Automatically adaptive pricing for digital goods

• US 8,332,260 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mysen, Clarence C., Chen, Johnny
• Primary Examiner(s): JABR, FADEY S
• Application Number:
  US13/422,346
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/7.29, 705 731- 732, 705/7.35, 705/7.37, 705/28, 705/52, 705/400, 380/231
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The price of digital content is set by a pricing module using data obtained from a statistics module. The statistics module includes historical information about a content author'"'"'s previous works, including demand for those works, and tracks data such as how many downloads are requested for the current content being priced, how many users are watching or listening to previews of the digital content, and where users are located. The pricing module may make content available for free initially; alternatively an initial non-zero price is chosen. The pricing module increases the price and observes changes in demand to determine a best-fit demand curve. Once the best-fit demand curve is determined, a price for the content is selected to maximize revenue. As the demand curve shifts, the price is adjusted to maintain optimal demand. Price is also adjusted proactively based on demand predictions determined according to statistical and historical data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

setting, by a content distribution system that includes one or more computers, a price for the item of digital content;

providing, by the content distribution system, a promotional clip associated with the item of digital content;

collecting, by the content distribution system, viewing data for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprising collecting data reflecting an amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content that has been viewed by a user; and

adjusting, by the content distribution system, the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprising increasing or decreasing the price when the amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content that has been viewed by the user is greater or less than a predefined amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting viewing data for a promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprises collecting a rate of viewings for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data comprises increasing the price when the rate of viewing increases greater than a predefined rate.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data comprises decreasing the price when the rate of viewings decreases less than a predefined rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprises a movie trailer.

6. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

setting, by a content distribution system, a price for the item of digital content;

providing, by a content distribution system, a promotional clip associated with the item of digital content;

collecting, by a content distribution system, viewing data for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprising collecting data reflecting an amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content that has been viewed by a user; and

adjusting, by a content distribution system, the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprising increasing or decreasing the price when the amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content that has been viewed by the user is greater or less than a predefined amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein collecting viewing data for a promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprises collecting a rate of viewings for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein adjusting the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data comprises increasing the price when the rate of viewing increases greater than a predefined rate.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein adjusting the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data comprises decreasing the price when the rate of viewings decreases less than a predefined rate.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprises a movie trailer.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

setting, by a content distribution system, a price for the item of digital content;

providing, by a content distribution system, a promotional clip associated with the item of digital content;

collecting, by a content distribution system, viewing data for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprising collecting data reflecting an amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content that has been viewed by a user; and

adjusting, by a content distribution system, the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprising increasing or decreasing the price when the amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content that has been viewed by the user is greater or less than a predefined amount of the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein collecting viewing data for a promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprises collecting a rate of viewings for the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein adjusting the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data comprises increasing the price when the rate of viewing increases greater than a predefined rate.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein adjusting the price for the item of digital content based upon the collected viewing data comprises decreasing the price when the rate of viewings decreases less than a predefined rate.

15. The medium of claim 11, wherein the promotional clip associated with the item of digital content comprises a movie trailer.