Auctioning Segmented Avails

Abstract

Various embodiments enable auctioning of segmented advertisement insertion opportunities, e.g., segmented avails, associated with distributed content. In at least some embodiments, bids from advertisers to place advertisements in conjunction with a segmented avail are obtained. The bids that are obtained can have different durations (e.g., 60, 30, 15 seconds) that can be selectively enabled by a segmented avail in various combinations to fill a total duration of the segmented avail. Ranking criteria and/or logic can be applied to rank the bids one to another. In at least some embodiments, the bids are ranked within groups corresponding to different time durations. Bids can be allocated to the segmented avail by testing one or more combinations of the bids and selecting a winning combination based at least in part upon a sum of the ranks associated with bids in the combination.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more components of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform acts including:
 ranking bids corresponding to a segmented avail according to ranking criteria;   selecting a winning combination of the ranked bids to fill the segmented avail based at least in part upon a sum of ranks assigned to bids in the winning combination.   
     
     
         2 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 1 , wherein the segmented avail is associated with a total duration and is configured to enable multiple different duration combinations of bids to fill the total duration of the segmented avail. 
     
     
         3 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to perform acts including:
 determining one or more duration combinations for bids enabled by the segmented avail to fill a total duration of the segmented avail; and   obtaining the bids as candidates for the segmented avail by selecting bids having durations that match durations that are valid for the determined one or more duration combinations.   
     
     
         4 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 1 , wherein ranking the bids comprises applying a weighted formula to compute a rank for each bid based on the ranking criteria. 
     
     
         5 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 4 , wherein the weighted formula applied to rank the bids is configured to include at least a reach factor, an efficiency factor, and a monetary value factor. 
     
     
         6 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 1 , wherein ranking the bids comprises assigning a rank to each particular bid based upon at least:
 a number of viewers exposed to the segmented avail;   a relative percentage of the number of viewers exposed to the segmented avail that match criteria defined by the particular bid in comparison to other avails; and   a monetary value associated with the particular bid in relation to the segmented avail.   
     
     
         7 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 1 , wherein the segmented avail is associated with content made available to clients over a network by a network operator. 
     
     
         8 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 1 , wherein the bids correspond to media buys input by advertisers to place advertisements in conjunction with content distributed by a network operator to clients. 
     
     
         9 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 1 , wherein selecting the winning combination further comprises:
 assigning bids according to ranks of the bids to multiple different duration combinations enabled by the segmented avail to fill a total duration of the segmented avail;   calculating a sum of the ranks of bids assigned to each of the multiple different duration combinations;   identifying a duration combination having the highest sum of the ranks; and   determining whether the identified duration combination is eligible to win by checking constraints associated with bids assigned to the identified duration combination.   
     
     
         10 . One or more computer-readable storage media as described in  claim 9 , further comprising selecting the identified duration combination as the winning combination when it is determined that identified duration combination is eligible to win. 
     
     
         11 . One or more computer-readable storage media described in  claim 9 , further comprising:
 discarding one or more bids of the identified duration combination when it is determined that identified duration combination is ineligible to win based on the constraints associated with bids; and   repeating the calculating, identifying, determining and discarding using replacements for bids that are discarded until the determining determines an eligible combination.   
     
     
         12 . A computing device comprising:
 a processing system;   one or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processing system, cause the computing device to perform acts including:
 ranking bids corresponding to a segmented avail according to ranking criteria; 
 selecting a winning combination of the ranked bids to fill the segmented avail based at least in part upon a sum of ranks assigned to bids in the winning combination. 
   
     
     
         13 . A computing device as described in  claim 12 , wherein the segmented avail is associated with a total duration and is configured to enable multiple different duration combinations of bids to fill the total duration of the segmented avail. 
     
     
         14 . A computing device as described in  claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to perform acts including:
 determining one or more duration combinations for bids enabled by the segmented avail to fill a total duration of the segmented avail; and   obtaining the bids as candidates for the segmented avail by selecting bids having durations that match durations that are valid for the determined one or more duration combinations.   
     
     
         15 . A computing device as described in  claim 12 , wherein ranking the bids comprises assigning a rank to each particular bid based upon at least:
 a number of viewers exposed to the segmented avail;   a relative percentage of the number of viewers exposed to the segmented avail that match criteria defined by the particular bid in comparison to other avails; and   a monetary value associated with the particular bid in relation to the segmented avail.   
     
     
         16 . A computing device as described in  claim 12 , wherein selecting the winning combination further comprises:
 assigning bids according to ranks of the bids to multiple different duration combinations enabled by the segmented avail to fill a total duration of the segmented avail;   calculating a sum of the ranks of bids assigned to each of the multiple different duration combinations;   identifying a duration combination having the highest sum of the ranks; and   determining whether the identified duration combination is eligible to win by checking constraints associated with bids assigned to the identified duration combination.   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 conducting an auction for a segmented avail that is configured to enable different duration combinations of ads to fill a total duration of the segmented avail by at least:
 ranking bids from advertisers to assign ranks to the bids that express relative values of the bids in relation to the segmented avail; and 
 analyzing one or more allocations of the ranked bids to the different duration combinations to identify a duration combination that is eligible to win the auction and has a highest value for a sum of ranks assigned to bids allocated to the duration combination; and 
   awarding the segmented avail to the identified duration combination.   
     
     
         18 . A method as described in  claim 17 , wherein ranking the bids comprises applying a weighted ranking formula that computes the ranks by summing values for multiple ranking criteria multiplied by corresponding weight factors for the multiple ranking criteria. 
     
     
         19 . A method as described in  claim 17 , wherein analyzing the one or more allocations of the ranked bids to the different duration combinations comprises:
 allocating the ranked bids into the different duration combinations in order of the ranks beginning with bids having higher relative ranks;   selecting one of the different duration combinations that has the highest sum of the ranks of bids that are allocated to the duration combination; and   determining whether the selected duration combination is eligible to win the auction by checking constraints associated with bids allocated to the selected duration combination.   
     
     
         20 . A method as described in  claim 17 , wherein the segmented avail comprises an opportunity to insert one or more ads within content distributed by a network operator to one or more clients.