US 11,783,378 B2
Method and apparatus for generating an electronic communication
Jeff Ayars, Seattle, WA (US); Ruslan Gilfanov, Palo Alto, CA (US); Jeffrey A. Holden, Chicago, IL (US); John Mark Nickels, Chicago, IL (US); Pete Prokopowicz, Chicago, IL (US); Daniel M. Roarty, Chicago, IL (US); and David Thacker, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Groupon, Inc., Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by Groupon, Inc., Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/201,515.
Application 17/201,515 is a continuation of application No. 14/219,349, filed on Mar. 19, 2014, granted, now 10,984,455.
Application 14/219,349 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/930,519, filed on Jun. 28, 2013, granted, now 10,387,902, issued on Aug. 20, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/914,552, filed on Dec. 11, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0272165 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06Q 30/02 (2012.01); G06Q 30/0241 (2023.01); G06Q 30/0273 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 30/0276 (2013.01) [G06Q 30/0275 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
selecting, by a processor, and based on a particular medium of an electronic communication, an electronic communication template, the electronic communication template comprising a plurality of slots, wherein each slot is defined as a particular region of the electronic communication, and wherein each slot of the plurality of slots is configured to be populated with content;
maintaining a database comprising a plurality of content generators, each of the plurality of the content generators executing independently from generation of electronic correspondence, each of the plurality of content generators configured for dynamically determining specific content, and each of the content generators monitoring analytic data corresponding to the content generator's past performance;
determining, in real-time, at a time of generation of the electronic correspondence, on a slot-by-slot basis, using the processor, one of the plurality of content generators from which to receive content for each particular content slot, individually, of the plurality of slots utilizing a result of a real-time slot auction, wherein the real-time slot auction comprises:
providing, in parallel, simultaneously, to one or more content generators, a notification indicating an availability of a particular slot, the notification comprising an indication of a location within the electronic communication of the particular slot;
providing, to the one or more content generators, (i) a set of selection parameters including data indicative of a particular medium of the electronic communication and (ii) the indication of the location within the electronic communication of the particular slot;
receiving a first combined slot bid to provide content for at least the particular slot and an adjacent slot from a first content generator, wherein the first combined slot bid is based at least on analytic data corresponding to first content generator's past performance;
receiving a first individual slot bid to provide content for at least the particular slot from a second content generator;
receiving a second individual slot bid to provide content to the adjacent slot from a third content generator;
determining that a sum of the first individual slot bid and the second individual slot bid is less than the first combined slot bid;
modifying slot definition data of the electronic communication to combine the particular slot and the adjacent slot into a single combined slot;
assigning the first content generator to the single combined slot, wherein the first content generator is assigned to provide content for at least the particular slot and the adjacent slot in response to determining that the sum of the first individual slot bid and the second individual slot bid is less than the first combined slot bid;
receiving dynamically determined content from the first content generator; and
generating the electronic communication based on the electronic communication template, the electronic communication comprising at least the dynamically determined content received from the first content generator in the single combined slot;
transmitting the electronic communication via the particular medium of electronic communication.