System for and method of expressive sequential auctions in a dynamic environment on a network

A method of conducting an ad auction comprising:

• (a) receiving via a computer network a bid for the right to display at least one advert associated with the bid on a display of a computer of the computer network in response to the bid being allocated a query received from the computer, wherein said bid includes a value and a constraint that prerequisites payment of the value based on satisfaction of a condition associated with the constraint;
• (b) receiving queries from computers of the computer network;
• (c) allocating a subset of the received queries to the bid;
• and
• (d) making or withholding payment of the value based on the condition being satisfied or dissatisfied, respectively.

A system of conducting an ad auction comprising:

• means for electronically receiving a plurality of bids via a computer network, wherein each bid is for the right to display at least one advert associated with the bid on at least one display of the computer network in response to the bid being allocated at least one query;
• each bid includes at least one word, term, phrase or string of characters that is used as a basis for allocating at least one query to the bid;
• and each bid further includes at least one constraint on a sequential allocation of queries to the bid;
• means for electronically determining at a time t at least one rule or decision variable for allocating queries to bids, wherein the at least one rule or decision variable is determined based on the bids received before time t and at least one of the following:
• an estimate of queries to be received after time t;
• an estimate of events to occur in response to the display of adverts after time t;
• and/or an estimate of bids to be received after time t;
• means for electronically receiving one or more queries via the computer network after time t;
• and
• means for electronically allocating each query received after time t to at least one of the bids based on the at least one rule or decision variable and the at least one word, term, phrase or string of characters.

A method of conducting an expressive auction in a dynamic environment comprising:

• (a) receiving a plurality of bids via a computer network, wherein each bid is for the right to be allocated units of a supply of a differentiated resource, wherein each bid further includes at least one constraint on a sequential allocation of units of supply to the bid;
• (b) determining at a time t at least one rule or decision variable for allocating the units of supply to at least one bid, wherein the at least one rule or decision variable is determined based on bids received before time t and at least one of the following:
• an estimate of the units of supply to be received after time t;
• an estimate of events to occur in response to allocation of units of supply after time t;
• and/or an estimate of bids to be received after time t;
• (c) following step (b), receiving one or more units of supply;
• and
• (d) allocating the one or more units of supply received in step (c) to at least one of the bids based on the at least one rule or decision variable.

A method of conducting an ad auction comprising:

• (a) receiving a plurality of bids via a computer network, wherein each bid is for the right to display at least one advert associated with the bid on at least one display of the computer network, and each bid further includes a constraint on a sequential allocation of the right to display based on context data associated with at least one user accessing the computer network to the bid;
• (b) determining at a time t at least one rule or decision variable for allocating the right to display an advert on at least one display associated with the computer network in response to receiving the context data, wherein the at least one rule or decision variable is determined based on the bids received before time t and at least one of the following:
• an estimate of context data to be received after time t;
• an estimate of events to occur in response to displaying adverts after time t;
• and/or an estimate of bids to be received after time t;
• (c) following step (b), receiving context data from the computer network;
• and
• (d) allocating the right to display based on the context data received in step (d) and the at least one rule or decision variable.

A method of conducting an ad auction comprising:

• (a) receiving a plurality of bids via a computer network, wherein each bid is for the right to display at least one advert associated with the bid on at least one display of the computer network, and each bid further includes a constraint on a sequential allocation of the right to display based on content data regarding content begin displayed on a display of the computer network and/or being reproduced by an audio device associated with the display to the bid;
• (b) determining at a time t at least one rule or decision variable for allocating the right to display an advert on at least one display associated with the computer network in response to receiving the content data, wherein the at least one rule or decision variable is determined based on the bids received before time t and at least one of the following:
• an estimate of content data to be received after time t;
• an estimate of events to occur in response to displaying adverts after time t;
• and/or an estimate of bids to be received after time t;
• (c) following step (b), receiving content data from the computer network;
• and
• (d) allocating the right to display based on the content data received in step (d) and the at least one rule or decision variable.

A bidding language for an ad auction comprising:

• at least one query, each query having associated therewith at least one of the following:
• at least one word, term, phrase or string of characters;
• time of day;
• date;
• and demographic information;
• and
• at least one bid, each bid having associated therewith:
• at least one advert for display on a display of a computer in response to allocation of at least one query to the bid;
• a value;
• and a constraint that prerequisites payment of the value based on satisfaction of a condition associated with the constraint.

A user interface for an ad auction displayable on the display of each of a plurality of bidder's computer of a computer network having a server computer, said user interface for enabling a user of the corresponding bidder's computer to create at least one bid for processing by the server computer, the user interface comprising at least one data entry field for:

• associating at least one word, term, phrase or string of characters with the bid;
• associating with the bid at least one advert for display on the display of a query computer in response to allocation of at least one query received from the query computer to the bid based on the at least one word, term, phrase or string of characters associated with the bid;
• associating a value with the bid;
• and
• associating with the bid a constraint on allocation of the bid.