System and method for provisioning audiovisual works

• US 8,346,673 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blockbuster LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Blockbuster LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Wynn, Dominic C., Williams, Philip M., Simons, Malachi G., Wilkins, Nicholas F., Macrow, Alistair, Dufty, Nigel A., Eng, Alvin, Doherty, Michael J., Groves, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruhl, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US10/842,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,158 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/307
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A method for provisioning audiovisual works to a client includes maintaining categorization information specifying, for each of multiple audiovisual works, one or more of multiple categories. One or more of the categories are associated with each of multiple delivery slots in response to input from a client. For each of the delivery slots, a first audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the respective delivery slot is provisioned for delivery to a location associated with the client.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning audiovisual works to a client, comprising:

maintaining categorization information specifying, for each of a plurality of audiovisual works, one or more of a plurality of categories;

maintaining a plurality of delivery slots for a client account, each of the plurality of delivery slots identifying a particular one or more of the plurality of categories;

associating, by controlling logic executed on a processor, one or more of the categories with each of the plurality of delivery slots in response to input from one or more users associated with the client account;

for each of the delivery slots, provisioning an audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the respective delivery slot for delivery to a location associated with the client account, thereby ensuring that the client account has an inventory comprising provisioned audiovisual works for each of the delivery slots;

receiving information related to return of an audiovisual work;

identifying at least one characteristic of the returned audiovisual work;

identifying one of the delivery slots based on the identified characteristic;

provisioning a second audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot for delivery to the location; and

determining inventory history for the client account, wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot that is absent from the inventory history for delivery to the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the categories indicates a genre of audiovisual works.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the categories indicates a rating of audiovisual works, the rating specifying a particular one of a plurality of ratings established by a standardized content rating system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first one of the categories comprises characteristics specified by a first user associated with the client account, and wherein a second one of the categories comprises characteristics specified by a second user associated with the client account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the categories indicates audiovisual works having specified characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving preference information specifying characteristics for a selected one of the categories associated with a selected one of the delivery slots; and

generating a list of audiovisual works using the preference information;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an audiovisual work in the generated list for delivery to the location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the one or more users associated with the client account an ordering of audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying a next audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, based on the ordering, for delivery to the location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining availability information for audiovisual works m the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an available audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, using the availability information, for delivery to the location.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining popularity information for audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying a popular audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, using the popularity information, for delivery to the location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified characteristic indicates that the returned audiovisual work is in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the audiovisual works are movies.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the one or more users associated with the client account preference information regarding genres of audiovisual works;

generating a recommended list of audiovisual works using the preference information;

presenting to the one or more users associated with the client account the recommended list;

receiving from the one or more users associated with the client account a selection of audiovisual works from the recommended list; and

adding the selected audiovisual works to a selected one of the categories.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining availability information and popularity information for audiovisual works in an audiovisual library; and

determining inventory history for the client account;

wherein generating a recommended list of audiovisual works using the preference information comprises identifying recommended audiovisual works using the availability information, the popularity information, and the inventory history.

14. An apparatus for provisioning audiovisual works to a client, comprising:

a memory operable to;

maintain categorization information specifying, for each of a plurality of audiovisual works, one or more of a plurality of categories; and

maintain a plurality of delivery slots for a client account, each of the plurality of delivery slots identifying a particular one or more of the plurality of categories; and

a controller operable to associate one or more of the categories with each of the plurality of delivery slots in response to input from one or more users associated with the client account, and, for each of the delivery slots, provision an audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the respective delivery slot for delivery to a location associated with the client account, thereby ensuring that the client account has an inventory comprising provisioned audiovisual works for each of the delivery slots, receive information related to return of an audiovisual work, identify at least one characteristic of the returned audiovisual work, identify one of the delivery slots based on the identified characteristic, provision a second audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot for delivery to the location, and determine inventory history for the client account, wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot that is absent from the inventory history for delivery to the location.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein one or more of the categories indicates a genre of audiovisual works.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein one or more of the categories indicates a rating of audiovisual works, the rating specifying a particular one of a plurality of ratings established by a standardized content rating system.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a first one of the categories comprises characteristics specified by a first user associated with the client account, and wherein a second one of the categories comprises characteristics specified by a second user associated with the client account.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the categories indicates audiovisual works having specified characteristics.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further operable to:

receive preference information specifying characteristics for a selected one of the categories associated with a selected one of the delivery slots; and

generate a list of audiovisual works using the preference information;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an audiovisual work in the generated list for deliver to the location.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further operable to:

receive from the one or more users associated with the client account an ordering of audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying a next audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, based on the ordering, for delivery to the location.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further operable to:

determine availability information for audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an available audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, using the availability information, for delivery to the location.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further operable to:

determine popularity information for audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying a popular audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, using the popularity information, for delivery to the location.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the identified characteristic indicates that the returned audiovisual work is in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the audiovisual works are movies.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further operable to:

receive from the one or more users associated with the client account preference information regarding genres of audiovisual works;

generate a recommended list of audiovisual works using the preference information;

present to the one or more users associated with the client account the recommended list;

receive from the one or more users associated with the client account a selection of audiovisual works from the recommended list; and

add the selected audiovisual works to a selected one of the categories.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is further operable to:

determine availability information and popularity information for audiovisual works in an audiovisual library; and

determine inventory history for the client account;

wherein generating a recommended list of audiovisual works using the preference information comprises identifying recommended audiovisual works using the availability information, the popularity information, and the inventory history.

27. A computer readable medium encoded with logic for provisioning audiovisual works to a client, the logic operable, when executed on a processor, to:

maintain categorization information specifying, for each of a plurality of audiovisual works, one or more of a plurality of categories;

maintain a plurality of delivery slots for a client account, each of the plurality of delivery slots identifying a particular one or more of the plurality of categories;

associate one or more of the categories with each of the plurality of delivery slots in response to input from one or more users associated with the client account; and

for each of the delivery slots, provision an audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the respective delivery slot for delivery to a location associated with the client account, thereby ensuring that the client account has an inventory comprising provisioned audiovisual works for each of the delivery slots;

receive information related to return of an audiovisual work;

identify at least one characteristic of the returned audiovisual work;

identify one of the delivery slots based on the identified characteristic;

provision a second audiovisual work from one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot for delivery to the location; and

determine inventory history for the client account, wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot that is absent from the inventory history for delivery to the location.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein one or more of the categories indicates a genre of audiovisual works.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein one or more of the categories indicates a rating of audiovisual works, the rating specifying a particular one of a plurality of ratings established by a standardized content rating system.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein a first one of the categories comprises characteristics specified by a first user associated with the client account, and wherein a second one of the categories comprises characteristics specified by a second user associated with the client account.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein each of the categories indicates audiovisual works having specified characteristics.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

receive preference information specifying characteristics for a selected one of the categories associated with a selected one of the delivery slots; and

generate a list of audiovisual works using the preference information;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an audiovisual work in the generated list for delivery to the location.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

receive from the one or more users associated with the client account an ordering of audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying a next audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, based on the ordering, for delivery to the location.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the logic is further operable-when executed to:

determine availability information for audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying an available audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, using the availability information, for delivery to the location.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

determine popularity information for audiovisual works in the categories associated with the identified delivery slot;

wherein provisioning the second audiovisual work comprises identifying a popular audiovisual work in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot, using the popularity information, for delivery to the location.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the identified characteristic indicates that the returned audiovisual work is in one of the categories associated with the identified delivery slot.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the audiovisual works are movies.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

receive from the one or more users associated with the client account preference information regarding genres of audiovisual works;

generate a recommended list of audiovisual works using the preference information;

present to the one or more users associated with the client account the recommended list;

receive from the one or more users associated with the client account a selection of audiovisual works from the recommended list; and

add the selected audiovisual works to a selected one of the categories.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the logic is further operable when executed to:

determine availability information and popularity information for audiovisual works in an audiovisual library; and

determine inventory history for the client account;

wherein generating a recommended list of audiovisual works using the preference information comprises identifying recommended audiovisual works using the availability information, the popularity information, and the inventory history.