Distributing content

• US 9,208,508 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fernandes, Roshan, Fernandes, Bindu Oommen
• Primary Examiner(s): Joshi, Suraj
• Application Number:
  US13/171,842
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions

Abstract

Content items are distributed in content item distribution slots that define a period of time. A purchaser of a content item distribution slot can select one or more content items to distribute in the slot based on information regarding an individual to whom a content item is distributed in the content item distribution slot.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processing devices, multiple requests for content items for a plurality of Web pages of a Web site published by a computing device of a publisher, the multiple requests comprising information regarding one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages for the content items, the one or more content item distribution slots being associated with the multiple requests, an identity of the publisher, and context information regarding a subject of the plurality of Web pages;

identifying, by one or more processing devices, one or more time periods associated with the multiple requests, each time period encompassing a time during which a content item is to be delivered for output in the one or more content item distribution slots to a computing device of a user;

accessing, by one or more processing devices, content item distribution information regarding content item groups associated with the one or more content item distribution slots, the content item groups being associated with blocks of time during which content items in the content item groups can be output in response to the multiple requests;

identifying, by one or more processing devices, a first content item group among the content item groups, the identifying being based on a first time period associated with a first request of the multiple requests and on information in the first request;

selecting, by one or more processing devices, a first content item associated with the first content item group for the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site during the first time period;

identifying, by one or more processing devices, a second content item group among the content item groups, the identifying being based on a second time period associated with a second request of the multiple requests and on information in the second request;

selecting, by one or more processing devices, a second content item associated with the second content item group for the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the one or more Web pages of the Web site during the second time period; and

providing, in response to the multiple requests and to the computing device of the user, information regarding the first and second content items selected for distribution in the one or more content item distribution slots.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a content item distribution slot is in a first group of content item distribution locations, and wherein the content item selected for distribution is associated with the first group of content item distribution locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content item selected for distribution is selected from among two or more candidate content items that are associated with the first content item group and associated with the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting includes selecting the first content item from among the candidate content items based, at least in part, on information regarding a user profile associated with the first request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the first content item from among the candidate content items is based, at least in part, on distribution information associated with the candidate content items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information in the multiple requests comprises a location of the computing device of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more content item distribution slots is associated with online content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content item selected includes advertising content.

9. A system comprising:

at least one storage device storing instructions that are executable; and

at least one processing device to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving multiple requests for content items for a plurality of Web pages of a Web site published by a computing device of a publisher, the multiple requests comprising information regarding one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages for the content items, the one or more content item distribution slots being associated with the multiple requests, an identity of the publisher, and context information regarding a subject of the plurality of Web pages;

identifying one or more time periods associated with the multiple requests, each time period encompassing a time during which a content item is to be delivered for output in the one or more content item distribution slots to a computing device of a user;

accessing content item distribution information regarding content item groups associated with the one or more content item distribution slots, the content item groups being associated with blocks of time during which content items in the content item groups can be output in response to the multiple requests;

identifying a first content item group among the content item groups, the identifying being based on a first time period associated with a first request of the multiple requests and on the information in the first request;

selecting, a first content item associated with the first content item group for the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site during the first time period;

identifying a second content item group among the content item groups, the identifying being based on a second time period associated with a second request of the multiple requests and on information in the second request;

selecting a second content item associated with the second content item group for the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the one or more Web pages of the Web site during the second time period; and

providing, in response to the multiple requests and to the computing device of the user, information regarding the first and second content items selected for distribution in the one or more content item distribution slots.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information in the multiple requests comprises a location of the computing device of the user.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a content item distribution slot is included in a first group of content item distribution locations, and wherein the content item selected for distribution is associated with the first group of content item distribution locations.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the content item selected is selected from among two or more candidate content items that are associated with the first content item group and that are associated with a content item distribution location.

13. One or more computer storage devices storing instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processing devices, multiple requests for content items for a plurality of Web pages of a Web site published by a computing device of a publisher, the multiple requests comprising information regarding one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages for the content items, the one or more content item distribution slots being associated with the multiple requests, an identity of the publisher, and context information regarding a subject of the plurality of Web pages;

identifying, by the one or more processing devices, one or more time periods associated with the multiple requests, each time period encompassing a time during which a content item is to be delivered for output in the one or more content item distribution slots to a computing device of a user;

accessing, by the one or more processing devices, content item distribution information regarding content item groups associated with the one or more content item distribution slots, the content item groups being associated with blocks of time during which content items in the content item groups can be output in response to the multiple requests;

identifying, by the one or more processing devices, a first content item group among the content item groups, the identifying being based on a first time period associated with a first request of the multiple requests and on information in the first request;

selecting, by the one or more processing devices, a first content item associated with the first content item group for the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site during the first time period;

identifying, by the one or more processing devices, a second content item group among the content item groups, the identifying being based on a second time period associated with a second request of the multiple requests and on information in the second request;

selecting, by the one or more processing devices, a second content item associated with the second content item group for the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the one or more Web pages of the Web site during the second time period; and

providing, in response to the multiple requests and to the computing device of the user, information regarding the first and second content items selected for distribution in the one or more content item distribution slots.

14. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 13, wherein a content item distribution slot is in a first group of content item distribution locations, and wherein the content item selected for distribution is associated with the first group of content item distribution locations.

15. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 13, wherein the first content item selected for distribution is selected from among two or more candidate content items that are associated with the first content item group and associated with the one or more content item distribution slots on at least two of the plurality of Web pages of the Web site.

16. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 15,

wherein selecting includes selecting the first content item from among the candidate content items based, at least in part, on information regarding a user profile associated with the first request.

17. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 16, wherein selecting the first content item from among the candidate content items is based, at least in part, on distribution information associated with the candidate content items.

18. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 13, wherein the information in the multiple requests comprises a location of the computing device of the user.

19. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 13, wherein the one or more content item distribution slots is associated with online content.

20. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 13, wherein the first content item selected includes advertising content.