# US 12,008,593 B2 · System, method and computer program for varying affiliate position displayed by intermediary > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,008,593 B2 - Document ID: US12008593B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/084,524 - Filed: 2022-12-19 - Published: 2023-04-20 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-11 - Assignees: TrueCar, Inc. - Applicants: TrueCar, Inc. - Inventors: Michael D. Swinson; Jason McBride; Isaac Lemon Laughlin; Thomas J. Sullivan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008593B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0206: {Price or cost determination based on market factors} - G06Q 30/0277: {Online advertisement} - 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 Endogenous and exogenous variables associated with an item for sale by an affiliate may be displayed to a user of an affiliate decision-making tool. In response to the user selecting one of the endogenous variables, the affiliate decision-making tool may compute a number of introductions, a number of leads, and a number of sales for each of a plurality of possible values of the endogenous variable. The computation may be done utilizing a display position algorithm. A visualization of effects of setting the endogenous variable at different levels may be presented. The user may interact with the display position algorithm to vary one or more of the plurality of possible values of the endogenous variable such that the affiliate is eligible or disqualified to be displayed by an intermediary in response to a search for the item by a visitor of a network site owned and operated by the intermediary. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: generating, by an intermediary computer, a view comprising endogenous variables and exogenous variables associated with an item, wherein each of the endogenous variables represents an endogenous feature of an affiliate of an intermediary, the endogenous features being changeable by the affiliate, wherein each of the exogenous variables represents an exogenous feature of the affiliate with respect to the item, the exogenous feature being uncontrollable by the affiliate, the intermediary computer communicatively connected to a website of the intermediary and operating independently of the affiliate; providing, by the intermediary computer through a user interface, the view to a user device associated with the affiliate, wherein the user interface comprises a visualization function for user-selection of any of the endogenous variables in the view and for visualizing effects of varying a value of a user-selected endogenous variable; receiving, by the intermediary computer through the user interface, an indication that an endogenous variable has been selected by a user from the endogenous variables in the view; determining, by the intermediary computer in response to the user selecting the endogenous variable from the endogenous variables in the view, effects of how setting the user-selected endogenous variable at different levels affects a plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics for determining a display position of the affiliate on the website of the intermediary responsive to a website visitor inquiring about the item through the website; generating, by the intermediary computer, a visualization of the effects thus determined, wherein the visualization of the effects comprises the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics; and providing, by the intermediary computer through the user interface, the visualization of the effects and the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics to the user device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining comprises, other than the user-selected endogenous variable, holding the exogenous variables and the endogenous variables fixed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics comprises at least one of display rank, leads, sales, or gross margin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the visualization shows how setting the user-selected endogenous variable at the different levels impacts the display rank, the leads, the sales, or the gross margin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the visualization shows the effects thus determined within a specified time period, in a specific geographic area, or both. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the visualization includes a number of introductions anticipated in the specified time period in the specific geographic area for all affiliates of the intermediary. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the endogenous variables comprise at least one of vehicle prices, vehicle inventory, customer satisfactions scores, or customer perks. ### Claim 8 A system, comprising: a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and translatable by the processor for: generating a view comprising endogenous variables and exogenous variables associated with an item, wherein each of the endogenous variables represents an endogenous feature of an affiliate of an intermediary, the endogenous features being changeable by the affiliate, wherein each of the exogenous variables represents an exogenous feature of the affiliate with respect to the item, the exogenous feature being uncontrollable by the affiliate, the system communicatively connected to a website of the intermediary and operating independently of the affiliate; providing, through a user interface, the view to a user device associated with the affiliate, wherein the user interface comprises a visualization function for user-selection of any of the endogenous variables in the view and for visualizing effects of varying a value of a user-selected endogenous variable; receiving, through the user interface, an indication that an endogenous variable has been selected by a user from the endogenous variables in the view; determining, in response to the user selecting the endogenous variable from the endogenous variables in the view, effects of how setting the user-selected endogenous variable at different levels affects a plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics for determining a display position of the affiliate on the website of the intermediary responsive to a website visitor inquiring about the item through the website; generating a visualization of the effects thus determined, wherein the visualization of the effects comprises the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics; and providing, through the user interface, the visualization of the effects and the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics to the user device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the determining comprises, other than the user-selected endogenous variable, holding the exogenous variables and the endogenous variables fixed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics comprises at least one of display rank, leads, sales, or gross margin. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the visualization shows how setting the user-selected endogenous variable at the different levels impacts the display rank, the leads, the sales, or the gross margin. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the visualization shows the effects thus determined within a specified time period, in a specific geographic area, or both. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the visualization includes a number of introductions anticipated in the specified time period in the specific geographic area for all affiliates of the intermediary. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the endogenous variables comprise at least one of vehicle prices, vehicle inventory, customer satisfactions scores, or customer perks. ### Claim 15 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions translatable by a processor for: generating a view comprising endogenous variables and exogenous variables associated with an item, wherein each of the endogenous variables represents an endogenous feature of an affiliate of an intermediary, the endogenous features being changeable by the affiliate, wherein each of the exogenous variables represents an exogenous feature of the affiliate with respect to the item, the exogenous feature being uncontrollable by the affiliate, the system communicatively connected to a website of the intermediary and operating independently of the affiliate; providing, through a user interface, the view to a user device associated with the affiliate, wherein the user interface comprises a visualization function for user-selection of any of the endogenous variables in the view and for visualizing effects of varying a value of a user-selected endogenous variable; receiving, through the user interface, an indication that an endogenous variable has been selected by a user from the endogenous variables in the view; determining, in response to the user selecting the endogenous variable from the endogenous variables in the view, effects of how setting the user-selected endogenous variable at different levels affects a plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics for determining a display position of the affiliate on the website of the intermediary responsive to a website visitor inquiring about the item through the website; generating a visualization of the effects thus determined, wherein the visualization of the effects comprises the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics; and providing, through the user interface, the visualization of the effects and the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics to the user device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the determining comprises, other than the user-selected endogenous variable, holding the exogenous variables and the endogenous variables fixed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of affiliate decision-making metrics comprises at least one of display rank, leads, sales, or gross margin. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the visualization shows how setting the user-selected endogenous variable at the different levels impacts the display rank, the leads, the sales, or the gross margin. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the visualization shows the effects thus determined within a specified time period, in a specific geographic area, or both. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the visualization includes a number of introductions anticipated in the specified time period in the specific geographic area for all affiliates of the intermediary.