Method and system for pricing a programming event viewed by subscriber group

• US 20020083456A1
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for group billing purchasers of transmitted programming events is provided. In one embodiment, a subscriber group includes two or more individual subscribers who receive programming from a programming provider. The individual subscribers periodically elect to view a program provided via the program provider. The program is provided on a pay-per-view basis, meaning that the program provider requires a sum of money to be paid in order to view the program. The sum of money is determined according to the number of viewers in a single subscriber group. In one embodiment, the subscribers interact during a program via a network connection.

Claims

1. A method for determining a price of a program transmitted by a programming provider to subscribers, comprising:

receiving, via a network connection, a purchase order for a program from a subscriber belonging to a subscriber group;

determining a first price for the purchase order if the program has been purchased by a threshold number of subscribers belonging to the subscriber group; and

determining a second price, higher than the first price, if the program has not been purchased by the threshold number of subscribers belonging to the subscriber group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first and second prices comprises executing a pricing program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing and sending an invoice to the subscriber for the program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold number of subscribers is greater than one and is some portion of all the subscribers of the subscriber group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold number is all the subscribers of the subscriber group.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, via a network communication, at least one of the first price and the second price to the subscriber prior to the subscriber purchasing the program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase order indicates an intent of the subscriber to view the program at a future time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying at least one other subscriber in the subscriber group of the purchase order.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, prior to receiving the purchase order, an electronic message indicating an intent of the subscriber to purchase the program.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying, via a network communication, at least one other subscriber in the subscriber group of the intent.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the subscriber belongs to the subscriber group prior to determining the price.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether the subscriber belongs to the subscriber group comprises accessing a subscriber database.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a request to initiate a network dialog session with at least one other subscriber in the subscriber group.

14. The method of claim 13, handling messages sent between subscribers participating in the network dialog session.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the programming provider is at least one of a cable provider and a satellite provider.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the programming provider is connected to the plurality of subscribers by a network connection.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the programs are one of a view-on-demand program and a pay-per-view program.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the programs are movies.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the programs are entertainment events.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the programs are transmitted at a predetermined time.

15. A system for transmitting programs to subscribers, comprising:

a database containing subscriber groups each including at least two subscribers;

a programming provider system connected to the database and configured to;

receive, via a network communication, purchase orders for programs from a plurality of subscribers;

determine a first price for each purchase order if more than a threshold number of subscribers purchasing the same program belong to a common subscriber group;

determine a second price, less than the first price, for each purchase order if less than a threshold number of subscribers purchasing the same program belong to a common subscriber group.

22. A system, comprising:

a plurality of signal processing units each associated with one of a plurality of subscribers, wherein the plurality of subscribers make up subscriber groups each including at least two subscribers; and

a programming provider system connected to the signal processing units and configured to;

transmit fee-based programming events to the signal processing units; and

determine prices of programming event purchased by the plurality of subscribers, wherein a price for each programming event is determined according to a number of purchase orders for the same programming event received from subscribers belonging to a same subscriber group.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein programming provider system is configured to:

determine a first price for each purchase order if more than a threshold number of subscribers purchasing the same program belong to a common subscriber group; and

determine a second price, less than the first price, for each purchase order if less than a threshold number of subscribers purchasing the same program belong to a common subscriber group.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a database accessible by the programming provider system and containing a subscriber identifier for each of the plurality of subscribers and a subscriber group identifier for each subscriber group.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of signal processing units are configured to communicate messages via a communication network.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the programming provider system is at least one of a cable provider and a satellite provider.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the programming provider system is connected to the plurality of subscribers by a network connection.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the programming events are one of a view-on-demand program and a pay-per-view program.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the programming events are movies.