# US 7,996,265 B2 · System and method for fulfilling a media request

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- Number: US 7,996,265 B2
- Document ID: US7996265B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/133,874
- Filed: 2005-05-19
- Published: 2006-11-23
- Granted: 2011-08-09
- Earliest claimed: 2005-05-19
- Assignees: Blockbuster Inc.
- Inventors: Shane N Evangelist; Joseph W. Craft, IV; Leslie D. Crook; John D. Taylor; John F. Butler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7996265B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/06313: {Resource planning in a project environment}
- G06Q 10/0872: {using inventory planning}
- G06Q 20/203: {Inventory monitoring}
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 30/0603: {Catalogue creation or management}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A system and method for fulfilling a media request includes receiving a media request associated with a subscriber account. One inventory location is selected from a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the media request, and at least one of the inventory locations accommodates in-store media rental requests.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method performed on a computer for fulfilling a media request, comprising:
allocating a first portion of inventory for on-line fulfillment to a particular inventory location;
allocating a second portion of inventory for in-store fulfillment to the particular inventory location;
determining in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory, wherein
determining in-store rental activity comprises:
determining a protected in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory based on past in-store rental activity;
determining an actual in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory; and
comparing the protected in-store rental activity and the actual in-store rental activity to determine whether to reallocate the first and second portions of inventory;
reallocating the first and second portions of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity;
receiving, at a computer, a media request associated with a subscriber account; and selecting, by the computer, one of a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the media request, wherein at least one of the inventory locations accommodates in-store media rental requests.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the media request comprises processing a configurable queue of requests associated with the subscriber account.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the media request comprises a request to rent a movie title.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the first portion of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises determining a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises determining performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises:
determining a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request; and
determining performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations based on availability of inventory for redistribution to another inventory location.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory.

### Claim 10

A system for fulfilling a media request, comprising:
a plurality of computers operable to make media requests associated with subscriber accounts; and
a controller comprising hardware, the controller operable to:
allocate a first portion of inventory for on-line fulfillment to a particular inventory location and allocate a second portion of inventory for in-store fulfillment to the particular inventory location;
determine in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory;
determine a protected in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory based on past in-store rental activity;
determine an actual in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventor;
compare the protected in-store rental activity and the actual in-store rental activity to determine whether to reallocate the first and second portions of inventory;
reallocate the first and second portions of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity; and
select a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the media requests, wherein at least one of the inventory locations accommodates in-store media rental requests.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of customers make requests by configuring a plurality of queues established for the subscriber accounts, each queue maintaining a plurality of pending requests for a corresponding subscriber account.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of inventory locations comprise:
a plurality of stores to accommodate in-store media requests; and
a plurality of fulfillment centers to accommodate on-line media requests.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to increase the first portion of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to determine a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to determine performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to determine a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request, and determine performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to select one of a plurality of inventory locations based on availability of inventory for redistribution to another inventory location.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to select one of a plurality of inventory locations based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory.

### Claim 19

A controller, comprising:
a memory operable to store inventory information and account information, the inventory information indicating an allocation of media at a plurality of inventory locations, wherein at least one of the locations accommodates in-store media rental requests, the account information indicating a plurality of subscriber accounts;
a network interface operable to receive a media request; and
a processor operable to:
associate the media request with a particular subscriber account using the account information;
allocate a first portion of inventory for on-line fulfillment to a particular inventory location;
allocate a second portion of inventory for in-store fulfillment to the particular inventory location;
determine in-store activity of the second portion of inventory;
determine a projected in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory based on past in-store rental activity;
determine an actual in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory;
compare the projected in-store rental activity and the actual in-store rental activity to determine whether to reallocate the first and second portions of inventory;
reallocate the first and second portions of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity; and
select one of a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the request using the inventory information.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The controller of claim 19, wherein the memory comprises a queue having pre-configured media requests associated with the particular subscriber account, the queue operable to provide the media request to the processor.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The controller of claim 19, wherein the processor is operable to determine a geographic location of a customer associated with the media request, and determine performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The controller of claim 19, wherein the processor is operable to select an inventory location based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory.

### Claim 23

A method performed on a computer for fulfilling a media request, comprising:
allocating a first portion of inventory for on-line fulfillment to a particular inventory location;
allocating a second portion of inventory for in-store fulfillment to the particular inventory location;
receiving, at a computer, a media request associated with a subscriber account, the media request comprising a request to rent a movie title, wherein receiving the request comprises processing a configurable queue of requests associated with the subscriber account;
selecting, by the computer, one of a plurality of inventory locations to fulfill the request, at least one of the inventory locations accommodating in-store media requests, wherein selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations comprises:
determining a geographic location of a customer associated with the request;
determining performance data associated with inventory locations that are stores;
selecting one of a plurality of inventory locations based on classification of available inventory, wherein the available inventory comprises in-store inventory, on-line inventory, and visiting inventory;
determining in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory, wherein determining in-store rental activity comprises:
determining a projected in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory based on past in-store rental activity;
determining an actual in-store rental activity of the second portion of inventory; and
comparing the projected in-store rental activity and the actual in-store rental activity to determine whether to reallocate the first and second portions of inventory;
reallocating the first and second portions of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity; and
increasing the first portion of inventory in accordance with the determined in-store rental activity.