The usefulness, and consequently the performance, of advertisements are improved by allowing businesses to better target their ads to a responsive audience. Location information is determined (or simply accepted) and used. For example, location information may be used in a relevancy determination of an ad. As another example, location information may be used in an attribute (e.g., position) arbitration. Such location information may be associated with price information, such as a maximum price bid. Such location information may be associated with ad performance information. Ad performance information may be tracked on the basis of location information. The content of an ad creative, and/or of a landing page may be selected and/or modified using location information. Finally, tools, such as user interfaces, may be provided to allow a business to enter and/or modify location information, such as location information used for targeting and location-dependent price information. The location information used to target and/or score ads may be, include, or define an area. The area may be defined by at least one geographic reference point (e.g., defined by latitude and longitude coordinates) and perhaps additional information. Thus, the area may be a circle defined by a geographic reference point and a radius, an ellipse defined by two geographic reference points and a distance sum, or a polygon defined by three or more geographic reference points, for example.

Claims

33 · 5 independent · depth 3

33 granted claims

›1.independentA computer-implemented method comprising:na) accepting, by a computer system including at least one computer on a network, geolocation information ass…+8

›2.↳ 1The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the request further includes search terms, and wherein determining a score of the ad further uses a…d2

›3.↳ 1The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the request further includes document relevance information, and wherein determining a score of the…d2

›4.↳ 1The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the geolocation-specific price information corresponds to a circular area having a radius about a s…d2

›5.↳ 1The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the geolocation-specific price information corresponds to an area defined by at least three geograp…d2+1

›7.↳ 1The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geolocation information associated with the request and the geolocation-specific price informa…d2

›8.↳ 1The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific ad creative…d2

›9.↳ 1The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific landing pag…d2

›10.independentA computer-implemented method comprising:na) accepting, by a computer system including at least one computer on a network, geolocation information ass…+9

›11.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the request further includes search terms, and wherein determining a score of the ad further uses …d2

›12.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the request further includes document relevance information, and wherein determining a score of th…d2

›13.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the geolocation-specific performance information corresponds to a circular area having a radius ab…d2

›14.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the geolocation-specific performance information corresponds to an area defined by at least three …d2+1

›16.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the geolocation information associated with the request and the geolocation-specific performance …d2

›17.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific ad creativ…d2

›18.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific landing pa…d2

›19.↳ 10The computer-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising:ne) receiving, with the computer system, a user selection of the ad served; andf) respo…d2

›20.independentApparatus comprising:na) at least one processor; andb) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by t…

›21.independentApparatus comprising:na) at least one processor; andb) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by t…+5

›22.↳ 21The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the geolocation-specific price information corresponds to a circular area having a radius about a specified geograph…d2

›23.↳ 21The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the geolocation-specific price information corresponds to an area defined by at least three geographic reference poi…d2

›24.↳ 21The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the geolocation information associated with the request and the geolocation-specific price information each include…d2

›25.↳ 21The apparatus of claim 21 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific ad creative information corr…d2

›26.↳ 21The apparatus of claim 21 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific landing page information cor…d2

›27.independentApparatus comprising:na) at least one processor; andb) at least one storage device storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by t…+6

›28.↳ 27The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the geolocation-specific performance information corresponds to a circular area having a radius about a specified ge…d2

›29.↳ 27The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the geolocation-specific performance information corresponds to an area defined by at least three geographic referen…d2

›30.↳ 27The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the geolocation information associated with the request and the geolocation-specific performance information each i…d2

›31.↳ 27The apparatus of claim 27 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific ad creative information corr…d2

›32.↳ 27The apparatus of claim 27 wherein controlling the serving includesni) determining whether the ad has geolocation-specific landing page information cor…d2

›33.↳ 27The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the method performed further includes:n5) receiving a user selection of the ad served; and6) responsive to a determ…d2

Classifications

3 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G06F17/30

USPC · US Patent Classification

707/770705/14.4

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Pendency

1.9 y

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2 RCE

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Greta Robinson

art unit 2169 · TC 2100

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Type	Document	Date
related publication	US 20100131350 A1	27 May 2010

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