Content subscription package management

• US 9,736,431 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US13/929,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

In embodiments, apparatuses, methods and storage media are described that are associated with configuration of content subscription packages. In various embodiments, a subscription package management/selection entity (“SPM”) may provide a facility for configuring and/or managing one or more content subscription packages. The SPM may be configured to facilitate generation of subscription packages using one or more tiers. The SPM may be configured to communicate with a content consumption device to provide subscription package information for consumption by a content consumer. The SPM may also be configured to facilitate a consumer in selecting and/or purchasing one or more content subscription packages. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions configured to cause a computing device, in response to execution of the instructions on the computing device, to:

configure one or more content subscription tiers to organize one or more content subscription packages, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription tiers, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to;

identify revenue models for the one or more content subscription tiers based on regions where content is to be provided and subscriber groups that consume the content;

identify one or more tier templates; and

apply rules to the revenue models and the one or more tier templates to configure the one or more content subscription tiers;

configure one or more content subscription packages for each content subscription tier based on the one or more content subscription tiers;

send, to a content consumption device associated with a content consumer, information associated with the one or more content subscription packages, wherein the information associated with the one or more content subscription packages is displayed on the content consumption device;

receive, from the content consumption device, an indication of a selection of a content subscription package of the one or more content subscription packages, wherein a particular content subscription package, of the one or more content subscription packages, in a particular content subscription tier is selectable only when requirements for a lower hierarchical content subscription tier have been satisfied; and

provide content corresponding to the selected content subscription package to the content consumption device.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription tiers, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to apply one or more business rules to the one or more tier templates.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein, when applying the one or more business rules to the one or more tier templates, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to apply the one or more business rules to the one or more tier templates based at least in part on subscription package information.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein the subscription package information comprises one or more of information associated with the regions or information associated with the subscriber groups.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription tiers, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to facilitate configuration of content subscription tiers by a content provider.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription tiers, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to configure one or more hierarchical tiers.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription tiers, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to configure one or more satisfaction criteria for a content subscription tier.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the one or more satisfaction criteria for the content subscription tier comprises a requirement that all packages in the tier be ordered to satisfy the criteria or a requirement that at least one package in the tier be ordered to satisfy the criteria.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription tiers, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to configure a nonhierarchical content subscription tier.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription packages, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to identify one or more unpaid subscription options.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription packages, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to identify a basic option for a content subscription tier.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription packages, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to identify an alternative option for the content subscription tier.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when sending the information associated with the one or more content subscription packages, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to present a subscription selection interface that is configured to graphically present the one or more content subscription tiers and content subscription packages to the content consumer.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein, when configuring the one or more content subscription tiers, the instructions are configured to cause the computing device to configure subscription packages for one or more of:

audio content, video content, or game content.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

one or more computing processors configured to execute the instructions to;

generate one or more content subscription tiers configured to organize one or more content subscription packages, wherein, when executing the instructions to generate the one or more content subscription tiers, the one or more computing processors are configured to;

identify revenue models for the one or more content subscription tiers based on regions where content is to be provided and subscriber groups that consume the content;

identify one or more tier templates; and

apply rules to the revenue models and the one or more tier templates to generate the one or more content subscription tiers;

identify one or more content subscription packages for each content subscription tier based on the one or more content subscription tiers;

send, to a content consumption device associated with a content consumer, information associated with the one or more content subscription packages, wherein the information associated with the one or more content subscription packages is displayed on the content consumption device;

receive, from the content consumption device, an indication of a selection a content subscription package of the one or more content subscription packages by the content consumer, wherein a particular content subscription package, of the one or more content subscription packages, in a particular content subscription tier is selectable only when requirements for a lower hierarchical content subscription tier have been satisfied; and

provide content corresponding to the content subscription package to the content consumption device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, when executing the instructions to generate the one or more content subscription tiers, the one or more computing processors are configured to apply one or more business rules to the one or more tier templates.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, when executing the instructions to generate the one or more content subscription tiers, the one or more computing processors are configured to generate one or more hierarchical tiers.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, when executing the instructions to send the information associated with the one or more content subscription packages, the one or more computing processors are configured to present a subscription selection interface to the content consumer.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating, by a computing device, one or more content subscription tiers configured to organize one or more content subscription packages, wherein generating the one or more content subscription tiers comprises;

identifying revenue models for the one or more content subscription tiers based on regions where content is to be provided and subscriber groups that consume the content;

identifying one or more tier templates; and

applying rules to the revenue models and the one or more tier templates to generate the one or more content subscription tiers;

identifying, by the computing device, one or more content subscription packages for each content subscription tier based on the one or more content subscription tiers;

providing for selection, by the computing device, of the one or more content subscription packages by a content consumer, wherein a particular content subscription package, of the one or more content subscription packages, in a particular content subscription tier is selectable only when requirements for a lower hierarchical content subscription tier have been satisfied;

receiving, by the computing device and from a device associated with the content consumer, an indication of a selection of a content subscription package of the one or more content subscription packages; and

providing, by the computing device and to the device associated with the content consumer, content corresponding to the selected content subscription package.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the one or more content subscription tiers comprises applying one or more business rules to the one or more tier templates.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the one or more content subscription tiers comprises facilitating configuration of one or more hierarchical tiers.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein providing for selection of the one or more content subscription packages comprises presenting a subscription selection interface to the content consumer.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to;

facilitate configuration of one or more content subscription tiers configured to organize one or more content subscription packages, wherein, when executing the instructions to facilitate configuration of the one or more content subscription tiers, the one or more processors are configured to;

identify revenue models for the one or more content subscription tiers based on regions where content is to be provided and subscriber groups that consume the content;

identify one or more tier templates; and

apply rules to the revenue models and the one or more tier templates to facilitate the configuration of the one or more content subscription tiers;

facilitate configuration, of one or more content subscription packages for each content subscription tier based on the one or more content subscription tiers;

send, to a content consumption device associated with a content consumer, information associated with the one or more content subscription packages, wherein the information associated with the one or more content subscription packages is displayed on the content consumption device;

receive, from the content consumption device, an indication of a selection of a content subscription package of the one or more content subscription packages by the content consumer, wherein a particular content subscription package, of the one or more content subscription packages, in a particular content subscription tier is selectable only when requirements for a lower hierarchical content subscription tier have been satisfied; and

facilitate providing content corresponding to the content subscription package to the content consumption device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to facilitate configuration of the one or more content subscription tiers comprises one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to apply one or more business rules to the one or more tier templates.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to facilitate configuration of the one or more content subscription tiers comprises one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to facilitate configuration of one or more hierarchical tiers.