FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION (Refer section 10 and Rule 13)
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
"METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLANNING A SCHEDULE OF MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISEMENTS IN A BROADCASTING CHANNEL'

2. APPLICANT:
1. :a) Name
b) Nationality
c) Address

VUBITES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
Indian
1st Floor, Mahalaxmi Engg Estate (Annexe),
1st L.J. Cross Road, Mahim (w)
Mumbai-400 016

3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLANNING A SCHEDULE OF MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISEMENTS IN A BROADCASTING CHANNEL
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001) Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to media
planning techniques and more particularly to a method and apparatus for planning a schedule of multimedia advertisement in a broadcasting channel.
Description of the Related Art
[0002) In today's highly competitive market, business organizations such as,
servifce providers or product providers, small to medium sized organizations, freelancing groups and/or the like, need to reach out new and/or potential customers. As such, the business organizations typically generate one or more multimedia advertisements, which depict their services or products,
[0003J Accordingly, the business organizations promote the multimedia
advertisements through various types of broadcasting channels, such as, television channels, radio channels, video on demand service channels, online video streaming channels, internet television channels, and/or the like. Further, each: broadcasting channel may include its respective target audience, such as service and/or product consumers.
[0004] However, the respective target audience of the various broadcasting
channels may vary during different time-intervals of a day. For example, the broadcasting channel may include a target audience of age group ranging from 10 to; 15 years during an evening of the day. Moreover, the various broadcasting channels charge heavily for promoting the multimedia advertisements that may vary during the different intervals of time. Furthermore, the business organizations may be burdened with financial constraints to promote the multimedia advertisement through the broadcasting channels.

[0005} Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for
selectting the broadcasting channels and further planning a schedule of the multimedia advertisement across various broadcasting channels.
SUMMARY
[0006] Various embodiments of the invention comprise a method and
apparatus for planning, scheduling, booking and advertisement assigning of the multimedia advertisement across various broadcasting channels. In one embodiment, the method includes accessing user data, processing survey data using the user data, generating a file having list of one or more broadcasting channels using analyzed survey data, and scheduling one or more multimedia advertisements across the one or more broadcasting channels. Additionally, the file includes one or more inventory spots associated with the one or more broadcasting channels. The method further includes assigning the multimedia advertisement to the one or more spots associated with the one or more broadcasting channels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00071 So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present
invemtion can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
[0008J Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example system for
planning a schedule of a multimedia advertisement in a broadcasting channel in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention;
[0009} Figure 2 illustrates an example flow diagram in accordance with one
or more embodiments of the invention; and

[0010) Figure 3A-C illustrate example graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011) Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example system 100 for planning a
schedule of a multimedia advertisement in a broadcasting channel according to various embodiments of the invention. The system 100 comprises a server 102 and a computing node 104 coupled to each other through a network 106. The system 100 provides an access to a user for various computing resources for planning a schedule of a multimedia advertisement in a broadcasting channel. It is appreciated that the system 100 can comprise one or more servers 102 and/or one or more computing nodes 104 coupled to the network 106.
[0012} The network 106 comprises a communication system that connects
computers by wire, cable, fiber optic and/or wireless link facilitated by various typeg of well-known network elements, such as hubs, switches, routers, and the like. The network 106 may employ various well-knowh protocols to communicate information amongst the network resources. For example, the network 106 may be apart of the internet or intranet using various communications infrastructure such as Ethernet, WiFi, WiMax, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and the like. Furthermore, the network 106 may form a portion of a Storage Network Area (SAN) using various communications infrastructure such as Ethernet, Fiber Channel, InfiniBand, iSCSI and the like.
[0013] The server 102 is a type of computing device (e.g., a laptop, a
desktop, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and/or the like), such as those generally known in the art. The server 102 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 110, various support circuits 112 and a memory 114. The CPU 110 may comprise one or more commercially available microprocessors or microcontrollers that facilitate data processing and storage. The various support circuits 112 facilitate the operation of the CPU 110 ancj include one or more clock circuits, power supplies, cache, input/output circuits, and the like. The memory

114 icomprises at least one of Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memjory (RAM), disk drive storage, optical storage, removable storage and/or the like. The memory 114 includes an agent 116, a tool 118, and survey data 120.
[0014) The computing node 104 is a type of computing device (e.g., a
laptop, a desktop, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and/or the like), such as thos0 generally known in the art. The computing node 104 includes various computing resources, such as application resources, replication resources, database resources, network resources, storage resources and/or the like. Furthermore, the computing node 104 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 130, various support circuits 132 and a memory 134.
[0015] The CPU 130 may comprise one or more commercially available
microprocessors or microcontrollers that facilitate data processing and storage. The various support circuits 132 facilitate the operation of the CPU 130 and include one or more clock circuits, power supplies, cache, input/output circuits, and the like. The memory 134 comprises at least one of Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), disk drivs storage, optical storage, removable storage and/or the like. The memory 134 includes among other data resources, a data 136.
[0016] Generally, the data 136 includes user campaign data for the
multimedia advertisement and may include information regarding target audience, business category, industry specification, user's preference (e.g., demographic location, broadcasting channels preference) and/or the like. In one embodiment, the data 136 includes multimedia advertisement scheduling data, such as, campaign timing data {e.g., day, date, and time), number of spots requirement, and/or the like. Additionally, the data 136 includes one or more multimedia advertisement files, a plurality of library files and/or like. The library files can include various image files, video files, audio files, text files and/or the like.

[0017) According to various embodiments of the invention, the agent 116
includes various software packages for accessing the data 136 and thereby provides an interface to the user for planning a schedule of the multimedia advertisement. As such, the survey data 120 includes an update data such as, television ratings data, various market reviews and/or analysis data of one or morei spots and/or the like, for the broadcasting channels. Additionally, the tool 118 may be an analytical tool, a statistical tool, a mathematical tool and/or the like and thereby the tool 118 may process the survey data 120. In one embodiment, the tool 118 may generate the number of the required spots for the user.
[0018] Generally, the agent 116 extracts an information (herein afterwards
referited to as a first information) from the data 136 and thereby communicates the first information to the tool 118. As such, the tool 118 extracts an information (herein afterwards referred to as a second information) from the survey data 120 using) the first information and thus generates a file having a list of one or more broadcasting channels.
[0019] As an example and not as limitation, the first information may include
a range of target audiences being selected by the user. Additionally, the tool 118 using the first information processes the survey data 120 and extracts the second information, which includes one or more broadcasting channels in the selected range of the target audiences. The one or more broadcasting channels include one or more available spots (herein afterward referred to as inventory spots) for planning the schedule of the multimedia advertisement.
[0020J Subsequently, the agent 116 provides an access to the file having a
list of one or more broadcasting channels to the user through a user Interface, such as, a graphical user interface (GUI), command line interface (CLI) and/or the like. Consequently, the user selects the one or more inventory spots for the one or more broadcasting channels and plans the scheduling of the multimedia advertisement in the one or more inventory spots.

[0021| According to one or more embodiments of the invention, the tool 118
genejrates the file having a list of one or more broadcasting channels in accordance with Cost Per Rating Point (CPRP) of the spot. Accordingly, the file includes a list of one or more broadcasting channels arranged in descending order in accordance with the CPRP of the spot. As an example and not as a limitsltion, the tool 118 generates the list of one or more broadcasting channels using an algorithm_1. The following describes the algorithm-1.
[0022] Algorithm_1:
[0023) 1. Receive cost of a ten second spot from the broadcaster channel =
A
[0024] 2. Receive television ratings (TVR) of the ten second spot in the
selected target audience = B
[0025] 3. Calculate Cost Per Rating Point (CPRP) of the ten second spot
(CPRP8pot) = B/A for one or more channels.
[0026] 4. Generate a file having one or more broadcasting channels in
accordance with the calculated CPRPsapot.
[0027] In one embodiment, the tool 118 generates the file having a list of
one or more broadcasting channels in accordance with the various variables, such:as the cost efficiency variable, stability variable, television ratings variable, relative television ratings variable and/or the like. As an example and not as a limitation, the tool 118 generates the list of one or more broadcasting channels using an algorithm_2. The following describes the algorithm_2.
[0028] Algorithm_2:
[0029] 1. Receive one or more inventory spots using the first information.
[0030] 2. Calculate CPRPspot of each inventory spot of the one or more
inventory spots.

[0031] 3. Select the minimum value of the CPRP9pot and define it as
CPRPmin.
[0032) 4. Define a cost efficiency variable = CPRpapo, / CPRPmin.
(0033) 5. Generate the file that lists one or more broadcasting channels in
accordance with the cost efficiency variable,
[0034] As an example and not as limitation, the tool 118 generates the list of
one ;or more broadcasting channels using an algorithm-3 The following describes the algorithm-3
[0035] Algorithm_3:
[0036] 1. Define stability of the spot TVR as standard deviation of the spot
TVR in the specified target audience (TA) over a predetermined time period / mean TVR in the specified TA over the predetermined time period.
[0037] 2. Receive one or more inventory spots using the first information.
[0038] 3. Calculate Stability8pot of each inventory spot of the one or more
inventory spots.
[0039] 4. Select the minimum value of the Stabilityapot and define it as
stabilStymin.
[0040] 5. Define Stability efficiency variable for each spot = Stabilityspot /
Stabilitymin.
[0041J 6. Generate the file that lists one or more broadcasting channels in
accordance with the stability efficiency variable.
[0042] As an example and not as a limitation, the tool 118 generates the list
of one or more broadcasting channels using an algorithm_4. The following describes the algorithm_4.

[0043) Algorithrn_4:
I0044J 1. Define TVRspot as the TVR of the spot calculated on the specified
targejt audience (TVR = Person minutes watched / Person minutes available).
{0045) 2. Receive one or more inventory spots using the first information.
[0046] 3. Calculate TVRapot of each inventory spot of the one or more
inventory spots.
[0047] 4. Select the maximum value of the TVRspot and define it as TVRmax.
[0048] 5. Define popularity index variable = TVRmax / TVRspot.
[0049] 6. Generate the file that lists one or more broadcasting channels in
accordance with the popularity index variable.
[ooso] As an example and not as limitation, the tool 118 generates the list of
one or more broadcasting channels using an algorithm_5. The following describes the algorithm_5.
[0051] Algorithm_5:
[0052] 1. Receive one or more inventory spots using the first information.
[0053] 2. Receive the spot TVR for target audience,
[0054] 3. Receive the spot TVR for the universal audience.
[0055] 4. Define a relative TVRspot = (received spot TVR for target audience
/ received spot TVR for universal audience)*100.
[0056] 5. Calculate the relative TVR8pot for each spot of the one or more
inventory spots,
[0057] 6. Select the maximum value of the relative TVRapot and define it as
Relative TVRmax.

[0068) 7. Define relative popularity index variable = Relative TVRmax /
TVRspot
[0059] 8. Generate the file that lists one or more broadcasting channels in
accordance with the stability efficiency variable.
[0060] Additionally and/or alternatively, the tool 118 defines another variable
(Y) and that another variable (Y) includes varying percentage of aforementioned variables. Subsequently, the tool 118 generates a file having list of one or more broadcasting channels in accordance with another variable (Y). As an example and not as a limitation,
[0061] Another variable (Y) = a *((((CPRP spot)/ CPRP Min)*100)) +
b*((((Stability spot)/ Stability Min)*100» + c*((((TVR Max)/ TVR Spot)*100)) + d*((((Relative TVR Max)/ Relative Index Spot)*100)).
[0062J Where, "a", "b", V, "d" are relative coefficients and the relative
coefficients define relative importance of the aforementioned variables in another variable (Y), In one embodiment, the survey data 120 includes values of the relative coefficients.
[0063} According to one or more embodiments of the invention, the user
selects the one or more inventory spots in the one or more broadcasting channels and thereby assigns one or more multimedia advertisements for the one or more inventory spots. The one or more multimedia advertisement may be user generated multimedia advertisements. Additionally, the user assigns the multimedia advertisement in accordance with the geographical locations of the broadcasting channels. For example, the user assigns one multimedia advertisement for one geographic location and further assigns other multimedia advertisement for other geographic location of the same broadcasting channel.
[0064] Alternatively, the system 100 automatically generates a plan for
scheduling one or more multimedia advertisements of the user. For example, the system 100 utilizes the agent 116 that selects the one or more inventory spots for

the user using the survey data 120 and the data 136. In one embodiment, the agenit 116 may select the one or more inventory spots using the aforementioned algorithms. Accordingly, the agent 116 schedules the multimedia advertisement for the one or more inventory spots. For example, the agent 116 schedules the multimedia advertisement in accordance with the campaign timing data.
[0065) According to one or more embodiments of the invention, the user
plans the schedule of the multimedia advertisement in various media channels, such as, television channels, print, Internet, cinema, radio channels, video on demand service channels, online video streaming channels, internet television channels, outdoor advertisement channels and/or other electronic multimedia channels generally known in the art. In one embodiment, the user may review the scheduled plan of the multimedia advertisement and additionally, may edit the scheduled plan of the multimedia advertisement.
[0066| According to one or more embodiments of the invention, the user
accesses an advertisement generator for generating the multimedia advertisement. The advertisement generator includes various computing resources, such as, hardware resources, software resources, multimedia data (e.g., audio data, video data and/or the like) and/or the like and thereby enables the user to generate the multimedia advertisement. In one embodiment, the advertisement generator tool is the advertisement generator disclosed in the provisional patent application titled "Method and apparatus for generating a multimedia advertisement" being co-filed with this application.
[0067J According to various embodiments, the system 100 may replace the
existing multimedia advertisements at the one or more inventory spots with the scheduled multimedia advertisement, for example, using a splicing operation and thereby enables the user to display scheduled multimedia advertisements on the one or more broadcasting channels. In one embodiment, the splicing operation is accomplished by the splicer disclosed in the provisional patent application titled

"Method and apparatus for splicing a compressed data stream" being co-filed with this application.
[0068) Alternatively, the system 100 may replace the existing multimedia
advertisements at the one or more inventory spots with the scheduled multimedia advertisement in various media channels, such as television channels, print, internet, cinema, radio channels, video on demand service channels, online video streaming channels, Internet television channels, outdoor advertisement channels and/or other electronic multimedia channels generally known in the art,
[0069] Figure 2 illustrates an example flow method 200 for planning a
schedule of a multimedia advertisement in a broadcasting channel in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. The method 200 starts at step 202 and proceeds to step 204. At step 204, user data (e.g., the data 136 of the Figure 1) is accessed.
[0070] At step 206, survey data (e.g., the survey data 120 of the Figure 1) is
processed. In one embodiment, the survey data is analyzed in accordance with the user data. At step 208, a file having a list of one or more broadcasting channels is generated using the survey data. For example, the file includes one or more broadcasting channels and their respective rankings based on Cost Per Rating Point (CPRP) of the spot. Additionally, the file includes one or more broadcasting channels and their respective rankings based on various variables, such as the cost efficiency variable, stability variable, television ratings variable, relative television ratings variable and/or the like. In one embodiment, the file includes one or more broadcasting channels and their respective rankings based on another variable (Y).
[0071J At step 210, a broadcasting channel among the one or more
broadcasting channels is selected. In one embodiment, the file includes one or more inventory spots of the one or more broadcasting channels. At step 212, the one or more inventory spots of selected broadcasting channel are selected. For example, the user and/or an agent (e.g., the agent 116 of the Figure 1) select the

one or more inventory spots of the broadcasting channel. At step 214, a multimedia advertisement file is assigned to each of the selected one or more inventory spots. For example, the user and/or the agent assign the multimedia advertisement file to the one or more inventory spots of the broadcasting channel. The method 200 proceeds to step 216, At step 216, the method 200 endst
[0072] Figure 3A-C illustrate example graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. Figure 3A illustrates an example graphical user interface for providing an access to the user for selecting one or more inventory spots in the one or more broadcasting channels. Figure 3B illustrates another example graphical user interface providing an acce*s to the user for selecting one or more inventory spots in the one or more broadcasting channels. Figure 3C illustrates an example graphical user interface providing an access to the user for assigning a multimedia advertisement to the one or more inventory spots of the one or more broadcasting channels.
[0073J Further, various embodiments discussed herein enable a method of
doing business, wherein advertisements may inserted into an advertisement stream such that the inserted advertisements are shown in relatively smaller geographical area, e.g. an area pertaining to a cable head end. The inserted advertisements may be different than the original broadcasted advertisements. This has various advantages for advertisers, broadcasters and the viewers, and such a method of doing business is disclosed in provisional patent application "Method and system for broadcasting multimedia data" being co-filed with this application. Advertisement planner provides several advantages to such a business method, especially in allowing advertisers to choose optimal scheduling of their advertisements across various media channels, such as, television channels, print, internet, cinema, radio channels, video on demand service channels, online video streaming channels, Internet television channels, outdoor advertisement channels and/or other electronic multimedia channels generally known in the art.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.