Method and apparatus for generating an electronic communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10423977-B1
Application number	US-201313930527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2013
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve generation of electronic communications. The method may provide a plurality of content slots each configured to receive content, the content comprising at least one of promotion content or non-promotion content. The method may also include maintaining a database comprising a plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators, and determining, using a processor, one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators for respectively supplying corresponding promotion content or non-promotion content to each of the plurality of content slots. The determining the one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators may include determining selection parameters, and scoring the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators based at least in part on the selection parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating an electronic communication comprised of a plurality of content slots, wherein each content slot is defined as a particular region of the electronic communication, and each of the plurality of slots is configured for displaying one or more promotions to a user interface and subsequently utilizing feedback data indicative of use engagement with the electronic communication, the method comprising:
presenting promotion content and non-promotion content via an interface;
receiving, via the interface, a user selection indication associated with at least one of the promotion content and the non-promotion content, the user selection indication comprised of information indicative of a user selection;
updating, using a processor, a user record of a relevance database based on the user selection indication;
updating, using the processor, a content generator record for a promotion content generator or a non-promotion content generator associated with the promotion content or the non-promotion content indicated by the user selection indication; and
maintaining a database comprising a plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators,
wherein the at least one of the promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators are configured to respectively generate the promotion content or the non-promotion content based at least in part on the user record, and wherein each of the promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators comprises respective content selection logic and content generator characteristics configured to generate particular types of content, wherein each of the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators configured to target generated content of the electronic communication to a particular user or group of users, to promote a particular promotion, set of promotions, or type of promotion, each of the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators configured utilize particular selection parameters, external data, and particular characteristics of an assigned slot to generate a particular type of content;
providing, via the electronic communication, the plurality of content slots, wherein each content slot is defined as the particular region of the electronic communication, wherein each content slot is represented by a representative image, wherein each content slot is configured such that upon receiving a selection operation of the representative image, additional information related to the content associated with the content slot is displayed, and wherein each content slot comprises least one of promotion content or non-promotion content;
determining, using a processor, one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators for respectively supplying corresponding promotion content or non-promotion content to each of the plurality of content slots, wherein the determining the one of the plurality of promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators comprises:
determining selection parameters, the selection parameters comprising parameters related to a particular consumer, group of consumers, or a consumer characteristic that are the intended recipient of the electronic communication,
determining a promotion content engagement factor, the promotion engagement factor being feedback received in response to consumer interactions with provided electronic communications,
wherein determining the promotion engagement factor is a function of an the amount of time the consumer places their cursor on a particular set of content, based on whether the consumer selects a particular set of content with a cursor, or whether the consumer purchases a promotion associated with a particular set of content, and
scoring the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators based at least in part on the selection parameters, the promotion content engagement factor, and the content generator characteristics;

causing transmission of the electronic communication, the electronic communication comprising the particular set of content, generated by the selected content generators;
upon display the particular set of content, receiving data indicative of one or more promotion engagement factors; and
causing transmission of the data indicative of the one or more promotion engagement factors back to the electronic communication creation module, enabling refining of future content selection.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an efficacy of one of the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators is determined based on the user record.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising selecting one of the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators for use in generation of an electronic communication based on the efficacy.

4. An apparatus for generating an electronic communication comprised of a plurality of content slots, wherein each content slot is defined as a particular region of the electronic communication, and each of the plurality of slots is configured for displaying one or more promotions to a user interface and subsequently utilizing feedback data indicative of use engagement with the electronic communication, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and a memory, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to configure the apparatus to:
present promotion content and non-promotion content via an interface;
receive, via the interface, a user selection indication associated with at least one of the promotion content and the non-promotion content, the user selection indication comprised of information indicative of a user selection;
update a user record of a relevance database based on the user selection indication;
update a content generator record for a promotion content generator or a non-promotion content generator associated with the promotion content or the non-promotion content indicated by the user selection indication; and
maintain a database comprising a plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators, wherein the at least one of the promotion content generators or non-promotion content generators are configured to respectively generate promotion content or non-promotion content based at least in part on the user record, and wherein each of the promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators comprises respective content selection logic and content generator characteristics, configured to generate particular types of content each of the plurality of promotion content generators, wherein each of the plurality of promotion content generators and non-promotion content generators configured to target generated content of the electronic communication to a particular user or group of users, to promote a particular promotion, set of promotions, or type of promotion and non-promotion content generators configured utilize particular selection parameters, external data, and particular characteristics of an assigned slot to generate a particular type of content;
provide, via the electronic communication, the plurality of content slots, wherein each content slot is defined as the particular region of the electronic communication, wherein each content slot is represented by a representative image, wherein each content slot is configured such that upon receiving a selection operation of the representative image, additional information related to the content associated with the content slot is displayed, and wherein each content slot comprises at least one of promotion content or non-promotion content; and
determine, using a

Assignees

• Groupon Inc

Inventors

• Ayars Jeff
• Gilfanov Ruslan
• Holden Jeff
• Nickels John M
• Prokopowicz Pete
• Roarty Dan
• Thacker David

Classifications

• G06Q30/0243 Primary

  Comparative campaigns · CPC title