Granted Patent B2

US 12,333,571 · App. 18/153,524 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Inventors: Wassim Samir Chaar (Coppell, TX); David James Benoit (Fayetteville, GA); José Antonio Carbajal Orozco (Atlanta, GA); Andreea Popescu (Atlanta, GA)

Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

G06Q30/0273G06Q30/02G06Q30/0202G06Q30/0254

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. A system, comprising memory and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the system comprises a configuration of a plurality of separately located subsystems that comprise (i) a system for allocation of inventory mix (SAIM), (ii) a scheduler, and (iii) a traffic system, and the configuration of the plurality of separately located subsystems is configured to:

receive, by the SAIM and from a user device, an input parameter identifying a first number of inventory units for one or more first inventory utilization types of a plurality of utilization types, wherein each of the plurality of utilization types defines a market type for a portion of non-programming airtime capacity of a channel and the first number of inventory units are identified from a defined amount of inventory units for the channel;

allocate, by the SAIM and for one or more specified durations within a specified upcoming time-frame until an end of the specified upcoming time-frame, one or more first inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units among each of one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types based on the input parameter and to meet a plurality of defined parameters for the defined amount of inventory units,

wherein the one or more first inventory units are allocated based at least in part on a forecasted demand value for each of the one or more specified durations;

determine, by the SAIM, a second number of remaining inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units based on the one or more first inventory units allocated among each of the one or more second inventory utilization types;

determine, by the scheduler, a schedule for the channel based on the second number of remaining inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units by:

receiving, from the SAIM, the second number of remaining inventory units,

receiving, from the traffic system, updated information corresponding to the second number of remaining inventory units,

updating a scheduling queue based on the updated information, and

generating the schedule for the channel based on the scheduling queue and the second number of remaining inventory units;

communicate, by the scheduler and to the user device, the schedule for the channel;

receive, by the SAIM, from the traffic system, and concurrently with the scheduling system, a measured demand value for the channel that is based on the updated information;

periodically generate, by the SAIM, an optimized allocation for the second number of remaining inventory units by allocating one or more second inventory units from the second number of remaining inventory units to among each of the one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types based at least in part on (i) a difference between the forecasted demand value and a measured demand value for a preceding specified duration of the one or more specified durations, (ii) an incremental value associated with each of the one or more second inventory utilization types, and (iii) a ratings for the channel during the preceding specified duration; and

communicate, by the SAIM and to the scheduler, the optimized allocation.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:

(i) each inventory utilization type of the plurality of utilization types consumes a different portion of the defined amount of inventory units,

(ii) the one or more second inventory utilization types comprises a promotion inventory utilization type, a scatter inventory utilization type, an under delivery (UD) inventory utilization type, a direct response (DR) inventory utilization type, a programmatic inventory utilization type, and

(iii) the one or more first inventory utilization types comprises an upfront inventory utilization type and a commercial operator break (COB) inventory utilization type.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the forecasted demand value is based on a selling title per a specified duration until the end of the specified upcoming time-frame for the scatter inventory utilization type.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of defined parameters comprises a liability reduction goal parameter, a strategic programmatic parameter, and a strategic filler volume parameter.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the configuration of the plurality of separately located subsystems is further configured to periodically allocate, by the SAIM, the one or more second inventory units from the second number of remaining inventory units to among each of the one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types by re-allocating one or more of the one or more second inventory units to the UD inventory utilization type, a filler inventory utilization type, and the programmatic inventory utilization type based on (i) a minimum inventory units required for the UD inventory utilization type and the filler inventory utilization type and (ii) a demand value for the scatter inventory utilization type.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the periodic allocation of the one or more second inventory units from the second number of remaining inventory units is executed responsive to a determination that the forecasted demand value is larger than the measured demand value for the preceding specified duration of the one or more specified durations.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration of the plurality of separately located subsystems is further configured to:

generate the forecasted demand value by estimating an expected audience to view a plurality of television shows after launch date of the plurality of television shows on the channel, based on an offset, a generated baseline audience forecast, and a plurality of values for promotion impact measure achieved with respect to the plurality of television shows based on historical viewership data of one or more similar television shows similar to that of the plurality of television shows.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration of the plurality of separately located subsystems is further configured to schedule, by the scheduler, a plurality of non-programming content items based on the one or more first inventory units allocated among the one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types for the one or more specified durations to meet the plurality of defined parameters.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system for allocation of inventory mix (SAIM) and from a user device, an input parameter identifying a first number of inventory units for one or more first inventory utilization types of a plurality of utilization types, wherein each of the plurality of utilization types defines a market type for a portion of non-programming airtime capacity of a channel and the first number of inventory units are identified from a defined amount of inventory units for the channel;

allocate, by the SAIM and for one or more specified durations within a specified upcoming time-frame until an end of the specified upcoming time-frame, one or more first inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units among each of one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types based on the input parameter and to meet a plurality of defined parameters for the defined amount of inventory units,

wherein the one or more first inventory units are allocated based at least in part on a forecasted demand value for each of the one or more specified durations;

determining, by the SAIM, a second number of remaining inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units based on the one or more first inventory units allocated among each of the one or more second inventory utilization types;

determining, by a scheduler located separately from the SAIM, a schedule for the channel based on the second number of remaining inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units by:

receiving, from the SAIM, the second number of remaining inventory units,

receiving, from a traffic system located separately from the SAIM, updated information corresponding to the second number of remaining inventory units,

updating a scheduling queue based on the updated information, and

generating the schedule for the channel based on the scheduling queue and the second number of remaining inventory units;

communicating, by the scheduler and to the user device, the schedule for the channel;

receiving, by the SAIM, from the traffic system, and concurrently with the scheduling system, a measured demand value for the channel that is based on the updated information;

periodically generating, by the SAIM, an optimized allocation for the second number of remaining inventory units by allocating one or more second inventory units from the second number of remaining inventory units to among each of one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types based at least in part on (i) a difference between the forecasted demand value and a measured demand value for a preceding specified duration of the one or more specified durations, (ii) an incremental value associated with each of the one or more second inventory utilization types, and (iii) a ratings for the channel during the preceding specified duration; and

communicating, by the SAIM and to the scheduler, the optimized allocation.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein:

(i) each inventory utilization type of the plurality of utilization types consumes a different portion of the defined amount of inventory units,

(ii) the one or more second inventory utilization types comprises a promotion inventory utilization type, a scatter inventory utilization type, an under delivery (UD) inventory utilization type, a direct response (DR) inventory utilization type, a programmatic inventory utilization type, and

(iii) the one or more first utilization types comprises an upfront inventory utilization type and a commercial operator break (COB) inventory utilization type.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-implemented instructions for causing one or more processors to execute operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, by a system for allocation of inventory mix (SAIM) and from a user device, an input parameter identifying a first number of inventory units for one or more first inventory utilization types of a plurality of utilization types, wherein each of the plurality of utilization types defines a market type for a portion of non-programming airtime capacity of a channel and the first number of inventory units are identified from a defined amount of inventory units for the channel;

allocating, by the SAIM and for one or more specified durations within a specified upcoming time-frame until an end of the specified upcoming time-frame, one or more first inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units among each of one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types based on the input parameter and to meet a plurality of defined parameters for the defined amount of inventory units,

wherein the one or more first inventory units are allocated based at least in part on a forecasted demand value for each of the one or more specified durations;

determining, by the SAIM, a second number of remaining inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units based on the one or more first inventory units allocated among each of the one or more second inventory utilization types;

determining, by a scheduler located separately from the SAIM, a schedule for the channel based on the second number of remaining inventory units from the defined amount of inventory units by:

receiving, from the SAIM, the second number of remaining inventory units,

receiving, from a traffic system located separately from the SAIM, updated information corresponding to the second number of remaining inventory units,

updating a scheduling queue based on the updated information, and

generating the schedule for the channel based on the scheduling queue and the second number of remaining inventory units;

communicating, by the scheduler and to the user device, the schedule for the channel;

receiving, by the SAIM, from the traffic system, and concurrently with the scheduling system, a measured demand value for the channel that is based on the updated information;

periodically generate, by the SAIM, an optimized allocation for the second number of remaining inventory units by allocating one or more second inventory units from the second number of remaining inventory units to among each of one or more second inventory utilization types of the plurality of utilization types based at least in part on (i) a difference between the forecasted demand value and a measured demand value for a preceding specified duration of the one or more specified durations, (ii) an incremental value associated with each of the one or more second inventory utilization types, and (iii) a ratings for the channel during the preceding specified duration; and

communicating, by the SAIM and to the scheduler, a schedule for the channel.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (165)