Serving content items based on device rotational orientation

A non-transitory computer readable medium which stores programming adapted for execution by one or more processors to:

• receive a first request for a first content item comprising a first request parameter indicative of a first orientation of a display screen of a network accessible device, the first request transmitted responsive to detection of a monitoring tag in a publisher content, the monitoring tag monitoring an orientation of the display screen of the network accessible device while the publisher content is displayed;
• select a first content item responsive to receiving the first request parameter;
• transfer to a network accessible device the first content, the first content item adapted for display on a display screen of the device in said first detected rotational orientation and the first content item displaying an indication that rotation of the display screen of the network accessible device to a second orientation will display a second content item;
• receive a second request for the second content item comprising a second request parameter indicative of the second orientation of the display screen of the network accessible device, the second request transmitted responsive to the monitoring tag detecting the transition of the display screen of the network accessible device to the second orientation of the display screen of the network accessible device and after a time delay during which the monitoring tag detects no transition of the display screen of the network accessible device back to the first orientation;
• select the second content item responsive to receiving the second request parameter;
• transfer to the device the second content item responsive to receiving the second request parameter, the second content item adapted for display on the display screen of the device in said second detected rotational orientation, and
• recording the receipt of the second request as a user interaction with the first content item by increasing a conversion count associated with the display of the first content item displayed with the publisher content.

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory which stores a population of publisher display items each adapted to be respectively displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of a network accessible device;
• a content item server configured to:
• receive a first request for a first content item comprising a first request parameter indicative of a first orientation of a display screen of the network accessible device, the first request transmitted responsive to detection of a monitoring tag in the publisher display items, the monitoring tag monitoring orientation of the display screen of the network accessible device while a publisher display item from the publisher display items is displayed;
• transfer to the network accessible device the first content item for display on the display screen of the device in a first orientation responsive to the first request from the device;
• receive a second request for a second content item comprising a second request parameter indicative of a second orientation of the display screen of the network accessible device, the second request transmitted responsive to the monitoring tag detecting the transition of the display screen of the network accessible device to the second orientation of the display screen of the network accessible device and after a time delay during which the tag detects no transition of the display screen of the network accessible device back to the first orientation;
• transfer to the network accessible device the second content item for display
• on the screen in a second orientation responsive to receiving the second request parameter;
• and
• an analysis engine coupled to the memory adapted to select the first and second content items responsive to receiving the first and second requests and record the receipt of the second request as a user interaction with the first content item by increasing a conversion count associated with the display of the first content item with the publisher display item.