Map Server Ad Auction for Screen Clutter Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Online maps face cluttering issues due to the limited screen real-estate when displaying advertisements for all businesses, degrading their usefulness and user experience.
Innovation Solution
An auction system is implemented by a map server to allocate and price geo-located advertisements, where advertisers bid for displaying their ads proximate to specific geographic locations, with the server selecting winning advertisers based on bid prices and presentation costs to minimize visual overlap and maximize revenue while keeping costs low for advertisers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If advertisements are displayed for all businesses represented on online maps, then advertising revenue is maximized, but the maps become cluttered with excess information degrading their usefulness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a scoring mechanism that evaluates advertisements based on multiple parameters including bid price, presentation cost, and quality metrics. This transforms the selection process from a simple quantity-based approach to a weighted parameter-based selection, allowing the system to maximize revenue while maintaining map clarity by selecting only high-scoring advertisements that meet quality thresholds.
2Quantity of substance
If visual advertisements are included in online maps instead of textual labels, then branding effect and advertising value are improved, but screen real-estate is consumed reducing map quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by allowing different types and quantities of advertisements in different regions of the map based on local characteristics. The system evaluates each potential advertisement location independently, considering factors like location importance, competition density, and user behavior patterns. This enables high-value advertisements to be displayed in premium locations while maintaining map quality in other areas, effectively allocating screen real-estate based on local advertising value.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by displaying only a subset of eligible advertisements rather than all possible ads. The scoring mechanism identifies the top-performing advertisements that provide the best return on screen real-estate investment, displaying enough advertisements to generate revenue but not so many that map clutter degrades user experience. This selective approach optimizes the balance between advertising value and map quality.
3Loss of energy
If the map server charges advertisers their full bid price for advertisement display, then revenue is maximized, but advertisers may be discouraged from participating in the auction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by providing advertisers with detailed information about their advertisement performance, including quality scores, presentation costs, and ranking positions. This feedback loop allows advertisers to understand how their bids and ad qualities are evaluated, enabling them to optimize their bidding strategies. The system adjusts pricing and selection based on this feedback, creating a dynamic equilibrium that maintains both revenue and advertiser participation.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a map server provides online maps with advertisements corresponding to map features included in the online maps. The map server holds an auction to determine which advertisers can display their associated advertisements in an online map. In one embodiment, the map server selects which advertisers with collocated advertisements in the online map can display their advertisements and calculates a price paid by the selected advertisers for the display of the advertisements.