Abstract: Instead of accepting competing ads and using an arbitration function (e.g., an auction) to choose winning ads to be served with a document, sets of ads (perhaps having different characteristics) can be generated, and an arbitration function can be used to select the winning set of ads. Such arbitrations on sets of ads can consider how ads, search results, colors, positions, fonts, etc., all interact with each other and affect the usefulness of the sets of ads to advertisers, end users, document publishers, and/or an ad serving entity.

Abstract: Instead of accepting competing ads and using an arbitration function (e.g., an auction) to choose winning ads to be served with a document, sets of ads (perhaps having different characteristics) can be generated, and an arbitration function can be used to select the winning set of ads. Such arbitrations on sets of ads can consider how ads, search results, colors, positions, fonts, etc., all interact with each other and affect the usefulness of the sets of ads to advertisers, end users, document publishers, and/or an ad serving entity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reducing consumer electronic device returns. According to various aspects, a server receives (505) usage data of an electronic communication device by a consumer. The server examines (510) existing usage indicating correlations between various usage factors of additional devices and return incidents of the additional devices, and calculates (515) individual probabilities of return for the various usage factors and a total probability of return for the electronic communication device. In embodiments, if any of the individual probabilities or the total probability meets or exceeds a threshold probability, the server contacts (535) at least one of the electronic communication device or the consumer.

Abstract: Instead of accepting competing ads and using an arbitration function (e.g., an auction) to choose winning ads to be served with a document, sets of ads (perhaps having different characteristics) can be generated, and an arbitration function can be used to select the winning set of ads. Such arbitrations on sets of ads can consider how ads, search results, colors, positions, fonts, etc., all interact with each other and affect the usefulness of the sets of ads to advertisers, end users, document publishers, and/or an ad serving entity.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system and method for determining user charges using tracking information. In some implementations, a method for charging advertisers includes identifying tracking information associated with ads positioned in Web pages in accordance with a position auction. The ads positioned in the Web pages are based, at least in part, on associated bid amounts. The charges for agents associated with the ads are determined using the tracking information and the bid amounts. The charges are determined independent of position normalizers. Invoices for the agents are generated including the charges for presenting the ads.

Abstract: Methods, and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable storage mediums, including a method for navigating among content items in a set. The method includes receiving a selection of a content item that is presented in association with a resource page, the content item referencing a results page; determining a plurality of content items that are related to but different from the results page; pre-loading one or more of the plurality of content items; providing the results page in an interface along with one or more controls for enabling a user to navigate among the plurality of content items without having to navigate back to the resource page first; and providing the pre-loaded content items with the results page to enable fast display of the pre-loaded content items upon navigation from the results page to a selected one of the pre-loaded content items using the control.

Abstract: A network access device directs an electronic device, distinct from the network access device, to display graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising a network access self-identification user interface. The network access device obtains a selection of a user identification option, through the self-identification user interface. In accordance with a determination that the selected user identification option corresponds to a registered user (e.g., a registered user in a research panel), of a previously defined set of registered users of the network access device, the network access device enables access to a communications network, in accordance with the application of one or more logging rules corresponding to the selected user. Further, in accordance with a determination that the selected user identification option corresponds to an unregistered, guest user, the network access device enables access to the communications network, without the application of any logging rules.

Abstract: Instead of accepting competing ads and using an arbitration function (e.g., an auction) to choose winning ads to be served with a document, sets of ads (perhaps having different characteristics) can be generated, and an arbitration function can be used to select the winning set of ads. Such arbitrations on sets of ads can consider how ads, search results, colors, positions, fonts, etc., all interact with each other and affect the usefulness of the sets of ads to advertisers, end users, document publishers, and/or an ad serving entity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying inadequate search content are provided. Inadequate search content, for example, can be identified based on statistics associated with the search queries related to the content.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reducing consumer electronic device returns. According to various aspects, a server receives (505) usage data of an electronic communication device by a consumer. The server examines (510) existing usage indicating correlations between various usage factors of additional devices and return incidents of the additional devices, and calculates (515) individual probabilities of return for the various usage factors and a total probability of return for the electronic communication device. In embodiments, if any of the individual probabilities or the total probability meets or exceeds a threshold probability, the server contacts (535) at least one of the electronic communication device or the consumer.

Abstract: A network access device directs an electronic device, distinct from the network access device, to display graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising a network access self-identification user interface. The network access device obtains a selection of a user identification option, through the self-identification user interface. In accordance with a determination that the selected user identification option corresponds to a registered user (e.g., a registered user in a research panel), of a previously defined set of registered users of the network access device, the network access device enables access to a communications network, in accordance with the application of one or more logging rules corresponding to the selected user. Further, in accordance with a determination that the selected user identification option corresponds to an unregistered, guest user, the network access device enables access to the communications network, without the application of any logging rules.

Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for tracking network traffic of users in a research panel are presented. A packet for a network device coupled to the network access device is received. An indicia corresponding to a presumptive user of the network device is obtained, where the presumptive user includes a member of a set of known users. One or more logging rules is applied to the network device, where the one or more applied logging rules correspond to the obtained indicia. Information relating to the packet is stored when the packet satisfies at least one of the logging rules applied to the network device.

Abstract: A simultaneous ascending price auction (“SAA”) can be used to allocate advertising inventory to bidders. The advertising inventory can be, for example, radio or television advertisement spots (“spots”). The bidders can be advertisers that can provide advertisements for presentation in the spots. Two or more contiguous spots can define an advertising block. Spots or advertising blocks can be allocated to advertisers by the SAA mechanism based on bid criteria. The SAA can perform simultaneous advertisement scheduling and pricing. The auction allocation can be optimized to facilitate efficient allocation of advertisements to spots or blocks.

Abstract: Methods, and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable storage mediums, including a method for navigating among content items in a set. The method includes receiving a selection of a content item that is presented in association with a resource page, the content item referencing a results page; determining a plurality of content items that are related to but different from the results page; pre-loading one or more of the plurality of content items; providing the results page in an interface along with one or more controls for enabling a user to navigate among the plurality of content items without having to navigate back to the resource page first; and providing the pre-loaded content items with the results page to enable fast display of the pre-loaded content items upon navigation from the results page to a selected one of the pre-loaded content items using the control.

Abstract: A simultaneous ascending price auction (“SAA”) can be used to allocate advertising inventory to bidders. The advertising inventory can be, for example, radio or television advertisement spots (“spots”). The bidders can be advertisers that can provide advertisements for presentation in the spots. Two or more contiguous spots can define an advertising block. Spots or advertising blocks can be allocated to advertisers by the SAA mechanism based on bid criteria. The SAA can perform simultaneous advertisement scheduling and pricing. The auction allocation can be optimized to facilitate efficient allocation of advertisements to spots or blocks.

Abstract: An e-commerce price index is constructed and maintained based on consumer actions in connection with one or more e-commerce websites. A data collector software module collects information regarding products sold or available for sale online, including a price and rate of clicks received for each product on the website(s). An index software module analyzes the collected information to construct the price index. Specifically, the index software module scrubs the collected information to remove outliers and fill in gaps and calculates a click-weighted average price by product category and day. The index module generates the price index by aggregating and normalizing the calculated click-weighted average prices. The index software module can compute the e-commerce price index on a virtually real-time basis. Thus, the e-commerce price index can provide useful information about online pricing trends far earlier than traditional indices.

Abstract: A server receives information from a user, where the information designates one or more images that the user is interested in seeing when viewing a web portal. The server stores the received information. The server generates a web page that includes links to one or more of the designated images based on the stored information, where the web page is generated when the user visits the web portal and sends the generated web page to the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which access allocations to a spectrum band and transmit rights to the access allocations are defined. Real-time auction bids for the transmit rights to the access allocations to the spectrum band are sent from a participating device, and the participating device iteratively increments the bids until a maximum bid is reached or a transmit right is awarded to the participating device.

Abstract: An e-commerce price index is constructed and maintained based on consumer actions in connection with one or more e-commerce websites. A data collector software module collects information regarding products sold or available for sale online, including a price and rate of clicks received for each product on the website(s). An index software module analyzes the collected information to construct the price index. Specifically, the index software module scrubs the collected information to remove outliers and fill in gaps and calculates a click-weighted average price by product category and day. The index module generates the price index by aggregating and normalizing the calculated click-weighted average prices. The index software module can compute the e-commerce price index on a virtually real-time basis. Thus, the e-commerce price index can provide useful information about online pricing trends far earlier than traditional indices.

Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for tracking network traffic of users in a research panel are presented. A packet for a network device coupled to the network access device is received. An indicia corresponding to a presumptive user of the network device is obtained, where the presumptive user includes a member of a set of known users. One or more logging rules is applied to the network device, where the one or more applied logging rules correspond to the obtained indicia. Information relating to the packet is stored when the packet satisfies at least one of the logging rules applied to the network device.