Edge Server Header Bidding for Web Page Latency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional web page loading is slow due to the client-side execution of ad scripts, which leads to increased latency and inefficiency in rendering ads and content.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an edge server to perform header bidding in parallel with fetching the requested page, reducing the time needed to determine winning bids and render content elements by offloading ad-related tasks from the browser.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If ad scripts are executed on the client side, then ad functionality is implemented, but page loading speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvead functionalityVSAvoidpage loading speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts ad-related JavaScript execution from the client-side browser environment and relocates it to the server-side edge computing environment. Specifically, the ad server receives the HTML page, identifies ad tags, executes ad-related JavaScript on the server, and injects rendered ad content back into the page before delivering it to the client. This extraction eliminates the need for the client to execute complex ad scripts, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining ad functionality and improving page loading speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary ad server that acts as a mediator between the content management system and the client browser. The ad server receives the HTML page from the CMS, processes ad tags and JavaScript on behalf of the client, and returns the finalized page with rendered ads. This intermediary handles the computationally intensive ad rendering tasks, preventing them from blocking the client-side page loading process while ensuring ads are properly displayed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If ad tags and scripts are loaded on the client browser, then ad verification and injection are performed, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvead verification and injectionVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by performing ad verification, rendering, and injection on the server-side before the page is delivered to the client. The ad server executes ad-related JavaScript, verifies ad content, and injects rendered ads into the HTML page during the server-side rendering process. This preliminary processing ensures that by the time the page reaches the client, all ad operations are already complete, eliminating the time loss associated with client-side ad processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If third party ad servers are called dynamically, then ad content is injected, but ad blockers can interfere

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvead content deliveryVSAvoidad blocker interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the ad serving process from the traditional client-side model where browsers dynamically call third-party ad servers. Instead, the ad server operates on the server-side, receiving HTML from the CMS, identifying ad tags, executing ad JavaScript, and injecting rendered ad content directly into the page. This extraction of ad serving to the server eliminates the need for multiple dynamic client-side calls to third-party ad servers, thereby reducing the attack surface for ad blockers while maintaining adaptability in ad content delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If publishers use CMS systems with ad tags, then content management is simplified, but web performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent managementVSAvoidweb performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary ad server that sits between the CMS and the client, handling the performance-deteriorating ad-related operations. The CMS continues to serve content as before, but the ad server intercepts the HTML, processes ad tags and JavaScript on the server-side, and returns the optimized page with rendered ads. This intermediary approach allows publishers to maintain their existing CMS systems for ease of content management while the ad server handles the computationally intensive ad rendering, thereby preserving web performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the performance-critical ad rendering operations from the client-side browser and relocates them to the server-side ad server. By taking out the execution of ad-related JavaScript and ad content injection from the client environment, the system eliminates the performance penalty that would otherwise affect web page loading speed, while publishers continue to use their existing CMS systems without modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12288228B2Edge bidding system for online ads

Publication Date: 2025.04.29 LIFE360

AI summary

A request for a page is received. The page is provided at least in part by determining dynamically a content element for the page. An auction to determine a winning bid is conducted prior to providing the page in response to the request and the content element determined based at least in part on the auction winner.