Cost reduction through bidding and advertising

• US 8,850,489 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, John, McNamara, Justin, Cenciarelli, Fulvio Arturo, Mikan, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): EKPO, NNENNA NGOZI
• Application Number:
  US12/341,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 725/61, 725/91, 725/100, 705/37, 455/466
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64784 Data processing by the network data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

Media can be provided by requesting a data channel, wherein the request includes a bid for bandwidth. The bid can be indicative of a price that a user is willing to pay for the bandwidth. It can subsequently be determined, based on the price, to service the request for the data channel, establish the data channel, and charge an account an amount, based on the price.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

sending a request for a data channel, the request including a bid for bandwidth;

receiving a data stream over the data channel, the data stream including video content and information, the information comprising;

an indication that the bid was accepted, wherein the bid for bandwidth was subjected to a reverse auction for bandwidth;

pricing information comprising;

an indication of a price for the bandwidth for streaming the video content; and

an indication of a price for the video content;

displaying the video content; and

displaying, on top of the video content, the price for the bandwidth and the price for the video content.

2. The device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

sending a signal identifying a quality of service level selection; and

receiving the data stream, the data stream having the selected quality of service level.

3. The device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving a selection of at least a portion of the information displayed; and

sending a signal indicative of the selection, the signal encoded in a real-time transport protocol control message.

4. The device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

sending, via a real-time transport protocol control message, global positioning coordinates of the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the information includes data that identifies information selected in accordance with a device profile.