Method of monitoring electronic commerce queue

• US 20040243479A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Media Queue LLC
• Original Assignee: Media Queue LLC
• Inventors: Gross, John N.
• Application Number:
  US10/856,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243479A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A network based distribution system is used for distributing/temporarily renting playable media items, such as movies in a digital format. Monitoring features allow for checking the availability of tides, and an overall compliance behavior of a service provider.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring availability of media titles offered by a media rental service on behalf of a subscriber, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) specifying a set of subscriber selection rules to be satisfied by a media title;

wherein said set of subscriber selection rules include an availability status to be satisfied by said media title;

(b) inspecting media titles offered by the media rental service to determine if they meet said set of subscriber availability rules, including said availability status;

wherein step (b) is performed automatically for the subscriber, and without requiring the subscriber to inspect such media titles;

(c) generating a report to the subscriber identifying a list of media titles satisfying said set of subscriber selection rules.

2. The method of claim 1, further including a step:

(d) placing one or more selected titles from said list of media titles into a subscriber delivery queue to indicate to the media rental service that such one or more selected titles should be delivered to the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (d) occurs automatically without further response by the subscriber to the media rental service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of subscriber selection rules includes a list of titles of individual media items.

5. The method of claim 1, furthering including a step:

(d) generating a report identifying an availability of a list of media titles, including media titles that do not satisfy said set of subscriber selection rules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is implemented by a program under control of the media rental service for monitoring availability of media items at a rental system under control of a separate media rental service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is implemented by a program operating under control of an online proxy service for monitoring availability of titles on behalf of a second subscriber to the proxy service, such that said proxy service is a subscriber to the media rental service, and said second subscriber is not a subscriber to the media rental service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps are effectuated on a regular schedule by a program routine within a personal electronics device which does not have a permanent connection to the media rental service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps are effectuated on a regular schedule by a program routine within a personal electronics device which has an always-on connection to a network which can access the media rental service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of subscriber selection rules further specify that available media titles should be shipped in a random sequence.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of subscriber selection rules further specify that media rental service should provide a list of available media titles and a proposed shipping sequence.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of subscriber selection rules allow a user to weight a first title more than a second title to increase a chance of receiving said first title.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said report indicates which if any of said media titles is available for immediate rental for a premium.

14. A method of monitoring shipping and return receipts of media titles offered by a media rental service on behalf of a subscriber, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) specifying a set of subscriber shipping and return rules to be satisfied by the media rental service in response to the subscriber mailing a media title to the media rental service, including a target receive date for the media title, and a target shipment date for a next media title;

(b) monitoring a return queue for the subscriber to determine when the media title is identified by the media rental service as having been received;

(c) generating an alert when the media title is not received by the media rental service by the target receive date.

15. The method of claim 14, further including the steps of:

(d) monitoring a shipment queue for the subscriber to determine when the next media title is identified by the media rental service as having been shipped;

(e) generating an alert when the next media title is not shipped by the media rental service by a target shipment date.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said alert is sent to the subscriber and to the media rental service.

17. The method of claim 14, further including a step of measuring a returns performance difference in time between a first time when said media title is indicated as received by the media rental service, and a second time when said next media title is indicated as shipped.

18. The method of claim 14, generating a report identifying the returns performance difference in time for a plurality of media titles and a plurality of subscribers.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said return queue for the subscriber automatically indicates that a title has been received in response to a shipment made by the subscriber but before said title is actually received.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said return queue for the subscriber automatically indicates that a title has been received in response to input provided by the subscriber confirming a return.