Patent ID: 7761346
Filing Date: 2010-07-20
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of generating packages of advertising inventory items in response to a request from a buyer while optimizing both preferences of the buyer and a station's revenue objectives given an expected demand, the method comprising: employing a computing device having a processor and a memory associated therewith to execute instructions configured to implement the method, the instructions comprising: generating, via the computing device, a set of buyer attribute values from the preferences of the buyer; selecting, via the computing device, a set of candidate inventory items from an inventory of inventory items available for presenting advertising spots, wherein each candidate inventory item of the set of candidate inventory items satisfies two or more of the buyer preferences; generating, via the computing device, candidate inventory item attribute values for each inventory item of the set of candidate inventory items, wherein the candidate inventory attribute values reflect suitability of the respective candidate inventory item across a plurality of buyers; and deriving, via the computing device, an affinity score for each candidate inventory item of the set of candidate inventory items, the affinity score representing a mathematical distance between the set of buyer attribute values and the candidate inventory item attribute values associated with each respective candidate inventory item, wherein the larger the distance between the buyer attribute values and the candidate inventory item attribute values associated with a particular candidate inventory item, the lower the affinity between the buyer and the particular candidate inventory item.