System for providing access to playable media

• US 8,712,867 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Media Queue LLC
• Original Assignee: Media Queue LLC
• Inventors: Gross, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): OSMAN BILAL AHME, AFAF
• Application Number:
  US10/770,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,739 Days
• Field of Search: 725/5, 725/61, 705/26, 379/243
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

A network based distribution system is disclosed for distributing/temporarily renting playable media items, such as movies in a digital format. The distribution system includes a number of components that interoperate to improve a subscriber'"'"'s experience, including an intelligent queue monitor which works on his/her behalf to ensure that an adequate and interesting list of tides is made available to the subscriber.

Claims

1. An electronic system for distributing playable media items from a content provider operating a first website to a subscriber including:

(a) a subscriber queue routine operating on a first server computing system that is controllable by the content provider and is configured to set up a subscriber selection queue for the subscriber, said subscriber selection queue consisting of an ordered list of one or more playable media items to be viewed by the subscriber;

wherein said subscriber selection queue is set up at least in part in response to item selection directions provided by the subscriber;

(b) a subscriber queue replenishment control routine operating on the server computing system which implements queue replenishment rules provided by the subscriber for the subscriber selection queue; and

(c) a queue monitoring routine operating under control of the subscriber on a separate server computing system at a second website and configured to monitor said subscriber selection queue in accordance with said queue replenishment control rules to determine information on a status of said subscriber selection queue, including;

     1) whether said subscriber selection queue contains any playable media items;

     2) an identity of titles of any such playable media items that are present in said subscriber selection queue;

wherein said subscriber selection queue can be modified by said subscriber queue replenishment control routine to generate a new ordered list of one or more playable media items based on a confirmation from the subscriber; and

wherein the subscriber queue monitoring routine can access titles from a plurality of separate first websites offering playable media items.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic system is part of an Internet based movie rental service.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said list of one or more playable media items are set up by a subscriber-defined priority in a delivery sequence ranging from a first playable media item to be delivered from said subscriber selection queue to a last playable media item to be delivered from said subscriber selection queue.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein an additional playable media item is inserted in a subscriber-defined delivery order position in said new ordered list of one or more playable media items.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein an additional playable media item is automatically inserted onto said list of one or more playable media items.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said additional playable media item is automatically inserted as a last playable media item to be delivered from said list of one or more playable media items.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber selection queue is automatically modified in accordance with said queue replenishment control rules after a predefined time delay.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a notification is sent to the subscriber to solicit said confirmation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said queue replenishment control rules include a trigger event to be used in determining when said subscriber selection queue should be modified.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said trigger event is associated with a quantity of playable media items remaining in said subscriber selection queue.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said trigger event is associated with a determination by an item recommendation system that an additional playable media item should be added to said subscriber selection queue as a recommended playable media item.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said recommended playable media item is designated as the next to be delivered from said subscriber selection queue.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein an additional playable media item is automatically determined by a recommender system which automatically identifies playable media items of interest to the subscriber based on a subscriber item preference profile.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a subscriber account is charged a fee when an additional playable media item is moved to said subscriber selection queue.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the playable media items are recordings of movies.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said movies are mailed to subscribers.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said movies are distributed by a satellite transmission to a satellite signal receiver.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said movies are distributed by a broadband Internet-based connection.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the queue monitoring routine also determines information on new playable media items identified by the electronic system as newly available for inclusion in said subscriber selection queue.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the queue monitoring routine can be configured also to determine information on playable media items associated with a particular genre.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the queue monitoring routine can be configured also to determine information on playable media items associated with a recommendation by a recommender system.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the queue monitoring routine can be configured also to determine information on playable media items associated with a top N list of popular choices.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the queue monitoring routine can be executed on a periodic basis.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber can effectuate a change in said subscriber selection queue operating on said first server computing system at said first website through input provided to said queue monitoring routine operable on said separate server computing system at said second website.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said input includes account information for said subscriber at said first website.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the queue monitoring routine can also be configured to automatically remove playable media items from said subscriber selection queue.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber queue monitoring routine can provide suggestions on changes to a service plan used by the subscriber based on his/her viewing behavior.

28. A network based media rental service system for distributing playable media items to a subscriber, the system comprising:

(a) a subscriber preference routine operating on a first server computing system associated with a first website to capture subscriber preference data from the subscriber during a first data session, said subscriber preference data interface operating within a web browser and including queue management options, notification options, and shipment options;

(b) a subscriber selection routine for storing operating on said first server computing system and configured to store titles of one or more playable media items in a subscriber selection queue;

(c) a subscriber queue monitoring routine operating under control of the subscriber on a second server computing system associated with a second website and configured for managing said subscriber selection queue in accordance with said queue management options;

wherein said subscriber queue monitoring routine uses account information for the subscriber from said first website to access an account for the subscriber and automatically adds one or more additional titles to said subscriber selection queue and without additional subscriber input;

(d) a subscriber notification routine for providing a notice to the subscriber in accordance with said notification options and in response to an addition by said subscriber queue monitoring routine of one or more additional titles to said subscriber selection queue;

(e) a subscriber shipping routine for shipping said one or more additional titles to said subscriber in accordance with said shipment options.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the subscriber queue monitoring routine can access titles from a plurality of separate first websites offering playable media items.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the queue monitoring routine can also be configured to automatically remove playable media items from said subscriber selection queue.

31. A network based media rental service system operating at a first website server computing system for distributing playable media items to a subscriber, the system comprising:

(a) means associated with the first website server computing system for receiving subscriber preference data for the subscriber during a first data session, including notification and shipment options;

(b) means associated with the first website server computing system for generating a subscriber profile for the subscriber suitable for use by a recommender system;

(c) a recommender system associated with the first website server computing system configured for identifying a media item that is likely to be of interest to the subscriber;

(d) a notification system associated with the first website server computing system for notifying the subscriber and shipping said media item to the subscriber in accordance with said subscriber preference data; and

(e) a queue monitoring routine operating under control of the subscriber on a separate server computing system at a second website and configured to monitor said subscriber selection queue in accordance with said queue replenishment control rules to determine information on a status of said subscriber selection queue, including;

     1) whether said subscriber selection queue contains any playable media items;

     2) an identity of titles of any such playable media items that are present in said subscriber selection queue;

wherein said media item can be automatically shipped to the subscriber after said first data session, and without requiring a second data session by the subscriber with said media rental service; and

wherein the subscriber queue monitoring routine can access titles from a plurality of separate first websites offering playable media items.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the queue monitoring routine can also be configured to automatically remove playable media items from said subscriber selection queue.