Method For Controlling Display Of Keyword Advertisement In Internet Search Engine And A System Thereof

1 . A computer-implemented method for controlling display of a keyword advertisement, comprising the steps of:

(a) defining a plurality of advertisement locations for placement of advertisements in association with keywords, at least one of said advertisement locations including a plurality of unit display zones in association with a predetermined keyword;

(b) receiving at least one bid data corresponding to a first unit display zone from at least one advertiser, said first unit display zone being one of the plurality of said unit display zones associated with said predetermined keyword;

(c) storing said bid data;

(d) determining whether a predetermined transfer condition for right to display said first unit display zone is satisfied, which a first advertiser owns;

(e) retrieving at least a portion of said stored bid data; and

(f) determining winning bid among said retrieved bid data for placement of advertisement on said first unit display zone in association with search result list generated in response to a search query associated with said predetermined keyword; and

(g) transferring said display right of said first unit display zone from said first advertiser to a second advertiser which has submitted said winning bid.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

if said display right of said first unit display zone is transferred to said second advertiser, the steps (d)˜(g) are executed for at least one of the remaining unit display zones associated with said predetermined keyword.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, if said second advertiser has submitted a plurality of winning bids corresponding to a plurality of said unit display zones associated with said predetermined keyword, one unit display zone is assigned to said second advertiser in accordance with at least one predetermined display priority condition.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the predetermined display priority condition is determined based at least in part on review of cost-per-click pricing model.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said bid data include payable fee per single click, and

the step (f) of determining winning bid comprises the step of:

determining winning bid in accordance with said payable fee per single click.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of ordering said stored bid data in accordance with payable fee per single click, said payable fee per single click being included in said bid data, wherein the step (f) of determining winning bid determines said winning bid in accordance with the order of said bid data.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined transfer condition is associated with a bid data corresponding to the first unit display zone, which has been newly submitted, and

the step (f) of determining winning bid comprises the steps of:

ordering said stored bid data;

reordering said stored bid data if a new bid data has been submitted; and

determining winning bid in accordance with the order of said bid data.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined transfer condition is associated with the expiration of a predetermined contract for the search listing.

9 . (canceled)

10 . A computer-implemented method for controlling display of a keyword advertisement in association with a search results list, wherein the search results list is generated in response to a search query, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a plurality of bids for a particular placement position of advertisement in association with a predetermined keyword, said each bid indicating a bid amount and an advertisement;

(b) storing said bids;

(c) determining whether a predetermined transfer condition for right to display said particular placement position of advertisement is satisfied, which has been assigned to a first advertiser;

(d) selecting, based at least in part on review of bid amounts, a bid of said stored bids for said particular placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword; and

(e) transferring said right to display said particular placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword from said first advertiser to a second advertiser who has submitted said selected bid.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein if said second advertiser wins bidding for more than one placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword, one placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword is assigned to said second advertiser in accordance with a predetermined condition, and wherein said predetermined condition is determined based at least in part on review of cost-per-click pricing model.

13 . A computer-readable recording medium having computer-executable instructions for executing a method according to claim 1 .

14 . A keyword advertisement display control system, comprising:

means for defining a plurality of advertisement locations in association with a plurality of keywords, at least one of said advertisement locations including a plurality of unit display zones in association with a predetermined keyword;

a user interface, said user interface receiving bid data corresponding to a first unit display zone of the plurality of unit display zones associated with the predetermined keyword from at least one advertiser;

a memory, said memory storing said bid data;

means for processing bid for said first unit display zone, said means for processing the bid determining winning bid for said first unit display zone; and

means for transferring a display right of said first unit display zone to an advertiser who has submitted the winning bid,

wherein said means for processing the bid performs a re-bid process if a predetermined transfer condition for the display right of said first unit display zone is satisfied.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the predetermined display priority condition is determined based at least in part on review of selection by said second advertiser.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein if said second advertiser wins bidding for more than one placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword, only one placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword is assigned to said second advertiser in accordance with a predetermined condition, and wherein said predetermined condition is determined based at least in part on review of selection by said second advertiser.

17 . A computer programmed to perform the steps recited in claim 1 .

18 . A computer programmed to perform the steps recited in claim 10 .

19 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for controlling display of a keyword advertisement, comprising:

code for defining a plurality of advertisement locations for placement of advertisements in association with keywords, at least one of said advertisement locations including a plurality of unit display zones in association with a predetermined keyword;

code for receiving at least one bid data corresponding to a first unit display zone from at least one advertiser, said first unit display zone being one of the plurality of said unit display zones associated with said predetermined keyword;

code for storing said bid data;

code for determining whether a predetermined transfer condition for right to display said first unit display zone is satisfied, which a first advertiser owns;

code for retrieving at least a portion of said stored bid data

code for determining winning bid among said retrieved bid data for placement of advertisement on said first unit display zone in association with search result list generated in response to a search query associated with said predetermined keyword; and

code for transferring said display right of said first unit display zone from said first advertiser to a second advertiser which has submitted said winning bid.

20 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for controlling display of a keyword advertisement in association with a search results list, wherein the search results list is generated in response to a search query, comprising:

code for receiving a plurality of bids for a particular placement position of advertisement in association with a predetermined keyword, said each bid indicating a bid amount and an advertisement;

code for storing said bids;

code for determining whether a predetermined transfer condition for right to display said particular placement position of advertisement is satisfied, which has been assigned to a first advertiser;

code for selecting, based at least in part on review of bid amounts, a bid of said stored bids for said particular placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword; and

code for transferring said right to display said particular placement position of advertisement in association with said predetermined keyword from said first advertiser to a second advertiser who has submitted said selected bid.