System and method for deriving income from URL based context queries

• US 8,024,317 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Simon P., Davis, Marc Eliot, Higgins, Christopher William, Nair, Rahul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa; Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US12/273,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/709
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and method for deriving income from URL based context queries. A URL based user context query is received over a network from a user, wherein the user context comprises at least one user context criteria. A query is formulated based on the context criteria so as to search for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data, topical data and context query bid data that is available via the network and relates to the context so as to identify entries in a context query bid database that relate to user context criteria. A dynamic webpage is generated having content relating to the query and advertisements associated with the selected bid are inserted into the webpage. The dynamic webpage is transmitted to the user. The advertiser associated with the selected bid is charged a fee when a user interface event relating to the dynamic webpage occurs.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps:

receiving, over a network, by a computing device, a user context query from a user, wherein the user context query is formatted as a parameter of a universal resource locator (URL) and comprises user context criteria;

formulating, via the network, a network data query based on the user context criteria so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data, topical data and context query bid data that is available via the network and relates to the user context criteria so as to identify a plurality of entries in a context query bid database that relate to the user context criteria, each of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database comprising bid context criteria, a bid amount, an identification of a bid advertiser, and an identification of a bid advertisement;

selecting, via the network, a selected context query bid database entry from the plurality of entries in the context query bid database, such that the selected context query bid database entry has a highest bid amount;

retrieving, via the network, a selected advertisement database entry from an advertisement database such that an identification of an advertiser and an identification of an advertisement on the selected advertisement database entry matches the identification of the bid advertiser and the identification of the bid advertisement on the selected context query bid database entry, the selected advertisement database entry additionally comprising an advertisement data object;

generating, via the network, a dynamic webpage having content relating to the user context query;

inserting, via the network, the data object into the dynamic webpage;

transmitting, over the network, the dynamic webpage to the user;

charging the advertiser a fee associated with the selected context query bid database entry when a user interface event relating to the dynamic webpage occurs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in the formulating step, only entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database is an exact match to the context criteria on the user context query.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database and the context criteria on the user context query both relate to a single entity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database and the context criteria on the user context query both relate to a single topic.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database relate to one entity that is closely related to a second entity that relates to the context criteria on the user context query.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database relate to a topic that is closely related to a second topic that relates to the context criteria on the user context query.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each entry on the context query bid database additionally includes a bid targeting context having targeting context criteria, wherein each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database is evaluated to determine if the user falls within the bid targeting context of the respective entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein for each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database, profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data available to the network relating to the user and the respective bid targeting context criteria in the respective entry are searched to determine if the user falls within the targeting context of the of the respective entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface event is selected from the list:

click on the inserted data object, mouseover the inserted data object.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface is the display of the inserted data object.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the fee charged to the advertiser is selected from the list:

cost-per-click fee, cost-per-impression fee.

12. A system comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

user context query receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving user context queries from users, wherein each user context query is formatted as a parameter of a universal resource locator (URL) and comprises user context criteria;

context query bid search logic executed by the processor for formulating, for each user context query received by the user context query receiving module, a network data query based on the user context criteria so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data, topical data and context query bid data that is available via the network and relates to the user context criteria so as to identify a respective plurality of entries in a context query bid database that relate to the user context criteria, each of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database comprising bid context criteria, a bid amount, an identification of a bid advertiser, and an identification of a bid advertisement;

bid selection logic executed by the processor for selecting, for each user context query processed by the context query bid search module, a respective selected context query bid database entry from the respective plurality of entries in the context query bid database, such that the respective selected context query bid database entry has a highest bid amount;

advertisement retrieving logic executed by the processor for retrieving, for each of the respective selected context query bid database entries, a respective entry from an advertisement database such that an identification of an advertiser and an identification of an advertisement on the respective selected advertisement database entry matches the identification of the bid advertiser and the identification of the bid advertisement on the respective selected context query bid database entry, the respective selected advertisement database entry additionally comprising an advertisement data object;

dynamic webpage generation logic executed by the processor for generating, for each user context query received by the user context query receiving module, a dynamic webpage having content relating to the respective user context query;

advertisement insertion logic executed by the processor for inserting, for every dynamic webpage generated by the dynamic webpage generation module, the respective data object of the respective entry from the advertisement database into the respective dynamic webpage;

webpage transmission logic executed by the processor for transmitting, for every dynamic webpage generated by the dynamic webpage generation module, the respective dynamic webpage to the user;

advertiser fee logic executed by the processor for charging advertisers fees associated with selected entries on the context query bid database when a user interface events occurs relating to dynamic webpages associated with the selected entries.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein context query bid search logic formulates at least some queries such that only entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the respective plurality of entries in the context query bid database is an exact match to the context criteria on the user context query.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein context query bid search logic formulates at least some queries such that the bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database and the respective context criteria on the user context query both relate to a single entity.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein context query bid search logic formulates at least some queries such that entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the respective plurality of entries in the context query bid database and the respective context criteria on the respective user context query both relate to a single topic.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein context query bid search logic formulates at least some queries such that entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the respective plurality of entries on the context query bid database relate to an entity that is closely related to a second entity that relates to the context criteria on the respective user context query.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein context query bid search logic formulates at least some queries such that entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the respective plurality of entries on the context query bid database relate to a topic that is closely related to a second topic that relates to the context criteria on the respective user context query.

18. The system of claim 12 the each entry on the context query bid database additionally includes a bid targeting context having bid targeting context criteria, wherein each entry of the plurality of entries in in the context query bid database is evaluated by the context query bid search logic to determine if the respective user falls within the respective bid targeting context of the respective entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein for each entry of the respective plurality of entries in the context query bid database, profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data available to the network relating to the respective user and the respective bid targeting context criteria are searched by the context query bid search logic to determine if the user falls within the bid targeting context of the respective entry of the respective plurality of entries in the context query bid database.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the user interface event is selected from the list:

click on the inserted data object, mouseover the inserted at least one data object.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the user interface is the display of the inserted data object.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the fee charged to the advertiser is selected from the list:

cost-per-click fee, cost-per-impression fee.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon computer readable instructions for a method comprising:

receiving, via a network, a user context query from a user, wherein the user context query is formatted as a parameter of a universal resource locator (URL) and comprises user context criteria;

formulating, via the network, a network data query based on the user context criteria so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data, topical data and context query bid data that is available via the network and relates to the user context criteria so as to identify a plurality of entries in a context query bid database that relate to the user context criteria, each of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database comprising bid context criteria, a bid amount, an identification of a bid advertiser, and an identification of a bid advertisement;

selecting, via the network, a selected context query bid database entry from the plurality of entries in the context query bid database, such that the selected context query bid database entry has a highest bid amount;

retrieving, via the network, a selected advertisement database entry from an advertisement database such that an identification of an advertiser and an identification of an advertisement on the selected advertisement database entry matches the identification of the bid advertiser and the identification of the bid advertisement on the selected context query bid database entry, the selected advertisement database entry additionally comprising an advertisement data object;

generating, via the network, a dynamic webpage having content relating to the user context query;

inserting, via the network, the data object into the dynamic webpage;

transmitting, over the network, the dynamic webpage to the user;

charging the advertiser a fee associated with the selected context query bid database entry when a user interface event relating to the dynamic webpage occurs.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein in the formulating step, only entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database is an exact match to the context criteria on the user context query.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database and the context criteria on the user context query both relate to a single entity.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database and the context criteria on the user context query both relate to a single topic.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database relate to one entity that is closely related to a second entity that relates to the context criteria on the user context query.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein in the formulating step, entries in the context query bid database are identified wherein the respective bid context criteria on each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database relate to a topic that is closely related to a second topic that relates to the context criteria on the user context query.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein each entry on the context query bid database additionally includes a bid targeting context having targeting context criteria, wherein each entry of the plurality of entries in in the context query bid database is evaluated to determine if the user falls within the bid targeting context of the respective entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 wherein for each entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database, profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data available to the network relating to the user and the respective bid targeting context criteria in the respective entry are searched to determine if the user falls within the targeting context of the respective entry of the plurality of entries in the context query bid database.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the user interface event is selected from the list:

click on the inserted data object, mouseover the inserted data object.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the user interface is the display of the inserted data object.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the fee charged to the advertiser is selected from the list:

cost-per-click fee, cost-per-impression fee.