Method of processing rental requests and returns

• US 20060149685A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Media Queue LLC
• Original Assignee: Media Queue LLC
• Inventors: Gross, John N.
• Application Number:
  US11/369,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects

Abstract

A delivery mechanism for distributing media items to subscribers uses a timed based benchmark in lieu of or in addition to a conventional capacity driven model. In this manner, titles are delivered based on delays introduced intentionally and based on title demand, subscriber behavior, etc.

Claims

1. A method of delivering machine readable media to subscribers of a media:

rental service comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a maximum number of machine readable media items (Nmax) which the subscribers can have out at any moment in time from the media rental service;

(b) identifying if a first subscriber has capacity available for delivery of a first machine readable media item requested by such subscriber;

(c) imposing a first delay on delivery of said first machine readable media item to the first subscriber even when said first subscriber has not reached Nmax.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first delay is only imposed for a group of subscribers determined by the computing system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first delay is imposed for a group of machine readable media items which are high demand items determined by the computing system.

4. The method of claim 1 further including a step:

delivering an additional media item after a second delay so that said subscriber has at least Nmax+1 titles out.

5. The method of claim 1 further including a step:

(d) measuring a number of titles out for said subscriber relative to Nmax over a predetermined period.

6. The method of claim 5, further including a step:

(e) adjusting said first delay based on results of step (d).

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

(d) preemptively delivering a title to the first subscriber before it is requested.

8. A method of delivering machine readable media to subscribers of a media rental service comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a maximum number of machine readable media items (Nmax) which the subscribers can have out at any moment in time from the media rental service;

(b) evaluating a demand characteristic with a computing system for a first machine readable media item requested by a first subscriber;

(c) identifying if said first subscriber has capacity available for delivery of said first machine readable media item based on Nmax for such subscriber;

(d) imposing a delay on delivery of said first machine readable media item to the first subscriber based on the results of steps (b) and (c);

wherein delivery of a first machine readable media item can be intentionally delayed even when said first subscriber has not reached Nmax.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said delay is only imposed for a group of subscribers determined by the computing system.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said delay is imposed for a group of machine readable media items which are high demand items determined by the computing system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a cost and/or profit associated with delivering the item is also considered during step (d).

12. The method of claim 8 further including a step (e) sending a second machine readable media item to said first subscriber before said first machine readable media item, which second machine readable media item has a demand characteristic determined by the computing system to be less than said first machine readable media item.

13. The method of claim 8 further including a step (e) sending a second machine readable media item to said first subscriber before said first machine readable media item, which second machine readable media item is determined automatically by a recommender system to be appropriate for the first subscriber.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said second machine readable media item is delivered preemptively to the first subscriber before it is requested.

15. A method of delivering machine readable media to subscribers of a media rental service comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a maximum number of machine readable media items (Nmax) which the subscribers can have out at any moment in time from the media rental service;

(b) identifying if a first subscriber has capacity available for delivery of a first machine readable media item based on Nmax for such subscriber;

(c) measuring media useage behavior of said first subscriber;

(d) imposing a delay on delivery of said first machine readable media item to the first subscriber based on the results of steps (b) and (c);

wherein delivery of a first machine readable media item can be intentionally delayed even when said first subscriber has not reached Nmax.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein during step (c) the system measures a number of titles out for said subscriber relative to Nmax over a predetermined period.

17. The method of claim 15 including a step:

selecting between delivering said first machine readable media item to said first subscriber or a second subscriber based on comparing useage behavior of said first subscriber and said second subscriber.

18. The method of claim 15, further including a step:

(e) sending a second machine readable media item to said first subscriber, which second machine readable media item has a demand characteristic determined by the computing system to be less than said first machine readable media item.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein after step (e) the first subscriber has a number of machine readable media items which exceeds Nmax.

20. The method of claim 15, further including a step:

(d) preemptively delivering a title to the first subscriber before it is requested.