# US 2017/0287013 A1 · Identifying characteristics used for content selection by an online system to a user for user modification > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0287013 A1 - Document ID: US20170287013A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/089,464 - Filed: 2016-04-01 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-01 - Assignees: Facebook, Inc. - Applicants: Facebook, Inc. - Inventors: Gianluca Iannaccone; Matthew Hural - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170287013A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0269: {based on user profile or attribute} - 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 Content presented to a user of an online system is presented along with an option allowing the user to view one or more reasons for presentation of the advertisement content to the user and one or more characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria associated with the content. For example, a description identifying one or more selected characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria is presented along with the content. The online system selects the one or more characteristics presented along with the content by applying one or more rules to characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content. The rules may account for accuracy of models used to determine whether the user has characteristics, revenue received by the online system from presenting content associated with targeting criteria identifying various characteristics, or prevalence of characteristics among users or targeting criteria of content. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, at an online system, a content item including targeting criteria, the targeting criteria identifying one or more characteristics of users of the online system eligible to be presented with the content item; identifying an opportunity to present content to a user of the online system; identifying characteristics associated with the user by the online system; selecting the content item for presentation to the user based on the identified characteristics satisfying at least a threshold amount of the targeting criteria included in the content item; selecting one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria included in the content item; presenting the content item to the user in conjunction with a description of the selected one or more characteristics to the user; receiving an input from the user to prevent subsequent presentation of additional content items associated with targeting criteria satisfied by the selected one or more characteristics; and identifying additional content items including targeting criteria satisfied by the selected one or more characteristics as ineligible for presentation to the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria included in the content item comprises: retrieving a ranking of the identified characteristics satisfying the targeting criteria included in the content item; and selecting the one or more characteristics based at least in part on the ranking. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the ranking of the identified characteristics satisfying the targeting criteria is based at least in part on amounts of revenue received by the online system from presenting content items having targeting criteria specifying one or more of the identified characteristics. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the one or more characteristics based at least in part on the ranking comprises: selecting a characteristic having a maximum position in the ranking. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the one or more characteristics based at least in part on the ranking comprises: selecting one or more characteristics having at least a threshold position in the ranking. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria included in the content item comprises: determining amounts of revenue received by the online system for each identified characteristic satisfying the targeting criteria included in the content item, an amount of revenue received for an identified characteristic satisfying the targeting criteria included in the content based on an amount of amounts of revenue received by the online system from presenting content items having targeting criteria specifying the identified characteristic; selecting one or more identified characteristics for which at least a threshold amount of revenue was received by the online system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item comprises: identifying one or more models used by the online system to determine whether users have one or more of the characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item; determining accuracies of each of the identified one or more models; and selecting characteristics determined by one or more models having less than a threshold accuracy. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item comprises: identifying one or more models used by the online system to determine whether users have one or more of the characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item; and selecting characteristics determined by one or more models that have received information about less than a threshold number of users. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item comprises: selecting characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item that are also specified by targeting criteria included in at least a threshold number of content items. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item comprises: selecting characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item that are also characteristics of at least a threshold number of additional users of the online system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the description of the selected one or more characteristics to the user identifies one or more targeting criteria satisfied by a characteristic associated with the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: presenting an option to modify characteristics associated with the user compared to targeting criteria included in one or more content items; presenting one or more characteristics associated with the user in response to receiving a selection of the option to modify characteristics associated with the user compared to targeting criteria included in one or more content items; receiving information from the user identifying characteristics authorized by the user to be compared to targeting criteria included in one or more content items; and comparing characteristics authorized by the user with targeting criteria included in one or more content items and not comparing characteristics not authorized by the user with targeting criteria included in one or more content items to identify advertisement content eligible for presentation to the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein presenting characteristics associated with the user in response to receiving a selection of the option to modify characteristics associated with the user compared to targeting criteria included in one or more content items comprises: presenting one or more additional characteristics to the user for association with the user by the online system; and storing information associating an additional characteristic with the user in response to the user selecting the additional characteristic. ### Claim 14 A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: select a content item for presentation to a user of an online system, the content item associated with one or more targeting criteria satisfied by characteristics associated with the user; select one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item; present the content item to the user in conjunction with a description of the selected one or more characteristics to the user; receive an input from the user to prevent subsequent presentation of additional content items associated with targeting criteria satisfied by the selected one or more characteristics; and store information preventing comparison of the selected one or more characteristics to targeting criteria associated with additional content items in response to receiving the input. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, wherein select one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item comprises: retrieve a ranking of characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item; and select one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item based at least in part on the ranking. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the ranking of the characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria is based at least in part on amounts of revenue received by the online system from presenting various content items associated with targeting criteria specifying one or more of the characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, wherein select one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item comprises: select one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item that are included in targeting criteria associated with additional content items from which the online system received at least a threshold amount of revenue for presenting to users. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, wherein select characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item comprises: identify one or more models used by the online system to determine whether users have one or more of the characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item; determine accuracies of each of the identified one or more models; and select characteristics determined by one or more models having less than a threshold accuracy. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, wherein select one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item comprises: select characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria included in the content item that are also specified by targeting criteria included in at least a threshold number of content items. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, wherein select one or more characteristics of the user satisfying the targeting criteria associated with the content item comprises: select characteristics of the user satisfying targeting criteria associated with the content item that are also characteristics of at least a threshold number of additional users of the online system.