# US 10,319,055 B2 · Methods and systems for impression inventory trading > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,319,055 B2 - Document ID: US10319055B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/295,652 - Filed: 2014-06-04 - Published: 2014-12-04 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-04 - Assignees: AppNexus Inc. - Applicants: AppNexus Inc. - Inventors: Eric Anderson; Catherine S. O'Kelley; Wendy W. Johansson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319055B2 ## CPC - G06Q 50/188: {Electronic negotiation} - G06Q 30/0273: Determination of fees for advertising - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Systems and methods for providing an impression inventory trading platform are described. A specification of impression inventory for sale is received from a seller, the impression inventory having associated therewith a plurality of attributes. Each attribute is specified as either visible or hidden to a potential impression inventory buyer. The impression inventory specification and visible attributes associated therewith are provided to one or more potential impression inventory buyers via a user interface, and negotiation for purchase of the impression inventory is facilitated between the seller and one or more of the potential impression inventory buyers via the user interface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, from a seller, a specification of impression inventory for sale comprising a plurality of terms, the impression inventory having associated therewith a plurality of targeting attributes, the attributes comprising one or more web domains on which the impression inventory exists; providing to the seller a first user interface screen comprising a listing of the plurality of targeting attributes and a respective user interface control for each targeting attribute visually indicating whether the targeting attribute is hidden or visible to a potential impression inventory buyer; providing to one or more potential impression inventory buyers a second user interface screen comprising a visual depiction of the impression inventory specification and visible targeting attributes associated therewith; receiving from a first one of the potential impression inventory buyers a proposed modification to one or more of the terms of the impression inventory specification, the terms comprising a minimum price floor for real-time bidding auctions to serve impressions on the impression inventory; providing to the seller a third user interface screen comprising a visual depiction of the impression inventory specification with a visual identification of the proposed modification to one or more of the terms; receiving in response to the proposed modification via a first one of the user interface controls of the first user interface screen a change in status of a first one of the targeting attributes from hidden to visible, the first targeting attribute comprising the one or more web domains; providing an application programming interface (API) including an activity stream API configured to receive messages for broadcast to the seller and the potential impression inventory buyers within one or more of the user interface screens; and conducting a real-time bidding auction to serve an impression on impression inventory at one of the web domains, the conducting comprising setting a price floor based on the minimum price floor for bids received from the first potential impression inventory buyer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a proposal from the first potential impression inventory buyer for the seller to expose one or more hidden attributes associated with the impression inventory to the first potential impression inventory buyer; and providing the proposal to the seller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the proposal comprises an offer to provide a benefit to the seller in exchange for the seller exposing the one or more hidden attributes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a particular benefit to the seller comprises a price floor for certain impression inventory or a minimum spend commitment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a particular attribute comprises a full uniform resource locator, a partial uniform resource locator, a domain, an age, a gender, a content category, an auction price floor, a geography, a tag, a publisher, or a fold position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving from the seller proposed terms for the sale of the impression inventory; providing, via a user interface, the proposed terms to the first potential impression inventory buyer; receiving from the first potential impression inventory buyer an acceptance or rejection of the proposed terms; and providing, via the user interface, the acceptance or rejection to the seller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the proposed terms comprise a proposed rate for a sale of at least a subset of the impression inventory. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the proposed terms comprise proposed targeting access to the impression inventory for the first potential impression inventory buyer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving from the first potential impression inventory buyer proposed terms for the purchase of the impression inventory; providing, via a user interface, the proposed terms to the seller; receiving from the seller an acceptance or rejection of the proposed terms; and providing, via the user interface, the acceptance or rejection to the first potential impression inventory buyer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the facilitating negotiation further comprises: receiving modifications to the proposed terms from the seller; and providing, via the user interface, the modifications to the first potential impression inventory buyer. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: one or more computers programmed to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a seller, a specification of impression inventory for sale comprising a plurality of terms, the impression inventory having associated therewith a plurality of targeting attributes, the attributes comprising one or more web domains on which the impression inventory exists; providing to the seller a first user interface screen comprising a listing of the plurality of targeting attributes and a respective user interface control for each targeting attribute visually indicating whether the targeting attribute is hidden or visible to a potential impression inventory buyer; providing to one or more potential impression inventory buyers a second user interface screen comprising a visual depiction of the impression inventory specification and visible targeting attributes associated therewith; receiving from a first one of the potential impression inventory buyers a proposed modification to one or more of the terms of the impression inventory specification, the terms comprising a minimum price floor for real-time bidding auctions to serve impressions on the impression inventory; providing to the seller a third user interface screen comprising a visual depiction of the impression inventory specification with a visual identification of the proposed modification to one or more of the terms; receiving in response to the proposed modification via a first one of the user interface controls of the first user interface screen a change in status of a first one of the targeting attributes from hidden to visible, the first targeting attribute comprising the one or more web domains; providing an application programming interface (API) including an activity stream API configured to receive messages for broadcast to the seller and the potential impression inventory buyers within one or more of the user interface screens; and conducting a real-time bidding auction to serve an impression on impression inventory at one of the web domains, the conducting comprising setting a price floor based on the minimum price floor for bids received from the first potential impression inventory buyer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving a proposal from the first potential impression inventory buyer for the seller to expose one or more hidden attributes associated with the impression inventory to the first potential impression inventory buyer; and providing the proposal to the seller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the proposal comprises an offer to provide a benefit to the seller in exchange for the seller exposing the one or more hidden attributes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein a particular benefit to the seller comprises a price floor for certain impression inventory or a minimum spend commitment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein a particular attribute comprises a full uniform resource locator, a partial uniform resource locator, a domain, an age, a gender, a content category, an auction price floor, a geography, a tag, a publisher, or a fold position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving from the seller proposed terms for the sale of the impression inventory; providing, via a user interface, the proposed terms to the first potential impression inventory buyer; receiving from the first potential impression inventory buyer an acceptance or rejection of the proposed terms; and providing, via the user interface, the acceptance or rejection to the seller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the proposed terms comprise a proposed rate for a sale of at least a subset of the impression inventory. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the proposed terms comprise proposed targeting access to the impression inventory for the first potential impression inventory buyer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving from the first potential impression inventory buyer proposed terms for the purchase of the impression inventory; providing, via a user interface, the proposed terms to the seller; receiving from the seller an acceptance or rejection of the proposed terms; and providing, via the user interface, the acceptance or rejection to the first potential impression inventory buyer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the facilitating negotiation further comprises: receiving modifications to the proposed terms from the seller; and providing, via the user interface, the modifications to the first potential impression inventory buyer.