181results about How to "Total revenue maximization" patented technology

A system and method of managing virtual documents is described. In this approach, a user database is set up on a network-connected computer. There are a number of virtual documents that are created by on other network-connected computers. These virtual documents have associated with them an attribute file having known header and field information. The virtual documents and their associated attribute files are sent from the other network-connected computers to the network-connected computer, which then categorizes and stores information from the virtual documents according to the contents of the attribute file.

In an automated leads-and-bids matching system, bid profiles are defined to describe desires of lead buyers. Received leads are matched to active ones of the bid profiles whose specifications the leads substantially match. Lead segmentation data is captured on-the-fly for example by inducing potential consumers to navigate their way through tree-organized web sites that categorize the consumers according to their geographic location, income/revenue range, class of products desired and/or other attributes. Live voice or other telecommunication connections to the pre-classified consumers are coupled to corresponding, pre-classified telecommunication nodes of a call processing system. The call processing system deduces the segmentation data of the consumers from the identities of the pre-classified nodes through which their connections pass. The deduced segmentation data is passed to an automated matching system or auctioning subsystem that finds the highest bids for each given lead. A quality rating database rates the quality of leads provided by different sellers. A price discounting engine discounts the amount paid to sellers who are hot-rated as sources of inferior leads.

A system and method of managing virtual documents is described. These virtual documents have associated with them an attribute file having known header and field information. By using the attribute file information, a network-connected computer can categorize and store virtual documents in a database corresponding to a particular user of the system. According to one aspect, the system is designed so that it can interface with an interactive television computer system so that a user can select virtual documents that he wishes to retain while viewing a television program. The selected virtual documents are then categorized and stored in the database corresponding to the user. According to another aspect, virtual documents can be downloaded from network-connected computer to a user's computer and then transferred to a smart card device. Specifically, a merchant coupon may be downloaded to the smart card device so that it may be redeemed at a merchant's store.

Methods and systems for integrating images with the associated text-based content signals and data about users' preferences to determine an image or user intent. Methods and implementations for monetizing these images is also described.

Delivery of content such as advertisements to audience members. Profile data is collected regarding audience members to whom advertisements may be delivered, such that a given audience member has an established profile data. Upon receiving a request to serve an advertisement to an audience member, a recognition that the target of the request is the given audience member is made. Then it is determined that a particular advertisement should be served to the given audience member. The determination includes recognition of the given audience member and corresponding selection advertisements optimized for the recognized audience member. A configurable delivery decision making mode allows pre-optimized as well as delivery time factoring for determining advertisements. Performance criteria and revenue allocation based upon data provider participation are also provided.

Apparatus and methods for providing enhanced consumer access to information sources and controllable entities. An Access device can be a stand alone device such as a DVD player in which the DVD disk contains the back-end information network. Other Access devices obtain the back-end information network from remote sources. By way of a specific example, the consumer can then view a game and interactively select every television camera located at the game venue.

The subject invention leverages determined values of auction advertisement proposals to facilitate in determining advertisement interval allocations for the proposals. The advertisement “interval” can include, but is not limited to, physical dimensions or time. Instances of the subject invention further utilize allocation algorithms and auctioning mechanisms to provide for allocation of ads of varying intervals and to improve performance of ad auctions, including employing algorithms that automate the ad interval layout to maximize revenue. Other instances of the subject invention provide pricing for the allocated intervals as well.

The present invention provides a system and method for providing an intellectual property collaboration network for the development and improvement of inventions and technology with inventors being granted equity or an ownership interest in patent arrays or companies which patent, market, license and generate revenue from the developed technology. The present invention provides a unique way of distributing equity to contributing inventors of ideas and owners of patents within the network for those technologies which are grouped and related. The system of the present invention enables inventors to submit ideas, collaborate on projects, advance technology and protect inventions through an intellectual property network which provides inventors equity in companies or patent arrays in exchange for the developments which are then patented, marketed, and licensed with revenue flowing through the companies and patent arrays back to the inventors and other contributors of the system. The system may also be used for existing and donated patents which can be marketed and licensed through the system including granting equity or ownership interest in the patent arrays or companies to owners of the existing or donated patents.

A technique for determining optimum prices of products. The apparatus includes a scenario/results processor, a demand engine, an activity based cost engine, and a price optimization engine. The scenario/results processor enables a user to prescribe an optimization scenario, and presents the optimum prices to the user, where the optimum prices are determined by execution of the optimization scenario. The demand engine models relationships between potential prices of the products and market demand for the products. The activity based cost engine estimates costs for the products based upon market demand. The price optimization engine employs the market demand and the demand chain costs to determine the optimum prices, where the optimum prices are a subset of the potential prices, and where the optimum prices maximize a merchandising performance figure of merit according to the optimization scenario.

Methods of generating video streams including advertisement information sufficient to support advertisement countdown times and other functions such as advertisement auto pause functions are described. In accordance with various embodiments, advertisement duration is determined from one or more messages included in a video stream, e.g., prior to the corresponding advertising segment. A countdown timer is generated from the advertisement information and displayed along with the content of the advertisement segment. Restrictions for different subscribers may be indicated in the advertisement information messages, e.g., with some end users being permitted to fast forward or skip advertisements with other users being required to allow the full normal playback of one or more advertisement segments. The auto pause function, when activated, pauses an ad segment or set of ad segments at a predetermined time before output of the main program resumes thereby making sure none of the main program is missed.

Methods and apparatus for selecting advertisements to display to a user requesting a primary webpage is provided. Keywords related to the primary webpage are determined using internal information of the primary webpage and/or external information provided in neighboring webpages. The external information may include anchor text metadata of hyperlinks on neighboring webpages that link to the primary webpage or include the number of such hyperlinks having a same particular anchor text. Other internal and/or external information may be used to determine a list of keywords related to the primary webpage. One or more of keywords on the list are selected to represent the primary webpage according to one or more objectives. One or more advertisements are selected to be served to the user using the selected keywords. Machine learning techniques may be used to develop a model that automatedly determines keywords representing a webpage.

Technologies are described herein for providing popularity-based licensing of user-generated content. A selection of a popularity measure is received. A value of the popularity measure is determined. A price of a user-generated content item is determined based on the value of the popularity measure. A license including the price of the user-generated content item is generated.

Movies are distributed to customer households in a secure format on digital media such as optical disks for playback via proprietary set-top boxes. A system operator produces movie disks in large quantities and delivers the disks to widely geographically dispersed distribution agents. Agents produce copies of the disks with unique agent identification codes embedded therein, and distribute the disks to local customers who have compatible playback devices. When customers view movies, information identifying the movie and a distribution agent who is responsible for the movie being distributed to that customer are communicated to the central computer of the system operator. The content providers are then paid royalties due and responsible distribution agents are compensated.

A new television broadcast model called a Broadcast Market Exchange (BMX) eliminates the inefficiency in spectrum usage, providing maximum flexibility in delivering content through either VHF (for fixed location receiving devices) or UHF (optimized for mobile receiving devices) transmission/propagation. In conjunction with the BMX, a wireless communications system architecture is provided to enable a broadcast augmentation channel. The augmentation channel provides supplementation of the Quality of Service (QoS) of a one way User Datagram Protocol (UDP) delivery environment. The augmentation channel may be comprised of one or more physical delivery mechanisms (wired or wireless), but can be effectively unified for increasing QoS and or scalable levels of service (additional essence) to improve the user experience.

A platform for the delivery of dynamic, interactive audio advertisements played in response to a consumer initiated request for information via a telephone. The platform invention provides advertising supported information services that are related to a geographic location associated with a response to a consumer initiated request. In one specific embodiment, at a customer station, a consumer dials an information access number and is connected to a call processing system. The call processing system receives a request for information from the consumer, and determines a response. The response is then further processed to determine a geographic location associated with the response. An advertisement is then selected that is associated with the geographic location of the response (as opposed to the geographic location specified in request, or as opposed to the geographic location of the consumer, which may not necessarily be the same).