Methods and systems to determine pricing of Internet protocol television services

• US 20070143775A1
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ou, Canhui, Savoor, Raghvendra, Sposato, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/303,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143775A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

Methods and systems to determine pricing for an Internet protocol media service are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes determining a first Internet protocol television service plan based on a first media presentation device type and a second Internet protocol television service plan based on a second media presentation device type. The first Internet protocol television service plan is offered to a user of the first media presentation device type and the second Internet protocol television service plan is offered to a user of the second media presentation device type.

Claims

1. A method of pricing Internet protocol media services, comprising:

determining a first Internet protocol television service plan based on a first media presentation device type;

determining a second Internet protocol television service plan based on a second media presentation device type;

offering the first Internet protocol television service plan to a user of the first media presentation device type; and

offering the second Internet protocol television service plan to a user of the second media presentation device type.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first Internet protocol television service plan is a prepaid service plan.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining the first Internet protocol television service plan comprises determining the first Internet protocol television service plan based on a ranking value and a weighted factor value associated with the first media presentation device type.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the ranking value is indicative of a general preference of a user populace toward using the first media presentation device type.

5. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the weighted factor value is indicative of a preference of the user toward using the first media presentation device type.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first media presentation device type is one of a television set-top-box, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a portable media player.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second Internet protocol television service plans are associated with providing the same media programming content.

8. A system to price an Internet protocol media service, comprising:

a ranking value interface communicatively coupled to a first data structure and configured to retrieve a plurality of ranking values associated with a plurality of media presentation device types configured to receive an Internet protocol media service from the first data structure;

a weighted factor interface communicatively coupled to a second data structure and configured to retrieve weighted factor values associated with a user group from the second data structure via the input interface; and

a price determiner communicatively coupled to the ranking value interface and the weighted factor interface and configured to determine a price at which the Internet protocol media service is to be sold to the user group based on the plurality of ranking values and the plurality of weighted factor values.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein the ranking value interface retrieves a second plurality of ranking values associated with a prepaid subscription type, and wherein the price determiner determines the price based on at least one of the second plurality of ranking values.

10. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein the ranking values are indicative of general preferences of a user populace toward using each of the plurality of media presentation device types.

11. A system as defined in claim 8, further comprising an input interface communicatively coupled to the ranking value interface and the weighted factor interface to obtain the plurality of criteria information and communicate the criteria information to the ranking value interface and the weighted factor interface.

12. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein at least one of the ranking value interface and the weighted factor interface retrieves information from the data structures based on a target class of users associated with the user group.

13. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein the ranking value interface obtains a second plurality of ranking values from at least one data structure from at least one of a payment collection method, a media quality, a media demand forecast, a service provider cost, a subscription type, or competitor information.

14. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the price determiner determines the price based on the other ranking values.

15. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein the plurality of media presentation device types includes at least one of a television set-top-box, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a portable media player.

16. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein the Internet protocol media service is an Internet protocol television service.

17. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

obtain a weighted factor value for a plurality of media presentation device type criteria indicative of a plurality of media presentation device types associated with an Internet protocol media service; and

determine a price for the Internet protocol media service based on the weighted factor value and at least one of the media presentation device type criteria.

18. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having the instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to determine the price based on a prepaid subscription type.

19. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having the instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to obtain a plurality of ranking values associated with receiving the Internet protocol media services via the plurality of media presentation device types.

20. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 19 having the instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to determine the price for the Internet protocol media service based on the plurality of ranking values, wherein the ranking values are indicative of general preferences of a user populace toward using each of the plurality of media presentation device types.

21. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the Internet protocol media service is an Internet protocol television service.

22. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having the instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to obtain the weighted factor value based on a target class of users.

23. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having the instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to obtain a second weighted factor value based on at least one of a payment collection method, a media quality, a media demand forecast, a service provider cost, a subscription type, or competitor information.

24. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 23 having the instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to determine the price based on the second weighted factor value.

25. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the plurality of media presentation device types includes at least one of a television set-top-box, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a portable media player.