of the system.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the cache miss handling component identifies alternative user identifications by comparing the stored data with identification signals associated with the user identification.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the identification signals comprises more than one of an internet protocol address, a browser type, a browser version, cookies, and user identifiable signals received from a web request.

11. A system, including one or more processors and one or more computer storage media, for maintaining a user inventory for digital advertising, the system comprising:

a behavior targeting component operable to receive information associated with a user identification, wherein the information includes user data;

an in-cache memory operable to communicate available user data;

a user identification mapping store component operable to store stored data, wherein the stored data includes user identifications, user data, and identification signals;

a cache miss handling component operable to identify alternative user identifications associated with the identification signals.

14. A method for maintaining a user inventory for digital advertising, the method comprising:

receiving an advertising call for a user identification;

searching for the user identification in a computer memory;

determining the user identification is not available in the computer memory;

requesting from a user identification mapping store alternative user identifications;

sorting the alternative user identifications; and

associating a match selected from the sorted alternative user identifications with the user identification.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transitioning information from the match to the user identification.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising creating a new user identification.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising transitioning user data from the assumed user identification to the new user identification.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving more than one identification signal for the user identification.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the more than one identification signal comprises more than one of an internet protocol address, a browser type, a browser version, cookies, and user identifiable signals received from a web request.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing the more than one identification signal in a user identification mapping store.