Apparatus and methods for measuring multimedia demand and for maximizing broadcast channel utilization

• US 7,765,142 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Li, Jun, Bichot, Guillaume, Ramaswamy, Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi; Hani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tinkler; Muriel
• Application Number:
  US10/107,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,045 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/37, 705/39, 725/1, 725/5, 725/8, 725/64, 725/87, 725/104
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for measuring multimedia demand and for maximizing broadcast channel utilization. A first, two way communications channel or channels, from a customer to a broadcaster are provided, as well as a second broadcast channel, which may be, in some embodiments, combined with the two way channel. A bid cycle is established for available programs, whereby one or more programs is listed as available on said two way channel, whereupon one or more customers may bid on those programs in order to view those programs. If the aggregated bids reached a threshold value, the broadcaster will then broadcast the program to the bidding customers, thus closing the bid cycle. If the threshold is not reached, the bid cycle is unsatisfied.

Claims

1. A method for a server to transmit broadcast programming multimedia content, by a broadcaster, comprising the steps of:

using said server to start a bid cycle by providing a notification, via a first communication channel, of at least one available program for transmission over a broadcast channel;

receiving at said server at least two bids above a minimum offer price from different parties for said at least one available program;

aggregating, via a host within a broadcast system, all of said bids received to establish an aggregate bid value;

comparing said aggregate bid value to a broadcaster determined threshold value;

adjusting a length of the bid cycle and the threshold value in response to a response rate of bids such that time of the bid cycle is shortened and the threshold price is increased when said response rate is high and said bid cycle is lengthened and the threshold price is lowered when said response rate is low,

ending said bid cycle and transmitting via said server said at least one available program to said different parties, with respective bids equal to or above said minimum offer price, if said aggregate bid value is at least equal to said threshold value;

billing the parties for the program according to their respective bid price, if said bid price was equal to or above said minimum offer price;

offering said at least one program to a non-bidding party at an average program bid price calculated from the aggregative bid value divided by the numbers of parties being billed in the previous step;

transmitting said at least one program to said non-bidding party when said non-bidding party pays said average program bid price.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of broadcasting said program if said aggregate bid value is at least equal to said threshold value further comprises broadcasting said program to a local storage means.

3. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of establishing a threshold value for a multimedia program.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the step establishing a threshold value for a multimedia program further comprises the step of using predetermined criteria to establish a threshold value.

5. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of soliciting at least one bid for said program during said bid cycle.

6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a broadcast time.

7. A method as in claim 6, further comprising the step of providing notification of said broadcast time.

8. A method for maximizing channel utilization by a broadcaster comprising:

providing at least two broadcast channels;

selecting content for those channels by performing the following steps;

establishing a broadcaster determined threshold value for each program selected from a group of predetermined content;

soliciting a bid at a web server using a processor for each of said programs during a bid cycle;

receiving at said server at least two bids above a minimum offer price from different parties for each of said programs during said bid cycle;

aggregating, via a host within a broadcast system, all of said bids received for each program to establish an aggregate bid value for each program;

comparing said aggregate bid for each of said programs to said threshold value for said program;

adjusting a length of the bid cycle and the threshold value in response to a response rate of bids such that time of the bid cycle is shortened and the threshold price is increased when said response rate is high and said bid cycle is lengthened and the threshold price is lowered when said response rate is low,

ending said bid cycle and transmitting via said server said at least one available program to said different parties, with respective bids equal to or above said minimum offer price, if said aggregate bid value is at least equal to said threshold value;

billing the parties for the program according to their respective bid price, if said bid price was equal to or above said minimum offer price;

offering said at least one program to a non-bidding party at an average program bid price calculated from the aggregative bid value divided by the numbers of parties being billed in the previous step;

transmitting programs over said at least two broadcast channels using a video server when an aggregate bid for a corresponding program is above a threshold, said transmission is initiated with information from said web server.