# US 2021/0174433 A1 · Content item selection and measurement determination

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- Number: US 2021/0174433 A1
- Document ID: US20210174433A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/707,431
- Filed: 2019-12-09
- Published: 2021-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-09
- Assignees: Yahoo Ad Tech LLC
- Applicants: Oath Inc.
- Inventors: Joel Barajas Zamora; Lakshmi Narayan Bhamidipati; Ilya Nathaniel Slain; Lioz Medina; Milena Petrova Krasteva
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210174433A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/08: Auctions
- G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements
- G06Q 30/0631: {Recommending goods or services}
- G06Q 30/0275: {Auctions}
- 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

One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for selecting content items for transmission to client devices are provided. A request for content may be received. A second plurality of content items associated with a plurality of rankings may be selected from a plurality of content items based upon a plurality of bid values. A quantity of content items of the second plurality of content items may be greater than a quantity of content items associated with the request for content. One or more ghost content items associated with one or more rankings of the plurality of rankings may be identified. A ghost impression indicator associated with a ghost content item of the one or more ghost content items may be stored based upon a determination that a ranking, of the one or more rankings, associated with the ghost content item matches a second ranking of a presented content item.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving a first request for content associated with a first client device, wherein the first request for content is indicative of a first quantity of content items;
determining a first plurality of bid values associated with a first plurality of content items;
selecting a second plurality of content items from the first plurality of content items based upon the first plurality of bid values, wherein:
the second plurality of content items is associated with a first plurality of rankings; and
a second quantity of content items of the second plurality of content items is greater than the first quantity of content items associated with the first request for content;
identifying one or more first ghost content items of the second plurality of content items, wherein the one or more first ghost content items are associated with one or more first rankings of the first plurality of rankings;
selecting a third plurality of content items, of the second plurality of content items, that are not ghost content items for presentation via the first client device, wherein:
a third quantity of content items of the third plurality of content items is equal to the first quantity of content items associated with the first request for content; and
the third plurality of content items is associated with a second plurality of rankings; and
storing a first ghost impression indicator associated with a first ghost content item of the one or more first ghost content items based upon a determination that a first ranking, of the one or more first rankings, associated with the first ghost content item matches a second ranking of the second plurality of rankings.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
prior to the storing the first ghost impression indicator, presenting a first content item of the third plurality of content items via the first client device, wherein:
the first content item is associated with the second ranking of the second plurality of rankings; and
the storing the first ghost impression indicator is performed responsive to the presenting the first content item via the first client device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
prior to the storing the first ghost impression indicator, receiving impression information indicative of a first content item of the third plurality of content items being presented via the first client device, wherein:
the first content item is associated with the second ranking of the second plurality of rankings; and
the storing the first ghost impression indicator is performed responsive to the receiving the impression information indicative of the first content item being presented via the first client device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
analyzing content information associated with the second plurality of content items to identify one or more potential ghost content items, wherein each potential ghost content item of the one or more potential ghost content items is associated with a group of client devices to which the potential ghost content item is not provided; and
analyzing ghost information associated with the one or more potential ghost content items to determine that, for each ghost content item of the one or more first ghost content items, the first client device is included in a group of client devices to which the ghost content item is not provided, wherein the identifying the one or more first ghost content items is performed based upon the determination that, for each ghost content item of the one or more first ghost content items, the first client device is included in a group of client devices to which the ghost content item is not provided.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
identifying a fourth plurality of content items of the second plurality of content items that are not the one or more first ghost content items; and
determining a third plurality of rankings associated with the fourth plurality of content items based upon the first plurality of rankings, wherein the selecting the third plurality of content items for presentation via the first client device is performed by selecting the third plurality of content items from the fourth plurality of content items based upon the third plurality of rankings and the first quantity of content items.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein:
the third plurality of rankings comprises the second plurality of rankings; and
the selecting the third plurality of content items from the fourth plurality of content items is performed based upon a determination that rankings of the second plurality of rankings are higher than one or more other rankings of the third plurality of rankings.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
determining a first plurality of click probabilities associated with the first plurality of content items based upon at least one of content information associated with the first plurality of content items or a first user profile associated with the first client device, wherein the selecting the second plurality of content items from the first plurality of content items is performed based upon the first plurality of click probabilities.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
determining a third plurality of rankings associated with the first plurality of content items based upon the first plurality of bid values, wherein:
the third plurality of rankings comprises the first plurality of rankings; and
the selecting the second plurality of content items from the first plurality of content items is performed based upon a determination that rankings of the first plurality of rankings are higher than one or more other rankings of the third plurality of rankings.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, comprising:
determining a first plurality of click probabilities associated with the first plurality of content items based upon at least one of content information associated with the first plurality of content items or a first user profile associated with the first client device, wherein the determining the third plurality of rankings associated with the first plurality of content items is performed based upon the first plurality of click probabilities.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
identifying a first set of ghost impression indicators associated with the first ghost content item, wherein:
the first set of ghost impression indicators comprises the first ghost impression indicator; and
the first set of ghost impression indicators is associated with a first set of client devices comprising the first client device;
determining first conversion information associated with the first set of client devices based upon first activity associated with the first set of client devices;
identifying a first set of impression indicators associated with the first ghost content item, wherein the first set of impression indicators is associated with a second set of client devices that at least one of received or presented the first ghost content item; and
determining second conversion information associated with the second set of client devices based upon second activity associated with the second set of client devices.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, comprising:
generating, based upon the first conversion information and the second conversion information, a measurement report associated with the first ghost content item.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
the determining the first conversion information comprises determining a first conversion rate associated with the first set of client devices;
the first conversion information is indicative of the first conversion rate;
the determining the second conversion information comprises determining a second conversion rate associated with the second set of client devices; and
the second conversion information is indicative of the second conversion rate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, comprising:
determining, based upon the first conversion information and the second conversion information, a first relationship between the first conversion rate and the second conversion rate, wherein the measurement report is indicative of the first relationship between the first conversion rate and the second conversion rate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
the determining the first conversion information comprises determining a first revenue associated with the first set of client devices;
the first conversion information is indicative of the first revenue;
the determining the second conversion information comprises determining a second revenue associated with the second set of client devices; and
the second conversion information is indicative of the second revenue,
the method comprising:
determining, based upon the first conversion information and the second conversion information, a first relationship between the first revenue and the second revenue, wherein the measurement report is indicative of the first relationship between the first revenue and the second revenue.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the determining the first conversion information comprises determining a first conversion rate associated with the first set of client devices;
the first conversion information is indicative of the first conversion rate;
the determining the second conversion information comprises determining a second conversion rate associated with the second set of client devices; and
the second conversion information is indicative of the second conversion rate,
the method comprising:
determining, based upon the first conversion information and the second conversion information, a first relationship between the first conversion rate and the second conversion rate; and
modifying, based upon the first relationship, a transmission control data structure associated with the first ghost content item.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
the first relationship is indicative of a difference between the first conversion rate and the second conversion rate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the determining the first conversion information comprises determining a first revenue associated with the first set of client devices;
the first conversion information is indicative of the first revenue;
the determining the second conversion information comprises determining a second revenue associated with the second set of client devices; and
the second conversion information is indicative of the second revenue,
the method comprising:
determining, based upon the first conversion information and the second conversion information, a first relationship between the first revenue and the second revenue; and
modifying, based upon the first relationship, a transmission control data structure associated with the first ghost content item.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising:
transmitting the measurement report to a third client device associated with the first ghost content item.

### Claim 19

A computing device comprising:
a processor; and
memory comprising processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a first request for content associated with a first client device, wherein the first request for content is indicative of a first quantity of content items;
determining a first plurality of bid values associated with a first plurality of content items;
selecting a second plurality of content items from the first plurality of content items based upon the first plurality of bid values, wherein:
the second plurality of content items is associated with a first plurality of rankings; and
a second quantity of content items of the second plurality of content items is greater than the first quantity of content items associated with the first request for content;
identifying one or more first ghost content items of the second plurality of content items, wherein the one or more first ghost content items are associated with one or more first rankings of the first plurality of rankings;
selecting, from the second plurality of content items, a third plurality of content items that are not ghost content items for presentation via the first client device, wherein:
a third quantity of content items of the third plurality of content items is equal to the first quantity of content items associated with the first request for content; and
the third plurality of content items is associated with a second plurality of rankings; and
storing a first ghost impression indicator associated with a first ghost content item of the one or more first ghost content items based upon a determination that a first ranking, of the one or more first rankings, associated with the first ghost content item matches a second ranking of the second plurality of rankings.

### Claim 20

A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that when executed cause performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a first request for content associated with a first client device, wherein the first request for content is indicative of a first quantity of content items;
determining a first plurality of bid values associated with a first plurality of content items;
selecting a second plurality of content items from the first plurality of content items based upon the first plurality of bid values, wherein:
the second plurality of content items is associated with a first plurality of rankings; and
a second quantity of content items of the second plurality of content items is greater than the first quantity of content items associated with the first request for content;
identifying one or more first ghost content items of the second plurality of content items, wherein the one or more first ghost content items are associated with one or more first rankings of the first plurality of rankings;
selecting a third plurality of content items, of the second plurality of content items, that are not ghost content items for presentation via the first client device, wherein the third plurality of content items is associated with a second plurality of rankings; and
storing a first ghost impression indicator associated with a first ghost content item of the one or more first ghost content items based upon a determination that a first ranking, of the one or more first rankings, associated with the first ghost content item matches a second ranking of the second plurality of rankings.