Using the utility of configurations in ad serving decisions

Abstract

Instead of accepting competing ads and using an arbitration function (e.g., an auction) to choose winning ads to be served with a document, sets of ads (perhaps having different characteristics) can be generated, and an arbitration function can be used to select the winning set of ads. Such arbitrations on sets of ads can consider how ads, search results, colors, positions, fonts, etc., all interact with each other and affect the usefulness of the sets of ads to advertisers, end users, document publishers, and/or an ad serving entity.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising: 
 a) accepting alternative configurations including ad participants; and    b) determining, from the accepted alternative configurations, a configuration with a maximum utility value.    
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 c) serving, for rendering with a document, only those ad participants belonging to the determined configuration with a maximum utility value.    
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 d) determining a payment value for a served participant ad using a utility value of an alternative configuration that does not include the served participant ad.    
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 d) determining utility values for those of the alternative configurations that do not include a particular participant ad belonging to the determined configuration with the maximum utility value; and    e) determining a payment value for the particular participant ad using a maximum of the utility values of the alternative configurations that do not include the participant ad.    
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2  wherein a served participant ad is associated with offer information, the method further comprising: 
 d) determining a payment value for the served participant ad using the offer information and a discount corresponding to an amount of utility value contributed by serving the served participant ad.    
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2  wherein a served participant ad is associated with offer information, the method further comprising: 
 d) determining a payment value for the served participant ad using the offer information and a discount corresponding to an amount of utility value lost due to the serving of the served participant ad.    
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising, before accepting the alternative configurations of ad participants: 
 accepting a set of one or more ad participants; and    determining the alternative configurations using the accepted set of one or more ad participants.    
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the utility value of a configuration includes a sum of an expected cost per impression of each participant in the configuration.  
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the utility value of a configuration includes a sum, for each participant in the configuration, of an offer per impression associated with the participant.  
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the utility value of a configuration includes a sum, for each participant in the configuration, of a product of an offer per selection associated with the participant and a selection rate associated with the participant.  
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the utility value of a configuration includes a sum, for each participant in the configuration, of a product of an offer per conversion associated with the participant and a conversion rate associated with the participant.  
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the configurations includes an empty ad spot participant, and wherein the empty ad spot participant has a utility value.  
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12  wherein the utility value of the empty ad spot participant includes a value to a user of not being presented with an ad in the ad spot.  
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12  wherein the utility value of the empty ad spot participant includes a value to a document publisher of not serving an ad in the ad spot.  
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12  wherein the utility value of the empty ad spot participant includes a value to other participants of the configuration of no ad being served in the ad spot.  
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the configurations includes only empty ad spot participants.  
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16  wherein the utility value of the empty ad spot participant includes a value to a user of not being presented with any ads in the ad spots.  
     
     
         18 . Apparatus comprising: 
 a) means for accepting alternative configurations including ad participants; and    b) means for determining, from the accepted alternative configurations, a configuration with a maximum utility value.    
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  further comprising: 
 c) means for serving, for rendering with a document, only those ad participants belonging to the determined configuration with a maximum utility value.    
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the acts of: 
 a) accepting alternative configurations including ad participants; and    b) determining, from the accepted alternative configurations, a configuration with a maximum utility value.