Location and Date/Time Constrained Content Windowing

Abstract

The present invention is in the technical field of content windowing. Specifically, the present invention provides a content creator the ability to make content available at one or more particular locations and for one or more defined periods of time. A marketplace is further provided for content creators to make available content to be licensed by content licensors for providing content at one or more particular locations and for one or more defined periods of time.

Claims

1. A method of providing multi-media content comprising the steps of: creating multi-media content; and providing the multi-media content to others via a network at a pre-defined physical location and for pre-defined periods of time.

2. A method for providing a multi-media content marketplace comprising the steps of: creating multi-media content; defining a geographic area for providing the multi-media content to others and a period of time; and offering the multi-media content to a content licensor for displaying the multi-media content at a geographic location within the geographic area, and for a sub-period of time within the period of time defined by the content creator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present concepts, by way of example only, not by way of limitations. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.

[0019] FIG. 1 describes a process of listing content on the marketplace in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 describes a process of using the marketplace to license content in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 3 describes a process of retrieving content in the application in an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The present invention is in the technical field of content windowing. Specifically, the present invention provides a content creator the ability to make content available at one or more particular locations and for one or more defined periods of time. A marketplace is further provided for content creators to make available content to be licensed by content licensors for providing content at one or more particular locations and for one or more defined periods of time.

[0023] The present invention may utilize the systems and methods, or portions thereof, disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/812,724, titled Systems and Methods for Content Placement, Retrieval and Management Based on Geolocation and Other Parameters, filed Jul. 29, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0024] Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 1 the Content Creator makes one or more pieces of content. Content can manifest itself in any digital form:

[0025] Image

[0026] Text

[0027] Video

[0028] Audio

[0029] Digital File

[0030] In an embodiment, the content creator makes the content available or offers the content to others to make the same available at one or more particular geographic locations and for one or more defined periods of time. Specifically, the content creator may allow the content to be provided to others that are presently located in the particular geographic locations and within the defined periods of time, called a window.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the Content Creator decides to utilize the Location and Date/Time Constrained Content Window marketplace (henceforth known as the Marketplace) to generate revenue with their content. The Content Creator visits the Marketplace. If they already have an account on the Marketplace, they log in. If not, the Content Creator creates an account.

[0032] After the Content Creator successfully creates an account, they may build a profile on the Marketplace describing themselves and/or their business.

[0033] After the Content Creator profile is complete, the Content Creator can make new content available on the Marketplace. When adding new content, the Content Creator provides the following information:

[0034] Content title

[0035] Content description

[0036] Date range of window when content is available to license

[0037] Price

[0038] Pricing format (purchase or auction)

[0039] Geography where content may be licensed

[0040] An indication if the Content Creator will help promote the Content Licensor's campaign, and the cost of that promotion, if applicable. A Content Licensor is an individual wishing to license a Content Creator's content for exclusive use within a location and date/time constrained window.

[0041] Once this information has been provided, the Content Creator submits the content for approval to the Marketplace. The Marketplace team receives an email notification that new content has been added, the team reviews the content and associated information, and if appropriate, approves it. The Content Creator receives an email notification that their content has been approved and the content is listed on the Marketplace to be licensed by a Content Licensor.

[0042] If there is a problem with the provided content, the Marketplace team can deny the content. An email notification is sent to the Content Creator, and they may modify the information provided about the Content and submit it for approval again. There is no limit to the number of times a Content Creator can submit content for approval.

[0043] The Content Creator can also modify content pending approval on the Marketplace. Once content has been approved, it cannot be modifiedit can be deleted, only if it has not been licensed. If content has been licensed, it cannot be modified or deleted.

[0044] Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 2 a Content Licensor decides to drive people to their physical location by offering exclusive content provided by a Content Creator. The dates, times and geographical range for the content window are based on the terms set by the Content Creator.

[0045] The Content Licensor visits the Marketplace. If they already have an account on the Marketplace, they log in. If not, the Content Licensor creates an account.

[0046] After the Content Licensor successfully creates an account, they build a profile on the Marketplace describing themselves and/or their business.

[0047] The Content Licensor searches for content on the Marketplace. The Content Licensor is provided the following information about the content:

[0048] Content title

[0049] Content description

[0050] Date range of window when content is available to license

[0051] Price (the Marketplace team marks up the price of the content as provided by the Content Creator)

[0052] Pricing format (purchase or auction)

[0053] Geographical range where content may be licensed

[0054] An indication if the Content Creator will help promote the Content Licensor's campaign and the cost of that promotion, if applicable.

[0055] Historical analytics about the results driven by the Content Creator in general

[0056] Historical analytics about the results driven by individual pieces of content offered by the Content Creator

[0057] Once the Content Licensor finds one or more pieces of content, they can make a request to license it. The Content Licensor may provide the following information when making a request to license content:

[0058] Location description

[0059] Geography description (may be a single location or multiple locations)

[0060] Campaign description

[0061] Desired results of the campaign

[0062] Bid (if the pricing structure is an auction)

[0063] Number of other potential Content Licensors bidding for the content

[0064] The Marketplace team receives the request. If the request is approved, the Content Licensor must then pay for the content or make a monetary bid for the content (if the content is being offered in an auction format). If the request is denied, the Marketplace team provides a reason to the Content Licensor.

[0065] After a successful purchase, the Marketplace team pays the Content Creator the price they offered for the content.

[0066] Once the payment or auction is successful, the Content Licensor will receive a link to the content which is hosted on the Marketplace. The Content Licensor can download the Consumer Application to preview the content or may preview the content in their browser.

[0067] At a pre-determined time prior to the opening of the content window, the Content Licensor will commence a promotional campaign, to alert potential Content Consumers that the content will be available at their location for a specific length of time. The Content Creator may have offered, possibly for an additional fee, to help promote this campaign, too. If the Content Licensor has accepted an offer for the Content Creator to help promote the campaign, and provided payment (if necessary), the Content Creator will start the promotion prior to the opening of the content window.

[0068] Campaign promotion will continue until the content window closes. The Content Licensor will receive information about the success of the campaign (results/analytics) at the Marketplace. The information they will receive includes:

[0069] Number of times the content was viewed (retrieved) (when and exactly where)

[0070] Number of times the content was shared and where (when and exactly where)

[0071] Number of times the content was commented on (when and exactly where)

[0072] Aggregate information concerning the demographics of the individuals who retrieved, shared, and commented on the content

[0073] Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 3, the Content Consumer receives notification that new content is available. This notification can come in a wide variety of methods, including via email, SMS, one or more social networks, or via a notification from the Consumer Application. The notification may come prior to when the content window opens or while the content window is open. Most often, the notification will come with a link that, when viewed in the Consumer Application or a browser, within the pre-set geographic range of the physical location, will show the content.

[0074] If the Content Consumer attempts to view the content, via the provided link, before the content window opens, they will be presented with a message stating that the content is not yet available (they will be told when the content will be available). If they attempt to view the content before the window opens and are outside the physical geographic range for that content, they will also be notified that they are out of range for that content (they will be told where to go to retrieve the content after the window opens.) Specifically, to view or otherwise experience the content, the geographic location of the Content Consumer's mobile device is compared to the specific defined geographic location information of the content. If the Content Consumer's mobile device is not within the range of the defined geographic location information of the content, then the Content Consumer will be notified, as stated above.

[0075] Even if the content is not yet available, and/or if they the Content Consumer is out of geographic range, the Content Consumer will be able to share the link to the content via email, SMS, or on various social networks.

[0076] If the Content Consumer attempts to view the content, and the content window is open yet they are not within the geographic range of the specific physical location, the Content Consumer will see statistics about the content, but not the content itself. The statistics they will see are:

[0077] Number of times the content has been retrieved

[0078] Number of times the content has been shared

[0079] Number of times the content has been commented on, and the comments

[0080] Where the content is located

[0081] How long the content window will be open

[0082] If the content is available (the content window is open) and they are within the specified physical geographic range for that content, the content will be displayed, either in the Consumer Application or within a browser. Content Consumers can view the content, share the content via SMS, email, or on a variety of social networks. Content Consumers can also leave a comment on the content.

[0083] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. Further, references throughout the specification to the invention are nonlimiting, and it should be noted that claim limitations presented herein are not meant to describe the invention as a whole. Moreover, the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.