Merging contract versions
View Patent ↗Proposed revisions to a contract can be selectively merged with provisions included in a base version of a contract to generate a merged contract. To determine whether a particular provision in the merged contract should be selected from the base contract or the proposed revision to the contract, a check can be made to determine if an event affecting a provision in the base contract has occurred. If such an event has occurred, the contract provision from the base contract can be chosen for the merged contract. Otherwise, a provision from the proposed revision to the contract can be used in the merged contract. A graphical user interface (GUI) can be used to present various contract versions.
1. A contract management system comprising:
a server computer hosting a database, the database storing contract version information associated with a plurality of versions of a broadcast contract related to a radio industry, wherein the plurality of versions of the broadcast contract include a base version of the broadcast contract including base contract provisions, and a proposed version of the broadcast contract including proposed contract provisions;
a computer terminal configured to communicate with the server computer to obtain the contract version information and to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) including:
a first area displaying base information associated with a base version of the broadcast contract, wherein the base information associated with the base version of the broadcast contract includes at least one base contract provision relating to a radio spot, the at least one base contract provision obtained from the database;
a second area displaying proposed information associated with a proposed version of the broadcast contract, wherein the proposed information associated with the proposed version of the broadcast contract includes at least one proposed contract provision relating to the radio spot, the at least one proposed contract provision obtained from the database; and
a third area displaying merged information associated with a merged version of the broadcast contract, wherein the merged information associated with the merged version of the broadcast contract includes either the at least one base contract provision or the at least one proposed contract provision; and
the server computer further configured to select which of the at least one base contract provision or the at least one proposed contract provision to include in the merged version of the broadcast contract based, at least in part, on whether the radio spot has already aired.
2. The contract management system of claim 1 , wherein the third area is capable of accepting user input related to the at least one base contract provision or the at least one proposed contract provision included in the merged version of the broadcast contract.
3. The contract management system of claim 1 , wherein the GUI further comprises a field in at least one of the first area, the second area, and the third area indicating a contract status.
4. The contract management system of claim 1 , wherein the third area displays at least one provision selected from the base version of the broadcast contract, and at least one provision selected from the proposed version of the broadcast contract.
5. The contract management system of claim 1 , wherein the GUI further includes at least one event status indicator indicating whether an event related to the radio spot being aired has already occurred.
6. The contract management system of claim 1 , wherein the GUI further includes at least one user selectable tab in each of the first area, the second area, and the third area, each user selectable tab controlling which contract provisions are displayed in each respective area.
7. A method comprising:
storing, in a database hosted by a server computer, contract version information associated with a plurality of versions of a broadcast contract;
transmitting, from the server computer to a mobile device, contract version information;
generating, at the mobile device, a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the contract version information, wherein generating the GUI includes:
displaying, using the GUI, a base contract provision of a base version of the broadcast contract, wherein the base contract provision is associated with a radio spot;
displaying, using the GUI and concurrently with the base contract provision, a proposed contract provision of a proposed version of the broadcast contract, the proposed contract provision to be considered for replacement of the base contract provision, wherein the proposed contract provision is associated with the radio spot;
selecting, by the server, either the base contract provision or the proposed contract provision as a merged contract provision to be included in a merged contract, wherein the selecting is based, at least in part, on whether an event affecting the base contract provision has already occurred, wherein the event is related to the radio spot being aired;
transmitting, from the server to the mobile device, the merged contract provision; and
wherein generating the GUI further includes displaying, using the GUI and concurrently with the base contract provision and the proposed contract provision, the merged contract provision.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
displaying, using the GUI, a plurality of merged contract provisions selected from a plurality of base contract provisions and a plurality of proposed contract revisions, the plurality of merged contract provisions selected based on whether a potential merged contract provision is present in both the base contract and the proposed contract.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the base contract provision includes a base charge and the proposed contract provision includes a proposed charge, the method further comprising:
displaying, using the GUI, the base charge as part of the merged contract provision if at least a portion of the base charge has been billed; and
displaying, using the GUI, the proposed charge as part of the merged contract provision if the at least a portion of the base charge has not been billed.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the base version of the broadcast contract includes a base billing plan and the proposed version of the broadcast contract includes a proposed billing plan, the method further comprising:
displaying, using the GUI, the base billing plan as part of a merged contract display if at least a portion of the base billing plan has been billed; and
displaying, using the GUI, the proposed billing plan as part of the merged contract display if the at least a portion of the base billing plan has not been billed.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
displaying, using the GUI, a base spotline included in the base version of the broadcast contract as part of the merged contract if at least a portion of the base spotline has aired; and
displaying, using the GUI, a proposed spotline included in the proposed version of the broadcast contract, if the at least a portion of the base spotline has not aired.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
displaying, using the GUI, at least one general field of the merged version of the broadcast contract based, at least in part, on whether the base version of the broadcast contract has been at least partially performed.
13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
displaying a contract history that includes the base version of the broadcast contract, the proposed version of the broadcast contract, and the merged version of the broadcast contract.
14. A system comprising:
a memory configured to store a program of computer readable instructions;
a processing system operably coupled to the memory and configured to execute the program of instructions stored in the memory, the program of instructions comprising:
at least one instruction to obtain from a database hosted by a server, a base version of a broadcast contract including a base contract provision, and a proposed version of the broadcast contract including a proposed contract provision;
at least one instruction to determine whether an event affecting the base contract provision has occurred and generate an indication thereof, wherein the event is associated with airing of a radio spot associated with the base contract provision or the proposed contract provision; and
a display coupled to the memory and the processing system, the display configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) under control of the processing system, the GUI comprising:
a first area displaying information to be included in the base contract provision;
a second area displaying information to be included in the proposed contract provision; and
a third area displaying information to be included in a merged contract provision included in a merged version of the broadcast contract, the merged contract provision including either the base contract provision or the proposed contract provision, wherein inclusion of the base contract provision or the proposed contract provision as the merged contract provision is based, at least in part, on the indication generated by the at least one instruction to determine whether an event affecting the first contract provision has occurred.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the GUI is further configured to display:
a plurality of merged contract provisions selected from a plurality of base contract provisions, and a plurality of proposed contract revisions, the plurality of merged contract provisions selected based, at least in part, on whether a potential merged contract provision is present in both the base version of the broadcast contract and the proposed version of the broadcast contract.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the base contract provision includes a base charge and the proposed contract provision includes a proposed charge, the GUI further configured to display as part of the merged contract provision:
the base charge, if at least a portion of the base charge has been billed; and
the proposed charge, if the at least a portion of the base charge has not been billed.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the base version of the broadcast contract includes a base billing plan and the proposed version of the broadcast contract includes a proposed billing plan, the GUI further configured to display as part of the merged contract provision:
the base billing plan, if at least a portion of the current original billing plan has been billed; and
the proposed billing plan if the at least a portion of the base billing plan has not been billed.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the GUI is further configured to display as part of the merged contract provision:
a base spotline included in the base contract, if at least a portion of the base spotline has aired; and
a proposed spotline included in the proposed contract, if the at least a portion of the current original spotline has not aired.
19. The system of claim 14 , the GUI further configured to display at least one general field of the merged version of the broadcast contract based, at least in part, on whether the base version of the broadcast contract has been at least partially performed.
20. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
at least one instruction to store a contract history that includes the base version of the broadcast contract, the proposed version of the broadcast contract, and the merged version of the broadcast contract.