# US 8,543,460 B2 · Serving ad requests using user generated photo ads > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,460 B2 - Document ID: US8543460B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/085,886 - Filed: 2011-04-13 - Published: 2012-05-17 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-11 - Assignees: Teaneck Enterprises, LLC - Applicants: Hugh Svendsen; John Forese; Christopher M. Amidon; Kunal Kandekar; Eugene Matthew Farrelly - Inventors: Hugh Svendsen; John Forese; Christopher M. Amidon; Kunal Kandekar; Eugene Matthew Farrelly - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543460B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0252: {based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals} - G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services - G06Q 10/42: Determination of affinities or common interests between users - G06Q 10/48: using social graphs - G06Q 30/0255: {based on user history} - G06Q 30/0261: {based on user location} - G06Q 30/0271: {Personalized advertisement} - G06Q 30/0276: {Advertisement creation} - 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 Systems and methods are disclosed for generating and utilizing photo advertisements (“ads”). In one embodiment, a computer server obtains and stores user-created photo advertisements. Each of the user-created photo advertisements is generated based on a corresponding photo ad template having one or more photo wells such that filler images of one or more participants are inserted into the one or more photo wells. For each user-created photo advertisement, the one or more participants include at least a user by which the photo advertisement was created. In addition, the computer server effects use of the stored user-created photo advertisements as sponsored advertisements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: obtaining a plurality of user-created photo advertisements, each photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements being generated based on a corresponding photo ad template having one or more photo wells such that a filler image of a different one of one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement is inserted into each of the one or more photo wells in the corresponding photo ad template, wherein one or more of the user-created photo advertisements are each associated with a check-in zone and including the one or more participants for the photo advertisement indicates simultaneous presence of the one or more participants within the check-in zone; storing the plurality of user-created photo advertisements; and effecting use of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements as sponsored advertisements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein effecting use of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements as sponsored advertisements comprises: receiving an ad request from a requestor; selecting one or more photo advertisements that satisfy the ad request from the plurality of user-created photo advertisements; and returning the one or more photo advertisements to the requestor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising storing metadata that describes the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, and wherein: the ad request comprises target usage information that describes an ad target; and selecting the one or more photo advertisements that satisfy the ad request comprises selecting the one or more photo advertisements that satisfy the ad request from the plurality of user-created photo advertisements based on the metadata that describes the plurality of user-created photo advertisements and the target usage information that describes the ad target. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein, for each photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the metadata that describes the plurality of user-created photo advertisements comprises creation information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the creation information comprises information that identifies the one or more participants in the photo advertisement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein, for each photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the metadata that describes the plurality of user-created photo advertisements further comprises one or more of a group consisting of: data that describes a check-in zone to which the photo advertisement is applicable, data that describes a geographic location to which the photo advertisement is applicable, data that describes a good to which the photo advertisement is applicable, data that describes a service to which the photo advertisement is applicable, and data that describes a website to which the photo advertisement is applicable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the target usage information comprises a user identifier of the ad target. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising: storing metadata that describes the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the metadata comprising, for each photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, information that identifies the one or more participants in the photo advertisement; wherein the ad request comprises information that identifies a target user, and the one or more photo advertisements that satisfy the ad request comprise one or more of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements having participants that are within a defined threshold degree of separation from the target user in a social network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the requestor is a social networking service. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the plurality of user-created photo advertisements comprises, for each photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements: receiving a photo ad template request from a user device of the corresponding user; selecting one or more photo ad templates that are applicable to the corresponding user from a plurality of photo ad templates; returning the one or more photo ad templates to the user device of the corresponding user; and receiving photo advertisement data from the user device of the corresponding user that defines the photo advertisement based on one of the one or more photo ad templates such that the filler image of the different one of the one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement is inserted into each of the one or more photo wells in the one of the one or more photo ad templates, wherein the defined photo advertisement is associated with a check-in zone and including the participants with the photo advertisement indicates simultaneous presence of the participants within the check-in zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the photo advertisement data is the photo advertisement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the photo advertisement data comprises: (a) information that identifies the one of the one or more photo ad templates, (b) the filler images of the one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement, and (c) information that links the filler images of the one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement to the one or more photo wells of the one of the one or more photo ad templates. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the photo advertisement data comprises: (a) information that identifies the one of the one or more photo ad templates, (b) information that identifies the filler images of the one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement, and (c) information that links the filler images of the one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement to the one or more photo wells of the one of the one or more photo ad templates. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein, for each of at least one photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the one or more photo ad templates for the corresponding user comprise one or more photo ad templates that are relevant to a check-in zone in which the corresponding user is located. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein, for each of at least one photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the one or more photo ad templates for the corresponding user comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to a geographic location of the corresponding user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein, for each of at least one photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the one or more photo ad templates comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to a good purchased by the corresponding user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein, for each of at least one photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the one or more photo ad templates for the corresponding user comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to a service purchased by the corresponding user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein, for each of at least one photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the one or more photo ad templates for the corresponding user comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to an event attended by the corresponding user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein, for each of at least one photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the one or more photo ad templates for the corresponding user comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to a website visited by the corresponding user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein, for each of at least one photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements, the one or more photo ad templates for the corresponding user comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to a website to which the corresponding user is logged-in. ### Claim 21 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more photo ad templates comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to a listening experience of the user. ### Claim 22 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more photo ad templates comprise one or more photo ad templates relevant to a viewing experience of the user. ### Claim 23 A computing device comprising: a hardware communication interface; and a hardware controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to: obtaining a plurality of user-created photo advertisements, each photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements being generated based on a corresponding photo ad template having one or more photo wells such that a filler image of a different one of one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement is inserted into each of the one or more photo wells in the corresponding photo ad template, wherein one or more of the user-created photo advertisements are each associated with a check-in zone and including the one or more participants for the photo advertisement indicates simultaneous presence of the one or more participants within the check-in zone; store the plurality of user-created photo advertisements; and effect use of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements as sponsored advertisements. ### Claim 24 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a computing device to: obtaining a plurality of user-created photo advertisements, each photo advertisement of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements being generated based on a corresponding photo ad template having one or more photo wells such that a filler image of a different one of one or more participants identified for the photo advertisement is inserted into each of the one or more photo wells in the corresponding photo ad template, wherein one or more of the user-created photo advertisements are each associated with a check-in zone and including the one or more participants for the photo advertisement indicates simultaneous presence of the one or more participants within the check-in zone; store the plurality of user-created photo advertisements; and effect use of the plurality of user-created photo advertisements as sponsored advertisements. ### Claim 25 A method of operation of a computer server hosting a social networking service comprising: obtaining, by the computer server, a photo advertisement for presentation to a target user, wherein the photo advertisement includes one or more filler images for one or more participants in the photo advertisement and at least one filler image is for at least one participant of the one or more participants that is within a defined degree of separation from the target user in a social network maintained by the social networking service, wherein the photo advertisement is associated with a check-in zone and including the participants with the photo advertisement indicates simultaneous presence of the participants within the check-in zone; and presenting the photo advertisement to the target user. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 wherein obtaining the photo advertisement comprises: sending an ad request to a remote ad server; and receiving the photo advertisement from the remote ad server in response to the ad request. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein the ad request comprises a user ID of the target user. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein the ad request comprises a social graph of the target user. ### Claim 29 A server computer hosting a social networking service, comprising: a hardware communication interface; and a hardware controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to: obtain a photo advertisement for presentation to a target user, wherein the photo advertisement includes one or more filler images for one or more participants in the photo advertisement and at least one filler image is for at least one participant of the one or more participants that is within a defined degree of separation from the target user in a social network maintained by the social networking service, wherein the photo advertisement is associated with a check-in zone and including the participants with the photo advertisement indicates simultaneous presence of the participants within the check-in zone; and present the photo advertisement to the target user. ### Claim 30 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a server computer to: obtain a photo advertisement for presentation to a target user, wherein the photo advertisement includes one or more filler images for one or more participants in the photo advertisement and at least one filler image is for at least one participant of the one or more participants that is within a defined degree of separation from the target user in a social network maintained by the social networking service, wherein the photo advertisement is associated with a check-in zone and including the participants with the photo advertisement indicates simultaneous presence of the participants within the check-in zone; and present the photo advertisement to the target user.