Methods and Systems for Facilitating Subsidized Access by a User to Network Content

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a subsidized access management system detecting a request provided by a user of an access device for the user to receive subsidized access to network content, identifying a plurality of user parameters provided by the user and that define a plurality of conditions associated with the subsidized access to the network content and that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content, selecting a sponsor from a pool of potential sponsors and that is willing to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content in accordance with the plurality of user parameters, and providing the user with the subsidized access to the network content by way of the access device in accordance with a subsidized access arrangement between a subsidized access provider and the sponsor. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 detecting, by a subsidized access management system associated with a subsidized access provider, a request provided by a user of an access device for the user to receive subsidized access to network content by way of the access device;   identifying, by the subsidized access management system in response to the request, a plurality of user parameters provided by the user that define a plurality of conditions associated with the subsidized access to the network content and that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content;   selecting, by the subsidized access management system based on the plurality of user parameters, a sponsor from a pool of potential sponsors that is willing to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content by the user by way of the access device in accordance with the plurality of user parameters; and   providing, by the subsidized access management system in response to the selecting of the sponsor, the user with the subsidized access to the network content by way of the access device in accordance with a subsidized access arrangement between the subsidized access provider and the sponsor;   wherein the selecting of the sponsor from the pool of potential sponsors comprises designating a potential sponsor included in the pool of potential sponsors that best satisfies a set of sponsorship criteria provided by the subsidized access provider as the sponsor that is selected, the set of sponsorship criteria comprising one or more of a distance of the sponsor from the user, a physical location of the sponsor, a connection between the sponsor and the network content, a field of trade of the sponsor, and a correlation of a user profile associated with the user to demographic information of the sponsor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising notifying, by the subsidized access management system in response to the selecting of the sponsor, the user that the sponsor has been selected from the pool of potential sponsors and that the sponsor is willing to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content by the user by way of the access device in accordance with the plurality of user parameters. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the notifying comprises displaying a notification within a graphical user interface displayed by way of the access device, wherein the notification provides confirmation that the subsidized access to the network content is being sponsored. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first display element linked to the network content and a second display element representative of a selectable option to request to receive subsidized access to the network content are concurrently presented within a graphical user interface that is displayed by the access device, and wherein the detecting of the request provided by the user comprises detecting that the user selects the second display element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the user does not receive the subsidized access to the network content if the user selects the first display element without first selecting the second display element. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the sponsor from the pool of potential sponsors is further based on a real-time bidding process between two or more potential sponsors within the pool of potential sponsors that are willing to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content by way of the access device in accordance with the plurality of user parameters. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user parameters provided by the user comprises one or more of a resolution of the network content that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content, a maximum number of content instances that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content, a total length of content instances that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content, a type of sponsor that the user is willing to have sponsor the subsidized access to the network content, a specific potential sponsor that the user is willing to have sponsor the subsidized access to the network content, and a minimum download speed that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing of the subsidized access to the network content comprises presenting content provided by the sponsor together with the network content by way of the access device in accordance with the subsidized access arrangement between the subsidized access provider and the sponsor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the subsidized access management system in response to the providing of the subsidized access to the network content to the user, user feedback related to at least one of the content provided by the sponsor and the network content; and   providing, by the subsidized access management system in response to the receiving of the user feedback, the user feedback to the sponsor.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the sponsor from the pool of potential sponsors is further based on a plurality of sponsor parameters provided by each potential sponsor within the pool of potential sponsors and that define a plurality of conditions associated with the subsidized access to the network content and that the potential sponsor is willing to provide in order for the user to receive the subsidized access to the network content. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sponsor parameters provided by each potential sponsor included in the pool of potential sponsors comprises one or more of a resolution of the network content that each potential sponsor is willing to sponsor during the subsidized access to the network content, a minimum amount of content instances that each potential sponsor is willing to provide during the subsidized access to the network content, a format of the network content that each potential sponsor is willing to provide during the subsidized access to the network content, a total amount of data that each potential sponsor is willing to sponsor during the subsidized access to the network content, and a maximum sponsorship budget that each potential sponsor is willing to spend to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 detecting, by a subsidized access management system associated with a subsidized access provider, a request provided by a user of an access device for the user to receive subsidized access to network content by way of the access device;   identifying, by the subsidized access management system in response to the request, a plurality of sponsors from a pool of potential sponsors and that are willing to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content by the user by way of the access device;   selecting, by the subsidized access management system, a sponsor included in the plurality of sponsors and that is a best match for the subsidized access; and   providing, by the subsidized access management system in response to the selecting of the sponsor, the user with the subsidized access to the network content by way of the access device in accordance with a subsidized access arrangement between the subsidized access provider and the sponsor;   wherein the selecting of the sponsor from the pool of potential sponsors comprises designating a potential sponsor included in the pool of potential sponsors and that best satisfies a set of sponsorship criteria provided by the subsidized access provider as the sponsor that is selected, the set of sponsorship criteria comprising one or more of a distance of the sponsor from the user, a physical location of the sponsor, a connection between the sponsor and the network content, a field of trade of the sponsor, and a correlation of a user profile associated with the user to demographic information of the sponsor.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the subsidized access management system in response to the request, a plurality of user parameters provided by the user and that define a plurality of conditions associated with the subsidized access to the network content and that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content;   wherein the identifying of the plurality of sponsors that are willing to sponsor the subsidized access comprises   identifying a set of sponsors included in the pool of potential sponsors and that are willing to sponsor the subsidized access in accordance with the plurality of user parameters, and   designating the set of sponsors as the plurality of sponsors that are willing to sponsor the subsidized access.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 at least one physical device that:
 detects a request provided by a user of an access device for the user to receive subsidized access to network content by way of the access device, 
 identifies a plurality of user parameters provided by the user and that define a plurality of conditions associated with the subsidized access to the network content and that the user is willing to experience in order to receive the subsidized access to the network content, 
 selects a sponsor from a pool of potential sponsors and that is willing to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content by the user by way of the access device in accordance with the plurality of user parameters, and 
 provides the user with the subsidized access to the network content by way of the access device in accordance with a subsidized access arrangement between a subsidized access provider and the sponsor; 
   wherein the at least one physical device selects the sponsor from the pool of potential sponsors by designating a potential sponsor included in the pool of potential sponsors and that best satisfies a set of sponsorship criteria provided by the subsidized access provider as the sponsor that is selected, the set of sponsorship criteria comprising one or more of a distance of the sponsor from the user, a physical location of the sponsor, a connection between the sponsor and the network content, a field of trade of the sponsor, and a correlation of a user profile associated with the user to demographic information of the sponsor.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one physical device notifies, in response to the selection of the sponsor, the user that the sponsor has been selected from the pool of potential sponsors and that the sponsor is willing to sponsor the subsidized access to the network content by the user by way of the access device in accordance with the plurality of user parameters. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the notifying comprises displaying a notification within a graphical user interface displayed by way of the access device, wherein the notification provides confirmation that the subsidized access to the network content is being sponsored. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein a first display element linked to the network content and a second display element representative of a selectable option to request to receive subsidized access to the network content are concurrently presented within a graphical user interface that is displayed by the access device, and wherein the at least one physical device detects the request provided by the user by detecting that the user selects the second display element. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the user does not receive the subsidized access to the network content if the user selects the first display element without first selecting the second display element.