Time-multiplexing documents based on preferences or relatedness

• US 7,725,502 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ranganath, Rama, Badros, Gregory Joseph, Eddings, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Isaac M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yen; Syling
• Application Number:
  US11/152,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/59, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 709/225, 709/219, 709/203
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system and method for time-multiplexing the display of a plurality of electronic documents are provided. Time-multiplexing criteria for displaying a plurality of selected documents associated with a concept on a time-multiplexed basis is determined. The plurality of selected documents are caused to be displayed at an output device in a predetermined sequence according to the time-multiplexing criteria. The time-multiplexing criteria may be a variety of criteria related to the selected documents, the source of the selected documents, or other factors such as a relevance to a concept and one or more preferences associated with the selected documents.

Claims

1. A method for time-multiplexing the display of a plurality of selected documents, comprising:

determining time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria for displaying a plurality of selected documents associated with a concept on a time-multiplexed basis, the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria based on at least one of a relevance of each of the selected documents to the concept, a cost per click, or a click through rate associated with each of the selected documents;

causing the display of the plurality of selected documents on a webpage at an output device according to the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria, wherein the time-multiplexing criteria determines a sequence of the selected documents and a time duration of display for each of the selected documents in the webpage, and wherein the space multiplexing criteria determines a location for display from among a plurality of locations for each of the selected documents in the webpage and a time duration of display for each of the selected documents at the respective locations in the webpage, wherein the causing the display of the plurality of selected documents includes;

causing the display of a first document in the webpage for a first time duration determined by either the time-multiplexing or space-multiplexing criteria, wherein the first document is displayed at a first location in the webpage along with content associated with the concept;

determining a lapse of the first time duration;

causing the display of a second different document replacing the first document in the webpage at the first location based on determining the lapse of the first time duration;

determining based on the space-multiplexing or time-multiplexing criteria if the first document should be displayed at a second different location in the webpage; and

causing either the display of the first document in the webpage at the second different location or retiring of the first document based on the determining if the first document should be displayed at the second different location in the webpage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-multiplexing criteria is also based on one or more preferences associated with the selected documents.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the display of the plurality of selected documents in the webpage at the output device according to the time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria comprises passing the webpage to the output device, wherein the webpage comprises code effective to implement the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria at the output device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the display of the plurality of selected documents according to the time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria comprises:

generating at a server a file containing code effective to implement the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria; and

passing a link to the file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the display of the plurality of selected documents according to the time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria comprises passing a parameterized object to the output device, the parameterized object referencing the plurality of selected documents and implementing the time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the display of the plurality of selected documents according to the time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria comprises:

generating an animated file at a server comprising the plurality of selected documents;

passing the animated file to the output device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving from an output terminal operatively connected to the output device timing information about a selection of one of the plurality of selected documents;

passing a parameterized object to the output device, the parameterized object referencing the plurality of selected documents and implementing the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the display of the plurality of selected documents according to the time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria comprises passing the plurality of selected documents to the output device in the sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing to the output device code effective to cause a user computer to display the plurality of selected documents based on a timer at the user computer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing to the output device code effective to cause a user computer to request each of the plurality of selected documents from a server in the sequence according to the time-multiplexing criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing to the output device an animated image file configured to display each of the plurality of selected documents according to the time-multiplexing criteria.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the display of a second different document replacing the first document in response to determining the lapse of the first time duration comprises:

causing the first document to fade out in the webpage, and further causing the second different document to fade in the webpage, after the first document fades out.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of selected documents;

providing to the user an electronic document associated with the user-selected document.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected documents are advertisements, and wherein the electronic document is configured to be output as a webpage.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selected documents comprises a plurality of advertisements.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-multiplexing criteria comprises instructions to display a specific one of the plurality of selected documents more than once.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of selected documents is an advertisement.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selected documents comprises a plurality of banner ads.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a document associated with the concept, wherein the plurality of selected documents are selected based on a relevance to the concept.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the concept comprises at least one or more keywords entered as a search request.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic document is output on an electronic billboard.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scaling one or more of the selected documents to a predetermined size or shape for display.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the second different document is displayed for a second time duration, the second time duration being different than the first time duration.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the second different document is specified by the sequence determined by the time-multiplexing criteria.

23. A system for time-multiplexing the display of a plurality of selected documents, comprising:

a processor that determines time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria for displaying a plurality of selected documents associated with a concept on a time-multiplexed basis, determines a lapse of a first time duration, and also determines based on the space-multiplexing or time-multiplexing criteria if the first document should be displayed at a second different location in the webpage, the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria based on at least one of a relevance of each of the selected documents to the concept, a cost per click or a click through rate associated with each of the selected documents; and

an output module that causes the display of the plurality of selected documents on a webpage at an output device according to the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria, wherein the time-multiplexing criteria determines a sequence of the selected documents and a time duration of display for each of the selected documents in the webpage, and wherein the space multiplexing criteria determines a location for display from among a plurality of locations for each of the selected documents in the webpage and a time duration of display for each of the selected documents at the respective locations in the webpage,

wherein the output module causes the display of a first document in the webpage for the first time duration determined by either the time-multiplexing criteria or space-multiplexing criteria, wherein the first document is displayed at a first location in the webpage along with content associated with the concept, and

wherein the output module causes the display of a second different document replacing the first document in the webpage at the first location based on determining the lapse of the first time duration, and causes either the display of the first document in the webpage at the second different location or retiring of the first document based on the determining if the first document should be displayed at a second different location in the webpage.

24. A method for providing a plurality of selected advertisements in a composite document, comprising:

receiving two or more advertisements;

receiving one or more bids and preferences associated with the advertisements;

associating each of the advertisements with one or more keywords;

receiving a request for a document related to a concept;

selecting the plurality of advertisements from the two or more advertisements based on a relevance of each of the plurality of advertisements to the concept;

determining time-multiplexing criteria and space-multiplexing criteria for displaying the plurality of selected advertisements on a time-multiplexed basis in a webpage, the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria being based on at least one of a relevance of each of the selected advertisements to the concept, a cost per click, or a click through rate associated with each of the selected advertisements;

in response to the request, causing the plurality of selected advertisements to be displayed according to the time-multiplexing criteria and the space-multiplexing criteria in a webpage at a user display device, wherein the time-multiplexing criteria determines a sequence of the selected documents and a time duration of display for each of the selected advertisements in the webpage, and wherein the space multiplexing criteria determines a location for display from among a plurality of locations for of each of the selected advertisements in the webpage and a time duration of display for each of the selected documents at the respective locations in the webpage, wherein the causing the plurality of selected advertisements to be displayed includes;

causing the display of a first advertisement in the webpage for a first time duration determined by either the time-multiplexing criteria or space-multiplexing criteria, wherein the first advertisement is displayed at a first location in the webpage along with content associated with the concept;

determining a lapse of the first time duration;

causing the display of a second different advertisement replacing the first advertisement in the webpage at the first location based on determining the lapse in the first time duration;

determining based on the space-multiplexing or time-multiplexing criteria if the first advertisement should be displayed at a second different location in the webpage; and

causing either the display of the first advertisement in the webpage at the second different location or retiring of the first advertisement based on the determining if the first advertisement should be displayed at the second different location in the webpage.

27. A method for time-multiplexing the display of a plurality of selected documents, comprising:

determining space-multiplexing criteria for displaying a plurality of selected documents associated with a concept on a time-multiplexed basis, the space-multiplexing criteria based on at least one of a relevance of each of the selected documents to the concept, a cost per click, or a click through rate associated with each of the selected documents; and

causing the display of the plurality of selected documents on a webpage at an output device according to the space-multiplexing criteria, wherein the space multiplexing criteria determines a location for display from among a plurality of locations for each of the selected documents at the output device in the webpage and a time duration of display for each of the selected documents at the respective locations in the webpage, wherein the causing the display of the plurality of selected documents includes;

causing the display of a first document in the webpage for a first time duration, wherein the first document is displayed at a first location in the webpage along with content associated with the concept;

determining a lapse of the first time duration; and

determining based on the space-multiplexing criteria if the first document should be displayed at a second different location in the webpage; and

causing either the display of the first document in the webpage at the second different location or retiring of the first document based on determining if the first document should be displayed at the second different location in the webpage.