Systems and methods for allocation-free control of online electronic content distribution campaigns

1. A computer-implemented method for allocation-free control of online campaigns for distributing online content, the method comprising:

generating one or more control signals, the one or more control signals including a revenue control signal and a cost per event (CPX) control signal;

generating a price control signal as a smaller of the CPX control signal and the revenue control signal;

transmitting a single control signal consisting of the generated price control signal to a bid generator; and

calculating, by the bid generator, a bid for one or more impressions based on the single control signal,

wherein an amount of change in the revenue control signal between a first time sample and a second time sample is bound by one or more configurable parameters.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a daily content distribution spending budget and one or more response functions;

calculating one or more plant gain estimates based on the one or more response functions; and

calculating a marginal content distribution spending budget based on the daily content distribution spending budget,

wherein the marginal content distribution spending budget is calculated based on a daily seasonality model and a latency model, and

wherein the revenue control signal is generated based on the calculated marginal budget and the calculated one or more plant gain estimates.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more response functions comprise a revenue response function and a cost per event (CPX) response function, and

the one or more plant gain estimates comprise a revenue plant gain estimate and a cost per event (CPX) plant gain estimate.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein generating the one or more control signals comprises:

generating the revenue control signal based on the marginal budget, the revenue plant gain estimate, and current observed content distribution spending; and

generating the CPX control signal based on the CPX plant gain estimate, a long-term CPX estimate, and a short-term CPX estimate.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the revenue plant gain estimate is calculated as a first-order derivative of the revenue response function and the CPX plant gain estimate is calculated as a first-order derivative of the CPX response function.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the revenue control signal or the CPX control signal is generated using a proportional-integral controller.

7. A system for allocation-free control of online campaigns for distributing online content, the system comprising:

a data storage device storing instructions for allocation-free control of online campaigns for distributing online content in an electronic storage medium; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including:

generating one or more control signals, the one or more control signals including a revenue control signal and a cost per event (CPX) control signal;

generating a price control signal as a smaller of the CPX control signal and the revenue control signal;

transmitting a single control signal consisting of the generated price control signal to a bid generator; and

calculating, by the bid generator, a bid for one or more impressions based on the single control signal,

wherein an amount of change in the revenue control signal between a first time sample and a second time sample is bound by one or more configurable parameters.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is further configured for:

receiving a daily content distribution spending budget and one or more response functions;

calculating one or more plant gain estimates based on the one or more response functions; and

calculating a marginal content distribution spending budget based on the daily content distribution spending budget,

wherein the marginal content distribution spending budget is calculated based on a daily seasonality model and a latency model, and

wherein the revenue control signal is generated based on the calculated marginal budget and the calculated one or more plant gain estimates.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more response functions comprise a revenue response function and a cost per event (CPX) response function, and

the one or more plant gain estimates comprise a revenue plant gain estimate and a cost per event (CPX) plant gain estimate.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the one or more control signals comprises:

generating the revenue control signal based on the marginal budget, the revenue plant gain estimate, and current observed content distribution spending; and

generating the CPX control signal based on the CPX plant gain estimate, a long-term CPX estimate, and a short-term CPX estimate.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the revenue plant gain estimate is calculated as a first-order derivative of the revenue response function and the CPX plant gain estimate is calculated as a first-order derivative of the CPX response function.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the revenue control signal or the CPX control signal is generated using a proportional-integral controller.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, causes the computing system to perform a method for allocation-free control of online campaigns for distributing online content, the method including:

generating one or more control signals, the one or more control signals including a revenue control signal and a cost per event (CPX) control signal;

generating a price control signal as a smaller of the CPX control signal and the revenue control signal;

transmitting a single control signal consisting of the generated price control signal to a bid generator; and

calculating, by the bid generator, a bid for one or more impressions based on the single control signal,

wherein an amount of change in the revenue control signal between a first time sample and a second time sample is bound by one or more configurable parameters.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:

receiving a daily content distribution spending budget and one or more response functions;

calculating one or more plant gain estimates based on the one or more response functions; and

calculating a marginal content distribution spending budget based on the daily content distribution spending budget,

wherein the marginal content distribution spending budget is calculated based on a daily seasonality model and a latency model, and

wherein the revenue control signal is generated based on the calculated marginal budget and the calculated one or more plant gain estimates.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the one or more response functions comprise a revenue response function and a cost per event (CPX) response function, and

the one or more plant gain estimates comprise a revenue plant gain estimate and a cost per event (CPX) plant gain estimate.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein generating the one or more control signals comprises:

generating the revenue control signal based on the marginal budget, the revenue plant gain estimate, and current observed content distribution spending; and

generating the CPX control signal based on the CPX plant gain estimate, a long-term CPX estimate, and a short-term CPX estimate.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the revenue plant gain estimate is calculated as a first-order derivative of the revenue response function and the CPX plant gain estimate is calculated as a first-order derivative of the CPX response function.