SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING REVENUE BETWEEN A CONTENT PROVIDER AND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE CONTENT PROVIDER'S USE OF A CONTENT STOREFRONT PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

• US 20100023395A1
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/508,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023395A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.450
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0274 Split fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method for a communications service provider and content provider to share revenue may include providing, by the communications service provider, a network node configured to enable the content provider to post content to be available to subscribers of the communications service provider. The content provider may be enabled to set a price for a subscriber to download the content. If there is a cost for the subscribers to download the content, then a revenue share percentage may be established between the content provider and the communications service provider. Otherwise, the communications service provider may be enabled to display an advertisement to the subscribers and collect revenue from advertising. The revenue generated by the content being downloaded may be accounted for. The content provider may be provided with the accounting.

Claims

1. A method for a communications service provider and content provider to share revenue, said method comprising:

providing, by the communications service provider, a network node configured to enable the content provider to post content to be available to subscribers of the communications service provider, the network node being in communication with the Internet but being accessible to subscribers without accessing the Internet;

providing a graphical user interface via which the local subscribers can download the content;

enabling the content provider to set a price for a subscriber to download the content;

if there is a cost for the subscribers to download the content, then establishing a revenue share percentage between the content provider and the communications service provider;

otherwise, enabling the communications service provider to display an advertisement to the subscribers and collect revenue from advertising;

in response to the subscribers downloading the content, accounting for the revenue generated by the content being downloaded; and

providing the content provider with the accounting for the content download.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a first region of the graphical user interface for the content provider to display advertisements; and

establishing a second region on the graphical user interface for the communications service provider to display advertisements that are targeted to the subscribers.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising providing the content provider with the ability to control advertisements that the communications service provider can display on the graphical user interface.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising providing the communications service provider with the ability to control advertisements that the content provider can display on the graphical user interface.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a street address of a subscriber selecting an advertisement to display for the subscriber on the graphical user interface based on the street address; and

displaying the selected advertisement.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the content provider with the ability to selectably set dates and times for the contract to be available for downloading.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the content provider with the ability to selectably change price for content to be downloaded.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising tracking demand for the content being downloaded.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising enabling the content provider to establish rules for changing price for downloading the control based on the demand.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the communications service provider with a first portion of airtime and the content provider with a second portion of airtime for displaying advertisements to the subscribers.

11. A system for a communications service provider and content provider to share revenue, said system comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a content database, a billing database, and an advertisements database;

an input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate with the Internet and local subscribers of the communications service provider without communicating over the Internet; and

a processing unit in communication with said storage unit and I/O unit, said processing unit configured to;

enable the content provider to store content in the content database;

enable the content provider to set a price for subscribers to download the stored content;

determine whether the content provider set a price for the subscribers to download the stored content;

if the content provider set a price for the subscribers to download the stored content, account a total amount of revenue collected from the subscribers downloading the content; and

otherwise, if the content provider does not set a price for the subscribers to download the stored content, enable the communications service provider to store advertising content in the advertisements database and communicate a stored advertisement to the subscribers who access the stored content.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to generate a graphical user interface for the subscribers to access the stored content, the graphical user interface including the first region being available for the content provider to display advertisements in a second region being available for the communications service provider to display advertisements.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said processing unit is further configured to provide the content provider with the ability to control advertisements that the communications service provider can display on the graphical user interface.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said processing unit is further configured to provide the communications service provider with the ability to control advertisements that the content provider can display on the graphical user interface.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

determine a street address of a subscriber;

select an advertisement to display for the subscriber on the graphical user interface based on the street address; and

display the selected advertisement.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to provide the content provider with the ability to selectably set dates and times for the content to be available for downloading.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to provide the content provider with the ability to selectably change prices for content to be downloaded.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processing unit is further configured to track demand for the content being downloaded.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said processing unit is further configured to enable the content provider to establish rules for changing price for downloading the content based on the demands.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to enable the subscribers to establish a setting to limit certain content from being downloadable.