Systems and Methods for Performance Driven Dynamic Geo-Fence Based Targeting

• US 20170127233A1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: xAd, Inc
• Original Assignee: xAd, Inc
• Inventors: Liang, Can, Luo, Huitao, Katyal, Pravesh, Ravindran, Saravana, Venkatesan, Hari, Jia, Yi, Seth, Shashi
• Granted Patent: US 10,165,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

System and methods for running a location-based information campaign (campaign) select one or more first geo-blocks to form a first geo-fence from a plurality of geo-blocks each corresponding to a geographical region having at least one border defined by a real-world object and overlapping substantially with a targeted region associated with the location-based information campaign, and process information requests with respect to the first geo-fence. Each of the one or more first geo-blocks is associated with a respective performance score above a first threshold. The system and methods further monitor a pacing status associated with the campaign, and in response to a pacing goal associated with the campaign not being met, define a second geo-fence for the campaign, the second geo-fence including the one or more first geo-blocks and one or more second geo-blocks each associated with a respective performance score above a second threshold that is below the first threshold.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more computer systems running a location-based information campaign (campaign), the one or more computer systems being coupled to a packet-based network and including or having access to a plurality of storage spaces including a first storage space and a second storage space, the one or more computer system receiving data packets via the packet-based network, each of the data packets representing a respective request for information (request) and including request data related to a respective mobile device communicating via the packet-based network, the request data including location data indicative of a respective location of the respective mobile device, the method comprising:

selecting one or more first geo-blocks from a plurality of geo-blocks in a geo-block database stored in the first storage space, each of the plurality of geo-blocks corresponding to a geographical region having at least one border defined by a real-world object and overlapping substantially with a targeted region associated with the campaign, wherein each of the plurality of geo-blocks is associated with a performance score, and wherein each of the one or more first geo-blocks is associated with a respective performance score above a first threshold;

defining a first geo-fence for the campaign, the first geo-fence including the one or more first geo-blocks;

update a geo-fence database in the second storage space with the first geo-fence, wherein the first geo-fence is used to determine whether to fulfill a particular request based at least on whether location data associated with the particular request triggers the first geo-fence;

monitoring a pacing status associated with the campaign, the pacing status being based on a number of requests having been fulfilled within a certain time period as compared to a pacing goal associated with the campaign for the certain time period;

in response to the pacing status indicating that more requests are needed to meet the pacing goal, defining a second geo-fence for the location-based information service campaign, the second geo-fence including the one or more first geo-blocks and one or more second geo-blocks, wherein each of the one or more second geo-blocks is associated with a respective performance score above a second threshold, the second threshold being below the first threshold; and

updating the geo-fence database stored in the second storage space by replacing the first geo-fence with the second geo-fence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective geo-block among the plurality of geo-blocks is associated with meta data specific to the each respective geo-block, the meta data including one or more of neighborhood attributes associated with the each respective geo-block, a main functionality associated with the each respective geo-block, point of interest (POI) data associated with the each respective geo-block, and demographic data associated with the each respective geo-block.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the meta data include human activity levels in the each respective geo-block derived from logged real-time input data associated with mobile devices communicating with the packet-based network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the meta data include data associated with one or more points of interests located in the each respective block.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising logging real-time input data derived from the data packets and adjusting the meta data using the logged real-time input data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one geo-block among the one or more first geo-blocks is separated from at least one other geo-block among the one or more first geo-blocks by at least one geo-block that is not among the one or more first geo-blocks.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one first geo-blocks do not include a geo-block containing a point of interest associated with the campaign.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance score for each respective geo-block among the plurality of geo-blocks is determined based at least on an estimated block level inventory of data packets with location data triggering the each respective geo-block.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance score for each respective geo-block among the plurality of geo-blocks is determined based at least on one or more estimated campaign key performance indices (KPI) associated with the each respective geo-block.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more computer systems have access to additional storage spaces storing therein one or more of an impression log, a click log and a secondary action rate (SAR) log, and wherein the KPI includes one or more of a click-through rate and a secondary action rate that are derived from the one or more of the impression log, the click log and the SAR log.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance score for each respective geo-block among the plurality of geo-blocks is determined based at least on an estimated likelihood of a mobile user visiting a point of interest associated with the campaign when a request associated with the mobile user includes location data triggering the each respective geo-block.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the likelihood is estimated as a ratio of a probability of a customer of the point of interest visiting the each respective geo-block over a probability of the general public in a pre-defined local area to visit the each respective geo-block.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining transportation route and natural boundary data via the packet-based network;

extracting geo-data from the transportation route and natural boundary data, the geo-data defining a set of transportation routes and natural boundaries in a geographical area;

generating initial geo-blocks from the geo-data, each of the initial geo-blocks corresponding to a geographical region having at least one border defined by a real-world object and overlapping substantially with a targeted region associated with the location-based information campaign;

enriching each respective initial geo-block with block-level meta data to form an enriched geo-block, the block-level meta data including location specific attributes associated with the each respective initial geo-block; and

storing the enriched geo-blocks in the geo-block database.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving real-time inputs from the packet-based network, the real-time inputs including location information associated with mobile devices in communication with the packet-based network;

for each one of the real-time inputs, determining whether the each one of the real-time inputs triggers any of the initial geo-blocks;

logging a set of data associated with each real-time input that has triggered a particular initial geo-block; and

enriching the particular initial geo-blocks using the set of data associated with the each real-time inputs that has triggered the particular initial geo-block.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the block-level meta data include data indicating human activity levels derived from logged real-time input data associated with mobile devices communicating with the packet-based network.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising merging two or more of the initial geo-blocks based on their respective block-level meta data.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising splitting a geo-block into two or more geo-blocks based block-level meta data.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the block-level meta data include data selected from the group consisting of:

zip data, POI data, demographic data.

19. A system for running a location-based information campaign (campaign), the system being coupled to a packet-based network and including or having access to a plurality of storage spaces including a first storage space and a second storage space, the system receiving data packets via the packet-based network, each of the data packets representing a respective request for information (request) and including request data related to a respective mobile device communicating via the packet-based network, the request data including location data indicative of a respective location of the respective mobile device, the system comprising:

a geographical region definition module configured to define geo-blocks and stores the geo-blocks in a geo-block database in the first storage space, each of the geo-blocks corresponding to a geographical region having at least one border defined by a real-world object and being associated with meta data specific to the each of the geo-blocks;

a geographical region scoring module configured to derive a performance score for the each of the geo-blocks and store the performance score with data associated with each of the geo-blocks in the geo-block database, the performance score representing a likelihood of a mobile device user located in the each of the geo-blocks to visit a point of interest (POI) associate with the campaign; and

a geo-fence construction module configured to;

construct a first geo-fence by selecting one or more first geo-blocks from a subset of the geo-blocks overlapping substantially with a targeted region associated with the campaign, wherein each of the one or more first geo-blocks is associated with a respective performance score above a first threshold;

update a geo-fence database in the second storage space with the first geo-fence so that the first geo-fence is used to determine whether to fulfill a particular request based at least on whether location data associated with the particular request triggers the first geo-fence;

monitor a pacing status associated with the campaign, the pacing status being based on a number of requests having been fulfilled within a certain time period as compared to a pacing goal associated with the campaign for the certain time period;

in response to the pacing status indicating that more requests are needed to meet the pacing goal, define a second geo-fence for the location-based information service campaign, the second geo-fence including the one or more first geo-blocks and one or more second geo-blocks, wherein each of the one or more second geo-blocks is associated with a respective performance score above a second threshold, the second threshold being below the first threshold; and

update the geo-fence database stored in the second storage space by replacing the first geo-fence with the second geo-fence.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a third storage space storing therein logged real-time input data derived from the data packets, wherein the geographical region definition module is further configured to adjust the meta data associated with the each of the geo-blocks using logged real-time input data associated with the each of the geo-blocks.