Notification System and Method for Multiple Media Queues

Abstract

A notification system method is disclosed for alerting subscribers to a status of their rental queues, which may be associated with two different delivery channels, including a physical delivery channel and a broadband delivery channel. The system includes a number of components that interoperate to improve a subscriber's experience, including an intelligent queue monitor which works on his/her behalf to ensure that an adequate and interesting list of titles are brought to the attention of subscribers.

1 . a method of notifying a subscriber to a content provider of activity in different subscriber rental queues associated with the subscriber's account, including the steps of:
 a. defining a first set of notification rules for a first subscriber rental queue, which notification rules are authorized by the subscriber;
 wherein said first subscriber rental queue is associated with a first subscriber media player which receives first media titles transmitted over a broadband connection, and said first subscriber rental queue is subject to a first maximum number of media titles that can be viewed at any moment in time; 
   b. defining a second set of notification rules for a second subscriber rental queue, which notification rules are authorized by the subscriber;
 wherein said second subscriber rental queue is associated with a second subscriber media player which plays second media titles received as physical media, and said second subscriber rental queue is subject to a second maximum number of media titles that can be viewed at any moment in time; 
   c. monitoring the first and/or second subscriber rental queues in accordance with said set of first and second notification rules and a separate set of queue replenishment control rules authorized by the subscriber to determine if a composition and/or ordering of playable media titles in the first and/or subscriber rental queues should be altered;   d. sending a notification to the subscriber in response to an affirmative determination under step (c) that such notification is necessary based on said set of notification rules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification does not automatically trigger a modification of either subscriber rental queue. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification specifies that one of said first or second subscriber rental queues will be automatically modified in accordance with said separate set of queue replenishment control rules. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of said first or second subscriber rental queues is automatically modified in accordance with said separate set of queue replenishment control rules after a predefined time delay. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification provides directions for the subscriber to accept and/or modify any proposed alterations of one of said first or second subscriber rental queues 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said queue replenishment control rules include a trigger event to be used in determining when one of said first or second subscriber rental queues should be modified. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said trigger event is associated with a quantity of playable media items remaining in one of said first or second subscriber rental queues. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said trigger event is associated with a determination by an item recommendation system that an additional playable media item should be added to one of said first or second subscriber rental queues as a recommended playable media item. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said recommended playable media item is designated as the next to be delivered to the subscriber. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein any proposed altering of said composition and/or ordering of playable media titles in one of said first or second subscriber rental queues is automatically determined by a recommender system controlled by the content provider, which recommender system automatically identifies playable media items of interest to the subscriber based on a subscriber item preference profile. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further including a step of: processing an item rating survey provided by the subscriber to determine a subscriber item preference profile suitable for use by said recommender system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further including a step of: receiving subscriber feedback concerning a performance of the content provider concerning selection of an additional playable media item. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber can elect to receive no notification even when a composition and/or ordering of playable media titles in one of said first or second subscriber rental queues are altered. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first playable media titles are movies distributed by a satellite transmission to a satellite signal receiver. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said second playable media titles are movies distributed on a DVD. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first playable media titles are movies distributed by a broadband Internet-based connection. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification includes an indication of a status of said one of said first or second subscriber rental queues. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said notification includes an identification of an additional playable media item which is being added to one of said first or second subscriber rental queues. 
     
     
         19 . A method of distributing playable media items over an electronic network to a subscriber of a media rental service, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving subscriber preference data for the subscriber during a first data session, including notification and shipment options for a first subscriber rental queue used for first media titles in a physical format, and a second subscriber rental queue used for second media titles received over a broadband connection by the subscriber;   (b) generating a subscriber profile for the subscriber suitable for use by a recommender system;   (c) processing said subscriber profile using said recommender system to identify a media item that is likely to be of interest to the subscriber;   (d) notifying the subscriber and either shipping said media item as a first media title, or transmitting said media title as a second media title to the subscriber in accordance with said subscriber preference data;   wherein said media item can be automatically shipped or transmitted to the subscriber after said first data session, and without requiring a second data session by the subscriber with said media rental service.   
     
     
         20 . A rental service system for distributing playable media items to a subscriber using at least two separate subscriber rental queues, the system comprising:
 (a) a subscriber preference routine for capturing subscriber preference data from the subscriber during a first data session, said subscriber preference data including a set of notification rules for a first subscriber rental queue used for first media titles in a physical format, and a second subscriber rental queue used for second media titles received over a broadband connection;
 said subscriber preference routine also being adapted to capture two separate sets of queue replenishment control rules, one for each of said first subscriber rental queue and second subscriber rental queues respectively; 
   (b) a subscriber selection routine for storing titles of one or more media items in said first subscriber rental queue and said second subscriber rental queue;   (c) a subscriber queue monitoring routine configured for managing said first subscriber rental queue and said second subscriber rental queue in accordance with said queue replenishment control options selected for said first subscriber rental queue and second subscriber rental queues respectively;
 wherein said subscriber queue monitoring routine can optionally automatically add one or more additional titles to said first subscriber rental queue and second subscriber rental queues respectively and without additional subscriber input; 
   (d) a subscriber notification routine for providing a notice to the subscriber in accordance with said set of notification rules and in response to said subscriber queue monitoring routine determining that one or more additional titles should be added to said first subscriber rental queue and second subscriber rental queues.