Search engine account monitoring

US7043471B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Overture Services, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Dominic Cheung · South Pasadena, US
• Scott Shifflett · Santa Clarita, US
• Darren Davis · Walnut, US
• Eugene F. Hu · Monrovia, US
• Scott Snell · Beverly Hills, US
• Peter Savich · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 28, 2002
• Grant date: May 9, 2006
• Expiry date: Mar 21, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S707/99936
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method of generating an ordered search list via a search engine by determining various account balances to determine where a search listing will appear, if at all, in a search results list. If a web site advertiser's account is below a threshold, the search listing associated with the advertiser will not appear in the search list. Various balances may be used. Some of the balances may be closer to real-time balances and others may be more accurate, for example by removing certain event charges that were later determined to be non-chargeable. By using and monitoring the various account balances, the search engine prevents over-delivery of advertising through search result listings and possible over-billing of the advertisers.