Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing the sale and use of pre-recorded entertainment products

• US 20040093262A1
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bean-Stream Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bean-Stream Incorporated
• Inventors: Weston, John, Davis, Timothy J., Berlandier, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/349,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093262A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for collecting and analyzing information relating to the sale of pre-recorded entertainment products. The point-of-sale information is collected to identify the purchase of pre-recorded product from traditional retail outlets as well as from on-line facilities where such products are sold. The information is collected at a common collection agent, and the information is parsed into various fields and expanded to include data relating to each pre-recorded product identified from the point-of-sale and on-line information. The expanded point-of-sale information is stored in a data repository where clients and affiliates can access the data using various filtering criteria. Real-time sales and marketing information becomes available on a demand basis for the clients and affiliates.

Claims

1. A method for collecting and analyzing sales of pre-recorded entertainment products comprising:

collecting point-of-sale information identifying each purchase of at least one of said pre-recorded products;

creating a database of said point-of-sale information;

creating a file of said point-of-sale information;

transferring said file on a periodic basis over a network to a specified address;

receiving said file at said specified address;

parsing said point-of-sale information into individual data fields;

expanding said point-of-sale information to include data relating to each pre-recorded product identified in said point-of-sale information;

storing said expanded point-of-sale information in a data repository;

and

accessing selected portions of said expanded point-of-sale information to determine consumer preferences.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said network is the Internet.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said point-of-sale information includes a UPC code that is expanded into product information for storing in said data repository.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

expanding said information on each purchase to identify a geographical location of each purchase.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said point-of-sale information is collected at a point-of-sale by reading bar code information from each pre-recorded product sold.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising;

adding a time stamp to said collected point-of-sale information to identify a time of sale of each pre-recorded product.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of accessing said selected portions of said expanded portions of said point-of-sale information comprises:

defining a filter that contains data of interest for a user; and

using a graphical user interface to access a set of data defined by said filter.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said filter identifies a time period over which data of interest is to be accessed.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said filter identifies a set of data common to a specific artist.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of accessing said selected portions of said expanded point-of-sale information comprises:

using a browser application running in at least one of a client and an affiliate location to remotely access data of interest in said data repository.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said data of interest is defined by selecting filter parameters through said browser application.

12. A method for collecting and analyzing information relating to the sale of entertainment products comprising:

receiving point-of-sale information identifying each sale of at least one of said entertainment products from a remote sales location;

parsing said point-of-sale information into individual data fields;

expanding said point-of-sale information to include data relating to each pre-recorded product identified in said point-of-sale information;

storing said expanded point-of-sale information in a data repository; and

accessing selected portions of said expanded point-of-sale information to determine consumer preferences.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said step of accessing said selected portions of said expanded point-of-sale information comprises:

using a browser application, operated by at least one of a client and an affiliate, to remotely access data of interest in said data repository.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said data of interest is defined by selecting filter parameters through said browser application.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said step of accessing said selected portions of said expanded point-of-sale information comprises:

defining a filter that contains data of interest for a user; and

using a graphical user interface to access a set of data defined by said filter.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said filter identifies a time period over which data of interest is to be accessed.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said filter identifies a set of data common to a specific artist.

18. A system for collecting and analyzing customer purchasing preferences for entertainment products comprising:

a plurality of point-of-sale terminals, each of said terminals including;

(a) means for inputting sales data for each pre-recorded product sold;

(b) means for storing said sales data; and

(c) means for exporting said sales data at periodic intervals;

a network connected to each of said point-of-sale terminals;

an agent connected to said network to receive exported data from said plurality of point-of-sale terminals, said agent including a processor, a data repository and a graphical user interface, said processor being programmed to;

(a) parse said exported data into individual data fields;

(b) expand said parsed data with locally stored data; and

(c) store said expanded data in said data repository; and

at least one of a client terminal and an affiliate terminal connected to said network for accessing said expanded data in said data repository.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said network is the Internet.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one of a client terminal and an affiliate terminal includes a browser application for accessing said graphical user interface of said agent.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one of a client terminal and an affiliate terminal selects filter parameters via said browser application for identifying to said graphical user interface data to be accessed by said at least one of a client terminal and an affiliate terminal.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein said means for inputting sales data includes a bar code scanning device for reading bar code indicia on each pre-recorded product sold.

23. The system according to claim 18, wherein said sales data includes a time stamp for identifying a time of a respective transaction.

24. The system according to claim 18, wherein said sales data includes a postal code identifying where the sale is taking place.

25. The system according to claim 18, wherein said sales data identifies said sale as a sale of one of new and used products.

26. A system for collecting and analyzing customer listening preferences for pre-recorded audio and video products that are accessible over a network comprising:

at least one server connected to said network, said at least one server having a library of pre-recorded audio and video products that are selectable by at least one of a client and an affiliate connected to said network;

said at least one server including;

(a) means for identifying each of said pre-recorded products accessed by a client said at least one of a client and an affiliate;

(b) means for storing sales data identifying at least one of said pre-recorded products; and

(c) means for exporting said sales data at periodic intervals;

an agent connected to said network, having an address to receive data exported by said at least one server, said agent including a processor, a data repository and graphical user interface, said processor being programmed to;

(d) parse said exported data into individual data fields;

(e) expand said parsed data with locally stored data; and

(f) store said expanded data in said data repository.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said network is the Internet.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

at least one of said client terminal and affiliate terminal having a browser connected to the Internet for accessing said expanded data through said graphical user interface.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein at least one of said client terminal and affiliate terminal includes a browser application that selects parameters of a filter for identifying data to be accessed.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising means for collecting demographic information of said customer and storing said demographic information in said data repository.

31. A method for analyzing and presenting data collected by a collected by a collection agent comprising:

providing different levels of access to the data collected for clients and affiliates;

accepting data analysis requests from said clients and affiliates;

accepting user preference inputs from said clients and affiliates to filter the analysis of the data collected;

accepting filter inputs from said clients and affiliates to further filter the analysis of the data collected;

analyzing the data collected according to the data analysis requests, user preference inputs and filter inputs; and

presenting the results of the analysis of the data collected.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the access is determined by at least one of an access identification number and a password.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the data analysis request is for a search of the data collected by at least one of an artist, a title and a label.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the user preference inputs are at least one of a postal address and an E-mail address.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the user preference inputs further includes a default input that makes the filter inputs available to the user.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the filter inputs are at least one of a label, a genre, a region, a market sort, a period, a view, a format and a threshold.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the data collected is collected in real-time.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected is presented in report form.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected is presented in chart form.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected includes at least four time periods.

41. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected can be set to run at specified times.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected includes downloading data.

43. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected includes analysis of on-line sales data.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected includes analysis of streaming data.

45. The method of claim 31, wherein the results of the analysis of the data collected includes analysis of downloading data.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein at least one of the client and affiliate selects the time periods.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the results of the analysis of the streaming data includes at least one of streaming duration, time of streaming and number of streams.

48. A method for analyzing sales and use data of prerecorded entertainment products which identify said products by date and time of sale or use which are collected by an agent on a substantially real time basis comprising:

establishing a data link between a client or affiliate terminal and said collection agent;

selecting through a graphical interface of said collection agent filter parameters representing a time period in which said products were sold or used;

recovering data from a data repository of said agent matching said filter parameters; and

reporting to said client and affiliate terminals said recovered data.

49. The method for analyzing sales and use data according to claim 48 wherein said filter parameters further identify a specific region in which such sales or use took place.

50. The method for analyzing sales and use data according to claim 49 wherein said reported data includes a complete list of sales and downloads of said prerecorded products occurring in said time period.

51. The method for analyzing sales and use data according to claim 49 wherein said recovered data includes the duration of any data streams occurring in said time period.

52. The method for analyzing sales and use data according to claim 49 wherein said filter parameters further identify sales of products by a specific artist.