Abstract: A method for representing and managing an inventory of overlapping multi-dimensional items such as advertising or ad impressions. The method uses an inventory management module to generate unique segment identifiers for sets of inventory items by processing descriptions of the sets of impressions including defining criteria. The method includes processing the unique segment identifiers to create a representation of the inventory as a plurality of inventory regions, which may include non-overlapping regions that correspond to inventory items in a single set of the inventory and also include overlapping regions that correspond to inventory items in two or more of the sets (e.g., items that match two or more sets of defining criteria or attributes). Availability and selection of inventory is determined using the information on inventory regions to control effects of cannibalization, such as by implementing logically necessary allocation to only cannibalize a region on a limited or forced basis.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing an impression inventory trading platform are described. A specification of impression inventory for sale is received from a seller, the impression inventory having associated therewith a plurality of attributes. Each attribute is specified as either visible or hidden to a potential impression inventory buyer. The impression inventory specification and visible attributes associated therewith are provided to one or more potential impression inventory buyers via a user interface, and negotiation for purchase of the impression inventory is facilitated between the seller and one or more of the potential impression inventory buyers via the user interface.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes generating, using a transaction management computing subsystem of an advertising platform, a set of primary bid requests responsive to receipt of an advertising call. Each primary bid request includes information sufficient to characterize an impression consumer and information sufficient to characterize each of one or more impressions identified in the advertising call. The method also includes sending the set of primary bid requests from the transaction management computing subsystem to a first set of decisioning computing subsystems of the advertising platform. Each decisioning computing subsystem of the first set being operable to generate a bid response based on the information included in a primary bid request.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing an impression inventory trading platform are described. A specification of impression inventory for sale is received from a seller, the impression inventory having associated therewith a plurality of attributes. Each attribute is specified as either visible or hidden to a potential impression inventory buyer. The impression inventory specification and visible attributes associated therewith are provided to one or more potential impression inventory buyers via a user interface, and negotiation for purchase of the impression inventory is facilitated between the seller and one or more of the potential impression inventory buyers via the user interface.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes generating, using a transaction management computing subsystem of an advertising platform, a set of primary bid requests responsive to receipt of an advertising call. Each primary bid request includes information sufficient to characterize an impression consumer and information sufficient to characterize each of one or more impressions identified in the advertising call. The method also includes sending the set of primary bid requests from the transaction management computing subsystem to a first set of decisioning computing subsystems of the advertising platform. Each decisioning computing subsystem of the first set being operable to generate a bid response based on the information included in a primary bid request.

Abstract: A system for providing an online advertising platform includes a first non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more data processors to group impression inventory units based at least in part on performance characteristics of the impression inventory units.

Abstract: A method holding an auction for impressions in an online advertising platform includes defining auction tiers, with each tier having associated attributes. The tier attributes include a tier priority, an eligible bidder list, and a minimum bid threshold. Bids for the impressions are received from impression buyers, each bid being associated with an impression bidder and a bid value. For each received bid, the highest priority tier for which the tier attributes are satisfied by the bid attributes is determined, and that tier is associated with the bid. After assigning each bid to a tier, the highest priority tier with at least one bid is selected as the active auction tier. The winner of the auction is then determined based on the bids associated with the active tier.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pixel-based watermarking are disclosed. An online advertising platform, at a first time, receives information identifying a creative that is associated with an advertiser or publisher, and associates a unique identifier with the creative. The color of one or more pixels in the creative image are modified based on the unique identifier by, for example, converting the unique identifier to a corresponding color value and setting the pixels to the color. At a second, later time, the platform receives a second image comprising at least a portion of the creative image. One or more pixels are identified in the second image that correspond to pixels in the first image that were modified in color, and the unique identifier is derived based on the color of the identified pixels in the second image. Information associated with the advertiser or publisher is then retrieved based on the determined identifier.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining and delivering secure online content includes facilitating registration of secure content with an online content placement auction system, auditing the registered content to ensure security requirements for the registered content are met, and holding an auction among bidders for placement of content in a secure online content space. The process of holding an auction for the content space includes receiving a call for secure content to be served in the content space, transmitting a bid request to bidders in response to the call, receiving bid replies having bid amounts and proposed content to be securely served in the content space, and determining a qualifying subset of the received bid replies having proposed content approved as secure.

Abstract: A method of managing access to advertising configuration objects in an online advertising platform includes defining a set of application programming interface (API) services. Each API service performs actions with respect to one or more of the advertising configuration objects, each of which has one or more configuration fields. Permissions associated with individual users of the online advertising platform are received, with each permission indicating an ability of a respective user to interact with one of the advertising configuration objects via one of the API services. Interaction is facilitated between users and an application that communicates with and provides field-specific instructions to the online advertising platform via the API services. The ability of the application to cause execution of the field-specific instructions is based on the permissions associated with the particular user interacting with the application. A system for implementing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A system for providing an online advertising platform includes a first non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more data processors to group impression inventory units based at least in part on performance characteristics of the impression inventory units.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses, including computer program products for receiving, at a transaction management computing subsystem of an advertising platform, a set of original bid responses from a set of decisioning computing subsystems of the advertising platform, each original bid response including an original bid price, generating, by the transaction management computing subsystem, a set of adjusted bid responses according to a yield management criterion, each adjusted bid response including an adjusted bid price; and selecting a winning bid response from among the set of bid responses based on the adjusted bid prices.

Abstract: A system for providing an online advertising platform includes a first non-transitory machine-readable medium storing information defining an inventory taxonomy that includes a set of platform inventory quality attributes, a set of platform inventory content categories, and a set of non-platform-to-platform mappings. The system further includes a second non-transitory machine-readable medium storing identifiers of classified inventory, each identifier being associated with a unit of inventory that is classified according to the inventory taxonomy. The system also includes a third non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more data processors to provide a user interface through which an inventory buyer on the platform defines a set of inventory buying opportunities at least in part by specifying targeting criteria using the inventory taxonomy; and store information characterizing the set of inventory buying opportunities in association with the buyer.

Abstract: A system that provides an advertising platform includes a creative auditing computing subsystem including a processor that is coupled to computer readable media having computer readable instructions recorded thereon, wherein the processor is operable to execute the computer readable instructions to enable impression seller members to review and approve creatives to be served on impression inventory associated with respective impression seller members.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a transaction management computing subsystem of an advertising platform, a call for an advertisement creative to be served to an impression consumer; generating, using the transaction management computing subsystem, a set of bid requests, at least two bid requests of the set including respective subsets of user data store information associated with the impression consumer; and sending, by the transaction management computing subsystem, the set of bid requests to a set of bidding computing subsystems, each bidding computing subsystems being operable to generate a bid response based on the information included in its bid request.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes generating, using a transaction management computing subsystem of an advertising platform, a set of primary bid requests responsive to receipt of an advertising call. Each primary bid request includes information sufficient to characterize an impression consumer and information sufficient to characterize each of one or more impressions identified in the advertising call. The method also includes sending the set of primary bid requests from the transaction management computing subsystem to a first set of decisioning computing subsystems of the advertising platform. Each decisioning computing subsystem of the first set being operable to generate a bid response based on the information included in a primary bid request.