Geo-Targeted Ad Selection Using IP Location and Message Content

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Solution Overview

Problem

Online content-targeted advertising typically does not consider a user's geographical location, resulting in the same advertisements being served to users regardless of their location, which can be irrelevant to their current situation.

Innovation Solution

A system that incorporates user geographical information into the process of selecting advertisements by using IP addresses to determine the user's location and matching it with the content of electronic messages, allowing for geo-targeted and content-targeted information to be displayed concurrently with messages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If content-targeted advertising is provided without geographical location consideration, then the advertising system is simple and easy to implement, but the relevance of advertisements to users deteriorates when users are in different locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement relevance to user locationVSAvoidadvertising system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the advertising delivery system by introducing geographical location as a separate dimension for ad selection. The system divides ad targeting into multiple factors: content relevance and geographical location, allowing independent optimization of each factor while improving overall ad relevance to user context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a new dimension (geographical location) to the existing advertising targeting framework. By incorporating location data alongside content analysis, the system transitions from single-dimension content-based targeting to multi-dimensional targeting that includes both content and spatial context, thereby improving ad relevance without completely redesigning the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the same advertisements are served to all users regardless of location, then the system is simple to operate, but the usefulness of advertisements deteriorates for users traveling or in different geographical contexts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvead advertisement customizationVSAvoidsystem operation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically extracting geographical location data from IP addresses and autonomously selecting appropriate advertisements based on both content and location factors. This eliminates the need for manual configuration of location-based ad rules, maintaining ease of operation while achieving personalized ad delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter used for ad selection from purely content-based to a combination of content-based and location-based parameters. By dynamically adjusting the ad selection criteria based on user location parameters, the system achieves customized advertisements without requiring complex manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If geographical information is incorporated into ad selection, then advertisement relevance to user location is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvead relevance to user contextVSAvoidad selection processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-processing and storing geographical location data associated with IP addresses before ad selection is needed. Location information is extracted and cached in advance, allowing rapid retrieval during ad selection without adding significant processing time to the user's request.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that handles the computationally intensive location lookup and ad matching processes. By using intermediate data structures and pre-computed location mappings, the system reduces the computational burden during real-time ad selection, maintaining fast response times while incorporating geographical context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7949714B1System and method for targeting advertisements or other information using user geographical information

Publication Date: 2011.05.24 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

A request for information items may include content information associated with one or more electronic messages and geographical information associated with the requesting user. A set of information items is identified based on the user geographical information and the message content of the one or more electronic messages. In some embodiments, at least one of the information items is identified based on both on the user geographical information and the message content. In some embodiments, if the user geographical information is different from the user's default geographical information, at least one of the information items is identified based on the user geographical information, but not the message content. A subset of the identified information items may be selected in accordance with a scoring or ranking function. The selected information items are transferred to the requesting client and displayed concurrently with (e.g., next to) the electronic messages.