Content distribution system and method

• US 8,650,125 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quantum Stream, Inc. (XpresSpa Group, Inc. (f/k/a FORM Holdings Corp.))
• Original Assignee: I/P Engine, Inc. (XpresSpa Group, Inc. (f/k/a FORM Holdings Corp.))
• Inventors: Akadiri, Tayo
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/937,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 217 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 705/51, 705/57, 705/37, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide an electronic marketplace that matches units of content from secondary content providers with suitable vacancies from primary content providers. Vacancies may constitute, or be included in, any digital transmission containers, such as a television or radio programming, web pages, and the like. Specifically, the electronic marketplace automatically matches content offered by secondary content providers with vacancies offered by primary content providers thus filling the vacancies in these containers through a real-time content trading, placement, and distribution system. To do so, attributes associated with the vacancies and with units of secondary content are used to trade and match suitable vacancies with suitable content. This invention enables both secondary content owners and vacancy owners (primary content providers) to obtain the full commercial benefit of their secondary content and containers.

Claims

1. A system for enabling delivery of at least one advertisement to at least one device over a network, the system comprising:

at least one processor having vacancy editor software for enabling a vacancy to be graphically defined;

at least one database for storing information related to a plurality of vacancies and information related to advertisements, wherein the information includes attributes; and

at least one server for matching at least one attribute of a vacancy with at least one attribute of at least one advertisement;

wherein the at least one advertisement to be inserted into the vacancy is selected based on the result of a bidding process and the matching of attributes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein graphically defining the vacancy comprises inputting one or more attributes related to the vacancy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vacancy editor software is located in a host server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vacancy editor software is located in a service provider server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the matching is based on at least one dynamic attribute of the vacancy.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the dynamic attribute is at least one of real-time website traffic, a keyword, and consumer demographics.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server determines a plurality of advertisements relevant to the vacancy based on the matching;

and

wherein the at least one server, after determining the plurality of advertisements relevant to the vacancy, performs the bidding process for determining the at least one advertisement, from the plurality of advertisements, to be inserted into the vacancy.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the matching occurs each time a device requests a container that contains a vacancy.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute of the vacancy is at least one of the physical size of the vacancy, the location of the vacancy, a time qualifier of the vacancy, a date qualifier of the vacancy, and a classification of the vacancy.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server logs completed transactions.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet and the at least one device is a computer or a mobile device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the matching occurs in real time.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server tracks information related to the matching.

14. A system for enabling delivery of at least one advertisement to a device over a network, the system comprising:

at least one memory configured to store information related to a plurality of vacancies and information related to advertisements, wherein the information includes attributes;

at least one server configured to;

receive at least one dynamic attribute associated with a vacancy,

match a vacancy with at least one advertisement based on the at least one dynamic attribute of the vacancy, and

log information related to a completed transaction; and

at least one processor having vacancy editor software configured to enable the vacancy to be graphically defined.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the vacancy editor software enables input of one or more attributes related to the vacancy.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one dynamic attribute is at least one of real-time website traffic, a keyword, and consumer demographics.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one server is further configured to:

determine a plurality of advertisements relevant to the vacancy based on the matching; and

after determining the plurality of advertisements relevant to the vacancy, perform a bidding process for determining at least one advertisement, from the plurality of advertisements, to be inserted into the vacancy.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one attribute of the vacancy is at least one of the physical size of the vacancy, the location of the vacancy, a time qualifier of the vacancy, a date qualifier of the vacancy, and a classification of the vacancy.

19. A method for enabling delivery of at least one advertisement to at least one device over a network, the method comprising:

providing an interface for defining attributes of at least one vacancy;

storing information related to a plurality of vacancies and information related to advertisements;

comparing at least one attribute of a vacancy with at least one attribute of at least one advertisement; and

selecting at least one advertisement to be inserted into the vacancy based on the results of a bidding process and the comparing of attributes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the interface enables the vacancy to be graphically defined.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising logging information related to a complete transaction.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the comparing is based on at least one dynamic attribute of the vacancy.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one dynamic attribute is at least one of real-time website traffic, a keyword, and consumer demographics.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a plurality of advertisements relevant to the vacancy based on the comparing; and

after determining the plurality of advertisements relevant to the vacancy, performing the bidding process for determining the at least one advertisement, from the plurality of advertisements, to be inserted into the vacancy.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising enabling the adjustment of a bidding strategy after each round of bidding.

26. A method of providing an electronic bidding system for insertion of advertisements into a container, the method comprising:

storing attributes associated with one or more vacancies;

storing attributes associated with one or more advertisements;

receiving a request to fill one or more vacancies of the container;

comparing at least one attribute of the one or more vacancies with at least one attribute of the one or more advertisements;

enabling publishers of the one or more advertisements to bid to have at least one advertisement to be inserted into the one or more vacancies; and

selecting at least one advertisement to be inserted into the one or more vacancies based on the results of the bidding and the comparing of the at least one attribute of the one or more vacancies with the at least one attribute of the one or more advertisements.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the container is a webpage.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the comparing is based on at least one dynamic attribute of the vacancy.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the dynamic attribute is at least one of real-time website traffic, a keyword, and consumer demographics.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining a plurality of advertisements relevant to the one or more vacancies based on the comparing; and

after determining the plurality of advertisements relevant to the vacancy, performing the bidding process for determining the at least one advertisement, from the plurality of advertisements, to be inserted into the one or more vacancies.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the comparing occurs each time a device requests a container that contains a vacancy.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one attribute of the one or more vacancies is at least one of the physical size of the vacancy, the location of the vacancy, a time qualifier of the vacancy, a date qualifier of the vacancy, and a classification of the vacancy.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the comparing occurs in real time.