System and method of implementing alternative redemption options for a consumer-centric advertising system

• US 8,756,103 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Amidon, Christopher, Evans, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Bekerman, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): IOSIF, MARIO CINCINAT
• Application Number:
  US11/692,442
• Time in Patent Office: 2,638 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 705/14.66
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A narrowcast advertising system includes a centralized late binding application (LBA) that communicates with one or more respective LBA device components on destination devices associated with a given consumer. The LBA application receives a plurality of advertisements in accordance with ad contracts negotiated between a consumer and an advertising entity. Selected ads are distributed to the respective destination devices for integration with accessible content. Confirmation indications are received by the LBA application from the destination devices so that contract fulfillment records can be updated in accordance with the various options a consumer has for satisfying the negotiated contract.

Claims

1. An advertisement delivery system, comprising:

at least one computing device adapted to;

receive a plurality of advertisements for delivery to a given consumer, wherein a first advertisement of the plurality of advertisements is received from a first advertising entity and a second advertisement of the plurality of advertisements is received from a second advertising entity;

receive a plurality of contracts, wherein a first contract of the plurality of contracts defines first distribution parameters associated with the first advertisement, including a plurality of first advertisement credits, each of the plurality of first advertisement credits corresponding to one of a plurality of different types of destination devices on which the first advertisement may be viewed, and a second contract of the plurality of contracts defines second distribution parameters associated with the second advertisement, including a plurality of second advertisement credits, each of the plurality of second advertisement credits corresponding to one of the plurality of different types of destination devices on which the second advertisement may be viewed;

interface with a plurality of destination devices associated with the given consumer;

distribute the first advertisement to a first destination device of the plurality of destination devices in accordance with the first contract, and distribute the second advertisement to a second destination device of the plurality of destination devices in accordance with the second contract;

receive a confirmation indication from the first destination device indicating that the first advertisement was viewed on the first destination device; and

initiate issuance of a credit amount based on a one of the plurality of first advertisement credits that corresponds to the first destination device.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first distribution parameters identify a particular credit to be provided to the given consumer upon a predetermined number of viewings of the first advertisement, and wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to determine that the first advertisement has been viewed the predetermined number of viewings based upon the receipt of the confirmation indication, and initiate issuance of the particular credit to the first consumer based on the determination.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to:

update records of fulfillment associated with the first contract.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to:

generate and send at least one invoice in accordance with the terms of the first contract.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to:

identify the first advertising entity as a potential party to the first contract; and

negotiate an exchange with the first advertising entity, including establishing the first contract between the given consumer and the first advertising entity.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein negotiating an exchange comprises:

participating in an auction held by the first advertising entity; and

providing, on behalf of the given consumer, one or more bids to the first advertising entity.

7. The system as in claim 5, wherein negotiating an exchange comprises:

conducting an auction on behalf of the given consumer; and

receiving one or more bids from the first advertising entity.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to:

receive feedback data including data regarding a display of the first advertisement; and

release at least one incentive in accordance with the first contract.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the distribution of the first advertisement is implemented upon request by the first destination device.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to:

establish respective credit values associated with each destination device for the first advertisement.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a third advertisement of the plurality of advertisements is a different version of the second advertisement, and wherein the third advertisement is a version suitable for playing on a third destination device of the plurality of destination devices, and not suitable for playing on the second destination device.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the second advertisement and the third advertisement have different time duration relative to one another.

13. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the second advertisement and the third advertisement have different quality levels relative to one another.

14. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device comprises a late binding agent.

15. The system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said late binding agent is configured to operate on a computer accessible by the given consumer.

16. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is further adapted to access profile data regarding the given consumer.

17. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of destination devices comprise one or more of set top boxes, laptops, mobile phones, personal computers, telephones, televisions, music players, PDAs, and digital photo displays.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first destination device comprises a mobile cellular phone and the second destination device comprises a set top box.

19. A method for delivering advertisements to a given consumer, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a plurality of advertisements for delivery to the given consumer, wherein a first advertisement of the plurality of advertisements is received from a first advertising entity and a second advertisement of the plurality of advertisements is received from a second advertising entity;

receiving, by the computing device, a plurality of contracts, wherein a first contract of the plurality of contracts defines first distribution parameters associated with the first advertisement, including a plurality of first advertisement credits, each of the plurality of first advertisement credits corresponding to one of a plurality of different types of destination devices on which the first advertisement may be viewed, and a second contract of the plurality of contracts defines second distribution parameters associated with the second advertisement, including a plurality of second advertisement credits, each of the plurality of second advertisement credits corresponding to one of the plurality of different types of destination devices on which the second advertisement may be viewed;

interfacing, by the computing device, with a plurality of destination devices associated with the given consumer;

distributing, by the computing device, the first advertisement to a first destination device of the plurality of destination devices in accordance with the first contract, and distribute the second advertisement to a second destination device of the plurality of destination devices in accordance with the second contract;

receiving a confirmation indication from the first destination device indicating that the first advertisement was viewed on the first destination device; and

initiating, by the computing device, issuance of a credit amount based on a one of the plurality of first advertisement credits that corresponds to the first destination device.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a step of providing a late binding agent for performing said receiving and distributing steps.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, further comprising a step of registering each destination device with the late binding agent.

22. The method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising inserting the first advertisement at the first destination device into content available at the first destination device.

23. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a step of updating records of fulfillment associated with the first contract.

24. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a step of generating and sending at least one invoice in accordance with the terms of the first contract.

25. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said distributing step is implemented upon request by the first destination device.

26. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a step of establishing respective credit values associated with the first destination device for the first advertisement.

27. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein a third advertisement of the plurality of advertisements is a different version of the second advertisement, and wherein the third advertisement is a version suitable for playing on a third destination device of the plurality of destination devices, and not suitable for playing on the second destination device.

28. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said distributing step more particularly comprises:

accessing profile data regarding the given consumer; and

selecting the first advertisement for distribution to the first destination device based on the profile data.

29. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising the following steps to be performed before said receiving step:

identifying one or more advertising entities as potential parties to an advertising contract with the given consumer; and

negotiating an exchange with a first advertising entity, including establishing a first advertising contract between the consumer and a first advertising entity.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein said step of negotiating an exchange comprises:

participating in an auction held by the first advertising entity; and

providing, on behalf of the given consumer, one or more bids to the first advertising entity.

31. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein said step of negotiating an exchange comprises:

conducting an auction on behalf of the given consumer; and

receiving one or more bids from the first advertising entity.

32. The method as set forth in claim 29, further comprising steps of:

receiving feedback data including data regarding a display of the first advertisement; and

releasing at least one incentive in accordance with the first contract.

33. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

distributing the first advertisement to a third destination device of the plurality of destination devices;

receiving a second confirmation indication from the third destination device indicating that the first advertisement was viewed on the third destination device; and

wherein initiating issuance of the credit amount based on the one of the plurality of first advertisement credits that corresponds to the first destination device further comprises initiating issuance of the credit amount based on the one of the plurality of first advertisement credits that corresponds to the first destination device and on a different one of the plurality of first advertisement credits that corresponds to the third destination device.