Patent ID: 11966945
Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
Field: IT methods for management (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 9:
10. A computer-based system for conducting multivariate experiments on content effectiveness, comprising:
a plurality of content delivery channels, each comprising one or more displays;
memory;
an experimental design module configured to generate randomization constraints and confound data via from an experimental design processor, wherein the confound data is then stored in the memory;
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive as part of a reinforcement machine learning routine spatial factor data or temporal factor data or both, and based thereon, compute a plurality of experimental units associated with one content delivery channel of the plurality of content delivery channels, comprising (i) a response area that is based on the spatial factor data, (ii) a response duration based on the temporal factor data, or both;
arrange the plurality of experimental units into at least one of the hierarchies based on geographic overlap of the response areas; and

a content assignment module configured to assign, from a content database having information defining a plurality of different content pieces, content pieces associated with some of the experimental units to one or more levels of the hierarchies utilizing at least one of the randomization constraints and the confound data;
update the randomization constraints based on the assigning of content to the hierarchies as part of the reinforcement learning routine;
assign content to one or more additional levels of the hierarchies utilizing the updated randomization constraints and the confound data as part of the reinforcement machine learning routine; and
compute a content playlist for each content delivery channel based on the experimental units, wherein the content playlist at least specifies content to be played on each content delivery channel.