System and method for fulfilling a media request

• US 20060265286A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blockbuster LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Blockbuster Incorporated (BB Liquidating, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crook, Leslie D., Taylor, John D., Craft, Joseph W. IV, Evangelist, Shane N., Butler, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A system and method for fulfilling a media request includes receiving a media request associated with a subscriber account. One inventory location is selected from a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the media request, and at least one of the inventory locations accommodates in-store media rental requests.

Claims

1. A method for fulfilling a media request, comprising:

receiving a media request associated with a subscriber account; and

selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the media request, wherein at least one of the inventory locations accommodates in-store media rental requests.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the media request comprises processing a configurable queue of requests associated with the subscriber account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media request comprises a request to rent a movie title.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating a first portion of inventory for on-line fulfillment to a particular inventory location; and

allocating a second portion of inventory for in-store fulfillment to the particular inventory location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory; and

reallocating the first and second portions of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising increasing the first portion of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining in-store rental activity comprises:

determining a projected in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory based on past in-store rental activity;

determining an actual in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory; and

comparing the projected in-store rental activity and the actual in-store rental activity to determine whether to reallocate the first and second portions of inventory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises determining a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises determining performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises:

determining a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request; and

determining performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations based on availability of inventory for redistribution to another inventory location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations operable to accommodate in-store media rental requests to fulfill the media request.

14. A system for fulfilling a media request, comprising:

a plurality of customers operable to make media requests associated with subscriber accounts; and

a controller operable to select a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the media requests, wherein at least one of the inventory locations accommodates in-store media rental requests.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of customers make requests by configuring a plurality of queues established for the subscriber accounts, each queue maintaining a plurality of pending requests for a corresponding subscriber account.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of inventory locations comprise:

a plurality of stores to accommodate in-store media requests; and

a plurality of fulfillment centers to accommodate on-line media requests.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operable to allocate a first portion of inventory for on-line fulfillment to a particular inventory location, and allocate a second portion of inventory for in-store fulfillment to the particular inventory location.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is operable to determine in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory, and reallocate the first and second portions of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to increase the first portion of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to determine a projected in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory based on past in-store rental activity, determine an actual in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory, and compare the projected in-store rental activity and the actual in-store rental activity to determine whether to reallocate the first and second portions of inventory.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operable to determine a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operable to determine performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operable to determine a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request, and determine performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operable to select one of a plurality of inventory locations based on availability of inventory for redistribution to another inventory location.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operable to select one of a plurality of inventory locations based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory.

26. A controller, comprising:

a memory operable to store inventory information and account information, the inventory information indicating an allocation of media at a plurality of inventory locations, wherein at least one of the locations accommodates in-store media rental requests, the account information indicating a plurality of subscriber accounts;

a network interface operable to receive a media request; and

a processor operable to associate the media request with a particular subscriber account using the account information, the processor further operable to select one of a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the request using the inventory information.

27. The controller of claim 26, wherein the memory comprises a queue having pre-configured media requests associated with the particular subscriber account, the queue operable to provide the media request to the processor.

28. The controller of claim 26, wherein the processor is operable to determine a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request, and determine performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

29. The controller of claim 26, wherein the processor is operable to select an inventory location based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory.

30. A system for fulfilling a media rental request, comprising:

means for receiving a media request associated with a subscriber account; and

means for selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the media request, wherein at least one of the inventory locations accommodates in-store media rental requests.

31. A method for fulfilling a media request, comprising:

allocating a first portion of inventory for on-line fulfillment to a particular inventory location;

allocating a second portion of inventory for in-store fulfillment to the particular inventory location;

receiving a media request associated with a subscriber account, the media request comprising a request to rent a movie title, wherein receiving the request comprises processing a configurable queue of requests associated with the subscriber account;

selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the request, at least one of the inventory locations accommodating in-store media requests, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises;

determining a geographic location of a customer associated with the request;

determining performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores;

selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory;

determining in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory, wherein determining in-store rental activity comprises;

determining a projected in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory based on past in-store rental activity;

determining an actual in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory; and

comparing the projected in-store rental activity and the actual in-store rental activity to determine whether to reallocate the first and second portions of inventory;

reallocating the first and second portions of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity; and

increasing the first portion of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.