Ordering of fill requests to send to online ad networks to fill an ad unit in an electronic publisher application with an online advertising impression

Abstract

In general, embodiments of the invention relate to servicing fill request using ad networks and demand-side partners.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for processing an advertising fill request received from a mobile application during use of the mobile application by a user on a mobile device of the user, the method comprising:
 receiving, from the mobile application executing on the mobile device, a fill request to fill an advertising unit for the mobile application;   conducting a real-time bidding (RTB) auction for filling the advertising unit based on:
 a set of first bids, each first bid associated with a corresponding advertising networks of a set of advertising networks; and 
 a set of second bids, each second bid associated with a corresponding demand-side platform (DSP) of a set of DSPs, 
   to identify a winning bid from the set of first bids and the set of second bids; and   when the winning bid is associated with a winning DSP of the set of DSPs, transmitting an advertising impression associated with the winning DSP to the mobile device in response to the fill request.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 transmitting, in response to receiving the fill request, a bid request to each DSP of the set of DSPs; and   receiving, in response to the transmitting the bid request to each DSP of the set of DSPs, the set of second bids from the set of DSPs.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the set of first bids and the set of second bids each include a measure of estimated publisher revenue for filling the fill request. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the estimated publisher revenue includes estimated count per mile (eCPM), the conducting the RTB auction including:
 ordering the set of first bids and the set of second bids from a bid with a highest eCPM to a bid with the lowest eCPM; and   identifying the bid with the highest eCPM as the winning bid.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising setting the eCPM of the winning bid based on an eCPM of a bid with the second-highest eCPM. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least one first bid of the set of first bids is not generated by its corresponding ad network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least one first bid of the set of first bids is an estimated first bid based on historical performance of its corresponding ad network for the mobile application. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mobile application is a first mobile application, and wherein at least one first bid of the set of first bids is an estimated first bid based on historical performance of its corresponding ad network for a second mobile application different from the first mobile application. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least one ad network of the set of ad networks is unable to participate in the RTB auction directly, further comprising:
 receiving, from the at least one ad network, a set of performance metrics associated with that ad network; and   estimating, for that at least one ad network, a corresponding first bid, such that, by virtue of estimation of the first bid for the at least one ad network, that ad network participates in the conducting the RTB auction.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising estimating, for at least one ad network of the set of ad networks, its corresponding first bid. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the estimating is based on one or more of historical cost-per-impression (CPM) information, historical cost-per-click information, historical click-through-rate (CTR) information, or combinations thereof, associated with the at least one ad network. 
     
     
         13 . A system for processing an advertising fill request received from a mobile application during use of the mobile application by a user on a mobile device of the user, the system comprising:
 a processor;   a network interface to communicatively couple the system to the mobile device, a set of ad networks and a set of demand-side platforms (DSP); and   a memory to store instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the ad server system to:
 receive, from the mobile application executing on the mobile device, a fill request to fill an advertising unit for the mobile application; 
 conduct a real-time bidding (RTB) auction for filling the advertising unit based on:
 a set of first bids, each first bid associated with a corresponding advertising networks of a set of advertising networks; and 
 a set of second bids, each second bid associated with a corresponding demand-side platform (DSP) of a set of DSPs, 
 
 to identify a winning bid from the set of first bids and the set of second bids; and 
 when the winning bid is associated with a winning DSP of the set of DSPs, transmit, via the network interface, an advertising impression associated with the winning DSP to the mobile device in response to the fill request. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the system to:
 transmit, via the network interface and in response to receiving the fill request, a bid request to each DSP of the set of DSPs; and   receive, via the network interface and in response to the transmitting the bid request to each DSP of the set of DSPs, the set of second bids from the set of DSPs.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the set of first bids and the set of second bids each include a measure of estimated publisher revenue for filling the fill request. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the estimated publisher revenue includes estimated count per mile (eCPM), wherein the instructions to conduct the RTB auctions further include instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to:
 order the set of first bids and the set of second bids from a bid with a highest eCPM to a bid with the lowest eCPM; and   identify the bid with the highest eCPM as the winning bid.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the system to set the eCPM of the winning bid based on an eCPM of a bid with the second-highest eCPM. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to process an advertising fill request received from a mobile application during use of the mobile application by a user on a mobile device of the user, wherein the one or more processors:
 receive, from the mobile application executing on the mobile device, a fill request to fill an advertising unit for the mobile application;   conduct a real-time bidding (RTB) auction for filling the advertising unit based on:
 a set of first bids, each first bid associated with a corresponding advertising networks of a set of advertising networks; and 
 a set of second bids, each second bid associated with a corresponding demand-side platform (DSP) of a set of DSPs, 
 to identify a winning bid from the set of first bids and the set of second bids; and 
   when the winning bid is associated with a winning DSP of the set of DSPs, transmit, via the network interface, an advertising impression associated with the winning DSP to the mobile device in response to the fill request.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
 transmit, via the network interface and in response to receiving the fill request, a bid request to each DSP of the set of DSPs; and   receive, via the network interface and in response to the transmitting the bid request to each DSP of the set of DSPs, the set of second bids from the set of DSPs.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the set of first bids and the set of second bids each include a measure of estimated publisher revenue for filling the fill request. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein at least one first bid of the set of first bids is not generated by its corresponding ad network.