IP Library Granted Patent US 7,689,590
Granted Patent B2
US 7,689,590 · App. 10/880,669 · Granted Mar 30, 2010

Integrated inventory management system for media advertising

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,689,590
App. No.
10/880,669
Granted
Mar 30, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer-implemented yield management system and method for media advertising are provided. The system includes demand curve data associated with an availability of advertising time slots. The demand curve data is defined by a function P N =P L *P N and P N =P H *F N . The system also includes and inventory module to create advertising inventory for a plurality of media provides, the advertising inventory containing available advertising time slots, a yield management module to generate pricing information based on the demand curve data, a forecasting module to generate advertising time segments that meet specific criteria in the advertising inventory and a pricing module to create a pricing strategy using the demand curve data where the price of advertising varies for one ore more advertising time slots in the advertising inventory based on the available advertising inventory.

Claims (30)

1. A computer-implemented yield management system for media advertising, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

demand curve data stored in the memory, the demand curve data associated with an availability of advertising time slots, wherein the demand curve data is defined by a function P N =P L *F N , wherein a sale N has a price and P N is the price for the sale N, P L is the sale N starting price when 0% of the advertising inventory associated with a particular advertising request has been sold, and F N is a multiplier that starts at 1.0 before a first sale and has a value which increases as a total amount of capacity available for the particular advertising request approaches zero, and P N =P H *F N , where P H is the sale N final price when 100% of the advertising inventory associated with the particular advertising request has been sold, wherein F is a demand curve function that determines an applicable price at inventory levels between the sale N starting and final prices, F H representing the function F value when 100% of the advertising inventory associated with the particular advertising request has been sold and F N representing the function F value at sale N;

an inventory module executable by the processor to create advertising inventory for a plurality of media providers, the advertising inventory containing available advertising time slots;

a yield management module executable by the processor, the yield management module to generate pricing information based on the demand curve data;

a forecasting module to generate advertising time segments that meet specific criteria in the advertising inventory; and

a pricing module to create a pricing strategy using the demand curve data where the price of advertising varies for one or more advertising time slots in the advertising inventory based on the available advertising inventory.

2. The yield management system of claim 1 , wherein the demand curve data comprises non-linear data.

3. The yield management system of claim 1 , wherein the demand curve data defines a hyperbolic function.

4. The yield management system of claim 1 , wherein the demand curve data defines a parabolic function.

5. The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein the demand curve data represents a function having a first, linear segment starting at 0% of advertising inventory sold, and a second, non-linear segment ending at 100% of advertising inventory sold.

6. The inventory management system of claim 5 , wherein the first linear segment starts at a point A and ends at a point B and the second non-linear segment starts at point B and ends at a point C, wherein point A indicates a beginning rate with 0% sold, point B indicates where a slope of the demand curve begins to increase, and point C indicates where the slope of the demand curve again increases, and point B is located in the demand curve data in a position between 10% to 50% sold.

7. The inventory management system of claim 6 , wherein point B indicates a position in the demand curve data which corresponds to one of 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40% or 50% of the advertising inventory sold.

8. A computer-implemented yield management system for media advertising, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

demand curve data stored in the memory, the demand curve data associated with an availability of advertising time slots, wherein the demand curve data represents a function having a first, linear segment starting at 0% of advertising inventory sold, and a second, non-linear segment ending at 100% of advertising inventory sold, wherein the first linear segment starts at a point A and ends at a point B and the second non-linear segment starts at point B and ends at a point C, wherein point A indicates a beginning rate with 0% sold, point B indicates where a slope of the demand curve begins to increase, and point C indicates where the slope of the demand curve again increases, wherein point B indicates a position in the demand curve data which corresponds to 10% of the advertising inventory sold when historic demand for the associated advertising time slot or program has been more than 145% of advertising inventory sold;

an inventory module executable by the processor to create advertising inventory for a plurality of media providers, the advertising inventory containing available advertising time slots;

a yield management module executable by the processor, the yield management module to generate pricing information based on the demand curve data;

a forecasting module to generate advertising time segments that meet specific criteria in the advertising inventory; and

a pricing module to create a pricing strategy using the demand curve data where the price of advertising varies for one or more advertising time slots in the advertising inventory based on the available advertising inventory.

9. A computer-implemented yield management system for media advertising, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

demand curve data stored in the memory, the demand curve data associated with an availability of advertising time slots, wherein the demand curve data represents a function having a first, linear segment staffing at 0% of advertising inventory sold, and a second, non-linear segment ending at 100% of advertising inventory sold, wherein the first linear segment starts at a point A and ends at a point B and the second non-linear segment staffs at point B and ends at a point C, wherein point A indicates a beginning rate with 0% sold, point B indicates where a slope of the demand curve begins to increase, and point C indicates where the slope of the demand curve again increases, wherein point B indicates a position in the demand curve data which corresponds to 50% of the advertising inventory sold when historic demand for the associated advertising time slot or program has been less than 54% of the advertising inventory sold;

an inventory module executable by the processor to create advertising inventory for a plurality of media providers, the advertising inventory containing available advertising time slots;

a yield management module executable by the processor, the yield management module to generate pricing information based on the demand curve data;

a forecasting module to generate advertising time segments that meet specific criteria in the advertising inventory; and

a pricing module to create a pricing strategy using the demand curve data where the price of advertising varies for one or more advertising time slots in the advertising inventory based on the available advertising inventory.

Assignments (18)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2026
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT TO CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: IHEART COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 075557/0138 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (REEL/FRAME 050017/0882) Recorded Jan 1, 2025
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069795/0626 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (REEL/FRAME 049079/0814) Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION)
To: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069795/0488 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (REEL/FRAME 049067/0800) Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION)
To: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069795/0423 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Feb 5, 2020
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052144/0833 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 23, 2019
From: IHEART COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U. S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 051143/0579 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2019
From: IHEART COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 050017/0882 →
RELEASE OF THE SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 035109/0168 Recorded May 10, 2019
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: AMFM RADIO LICENSES, LLC; CAPSTAR RADIO OPERATING COMPANY; CAPSTAR TX, LLC; CITICASTERS CO.; CITICASTERS LICENSES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.; IHEARMEDIA + ENTERTAINMENT, INC.; AMFM TEXAS BROADCASTING, LP; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 049149/0714 →
RELEASE OF THE SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 034008/0027 Recorded May 10, 2019
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: AMFM TEXAS BROADCASTING, LP; AMFM RADIO LICENSES, LLC; CAPSTAR RADIO OPERATING COMPANY; CAPSTAR TX, LLC; CITICASTERS CO.; CITICASTERS LICENSES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.; IHEARMEDIA + ENTERTAINMENT, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL INVESTMENTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 049149/0773 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2019
From: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049067/0800 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2019
From: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049067/0606 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2019
From: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 049079/0814 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 27, 2015
From: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 035109/0168 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 21, 2014
From: CLEAR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 034026/0037 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2014
From: CLEAR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL INVESTMENTS, INC.; CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 034008/0027 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2014
From: MAXAGRID INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: FOX, B. SHANE; TILLER, JAMES A.
Reel/Frame 032021/0873 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2013
From: FOX, B. SHANE; TILLER, JAMES A.
To: MAXAGRID INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 031856/0173 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2013
From: FOX, B. SHANE; TILLER, JAMES A.
To: GRANTLEY PATENT HOLDINGS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 031856/0180 →