U.S. patent application number 13/271094 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-02 for user-specified online advertising.
This patent application is currently assigned to GOOGLE INC.. Invention is credited to Timothy M. Armstrong.
Application Number | 20120030031 13/271094 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39430432 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120030031 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Armstrong; Timothy M. |
February 2, 2012 |
USER-SPECIFIED ONLINE ADVERTISING
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program
products, for sponsoring content are disclosed. Input from a user
is received, the input specifying one or more content items for
inclusion in a respective space on each of one or more personal
online properties associated with the user. The input is made
accessible to a plurality of users through the one or more personal
online properties, the plurality of users being associated with the
user on a social network. One or more advertisements relevant to
the input are provided to the plurality of users through the one or
more personal online properties.
Inventors: |
Armstrong; Timothy M.;
(Riverside, CT) |
Assignee: |
GOOGLE INC.
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
39430432 |
Appl. No.: |
13/271094 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11924544 |
Oct 25, 2007 |
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13271094 |
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60862977 |
Oct 25, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.66 ;
705/14.71; 705/14.73 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0205 20130101;
G06Q 30/0275 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06Q 30/0273 20130101;
G06Q 30/0269 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; H04L 67/20 20130101;
G06Q 30/0263 20130101; G06Q 30/0277 20130101; H04L 41/22
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.66 ;
705/14.73; 705/14.71 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving input from
a user, the input specifying one or more content items for
inclusion in a respective space on each of one or more personal
online properties associated with the user; making the input
accessible to a plurality of users through the one or more personal
online properties, the plurality of users being associated with the
user on a social network; and providing, by one or more processors,
one or more advertisements relevant to the input to the plurality
of users through the one or more personal online properties.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more personal online
properties are respective personal spaces of the plurality of users
on the social network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective space is a space
for posting announcements.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective space is a space
for posting bulletins.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective space is a space
for listing members of a respective personal network on the social
network.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective space is a space
for introducing new members added to a respective personal network
on the social network.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more advertisements
are targeted to the plurality of users based on respective profiles
of the plurality of users on the social network.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more content items are
provided by third-party websites distinct from personal online
properties within the social network.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from the user includes
one or more of selecting, commenting on, rating, interacting with,
or endorsing the one or more content items through one or more web
interfaces.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a bidding
process for sponsors to include advertising content with the input
on the one or more personal online properties.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: evaluating one or
more characteristics associated with the user against criteria
provided by one or more sponsors of the content items before making
the input accessible through the one or more personal online
properties associated with the user.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions
stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more
processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving input from a user, the input specifying one or more
content items for inclusion in a respective space on each of one or
more personal online properties associated with the user; making
the input accessible to a plurality of users through the one or
more personal online properties, the plurality of users being
associated with the user on a social network; and providing one or
more advertisements relevant to the input to the plurality of users
through the one or more personal online properties.
13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or
more personal online properties are respective personal spaces of
the plurality of users on the social network.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the
respective space is a space for listing members of a respective
personal network on the social network.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the
respective space is a space for introducing new members added to a
respective personal network on the social network.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or
more advertisements are targeted to the plurality of users based on
respective profiles of the plurality of users on the social
network.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or
more content items are provided by third-party websites distinct
from personal online properties within the social network.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the input
from the user includes one or more of selecting, commenting on,
rating, interacting with, or endorsing the one or more content
items through one or more web interfaces.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations
further comprise: providing a bidding process for sponsors to
include advertising content with the input on the one or more
personal online properties.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the
operations further comprise: evaluating one or more characteristics
associated with the user against criteria provided by one or more
sponsors of the content items before making the input accessible
through the one or more personal online properties associated with
the user.
21. A system, comprising: one or more processors; and memory having
instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the
one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations
comprising: receiving input from a user, the input specifying one
or more content items for inclusion in a respective space on each
of one or more personal online properties associated with the user;
making the input accessible to a plurality of users through the one
or more personal online properties, the plurality of users being
associated with the user on a social network; and providing one or
more advertisements relevant to the input to the plurality of users
through the one or more personal online properties.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more personal online
properties are respective personal spaces of the plurality of users
on the social network.
23. The system of claim 21, wherein the respective space is a space
for listing members of a respective personal network on the social
network.
24. The system of claim 21, wherein the respective space is a space
for introducing new members added to a respective personal network
on the social network.
25. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more advertisements
are targeted to the plurality of users based on respective profiles
of the plurality of users on the social network.
26. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more content items
are provided by third-party websites distinct from personal online
properties within the social network.
27. The system of claim 21, wherein the input from the user
includes one or more of selecting, commenting on, rating,
interacting with, or endorsing the one or more content items
through one or more web interfaces.
28. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further
comprise: providing a bidding process for sponsors to include
advertising content with the input on the one or more personal
online properties.
29. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further
comprise: evaluating one or more characteristics associated with
the user against criteria provided by one or more sponsors of the
content items before making the input accessible through the one or
more personal online properties associated with the user.
30. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving input from
a user, the input specifying one or more content items for
inclusion in one or more personal online properties associated with
the user; making the input accessible to a plurality of users
through the one or more personal online properties, the plurality
of users being associated with the user on a social network; and
providing, by one or more processors, one or more advertisements
relevant to the input to the plurality of users through a
respective space on each of the one or more personal online
properties.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation application which claims the priority
under U.S.C. .sctn.120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/924,544,
filed Oct. 25, 2007, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119 of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/862,977, filed
Oct. 25, 2006, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in
their entireties.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The subject matter of this specification is generally
related to online advertising.
[0003] Online communities allow users to share photos, journals,
interests, and other user-generated content with a network of
mutual friends on a communications network, e.g., using for example
the World Wide Web ("the Web"). Users can sign-up or join the
community and create a profile. A profile can be a space in the
community (e.g., on the Web) where a user can describe themselves,
hobbies and interests. Profiles can include mechanisms for
uploading content, such as pictures, videos and other content.
Users can create a personal network and invite others to join the
network. Some online communities provide a place on the Web where
people can share personal videos.
[0004] Participants in the online communities or in the companies
that administer the online communities can use ads to generate
revenue. Advertisers can target advertising to users based on the
user's profile or content posted on the user's space. Successfully
targeting ads to users of online communities can be
challenging.
SUMMARY
[0005] In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in
this specification can be embodied in methods that include the
actions of receiving input from a user specifying one or more
content items for inclusion in a property; determining whether the
user satisfies one or more user criteria and whether the specified
content items satisfy one or more content criteria; and if the user
satisfies the user criteria and the specified content items satisfy
the content criteria, then receiving input identifying one or more
sponsors, and presenting the specified content items and content
provided by the identified sponsors in the property. Other
embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems,
apparatus, computer program products, and computer readable
media.
[0006] Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in
this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the
following advantages. Users can obtain content for sharing in a
social network without fear of liability for copyright
infringement. Content providers are compensated for distribution of
their content in social networks. Content providers can expand
audiences and generate publicity for their content. Advertisers can
expand audiences for their advertisements.
[0007] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter
described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying
drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and
advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the
description, the drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example user-specified
online advertising system.
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates an example user interface for an online
property that allows a user to select and post content.
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates an example user interface for allowing a
user to add or change media content.
[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates an example user interface for allowing a
user to select an advertiser associated with video content.
[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates an example user interface for allowing a
user to select an ad associated with video content and an
advertiser.
[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates an example user interface for an online
property that allows a user to select and post content to their
profile after the user has added sponsored content to their
profile.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an example user-specified online
advertising process.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example ad targeting system
architecture.
[0016] Like reference numbers and designations in the various
drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Advertising System Overview
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example user-specified
online advertising system 100. The system 100 includes advertisers
102, ad targeting system 104, content providers 106, users 108 and
online properties 112. Each of these entities can be coupled to a
network 110 (e.g., the Internet) using one or more communication
channels (e.g., wireless, optical, Ethernet).
[0019] In some implementations, the ad targeting system 104 is an
ad serving program run by an ad network service provider. Website
owners can enroll in a program to enable text, image and video
advertisements on their sites. These ads can be administered by the
ad targeting system 104 and generate revenue on a per-click,
per-thousand-impressions, cost-per-action or other basis. In some
implementations, the ad targeting system 104 utilizes search
technology to serve ads based on website content, the user's
geographical location and other factors. The ad targeting system
104 can provide an online environment with user interfaces for
facilitating interaction between advertisers 102, content providers
106 and users 108. The ad targeting system 104 is operatively
coupled to a storage device 114 for storing information associated
with ad targeting.
[0020] The online properties 112 can be, for example, an online
service that provides users with a personal space for sharing
interests, hobbies, information and content with other users. Some
examples of online properties 112 include but are not limited to
social networking sites and audio (e.g., music) or video sharing
sites.
[0021] In some implementations, users 108 select content from an
inventory of content, published by content providers 106, that is
available for posting on online properties 112, and advertisers 102
sponsor (e.g., at least partially compensate the content providers
106 for the right of) the users 108 to post the content on the
online properties 112. In some implementations, the content is
restricted and licensed for posting with sponsorship. In exchange,
the user authorizes one or more of the advertisers 102 to run ads
in association with the user's content, e.g., in association with
the user's profile or other content. Thus, the users 108 can
receive access to premium content, which is at least partially paid
for, provided or otherwise sponsored by the advertisers 102 that
have been selected by the user. A user 108, by posting content that
is of interest to themselves and/or their personal network, can
become a part of the ad targeting process. In some implementations,
the user 108 has to meet one or more criteria (e.g., demographics,
popularity ratings) specified by the advertisers 104, content
providers 106 and/or ad targeting system 104 before the user is
allowed to post the content.
[0022] Exemplary User Interface for Online Property
[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates an example user interface 200 for an
online property that allows a user to select and post content. In
the example shown, the online property provides a "personal" space
in which a user can share interests, hobbies, content and other
information. Other configurations for user interfaces are
possible.
[0024] The user interface 200 includes a management space 202,
which includes various links and/or other user interface elements
for allowing the user to manage their personal space. For example,
the user can edit their profile, change account settings, add/edit
photos, add/change videos, manage a calendar, manage a weblog (also
"blog"), manage an address book, etc.
[0025] The user interface 200 can include one or more spaces for
displaying information and content, such as an "Announcement" space
for posting announcements, a "Bulletin" space for posting
bulletins, a "Search Your Address Book" space for searching an
address book, a "New Message" space for displaying new emails or
Instant Messages, a "Friend" space for listing members of the
user's personal network, a "New People" space for introducing new
people recently added to the user's personal network, etc.
[0026] In some implementations, a user can add videos and other
content to their personal space. Video content can be displayed in
video display 204. In some implementations, the video display 204
displays a particular video that was added by the user to their
personal space, as well as controls for controlling the playback of
the displayed video. In some other implementations, the video
display 204 displays a list of videos added by the user to their
personal space, including information associated with the videos
such as video titles, lengths, and sample frames. In some further
implementations, a video is displayed in the video display 204 and
a list of videos added by the user to their personal space is
displayed in another area on the user interface 200. An ad display
206 for displaying targeted advertisements that are relevant to the
video content can be presented proximate to the video display 204.
For example, in FIG. 2, Video A is displayed in the video display
204 and Ad A is displayed in the ad display 206. Alternatively, ads
can be embedded in (e.g., prepended or appended to) or overlaid on
the video content. Ads can include images, text information and/or
links (e.g., a Universal Resource Locator (URL)) to resources
operated by or on behalf of advertisers or other content. A system
for targeting ads to video clips is described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/550,388, for "Using Viewing Signals in
Targeting Video Advertisements," filed Oct. 17, 2006, which patent
application is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0027] In some implementations, a user can enter into a bidding
process by, for example, clicking the link 210. Some "super" users
(e.g., celebrities/influencers) may have popular online properties
that advertisers can bid on. In such cases, the user can enter into
a revenue sharing scheme with the ad targeting service provider.
For example, the "super" user can receive some portion of the
advertising revenue and the ad targeting service provider can
receive some portion. In some implementations, the user is
compensated with a "pass" that provides the user with access to
other premium content. Other compensation and revenue sharing
schemes are possible.
[0028] If the user wants to add or change content, e.g., a video or
music, listed on (and accessible via) their personal space, the
user can click on the link 208 to invoke an interface for selecting
content and advertisers, as described in reference to FIGS.
3-6.
[0029] User Interfaces for Content, Advertiser, Ad Selection
[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates an example user interface 300 for
allowing a user to add or change media content. In the example
shown, the user is adding or changing video content. The disclosed
implementations are also applicable to other types of content
(e.g., audio content, images, etc.).
[0031] In some implementations, the user interface 300 displays
thumbnail images 304 of video clips that are available for posting.
The thumbnail images 304 can show sample frames from the available
video clips. The user can also search for video clips by entering a
query in search box 302. In some implementations, the user selects
a video by clicking on, or otherwise interacting with, the
thumbnail image for the video. In some other implementations, the
user selects one or more videos by checking the checkbox(es)
corresponding to the desired video(s) and pressing a button, such
as a "Select Video(s)" button. In the example shown, the user has
selected Video A by checking the corresponding checkbox. In some
implementations, when one or more videos are selected the user is
presented with a user interface 400 as shown in FIG. 4.
[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates an example user interface 400 for
allowing a user to select an advertiser associated with video
content. In some implementations, a video clip selected by a user
is tied to one or more advertisers who have licensed the content
for the targeting of ads. For example, the advertisers may have
entered into a bidding process (e.g., an auction) to obtain the
right for users to post content on one or more of the user's online
properties. In the example shown, the user interface 400 includes a
list of advertisers 402 who have one or more ads associated with
the Video A. In some implementations, the advertisers selected by
the user are stored in a database (e.g., database 114), which
allows the user to post the same pre-approved content to multiple
online properties associated with the user.
[0033] In some implementations, the user selects one or more
advertisers by checking the checkboxes corresponding to the desired
advertiser(s) and then pressing a button to continue on. In the
example shown, the user has selected Advertiser N by selecting the
corresponding checkbox. The user can opt to simply select the
advertiser(s) and not select specific ads from the advertiser(s)
for placement. On the other hand, the user can opt to select
specific ads for placement. If the user opts to simply select the
advertiser(s) and to not select specific advertisements, they can
press a button such as the "Add selected videos . . . " button
shown in FIG. 4 to complete the selection process. On the other
hand, if the user wishes to select specific advertisements, the
user can press another button such as the "select ads from selected
advertiser(s)" button shown in FIG. 4 to continue through the
process. In some implementations, when the user selects at least
one advertiser and selects the "select ads from selected
advertiser(s)" button, the user interface 500 is presented, as
shown in FIG. 5.
[0034] FIG. 5 illustrates an example user interface 500 for
allowing a user to select an ad associated with video content and
an advertiser. In the example shown, the user can select from
various banner and graphical ads. In some implementations, when the
user clicks on the desired ad, the video content and the ad can be
automatically uploaded to the user's personal space and displayed
in the video display 204 and ad display 206, respectively. In some
other implementations, the user selects one or more ads by checking
the checkboxes corresponding to the desired ads and then pressing a
button (e.g., the "Add selected video(s) and selected ad(s) to my
content" button shown in FIG. 5). In the example shown, the user
has selected Banner Ad B by checking the corresponding checkbox. In
some implementations, the user can be provided with a link or other
mechanism for entering into a revenue sharing arrangement with the
ad targeting service provider. While reference is made to adding
ads to a user's personal space, the ads may be served from a remote
location and not included as part of the personal space
content.
[0035] FIG. 6 illustrates an example user interface for an online
property that allows a user to select and post content to their
profile after the user has added sponsored content to their
profile. After the user has added one or more video(s) and one or
more ad(s), the added video(s) and ad(s) may be shown in the user
interface 200. In the example shown, Video B is displayed or listed
in the video display 204, and Ad B is displayed in the ad display
206.
[0036] User-Specified Online Advertising Process
[0037] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an example user-specified online
advertising process 700. The process 700 begins when input is
received from a user specifying one or more content items (e.g.,
restricted content) for posting on one or more online properties of
the user (702). For example, the user can select one or more videos
in user interface 300 for posting in the user's personal space
(e.g., user interface 200).
[0038] A determination is made as to whether the user and/or the
content items meets certain criteria specified by one or more
advertisers, to determine the set of advertisers willing to sponsor
the content items and/or the user's content/profile (704). For
example, user criteria can include a requirement that the user have
certain demographics (e.g., age, gender, postal code, income), or
have achieved a certain popularity ranking on the online property,
if applicable. In some implementations, the popularity of the user
can be measured by the popularity of the user's personal space on
the online property. For example, a user can be considered
"popular" if the user's personal space in a social network has a
number of page views or unique visitors that is above some
threshold. Content criteria may include a requirement that the
content matches targeting criteria of the advertisers. If the user
satisfies the user criteria and the content satisfies the content
criteria of at least one advertiser, the advertiser(s) whose
criteria are satisfied are presented to the user.
[0039] The targeting criteria of an advertiser specify the subject
matter of content for which the advertiser is interested in placing
ads. For example, a company advertising cars may target content
that is related to cars but not content related to dining In some
implementations, an advertiser's targeting criteria can be
specified by one or more keywords provided by the advertiser. The
targeting keywords can be compared to words extracted from the
content and/or content metadata to determine if the content
satisfies the targeting criteria.
[0040] Input is received from the user specifying one or more
advertisers from the set of advertisers willing to sponsor the
selected content (706). For example, the user, in user interface
400, selects one or more advertisers which agreed to sponsor a
video that was selected by the user for posting in his personal
space. As described above, the user can simply select the
advertisers or also select specific advertisements from the
selected advertisers.
[0041] If the user meets the criteria, then the user is provided
with the content and corresponding advertising for posting on the
user's one or more online properties (708). The selected content
and advertisements from the selected sponsors are posted in the
personal space of the user and other users who access the personal
space can view the selected content and advertisements.
[0042] If the user does not meet the user criteria of any
advertiser or if the user-selected content does not meet the
content criteria of any of the advertisers, the user is not
permitted to post the selected content in his online property.
[0043] In some implementations, an advertiser can refuse to sponsor
a content item if particular criteria are satisfied. For example,
if the user satisfies one or more user exclusion criteria (e.g.,
matching one or more blacklist demographics, such as an age that is
below or above some range, etc.), if the online property of the
user satisfies one or more property exclusion criteria (e.g., the
online property of the user includes objectionable content), or if
the content item selected by the user satisfies one or more content
exclusion criteria (e.g., the content item includes objectionable
content or other blacklisted content), the advertiser can refuse to
sponsor the user, the online property, or the content item, the
effect being that advertisements by the advertiser is excluded from
presentation in the online property of the user and/or along with
the content item.
[0044] Ad Targeting System Architecture
[0045] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example ad targeting system
architecture 800. In some implementations, the architecture 800
includes one or more processors 802 (e.g., dual-core Intel.RTM.
Xeon.RTM. Processors), an ad repository 804, one or more network
interfaces 806, a content repository 809, an optional
administrative computer 808 and one or more computer-readable
mediums 810 (e.g., RAM, ROM, SDRAM, hard disk, optical disk, flash
memory, SAN, etc.). These components can exchange communications
and data over one or more communication channels 812 (e.g.,
Ethernet, Enterprise Service Bus, PCI, PCI-Express, etc.), which
can include various known network devices (e.g., routers, hubs,
gateways, buses) and utilize software (e.g., middleware) for
facilitating the transfer of data and control signals between
devices.
[0046] The term "computer-readable medium" refers to any medium
that participates in providing instructions to a processor 802 for
execution, including without limitation, non-volatile media (e.g.,
optical or magnetic disks), volatile media (e.g., memory) and
transmission media. Transmission media includes, without
limitation, coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics.
Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic, light or
radio frequency waves.
[0047] The computer-readable medium 810 further includes an
operating system 814 (e.g., Mac OS.RTM. server, Windows.RTM. NT
server), a network communication module 816 and an ad targeting
application 818. The operating system 814 can be multi-user,
multiprocessing, multitasking, multithreading, real time, etc. The
operating system 814 performs basic tasks, including but not
limited to: recognizing input from and providing output to the
administrator computer 808; keeping track and managing files and
directories on computer-readable mediums 810 (e.g., memory or a
storage device); controlling peripheral devices (e.g., repositories
804, 809); and managing traffic on the one or more communication
channels 812. The network communications module 816 includes
various components for establishing and maintaining network
connections (e.g., software for implementing communication
protocols, such as TCP/IP, HTTP, etc.).
[0048] The computer-readable medium 810 includes an ad targeting
system 818, which is responsible for providing the features and
functions described in reference to FIGS. 2-7. For example, the ad
targeting system 818 lets advertisers specify the content they are
willing to sponsor and the criteria for sponsorship. A web page
server 802 is provided for generating the user interfaces described
in reference to FIGS. 2-6. An accounting system 822 is provided for
handling the accounting of payment schemes described herein (e.g.,
revenue sharing).
[0049] The architecture 800 is one example of a suitable
architecture for hosting an ad targeting application. Other
architectures are possible, which include more or fewer components.
For example, the ad repository 804 and content repository 809 can
be the same storage device or separate storage devices. The
components of architecture 800 can be located in the same facility
or distributed among several facilities. The architecture 800 can
be implemented in a parallel processing or peer-to-peer
infrastructure or on a single device with one or more processors.
The ad targeting system 818 can include multiple software
components or it can be a single body of code. Some or all of the
functionality of the ad targeting system 818 can be provided as a
service to content providers, advertisers and users over a network.
In such a case, these entities may need to install client
applications. Some or all of the functionality of the ad targeting
system 818 can be provided as part of a search engine and can use
information gathered by the search engine to target ads.
[0050] It should be appreciated that while the implementations
described above describe sponsorship of content in an online
environment, the above-described implementations can be adapted for
other media, such as audio and print. For example, audio content
can be sponsored by advertisers for inclusion into a radio
broadcast or an audio podcast in exchange for insertion of
advertisements provided by the advertisers into the radio broadcast
or audio podcast.
[0051] The disclosed and other embodiments and the functional
operations described in this specification can be implemented in
digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or
hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification
and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more
of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as
one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of
computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium
for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing
apparatus. The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable
storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory
device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable
propagated signal, or a combination of one or more them. The term
"data processing apparatus" encompasses all apparatus, devices, and
machines for processing data, including by way of example a
programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or
computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code
that creates an execution environment for the computer program in
question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a
protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system,
or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an
artificially generated signal, e.g., a machine-generated
electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated
to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver
apparatus.
[0052] A computer program (also known as a program, software,
software application, script, or code) can be written in any form
of programming language, including compiled or interpreted
languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a
stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other
unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer
program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system.
A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other
programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup
language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in
question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store
one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer
program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on
multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed
across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication
network.
[0053] The processes and logic flows described in this
specification can be performed by one or more programmable
processors executing one or more computer programs to perform
functions by operating on input data and generating output. The
processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus
can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g.,
an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC
(application-specific integrated circuit).
[0054] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program
include, by way of example, both general and special purpose
microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of
digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions
and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both.
The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing
instructions and one or more memory devices for storing
instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or
be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or
both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,
magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a
computer need not have such devices. Computer-readable media
suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include
all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices,
including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g.,
EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g.,
internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and
CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be
supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic
circuitry.
[0055] To provide for interaction with a user, the disclosed
embodiments can be implemented on a computer having a display
device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal
display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a
keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by
which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of
devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well;
for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of
sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or
tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any
form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
[0056] The disclosed embodiments can be implemented in a computing
system that includes a back-end component, e.g., as a data server,
or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application
server, or that includes a front-end component, e.g., a client
computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through
which a user can interact with an implementation of what is
disclosed here, or any combination of one or more such back-end,
middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system
can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data
communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of
communication networks include a local area network ("LAN") and a
wide area network ("WAN"), e.g., the Internet.
[0057] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other.
[0058] While this specification contains many specifics, these
should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what being
claims or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of
features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that
are described in this specification in the context of separate
embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single
embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the
context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple
embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover,
although features may be described above as acting in certain
combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more
features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised
from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed
to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
[0059] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in
a particular order, this should not be understand as requiring that
such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in
sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed,
to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances,
multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover,
the separation of various system components in the embodiments
described above should not be understood as requiring such
separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the
described program components and systems can generally be
integrated together in a single software product or packaged into
multiple software products.
[0060] Thus, particular embodiments have been described. Other
embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
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