Patent Application
20080056271
In the following detailed description of example embodiments of the invention, reference is made to specific example embodiments of the invention by way of drawings and illustrations. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and serve to illustrate how the invention may be applied to various purposes or embodiments. Other embodiments of the invention exist and are within the scope of the invention, and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the subject or scope of the present invention. Features or limitations of various embodiments of the invention described herein, however essential to the example embodiments in which they are incorporated, do not limit other embodiments of the invention or the invention as a whole, and any reference to the invention, its elements, operation, and application do not limit the invention as a whole but serve only to define these example embodiments. The following detailed description does not, therefore, limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims.
Typically, media station management is organized into several levels. For example, individual media stations may be owned by a single parent company. In an embodiment, the parent company may have a manager responsible for the management of all the individual media stations that the parent company owns. In another embodiment, a group of commonly-owned or affiliated media stations may be described as a “cluster,” with a “cluster manager” responsible for management of the cluster. Cluster management may include, for example, communication between an advertising agency and media stations within the cluster. At a different level of organization, individual media stations may have several levels of management, in some embodiments. For example, a media station manager may be responsible for all advertising and scheduling within an individual media station. In another example, advertising and scheduling may be performed by subordinate employees while the media station manager handles billing or other administrative tasks. Thus, media station managers and other employees may have different needs and responsibilities defined by their roles in the organization.
The present invention includes a system for and method of streamlining communications to media station. In particular, a media communications system provides a platform by which relevant information is distributed based on log-in identity.
In embodiments, management computer 110 includes a networked computer server used to store and distribute information relevant to media stations. Management computer 110 may contain components including databases, such as database 116, and software, such as management software 126.
Network 112 includes a communications or data network, such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or the Internet. In some embodiments, network 112 includes one or more wired or wireless networks.
User computer 114 includes laptops, desktops, or networked computers. User computer 114 may be used to access management computer 110 via network 112. Web browser 128 of user computer 114 is a graphical user interface (GUI) based hypertext client application, such as Internet Explorer, Mosaic, and Netscape Navigator. Web browser 128 allows the user thereof to navigate, for example, web pages on the Internet. In various embodiments, user computer 114 is used by, for example, a cluster manager (not shown), a media station manager (not shown), or other authorized user (not shown).
In an embodiment, database 116 includes a commercial database system, such as those available from Oracle Corporation (Redwood Shores, Calif.), Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Wash.), or IBM Corporation (Armonk, N.Y.). Database 116 may be a relational database and contain a collection of related data. Database 116 includes one or more files (e.g., tables), such as access file 118, advertisement file 120, schedule file 122, and rewards file 124. Access file 118 includes, for example, data describing users, user permissions, user roles, user organizations, and other information used to control access to information in media communications system 100. Advertisement file 120 includes, for example, advertisement data, such as who reviewed, broadcasted, or accessed the advertisement, the cost of an advertisement, a copy of the advertisement or a link to the advertisement's location, and the like. Schedule file 122 includes, for example, information related to a schedule of advertisement broadcasts, information related to the advertisement broadcasts, and information related to the media station that is associated with the advertisement broadcasts. Rewards file 124 includes, for example, data related to rewards programs, such as rewards points balance, amount of points earned, and the amount of points redeemed. In an embodiment, rewards are granted to a radio station based on the amount of advertising sold to an advertiser. For example, if a radio station sells $2,000 worth of broadcast time to an advertiser, the radio station may accumulate a certain number of “rewards points” using a formula, such as two points for each dollar sold. The radio station may then use the accumulated reward points to redeem for prizes or other rewards.
Management software 126 includes a software program that determines access rights of a user by cross referencing log-in information with access information from access file 118. For example, management software 126 cross-references access file 118 with a user's log-in information, then permits or denies access to all or part of advertisements file 120, schedule file 122, or rewards file 124.
In an example embodiment, during operation, a user interfaces with web browser 128 of user computer 114 to log-in and access management computer 110 via network 112. Management software 126 uses access file 118 to determine what information the user has access to. Under the control of management software 126, the appropriate advertisement files 120, schedule files 122, or rewards files 124 are provided, such as via links in web browser 128 of user computer 114.
As illustrated in
Media station cluster 130 may include, in various embodiments, two or more commonly-owned or otherwise affiliated media stations 132. In addition, in some embodiments, cluster manager 134 includes one or more persons who are responsible for management of the media stations 132 in the media station cluster 130. In an embodiment, two or more roles may overlap in responsibility or access levels, such as cluster manager 134 being a station manager 136 of one media station 132 in the media station cluster 130.
Cluster manager 134 may use user computer 114 to access data related to media stations 132 within the corresponding media station cluster 130. For example, the functions of cluster manager 134 may include reviewing advertisements, schedules, and rewards information for each media station 132 within media station cluster 130.
Station manager 136 includes one or more persons that are responsible for the management of an individual media station 132. Station manager 136 may use user computer 114 to access data related to a particular media station 132. For example, the functions of station manager 136 may include reviewing advertisements, schedules, and rewards information for an individual media station 132.
User 138 includes other personnel associated with media station 132 or agency 140. User 138 may access data relevant to media station 132 or agency 140 via user computer 114. In one example, user 138 is responsible for monitoring rewards information for a media station 132. In another example, user 138 is responsible for organizing, presenting or managing advertising.
In an example operation, a user, (e.g., cluster manager 134, station manager 136, or user 138), interfaces with web browser 128 of the associated user computer 114 in order to log-in and access database 116 of management computer 110 via network 112. Management software 126 cross-references the user log-in data with the access file 118 to determine which file (e.g., advertisement files 120, schedule files 122, reward files 124) the user is authorized to access. The appropriate advertisement files 120, schedule files 122, and/or rewards files 124 links are made accessible to the user with management software 126 via web browser 128 of user computer 114.
At 204, the authorization information is verified. If the authorization fails, then at 206, access to data is denied. On the other hand, if authorization is successful, then the method 200 proceeds to block 208.
At 208, access rights are determined. Access rights may be dependent on the user's identity, role, position, or other characteristic. For example, a cluster manager 134 may have access to more files or a different scope of information than a user 138 in a media station 132. As another example, user 138 at agency 140 may have a completely different view of data in database 116 than that of media station users (e.g., station manager 136 or cluster manager 134).
At 210, one or more links to information are presented to the user depending on the access rights determined at block 208. For example, portions or all of advertisement file 120, schedule file 122, or rewards file 124 are presented via hyperlinks to the authorized user.
At 304, the access level of the user is determined. In an embodiment, management software 126 determines whether the user logging in is a cluster manager 134, a station manager 136, or other authorized user 138 by cross-referencing the login ID data with access file 118 of database 116. Management software 126 may correlate a login ID from access file 118 with a corresponding cluster manager 134, station manager 136, or user 138.
At 306, whether a user is a cluster manager is determined. One or more fields or other data in access file 118 may be used to indicate whether an authorized user is a cluster manager or is associated with another role.
At 308, if the user is a cluster manager, then one or more links to authorized information is displayed, such as on web browser 128. Subsequently, at 310, the authorized cluster manager user may access the links to read or modify the information.
At 312, if the user is not a cluster manager, then whether the user is a station manager is determined. One or more fields or other data in access file 118 may be used to indicate whether an authorized user is a station manager or is associated with another role.
At 314, if the user is a station manager, then one or more links to authorized information is displayed, such as on web browser 128. In some embodiments, a cluster manager may also be a station manager. In such an embodiment, links related to one or the other roles may be displayed in separate areas of a display screen, or with different presentation (e.g., font, color, etc.) to indicate which links are related to the cluster manager role and which links are related to the station manager role. Subsequently, at 316, the authorized station manager user may access the links to read or modify the information.
At 318, if the user is not a cluster manager or a station manager, then whether the user is another authorized user is determined. One or more fields or other data in access file 118 may be used to indicate whether a user is an authorized user. At 320, if the user is not an authorized user, then access is denied.
At 322, if the user is an authorized user, such as a user associated with an agency, then one or more links to authorized information is displayed, such as on web browser 128. Subsequently, at 324, the authorized user may access the links to read or modify the information.
While method 300 depicts an example with three levels of management (e.g., cluster manager 234, station manager 236, and user 238), it is understood that there may be any number of management levels and, consequently, method 300 is not limited to three management levels.
As illustrated in
Various embodiments may provide one or more advantages, including efficient communication between multiple organizational levels of a media organization.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
For the purposes of this specification, the term “machine-readable medium” or “computer-readable medium” shall be taken to include any medium which is capable of storing or encoding a sequence of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one of the methodologies of the inventive subject matter. The terms “machine-readable medium” or “computer-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic disks, and carrier wave signals. Further, it will be appreciated that the software could be distributed across multiple machines or storage media, which may include the machine-readable medium.
Method embodiments described herein may be computer-implemented. Some embodiments may include computer-readable media encoded with a computer program (e.g., software), which includes instructions operable to cause an electronic device to perform methods of various embodiments. A software implementation (or computer-implemented method) may include microcode, assembly language code, or a higher-level language code, which further may include computer-readable instructions for performing various methods. The code may form portions of computer program products. Further, the code may be tangibly stored on one or more volatile or non-volatile computer-readable media during execution or at other times. These computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, hard disks, removable magnetic disks, removable optical disks (e.g., compact disks and digital video disks), magnetic cassettes, memory cards or sticks, random access memories (RAMs), read only memories (ROMs), and the like.
The foregoing description of specific embodiments reveals the general nature of the inventive subject matter sufficiently that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt it for various applications without departing from the generic concept. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. The phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Accordingly, the inventive subject matter embraces all such alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b), which requires that it allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
