Multimedia purchasing apparatus, purchasing and supplying method

• US 20070050262A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Breemen, Albertus Josephus Nicolaas, Reerink, Sander, Feijs, Laurentius
• Application Number:
  US10/558,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050262A1
• 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: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes

Abstract

The multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) for purchasing multimedia content (161) over a network (140), interacting with a user profiling unit (122) containing information on user preferences of multimedia, has a user negotiation unit (120) comprised, which is arranged to autonomously purchase the multimedia content (161) guided by a budget specification (114). Different negotiation strategies may be used to purchase content as desired by the user.

Claims

1. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) for purchasing a multimedia item (161) over a network (140), interacting with a user profiling unit (122) containing information on user preferences of multimedia, characterized in that a user negotiation unit (120) is comprised, arranged to autonomously purchase the multimedia item (161) guided by a budget specification (114), and that the user profiling unit (122) is comprised in the multimedia purchasing apparatus (100).

2. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the budget specification (114) comprises type budgets for different types of multimedia item.

3. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the type budgets are subdivided in sub ranges.

4. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein with at least one of the type budgets is associated a quota of multimedia items of the corresponding type.

5. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the budget specification comprises budgets for different periods.

6. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein braking means (199) are comprised, arranged to reduce multimedia purchasing when an absolute value of a derivative of a budget spending is above a predefined threshold.

7. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a user behavior sensing unit (170), arranged to obtain information on behavior of a user.

8. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein a type budget is automatically determined on the basis of the information of the user behavior sensing unit (170).

9. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the budgets for different periods are determined as a function of a temporal difference between the periods and a time instant (TI1).

10. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising an entertainment coordination unit (124), arranged to produce a schedule of purchased multimedia items (161).

11. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a verification unit (130) arranged to secure user access to the budget specification (114).

12. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a suggestion reception unit (182) arranged to receive a suggestion to purchase multimedia items (161).

13. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a provider database (192), comprising data on providers of multimedia content.

14. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 13, in which the user negotiation unit (120) is arranged to purchase linked items of multimedia (161) in which at least one item is substantially free of charge.

15. A multimedia purchasing apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, in which the user negotiation unit (120) is arranged to propose a package deal for a set of multimedia items (161) to a provider of multimedia content.

16. A method of purchasing a multimedia item (161) over a network (140), taking into account user information from a user profiling unit (122) containing information on user preferences of multimedia, characterized in that the multimedia item (161) is purchased autonomously by a multimedia purchasing apparatus (100), guided by a budget specification (114).

18. Computer program product comprising code enabling a processor to execute a method according to claim 16.

17. A method of supplying a multimedia item (161) over a network (140), taking into account user information from a user profiling unit (122) containing information on user preferences of multimedia, characterized in that the multimedia item (161) is supplied in response to an autonomous purchase request from a multimedia purchasing apparatus (100), guided by a budget specification (114).