System and Method for Scheduling Advertisements

• US 20070271134A1
• Filed: 05/20/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.), LAN International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LAN International Incorporated
• Inventors: Ferry, Matthew, McCartan, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.610
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule

Abstract

There is disclosed a computerized system and method for scheduling advertising Events which utilizes a set of configurable instructions regarding booking an order which iterates through a series of broadening, configurable criteria and also implements a configurable scoring system for the purpose of comparing multiple Events to determine if one Event is more valuable than the other.

Claims

1. A computerized method for scheduling advertising events comprising the steps of:

a. allowing a set of advertisers to define a set of criteria for a current advertising event;

b. comparing an event pool of available advertising events against the set of criteria defined in step(a) for the current advertising event;

c. if an ideal time slot is available, booking the current advertising event in said ideal time slot;

d. if an ideal time slot is not available, searching a predefined buffer of time around said ideal time slot for a secondary time slot and, if said secondary time slot is available, booking the current advertising Event in said secondary time slot;

e. if no secondary time slot is available, searching all available time ranges for a tertiary time slot and, if said tertiary time slot is available, booking the current advertising event in said tertiary time slot;

f. if no tertiary time slot is available, comparing a set of values associated with said current advertising event against a set values associated with one or more previously scheduled advertising events;

g. if one of said previously scheduled advertising events is of a lesser value than said current advertising event, replacing the previously scheduled advertising event with the current advertising event and placing said previously scheduled advertising event into an event pool;

h. if said current advertising event is of a lesser value than said previously scheduled advertising events, placing said current advertising event into the event pool;

i. periodically checking the event pool and attempting to schedule any advertising events stored therein.

2. A computerized method for scheduling advertising events, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of defining a set of attributes to be associated with said current advertising event for the purpose of calculating a score to be associated with said current advertising event.

3. A computerized method for scheduling advertising events, as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of calculating said score to be associated with said current advertising event.

4. A computerized method for scheduling advertising events, as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of utilizing said score in said steps for comparing a set of values associated with said current advertising event and said previously scheduled advertising events.

5. A computerized method for scheduling advertising events, as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of weighting said set of attributes to be associated with said current advertising event.

6. A computerized method for scheduling advertising events, as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of analyzing a set of configurable tie-break criteria if said current advertising event is equal in value to said previously scheduled advertising event.

7. A computerized method for scheduling advertising events comprising the steps of:

a. allowing a set of advertisers to define a set of criteria for a current advertising event including a primary advertising provider and a secondary advertising provider;

b. comparing a pool of available advertising events associated with said primary advertising provider against the set of criteria defined in step(a) for the current advertising event;

c. if an ideal time slot is available, booking the current advertising event in said ideal time slot;

d. if an ideal time slot is not available, searching a predefined buffer of time around said ideal time slot for a secondary time slot and, if said secondary time slot is available, booking the current advertising event in said secondary time slot;

e. if no secondary time slot is available, searching all available time ranges for a tertiary time slot and, if said tertiary time slot is available, booking the current advertising event in said tertiary time slot;

f. if no tertiary time slot is available, comparing a set of values associated with said current advertising event against a set values associated with one or more previously scheduled advertising events;

g. if one of said previously scheduled advertising events is of a lesser value than said current advertising event, replacing the previously scheduled advertising event with the current advertising event and placing said previously scheduled advertising event into an event pool;

h. if said current advertising event is of a lesser value than said previously scheduled advertising events, reassessing steps (b) through (g) using a pool of available advertising events associated with said secondary advertising provider and, if said current advertising event is not booked using said secondary advertising provider, placing said current advertising event into an event pool associated with said primary advertising provider and periodically checking the event pool associated with said primary advertising provider and attempting to schedule any advertising events stored therein.

8. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events comprising:

an order interface; and

a scheduling engine

wherein said entry screen is configured to allow an advertiser to define a set of criteria for a current advertising event and to define a precedence value for a set of booking phases;

wherein said booking phases include searching for an ideal time slot;

searching for a secondary time slot;

searching for a tertiary time slot;

searching for a prescheduled event of lesser value than said current advertising event; and

placing said current advertising event into an event pool;

wherein said precedence value associated with one of said phases from said set of booking phases may be set to a null value;

wherein said scheduling engine is configured to execute said phases, in order, according to said precedence value associated with each of said phases; and

wherein said scheduling engine is configured to bypass any of said phases wherein said precedence value associated with said phase is set to a null value.

9. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events comprising

a clock module;

an order module; and

a booking agent;

wherein

said clock module is configured to create an Inventory;

said order module is configured to accept a set of parameters comprising at least one order;

said booking agent is configured to

a) pull an inventory from said clock module;

b) pull a set of orders from said order module; and

c) design a schedule comprising a set of events based on said inventory and said set of orders wherein said configuration to design the schedule includes a set of programming configured to

i) compare an order from said set of orders against said inventory;

ii) if an ideal time slot is available, book said order as an event in said ideal time slot;

iii) if an ideal time slot is not available, compare a set of values associated with said order against a set of values associated with one or more previously scheduled events;

iv) if one of said previously scheduled advertising events is of a lesser value than said order, replace said previously scheduled advertising event with said order in a time slot associated with said previously scheduled advertising event and place said previously scheduled advertising event into a pool of events;

v) if said order is of a lesser value than said previously scheduled advertising event, place said order into a pool of events; and

vi) periodically check the pool of events and attempt to schedule any orders stored therein.

10. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 9 wherein said order module is further configured to calculate a score to be associated with said order entered into the system.

11. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 10 wherein said booking agent is configured to associate said score with an event scheduled on the basis of said order.

12. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 10 wherein said order manager is configured to permit a user to define a set of attributes to be evaluated to calculate said score.

13. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 10 wherein said order manager is configured to calculate said score using a set of attributes including priority, rate, customer loyalty, and ordered date, or any other attribute derived from the advertiser, the order, or the event.

14. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 12 wherein said order manager is configured to permit said user to define a weight to be associated with each attribute from said set of attributes.

15. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a log editor wherein said log editor is configured to allow a user to directly manipulate said schedule generated by said booking agent.

16. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 15 wherein said configuration to permit direct manipulation includes an ability to lock an event.

17. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 9 wherein said booking agent is further configured to analyze a set of tie-break criteria if said order is equal in value to said previously scheduled advertising event.

18. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 17 wherein said booking agent is further configured to permit a user to define a set of weighted attributes to be evaluated to determine which event should be favored in a tie-break scenario.

19. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 9, wherein said booking agent is configured to respond to a change in said inventory, which results in a new inventory, by placing said set of events in said schedule into an event pool and redesigning said schedule comprising a set of events based on said new inventory and said set of events stored in said event pool.

20. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 9, wherein said booking agent is configured to allow a user to define one or more sets of alternative parameters relating to said at least one order and design one or more alternative schedules based on said alternative parameters.

21. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 20, wherein said system is further configured to permit said user to compare any of said schedules created by said system.

22. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 18 wherein said system is configured to execute in a multi-threaded environment and wherein a separate thread is allocated to each advertising provider in a set of advertising providers.

23. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events comprising

a clock module;

an order module; and

a booking agent;

wherein

said clock module is configured to create an inventory;

said order module is configured to accept a set of parameters comprising at least one order;

said booking agent is configured to

a) pull an inventory from said clock module;

b) pull a set of orders from said order module; and

c) design a schedule comprising a set of events based on said inventory and said set of orders;

and wherein said booking agent is configured to respond to a change in said inventory, which results in a new inventory, by placing said set of events in said schedule into an event pool and redesigning said schedule comprising a set of events based on said new inventory and said set of events stored in said event pool.

24. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 23 wherein said order manager is configured to permit a user to define a threshold value as one of said set of attributes to be evaluated to calculate said score.

25. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 24 wherein said order manager is configured to utilize a boolean value to indicate whether said threshold value has been met and to figure a factor based on said boolean value into said score.

26. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 24 wherein said order manager is configured to utilize a percentage value to indicate whether said threshold value has been met and to figure a factor based on said percentage value into said score.

27. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 26 wherein said percentage value has a positive effect on said score if said threshold value has not been met.

28. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 27 wherein said percentage value has a neutral effect on said score if said threshold value has been met.

29. A computerized system for scheduling advertising events as claimed in claim 28 wherein said percentage value has a negative effect on said score if said threshold value has been exceeded.