Method and apparatus for generating an electronic communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12340386-B2
Application number	US-202217654688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

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 comprising:
receiving, via a network, a request to provide an electronic communication, wherein the electronic communication is associated with a particular medium;
selecting an electronic communication template based on the particular medium, the electronic communication template comprising a plurality of content slots, wherein each of the plurality of content slots is configured to receive and display at least a portion of content received from a content generator;
maintaining a database comprising a plurality of content generators, each of the plurality of content generators comprising respective content selection logic and assignment preference logic configured to generate targeted content;
determining, using a processor and before generation or selection of content, in real-time on a slot-by-slot basis, a selected content generator of the plurality of content generators for supplying the content for each content slot of the plurality of content slots in the electronic communication template based at least in part on determining a score for each content generator based on one or more selection parameters using one or more scoring algorithms, wherein at least one selected content generator is a first content generator configured for non-promotion content for a first content slot, and wherein the non-promotion content generated by the first content generator is determined by:
examining consumer information present for a target consumer,
determining consumer information missing for the target consumer,
determining which missing consumer information, if possessed, would most improve future electronic communications targeted to the target consumer, and
generating the non-promotion content to request the missing consumer information with a highest expected value;

receiving, subsequent to the determination of the selected content generator for each of the content slots of the plurality of content slots, the content for each of the content slots of the plurality of content slots generated or selected by each of the selected content generators, wherein the content is based at least in part on the content selection logic of the particular selected content generator; and
generating the electronic communication displaying each of the received contents selected by each of the selected content generators.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the selected content generator for each of the content slots of the plurality of content slots comprises:
receiving two or more selection parameters associated with the request to provide the electronic communication; and
scoring each content generator based at least in part on a presence of a first selection parameter and an absence of a second selection parameter.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein scoring the plurality of content generators comprises receiving bids from the plurality of content generators.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the score for each content generator of the plurality of content generators is based on the respective assignment preference logic for that content generator.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one content slot of the plurality of content slots is configured to display a first content including a representative image, wherein the selection of the first content or the representative image causes displaying of additional information associated with the first content.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first content slot is configured to receive input, wherein interaction with the first content slot comprises providing information, wherein reception of the input causes the storing of the information as a value to an associated parameter of user information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the electronic communication comprises:
determining, using the processor, and on a slot-by-slot basis, if the received content for each of the plurality of content slots requires formatting to display the received content for the particular medium associated with the electronic communication; and
formatting at least one of the received content for display.

8. An 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:
receive, via a network, a request to provide an electronic communication, wherein the electronic communication is associated with a particular medium;
select an electronic communication template based on the particular medium, the electronic communication template comprising a plurality of content slots, wherein each of the plurality of content slots is configured to receive and display at least a portion of content received from a content generator;
maintain a database comprising a plurality of content generators, each of the plurality of content generators comprising respective content selection logic and assignment preference logic configured to generate targeted content;
determine, using a processor and before generation or selection of content, in real-time on a slot-by-slot basis, a selected content generator of the plurality of content generators for supplying the content for each content slot of the plurality of content slots in the electronic communication template based at least in part on determining a score for each content generator based on one or more selection parameters using one or more scoring algorithms, wherein at least one selected content generator is a first content generator configured for non-promotion content for a first content slot, and wherein the non-promotion content generated by the first content generator is determined by:
examining consumer information present for a target consumer,
determining consumer information missing for the target consumer,
determining which missing consumer information, if possessed, would most improve future electronic communications targeted to the target consumer, and
generating the non-promotion content to request the missing consumer information with a highest expected value;

receive, subsequent to the determination of the selected content generator for each of the content slots of the plurality of content slots, the content for each of the plurality of content slots generated or selected by each of the selected content generators, wherein the content is based at least in part on the content selection logic of the particular selected content generator; and
generate the electronic communication displaying each of the received contents selected by each of the selected content generators.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein determining the selected content generator for each content slot comprises:
receiving two or more selection parameters associated with the request to provide the electronic communication; and
scoring each content generator based at least in part on a presence of a first selection parameter and an absence of a second selection parameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein scoring the plurality of content generators comprises receiving bids from the plurality of content generators.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the score for each content generator of the plurality of content generators is based on the respective assignment preference logic for that content generator.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein at least one content slot of the plurality of content slots is configured to display a first content including a representative image, wherein the selection of the first content or the representative image causes displaying of additional information associated with the first cont

Assignees

• Bytedance Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G06Q30/0275

  Auctions · CPC title

• G06Q30/0257

  User requested · CPC title

• G06Q30/0254

  based on statistics · CPC title

• G06Q30/0242

  Determining effectiveness of advertisements · CPC title

• G06Q30/0211 Primary

  Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives · CPC title