Managing advertising services for mobile devices and users

#Mobile communications devices are continually gaining increased capabilities, particularly capabilities for accessing the Internet over global communications networks. With these increased capabilities, mobile users operating these mobile devices may access an increasing array of content, websites, and other information over the Internet. Typically, these mobile devices are relatively compact and portable, as compared to notebooks or laptop computers.

#While these mobile users may access the Internet via browser software on the mobile device, the compact dimensions of the mobile device may result in smaller or more limited browser displays. The widespread proliferation of these mobile communications devices provides merchants with increased opportunities to advertise to these mobile users via these mobile devices. In addition, locating merchants by navigating through the browser may involve multiple steps performed through the limited browser display. Some mobile users may not be familiar with operating the browsers on their mobile devices, and may not be comfortable navigating the Internet on their mobile devices to locate merchants.

#It should be appreciated that this Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating systems or operating environments for managing advertising services for mobile devices and users, according to exemplary embodiments.

#FIG. 2 is a block structure diagram illustrating components and data flows by which an advertising server may facilitate bidding processes among advertisers, according to exemplary embodiments.

#FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating processes by which the advertising server may facilitate bidding among advertisers, according to exemplary embodiments.

#The following detailed description is directed to methods, systems, and computer-readable media for managing advertising services for mobile devices and users. While the subject matter described herein is presented in the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction with the execution of an operating system and application programs on a computer system, those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations may be performed in combination with other types of program modules.

#Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter described herein may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like.

#FIG. 1 illustrates systems or operating environments, denoted generally at 100, for managing advertising services for mobile devices and users. These systems 100 may include advertising servers 102, which may provide and manage advertising services for mobile devices and users within a given geographic region 104. The geographic region 104 may represent geographies having arbitrary sizes and shapes, chosen as appropriate for different implementations. For example, the geographic region 104 may represent a given state, province, county, city, or the like, whether or not these regions are organized into political entities.