RU61908U1 - DEVICE FOR MUTUAL CALCULATIONS IN THE FIELD OF DISTRIBUTION OF AUDIO, VISUAL AND AUDIO-VISUAL WORKS AND OTHER MULTIMEDIA CONTENT (ITS OPTIONS) - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for mutual settlements in the field of distribution of audio, visual and audiovisual works and other multimedia content is proposed. It allows for optimal interaction between advertisers, content owners, users and the system itself, in which content owners are interested not only in royalties from direct sales of their content in the system, but also in royalties for paid displays of advertisements, which were promoted by the popularity of their content among users, moreover The system provides free access to content to users. The essence of the utility model lies in the fact that the device for mutual settlements in the field of distribution of audio, visual and audiovisual works and other multimedia content includes at least one subscriber device of a user connected to a content selling system including a billing module associated with a content storage system, a module for providing a user with a content catalog and a module for delivering content with the ability to provide user access to a paid content unit, etc. than the storage device is provided with promotional materials related to the

a billing module, additionally configured to provide the user with access to advertising material.

Description

This utility model relates to the field of paid and free access by users (in other words, buyers, subscribers) to audiovisual and multimedia works that have copyright holders (owners).

Before providing a detailed description, the applicant considers it necessary to explain some of the terms used in the application materials.

The term "content" refers to a combination of audio works, audio-visual works, or simply visual works, which can be text, melody, computer games, incl. multimedia, online, etc., pictures, photos, etc.,

both in analogue and digital form or in analog-digital form.

The term "Content Unit" means a single audio work, an audio-visual work or just a visual work, which may be text, melody, computer games, incl. multimedia, online, etc., pictures, photographs, etc., both in analog, in digital form or in analog-to-digital form.

The term "Content Owner" means at least one natural or legal person owning property rights to a given unit of content.

The term “User” means the user of the system, its subscriber, viewer, listener, buyer, both actual and potential, reader, player, etc., that is, any individual who uses certain services or functions of the system in that or in any other form, or content accessible through the system.

The term "Advertiser" means an individual or legal entity that advertises its goods and / or services.

The term "Advertising material" refers to advertiser-owned content of an advertising nature, i.e. content that somehow carries information about the advertised product or service.

A device for mutual settlements in the field of distribution of audio, visual and audiovisual works and other multimedia content is known, including at least one subscriber device of a user connected to a content selling system including a billing module associated with a content storage system, a user presentation module content catalog and content delivery module with the ability to provide user access to a paid content unit.

This device is described in many sources of information. For example, we give three of them:

Magazine "CONNECT! Communication World", 2005, No. 11, article "Converged billing of multi-network services". Author Alexander Gurgenidze;

Open Systems Magazine, 1997, No. 2, article "Alpha on the Way to Video". Author: Vasily Chernov;

Magazine "Komersant", St. Petersburg. Number 069 dated 19-04-2005. The article "Content providers will order music at a fixed price." Author: Alexander Petrov.

Each of them can be adopted as a prototype.

However, from the point of view of the details of the description, the device described in the first of these is most acceptable as a prototype.

Sources: "CONNECT! Communication World", 2005, No. 11, article "Converged billing of multi-network services." The author is Alexander Gurgenidze, which the applicant accepts as a prototype.

A known device, adopted as a prototype, is shown in figure 1.

Consider the individual modules of this device.

Position 1 in the device of figure 1 denotes a system for collecting, storing, distributing, distributing, distributing and selling content (hereinafter abbreviated name - content selling system 1), which is, as noted above, audio works, audio-visual works, or simply visual works, maybe text, melody, computer games, incl. multimedia, online, etc., picture, photograph, etc., both in analogue and digital form or in analog-digital form.

Position 2 denotes a database of all official information, namely, descriptive information, control information, information about the state of the content selling system 1, as well as information about all transactions and actions occurring in the system and affecting any subsequent result.

Position 3 denotes the module "Showcases" (a term accepted in the art), that is, a module representing

system user directory in various user-friendly forms, including interactive, giving an external view to end users about the content of the content (for example, in the form of a specific list of content units, tables, etc.). In other words, this block is responsible for the ability of the user to select the content unit that he needs. Further in the description, the name is used: module 3 for providing the user with a content catalog.

Position 4 denotes the content base or storage (content storage module), that is, the storage system for the content itself, containing information, in particular, on the membership of a given unit of content with a specific owner, data on settlements with both the owner and the user (buyer, subscriber ), for example, interest deductions, costs, terms, etc. The abbreviation is used in the description below: content storage system 4.

Position 5 denotes the billing module. This is a module of accounting and mutual settlements for all services provided by the system 1 of the sale of content and which are paid or conditionally paid between all participants in the process, which are

- content owner (there may be one or several owners),

- user (one or more),

- advertiser (one or more) (if any),

- the organizer (owner) of the content selling system 1.

Examples of paid services: paid access to content units, paid advertising (if any) in the content catalog or anywhere in the content selling system 1, where the user can access it when working with this system, in particular, with the catalog content and / or with a specific unit of content.

The billing module is intended, in particular, to inform users about the cost of content, billing users of content, accounting for the passage of payment from the user, as well as providing data, settlements, etc. with owners and advertisers (if any), providing data on purchases and settlements with content owners. In other words, this module is responsible for the "circulation" of funds, their distribution and timely reporting of the status of accounts of all participants in the system.

Position 6 denotes a module of reports and settlements with owners of content units or, in other words, an interface for the operation of subscriber devices of content owners with the content selling system 1. This module informs owners of content units about accumulated rewards for

sold units of content, and also, possibly, settles with the owners, both immediately after each purchase, and under some condition (for example, the maturity date, to accumulate a sufficient threshold amount for mutual settlement, etc.). In addition, this module is responsible for providing owners of content units with any other statistical information related to actions on content units belonging to them (in other words, for providing indirectly useful information), for example, how many users have read the description of each specific content unit, other statistics are possible not directly related to money, but of potential interest. In addition, this module can provide the content owner with the ability to independently change all or part of the information and data associated with the content that belongs to him (for example, prices, description of each specific unit of content, etc.).

Position 7 denotes the module for the delivery of content units to the user, the rights to which he received from the system on a paid or gratuitous or conditionally paid basis. The following abbreviation is used in the description: content delivery module 7.

Position 8 denotes the subscriber device of the user. This can be a user's computer, his mobile phone, a TV with a special digital set-top box for feedback (commonly known as "SET TOP BOX" or "STB"), their combination and any other subscriber device that allows the user to select a work from the catalog and inform about your choice of system.

Position 9 denotes the subscriber device of the content owner. As in the previous case, this can be one or more electronic or non-electronic devices, by which the content owner can be connected to the system, and this process can be initiated by any of the parties and in any form. For example, the most frequently used case is when a personal computer is used as the subscriber’s device of the owner, which is connected via a communication channel 10 (for example, the Internet) (see below) to module 6 of the content selling system 1. But as a subscriber device 9 of the content owner, other devices can also be used, for example, a mobile phone or fax, etc. Instead of the Internet, information can be transmitted by other types of communication, for example, a telephone line, etc. Also, using the subscriber device 9, the content owner can

interaction is carried out through channel 13 (see below) with the content storage system 4 of the content selling system 1, in which the owner of the content units provides their content units to the system, for example, even in an non-electronic way, namely by transferring the content units recorded on electronic media by regular mail or in person.

Position 10 denotes a communication channel, which may be, as noted above, the Internet, telephone network (cellular or wire), trunk network, satellite communication channel, broadcast, etc. by which the subscriber device 9 of the content owner connects and interacts with the module 6 reports and settlements with the owners of the content units.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a communication channel, which may be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular or wire), a trunk network, a satellite communication channel, ether, etc., by means of which the user equipment 8 is connected and interacts with the directory providing module 3 to the user content system 1 selling content.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a communication channel for delivering content to a user. For this reason, it can be a one-way channel (directed towards

user), and two-way communication. As a two-way communication channel, it can be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular or wire), a trunk network, a satellite communication channel, etc., by means of which a user equipment 8 is connected and interacts with the content delivery module 7 of the sales system 1 content. As a one-way communication channel, it can be an ether, cable television network.

In general, a user can use one subscriber device 8 to select and order a content unit, and another subscriber device 8 to receive it. However, most often a user uses the same device, for example, a personal computer connected to a network, to select, order and receive The Internet.

Position 13 denotes a communication channel designed to deliver content units from the owner directly to the content storage system 4. For this reason, it can be a one-way channel (directed towards the content selling system 1, and more precisely, towards its content storage system 4) or two-way communication. As a two-way communication channel, it can be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular,

wired, trunked), etc., by which the subscriber device 9 of the content owner (or some other device of the owner) is connected and interacts with the content storage system 4 of the content selling system 1. It is important to note that as a one-way communication channel, it can be not only an ether, a cable television network, but even not be telecommunication at all, but can be, for example, a CD-ROM with recorded content sent by mail.

The essence of the work of this system 1 for selling content can be briefly described as follows: provide the user with the opportunity to select a content unit, order, produce or initiate the process of payment, and the system has the ability to play the selected unit of content for the user through his subscriber device 8, while providing system 1 selling content informing the owners of the content units about the accumulated rewards for the sold content units from module 6.

Next, we consider in detail the work adopted as a prototype of the device depicted in figure 1.

The initial stage is that one or more content owners in any way, for example, through their

subscriber device 9 transmits its one or more units of content via communication channel 13 (for example, via the Internet channel or, if a unit of content is recorded on disk using courier mail, etc.), which immediately or after preparation, with a description, as well as subject to the agreed conditions for its provision, it enters the content storage system 4 of the content selling system 1. As a result of these manual or automatic actions, or a combination thereof, this unit of content falls into the content storage system 4.

As a result of this initial stage in system 1, a content storage system 4 (or a content catalog) arises containing content, that is, a plurality of works with signs of belonging to one or another owner, a description of the advertising and informational character, other information that contributes to its selection by the user, and also information about all owners with their access codes to module 6 of reports and mutual settlements with owners of content units of system 1 to receive all reporting and statistical information only by its con entu.

Moreover, the most convenient condition for placing the owner’s content in system 1 is the percentage of the sale of each unit of content of this owner to the end user, in which

each owner receives a reward for each fact of sale of each of its content units.

As at this initial stage, and further during the operation of system 1, it is also possible to create a content base and a database of owners independently by the owners using the interfaces provided by them and automated tools of the system 1 for selling content.

Descriptive data about the content from the content storage system 4 by means of billing module 5 (in which prices are calculated) are received in the module 3 for providing the user with a content catalog and are provided to the system users in various forms (views) convenient for orientation (navigation), for example, in the form of a beautiful , a convenient parametric catalog on the website. Through the communication channel 11, a limited or unlimited number of users accesses this data through subscriber devices of 8 users. The user, having made a choice, informs about his choice to the module 3 for providing the user with the content catalog of the content selling system 1 via the communication channel 11. He informs what exactly he wants to buy (identifies the content unit that he wants to purchase), and also, possibly, the payment method , a way to further deliver this content to him and other conditions

choices affecting the cost of the content that the system will offer him, as well as other options for a specific choice that the system provided him (in particular, the duration of the viewing, for example, during the day, or within a month). The data about the selection of the user from the module 3 for providing the user with the content catalog is sent to the billing module 5, which in the database of all service information 2 stores all the information about the user’s choice in the form of a transaction in its initial state, in other words, reflects the fact that this user ordered this content given value, that is, on selected conditions, thereby forming the first transaction record, essentially creating this transaction (for example, in the “Ordered” state).

Having created the transaction, that is, having received and stored information in the database of all official information 2 (figuratively, you can call it information about “what, how, for how much, in what form”) (that is, having received user responses to the choices provided by the system) , billing module 5 can bill the user electronically via module 3 to provide the user with a content catalog, deliver it via communication channel 11 to user subscriber device 8. In general, billing module 5 may not do this, depending on the payment method.

The user using the subscriber device 8 through the communication channel 11 through the module 3 to provide the user with a content catalog pays directly to the billing module 5. It is also possible when this payment is made by another method. For example, a user pays using a payment system, and billing module 5 periodically checks to see if a payment has been received in any form from a specific user for a specific unit of content, based on information from the database of all service information 2, by interrogating the relevant payment systems about the receipt of money (automatically or, for example, calling the bank by phone, which is carried out by a person).

As soon as the fact of payment is fixed, billing module 5 provides information for the user through the module 3 for providing the user with a content catalog via the communication channel 11 to the user device 8 (user terminal, subscriber set-top box) about how he can receive paid content in the content delivery module 7 through the communication channel 12, and also informs the content delivery module 7 that this content from the content storage system 4, the content delivery module 7 can send to the user device 8, actually chav, for example, in the case of

video showing the user a paid unit of content. In this case, the payment fact billing module 5 stores in the database all the service information 2, changing, for example, the status of the corresponding transaction to "Paid", and notifies, through module 6 reports and settlements with the owners of content units over the communication channel 10, the subscriber device 9 of the content owner about purchase of its content on specified conditions, for example, at such a price, with such a method of delivery, payment, etc., and it is also possible to immediately transfer funds to the owner. In this case, the system can either accumulate funds in the virtual accounts of the owners, or immediately transfer them online (electronically and in real time), or offline (not electronically).

As a result of such a design and such an activity of the system: the OWNER of the content receives prompt and timely notification of each fact of the purchase and the conditions of this purchase of each of its content units placed in the content selling system 1, which allows him not only to quickly receive information about the earned funds, but also verify the objectivity and honesty of system 1 using, for example, the initiation of similar processes on their own (that is, the user himself buys his unit

content with subsequent control over the passage of payment and the provision of information about this purchase in module 6 of reports and settlements with the owners of content units of the system 1). In other words, the owner can make a “test purchase”, that is, make the purchase himself and monitor how his purchase is reflected in the financial statements.

The USER gains access to the content unit of his choice for his payment on the agreed terms.

SYSTEM earned its remuneration from the sale of content, the remaining money received from users, after deductions to the owners of the purchased content.

However, the known device has the following main disadvantages.

A disadvantage of the known device is that the number of users who want to pay for the use of content is very small compared to the number of users who want free access to the same content, which limits the number of people (users) who intend to contact the system 1.

For completeness of the review, before dwelling on the claimed utility model in detail, the applicant considers it necessary to note that there is a variant of the device described above,

illustrated by the example of the flowchart shown in figure 2. This device is well known. As a private simple example of it, which does not, however, provide for the user to select content and generally any kind of interactivity on his part, one can refer to the usual traditional broadcasting with advertising, for example, on the first television channel.

Compared with the device considered as a prototype considered at the beginning of the description, it contains several new blocks (modules), and some modules of the prototype described above are not involved in the process. Below we will first look at these new blocks, and then describe the operation of the device.

Position 14 denotes the subscriber device of the advertiser, through which he communicates through the communication channel 16 (see below) with the module 15 reports and settlements with advertisers (see below) of system 1. The subscriber device 14 of the advertiser can be a personal computer connected via the channel communication 16 (for example, representing the Internet). Instead of a personal computer, other devices can be used as the subscriber device 14 of the advertiser, for example, a mobile phone or fax, etc. Moreover, instead of a network

Internet information can be transmitted by other types of two-way communication, for example, a telephone line, etc. Also, using the subscriber’s device 14 of the advertiser, advertising materials can be transmitted over the communication channel 18 to the store of advertising materials 17, both electronically and even, for example, non-electronically, namely by transferring advertising recorded on an electronic medium by regular mail or in person.

Position 15 denotes the module reports and mutual settlements with advertisers. This is a module that is designed for reports and settlements with advertisers for the services provided by the system, but which can also provide the advertiser with the opportunity (or interface) to change all or part of the information about his advertising materials in the storage of advertising materials 17 via communication channel 19.

16 denotes a two-way communication channel, which can be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular or wire), a trunk network, a satellite communication channel, broadcast, etc., by means of which the advertiser’s subscriber device 14 is connected and interacts with the reporting module 15 and settlements with advertisers.

Position 17 denotes a repository of promotional materials. It contains, in addition to the advertising materials themselves, information about the affiliation of each advertising material to a particular advertiser, access codes of a particular advertiser to module 15 of reports and settlements with advertisers, as well as conditions for the placement of advertising materials (dates, dates, amounts, etc.).

Position 18 denotes a communication channel intended for the delivery of advertising from the advertiser directly to the repository of advertising materials 17. For this reason, it can be a one-way channel (directed towards the system 1) or two-way communication. As a two-way communication channel, it can be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular, wire, trunk, etc.), etc., through which the subscriber’s device of the advertiser 14 (or some other device thereof) connects and interacts with a repository of advertising materials 17 of system 1. As a one-way communication channel, this communication channel can be broadcast, cable television network, or even not be telecommunication at all, but can be, for example, a CD-ROM with a recording Iew promotional materials.

Next, we consider in detail this device, which is illustrated in figure 2.

The initial stage is that as a result of manual or automatic actions, usually the owner (organizer) of the system or their combination, the content of different owners gets into the content storage system 4 (or directory).

As a result of this step, in the system 1, the content storage system 4 is filled with a plurality of works, possibly with signs of belonging to one or another owner, a description of the advertising and informational character, and other information that helps the user select the content.

As at this initial stage, and further during the operation of the system, it is also possible to create a repository of advertising materials 17, conditions for their displays, places of displays, start times, duration, etc., and a base of advertisers, including, perhaps, independently by advertisers using the interfaces provided by him and automated tools of the system 1.

Descriptive data about the content from the content storage system 4 by means of billing module 5 or bypassing it (since user access to the content in this scheme is free), comes into module 3 providing the user with a content catalog and is provided to users of the system in various convenient for orientation (navigation)

forms (types) (for example, in the form of a beautiful convenient parametric catalog).

Also, through billing module 5, advertising materials from the storage of advertising materials 17 can be sent to module 3 to provide the user with a content catalog and displayed to the user along with information about content, catalogs, and other information of system 1. At the same time, billing module 5 calculates and controls the number and cost of such impressions for the advertiser with saving data on the display of advertising material in the database of all service information 2. Also, billing module 5 can through the module of reports and settlements with lamodatelyami 15 to notify the advertiser about showing his promotional material, and may be billed for this show, as well as to write off the money for this show. Mutual settlement with the advertiser may not occur immediately after each impression, but after a certain period (month, quarter, etc.) or when a certain threshold number of impressions is reached. The advertiser’s preliminary replenishment of their virtual account in the system can also be used, followed by direct debit by billing module 5 from this account of funds for each advertisement display. This may be subject to contractual conditions.

advertising of a specific advertiser or from a specific implementation of the system.

Through the communication channel 11, a limited or unlimited number of users gain access to this data through subscriber devices of 8 users. The user, having made a choice, informs about his choice to the module 3 for providing the user with the content catalog of the content selling system 1 via the communication channel 11. He reports which content he wants to access (what he wants to view or listen to), (identifies the content unit to which he wants to get access), as well as possibly a way to further deliver this content to him and other selection conditions that the system will offer him (for example, the viewing duration is a day, or a month). Thus, at all stages of the user’s work with the system, one or another advertising material of one or another advertiser is shown to him in various forms.

After selecting a content unit by the user, billing module 5, firstly, through the module 3 for providing the user with a content catalog via the communication channel 11 to the subscriber device 8 (set-top box, terminal, etc.) transmits information for the user about how he can receive content in the content delivery module 7 to the user via the communication channel 12, and, secondly, billing module 5

can obtain the necessary advertising material from the store of advertising materials 17, associate it with this content unit and inform the content delivery module 7 to the user that this content, together with the advertisement from the content storage system 4, can be delivered by the content delivery module 7 to the subscriber unit 8, in fact in the case of, for example, a video, starting to show the user a unit of content is possible with attached advertising. The fact of displaying advertising material, if any, is stored in the database of all official information 2, and the advertiser can be notified via module 15 of reports and settlements with advertisers through communication channel 16 through the subscriber’s device of advertiser 14 about displaying its advertising material with possible billing for this impression, as well as the possible deduction of money for this impression. Mutual settlement with the advertiser may not occur immediately after each impression, but after a certain period (month, quarter) or when a certain threshold number of impressions is reached. The advertiser’s preliminary replenishment of their virtual account in the system can also be used, followed by direct debit by billing module 5 from this account of funds for each advertisement display. This may be subject to contractual conditions.

placing advertisements for a specific advertiser or for a specific implementation of the system.

As a result of using this device:

ADVERTISER places advertisements in the system, taking advantage of the fact that due to the possibility of free viewing of content for users, the number of such users of the system is large. In addition, the advertiser can receive prompt and timely notification about each fact of showing his advertisement and spending the amount of prepayment or accumulation of debt for the impressions of this advertisement.

The USER gains free access to the selected unit of content, possibly by watching ads both in the process of working with the system and directly when viewing the content.

THE SYSTEM earned a fee for advertising.

However, the following basic disadvantages are inherent in this device.

The disadvantage of the device is that the owner of the content either receives a one-time payment for the rights to display his content, or does not receive it at all, but in any case, his reward does not depend directly on the popularity of its content and the number of views by its users.

The purpose of the claimed utility model is the intention to increase the number of users who want to use the services provided by the system. In other words, the utility model is aimed at creating such an interaction between advertisers, owners, users and the system itself, in which content owners would be interested not only in royalties from direct sales of their content in the system, but also in royalties for paid advertising impressions, which were promoted by popularity their content among users.

To achieve the technical task, a device for mutual settlements in the field of distribution of audio, visual and audiovisual works and other multimedia content, including at least one user subscriber device connected to a content selling system including a billing module associated with a content storage system , a module for providing a user with a content catalog and a module for delivering content with the ability to provide user access to a paid unit of account nta, according to the utility model, is equipped with a storage of advertising materials associated with the billing module, additionally configured to provide the user with access to the advertising material.

Such a technical solution has the following advantages compared to the closest analogue (prototype): the number of users gaining access to content increases significantly, and the content owner receives a reward at the expense of part of advertisers' funds, in proportion to the popularity of its content unit among users of the system. There is a clear transparent unambiguous mechanism for calculating the remuneration of the owner of the content, depending on the popularity of this content, which is personified by the number of user accesses to this content.

This is the essence of the claimed utility model.

In this section of the description, the applicant considers it appropriate to note that there are numerous specific modifications to it.

For example, if at one time there is more than one advertiser claiming to place their advertising materials in the same content unit, then for a specific user at a given time who wants to access this content unit, the system provides the following choice advertising material and the advertiser associated with it:

1. Using a random or pseudo-random number generator with an equally probable choice of an advertiser.

2. using a random or pseudo-random number generator with the probability of choosing one or another advertiser in proportion to his payment for one access to the advertising material. In essence, the system arranges an auction between advertisers according to the principle: who pays the most is shown more often.

3. The choice of advertising material (the advertised product or service) is provided to the user (advertising footwear, film, phone), who chooses who will pay for it and whose advertising is more interesting for him.

The utility model is illustrated in the drawing.

Figure 1 shows, as noted above, a block diagram of a prototype (device and operation disassembled above);

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an analogue of a utility model (device and operation are disassembled above);

Figure 3 shows a block diagram of the claimed utility model.

The following is a description of the claimed utility model, which is illustrated using the flowchart shown in figure 3.

Position 1 in the device of figure 3 denotes a system for collecting, storing, distributing, distributing, distributing and selling content (hereinafter referred to as content selling system 1 or simply system 1), which is, as noted above, audio works, audio-visual works or just visual works, maybe a text, a melody, computer games, including multimedia, online, etc., picture, photograph, etc., both in analogue and digital form or in analog-digital form.

Position 2 denotes a database of all service information, namely, descriptive information, control information, information about the status of the system 1, as well as information about all transactions and actions that occur in the system and affect any subsequent result.

Position 3 denotes a module for providing a content catalog to a user or a "Showcases" module (a term accepted in the art), that is, a module representing a catalog for a system user in various user-friendly forms, including interactive ones, giving an external presentation to end users about the content of the content (for example, in the form of a specific list of content units, tables, etc.). In other words, this block

Responsible for the ability of the user to select the unit of content he needs.

Position 4 denotes a content storage system or a database or content storage (content storage module), that is, a storage system for the content itself, containing information, in particular, about whether a given content unit belongs to a specific owner, data on settlements with both the owner and the user (by the buyer, the subscriber), for example, interest deductions, costs, terms, etc.

Position 5 denotes the billing module. This is a module for accounting and mutual settlements for all services provided by system 1 that are paid or conditionally paid between all participants in the process, which are

- content owner (there may be one or several owners),

- user (one or more),

- advertiser (one or more),

- organizer (owner) of the system 1.

Examples of paid services: paid access to content units, paid placement of advertisements in the content catalog or anywhere in the system 1, where the user can access it when

work with this system, in particular, with the content catalog and / or with a specific unit of content.

The billing module is intended, in particular, to inform users about the cost of content, billing users of content, accounting for the passage of payment from the user, as well as providing data, settlements, etc. with owners and advertisers, providing purchase data and settlements with content owners. In other words, this module is responsible for the "circulation" of funds, their distribution and timely reporting of the status of accounts of all participants in the system. In addition, the billing module essentially determines the application of two variants of the utility model. We have the second version of the device, if the billing module is endowed with an additional function of providing the user with access to content: either free of charge, provided that access to the advertiser's advertising material is mandatory, and the system transfers funds to the owner of the content unit to which access was obtained, at the expense of the advertiser’s fee, or with a reduced amount of payment, provided that access to the advertiser's advertising material is mandatory, and the system transfers funds to the owner of the unit the one to which access was given, by charging advertisers and users, either

full fee, and the system transfers funds to the owner of the content unit to which access was obtained at the expense of the user.

If the billing module does not provide such a choice, then we have one of the modifications of the claimed device, in which the system is designed to provide the following specific functions: providing settlements with the advertiser, ensuring user access to the content, provided that access to the advertiser's advertising material is mandatory, and funds are transferred the owner of the content unit that was accessed at the expense of the advertiser’s fee.

Position 6 denotes a module for reports and settlements with owners of content units or, in other words, an interface for the operation of subscriber devices of content owners with system 1. This module informs owners of content units about the accumulated rewards for sold content units, and also, possibly, settles with by the owners, both immediately after each purchase, and on some condition (for example, the maturity date, to accumulate a sufficient threshold amount for mutual settlement, etc.) . In addition, this module is responsible for providing owners of content units with any other statistical information related to actions on

content units belonging to them (in other words, for providing indirectly useful information), for example, how many users have read the description of each specific content unit, other statistics, possibly not directly related to money, but of possible interest. In addition, this module can provide the content owner with the ability to independently change all or part of the information and data associated with the content that belongs to him (for example, prices, description of each specific unit of content, etc.).

Position 7 denotes the module for delivering content to the user, the rights to which he received from the system on a paid or gratuitous or conditionally paid basis.

Position 8 denotes the subscriber device of the user. This can be a user's computer, his mobile phone, a TV with a special digital set-top box for feedback (commonly known as "SET TOP BOX" or "STB"), their combination and any other subscriber device that allows the user to select a work from the catalog and inform about your choice of system.

Position 9 denotes the subscriber device of the content owner. As in the previous case, it can be one or

several electronic or non-electronic devices by which the content owner can be connected to the system, and this process can be initiated by any of the parties and in any form. For example, the most frequently used case is when a personal computer is used as the subscriber’s device of the owner, connected via communication channel 10 (for example, the Internet) (see below) to module 6 of system 1. But as the subscriber’s device 9, the content owner can be used and other devices, such as a mobile phone or fax, etc. Instead of the Internet, information can be transmitted by other types of communication, for example, a telephone line, etc. Also, using the subscriber’s device 9, the content owner can interact via channel 13 (see below) with the content storage system 4 of system 1, in which the owner of the content units provides their content units to the system, for example, even in an non-electronic way, namely, by transferring recorded data to an electronic medium of content units by regular mail or in person.

Position 10 denotes a communication channel, which may be, as noted above, the Internet, telephone network (cellular or wire), trunk network, satellite communication channel, broadcast, etc. by which the subscriber device 9 owner

content is connected and interacts with module 6 reports and settlements with the owners of content units.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a communication channel, which may be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular or wire), a trunk network, a satellite communication channel, ether, etc., by means of which the user equipment 8 is connected and interacts with the module 3 for providing the user with a directory system content 1.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a communication channel for delivering content to a user. For this reason, it can be a channel as a one-way (directed towards the user), and two-way communication. As a two-way communication channel, it can be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular or wire), a trunk network, a satellite communication channel, etc., by means of which the user equipment 8 is connected and interacts with the content delivery module 7 of the system 1. As a one-way communication channel, it can be an ether, cable television network.

In general, a user can use one subscriber device 8 to select and order a content unit, and another subscriber device 8 to receive it. However, most often

to select, order and receive the user uses the same device, for example, a personal computer connected to the Internet.

Position 13 denotes a communication channel designed to deliver content units from the owner directly to the content storage system 4. For this reason, it can be a one-way channel (directed towards the system 1, or rather, towards its content storage system 4), and two-way communication. As a two-way communication channel, it can be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular, wire, trunk), etc., by which the subscriber device 9 of the content owner (or some other device of the owner) is connected and interacts with the system 4 storing the content of the system 1. It is important to note that as a one-way communication channel it can be not only an ether, a cable television network, but even not be telecommunication at all, but can be, for example, a computer sent by mail ct disc with recording content.

Position 14 denotes the subscriber device of the advertiser, through which he communicates with the communication channel 16 (see below) with the module 15 reports and settlements with advertisers (see below) of system 1. The subscriber device 14 of the advertiser

represent a personal computer connected via a communication channel 16 (for example, representing the Internet). Instead of a personal computer, other devices can be used as the subscriber device 14 of the advertiser, for example, a mobile phone or fax, etc. In this case, instead of the Internet, information can be transmitted by other types of two-way communication, for example, a telephone line, etc. Also, using the subscriber’s device 14 of the advertiser, advertising materials can be transmitted over the communication channel 18 to the store of advertising materials 17, both electronically and even, for example, non-electronically, namely by transferring advertising recorded on an electronic medium by regular mail or in person.

Position 15 denotes the module reports and mutual settlements with advertisers. This is a module that is designed for reports and mutual settlements with advertisers, but which can also provide an advertiser with the opportunity (or interface) to change all or part of the information about his advertising materials in the store of advertising materials 17 via communication channel 19.

Position 16 denotes a two-way communication channel, which may be the Internet, telephone network (cellular or

wired), trunk network, satellite communication channel, broadcast, etc., with which the subscriber’s device 14 of the advertiser is connected and interacts with the module 15 reports and mutual settlements with advertisers.

Position 17 denotes a repository of promotional materials. It contains, in addition to the advertising materials themselves, information about the affiliation of each advertising material to a particular advertiser, access codes of a particular advertiser to module 15 of reports and settlements with advertisers, as well as conditions for the placement of advertising materials (dates, dates, amounts, etc.).

Position 18 denotes a communication channel intended for the delivery of advertising from the advertiser directly to the repository of advertising materials 17. For this reason, it can be a one-way channel (directed towards the system 1) or two-way communication. As a two-way communication channel, it can be the Internet, a telephone network (cellular, wire, trunk, etc.), etc., through which the subscriber’s device of the advertiser 14 (or some other device thereof) connects and interacts with a repository of advertising materials 17 of system 1. As a one-way communication channel, this communication channel can be broadcast, cable television network, or even

to be telecommunication in general, but to represent, for example, a CD-ROM with posting advertising materials sent by mail.

Next, we consider in detail the claimed device and its modifications, which are illustrated by the example of the device shown in Fig.3.

As in the prototype, descriptive data about the content from the content storage system 4 through the billing module 5 (where prices are calculated) are sent to the module 3 for providing the user with a content catalog and are provided to system users in various forms (views) convenient for orientation (navigation) (for example, in a convenient, beautiful, parametric catalog). Moreover, the system 1 for some or all content units can offer the user through module 3 to provide the user with a content catalog two main methods of gaining access to the content unit - purchase for a specified price and / or free access at the expense of the advertiser, the advertising material of which is associated with this unit content that the user will need to familiarize themselves with. System 1 can also offer any other, meaningful combination of these two methods of gaining access to a unit of content, as well as any one of the above two methods.

Through communication channel 11, a limited or unlimited number of users gain access to this data through subscriber devices 8. Having made a choice, the user informs module 3 of providing the user with a catalog of system 1 content via communication channel 11. He tells which content he wants to receive access (identifies a unit of content), as well as a payment method, a way to further deliver this content to him and other selection conditions that affect the cost of the content that the system will offer him, as well as others options for a specific choice, the options of which the system provided him (for example, the viewing duration is a day or a month). At the same stage, if for a given unit of content it is possible to choose whether to pay for access to the content or to use viewing at the expense of the advertiser, then the user makes such a choice (essentially the presence or absence of this choice is the difference between device modifications). The data from the module 3 for providing the user with the content catalog enters the billing module 5, which in the database of all service information 2 saves all this information about the user’s choice in the form of a transaction in its initial state, reflects the fact of ordering this unit of content for a given price, i.e. selected conditions

thereby forming the first transaction record, essentially creating a transaction (in the "Ordered" state).

If the user has chosen viewing at the expense of the advertiser, then the advertiser is assigned as the payer for the order by system 1 and the amount for its viewing is also assigned (all, its part, related or not related to the cost for the user).

Having created the transaction in this way, that is, having received and saved in the database of all official information 2 information “what, how, for how much, in what form” (that is, answers to the choices provided by system 1), billing module 5 can issue an electronic invoice through module 3 providing the user with a content catalog, deliver it via channel 11 to the subscriber device 8, if the user himself decided to pay for access, or invoice through module 15 via channel 16 to the subscriber device of the advertiser 14. System 1 can not do this, depending on the payment method. For example, viewers may be debited from a virtual pre-paid account of a user or advertiser.

Regardless of whether the user paid for access to the content or the advertiser did it for him, and also after billing module 5 makes sure that the payment was made, the module

Billing 5 provides information to the user through the module 3 for providing the user with the content catalog via the communication channel 11 to the subscriber device 8 about how he can receive content in the content delivery module 7 via the communication channel 12, and also informs the content delivery module 7 that this content from the content storage system 4, the content delivery module 7 can deliver to the subscriber device 8, in fact, in the case of, for example, a video, by starting to display a unit of content to the user. If the payment was made at the expense of the advertiser, the billing module 5 also informs the content delivery module 7 which advertising material from the storage of advertising materials 17 to provide (deliver) to the user along with the content unit to the subscriber device 8 via the communication channel 12.

The payment fact is saved by billing module 5 in the database of all service information 2 and notifies the owner’s subscriber’s device about the purchase of its content on specified conditions (at such a price) through module 6 via communication channel 10, and it also makes possible the immediate transfer of part of the funds to the owner content (either accumulates, or immediately transfers online electronically and in real time), or offline later (not electronically, for example, by depositing cash to the owner’s cash desk). Also, in case access to the content was paid at the expense of

advertiser, the database of all official information 2 stores information about this fact, as well as the fact of providing the user with advertising material. Both of these facts can be reported directly at the same moment by the billing module 5 through the module 15 via the communication channel 16 to the subscriber device of the advertiser 14, or be reflected in the report and provided later by the module 15 upon request from the subscriber device of the advertiser 14 via channel 16.

As a result:

In the general case, the USER can be given a choice - to pay for access to the content himself or to take advantage of the advertiser’s offer to view the content free of charge for the user, but with advertising by that advertiser.

By the way, a scheme is also possible in which at the expense of the advertiser only part of the viewing cost for the user can be paid, thereby making viewing content with advertising for the user not completely free, but cheaper than without advertising completely at the expense of the user.

It is also possible to improve the scheme in such a way that if several advertisers are willing to pay (sponsor) partially or fully for access to a specific content unit, the system can choose one advertiser, which ultimately pays for the user access to the content. This choice can be made in the following several ways:

1) A random selection is made automatically by the system, for example, using billing module 5. To choose which advertising material to show (and thereby choose which advertiser will pay) at a given time, a random or pseudorandom number generator with a uniform probability distribution is used.

2) The system arranges an auction between advertisers, for example, using the billing module 5: whoever pays the most, is more often shown.

3) The choice of the commercial (advertised product or service) is provided to the user (advertising footwear, film, phone), for example, using billing module 5 through module 3 to provide the user with a content catalog that he chooses who will pay for it and whose advertisement for him more interesting.

ADVERTISER, as in the prototype, pays for each display of its advertising materials.

The OWNER can receive deductions for each view of his unit of content not only paid by the user himself, but also receive a portion of the money according to the same principle of deductions from advertisers received from the displays of their advertising along with its content. That is, in other words, the owner in both cases can receive deductions in proportion to the popularity of his content, because the more popular the content, the more and more often its users watch, either for their money or for free, watching an advertiser’s advertisement, which in turn pays for the display of this advertisement, or partly at their own expense and partly at the expense of the advertiser.

The SYSTEM earns its income both through the organization of paid user access to content, and free user access to content sponsored by the advertiser, and partially paid by the user and advertiser.

All this significantly increases the number of content users who want to use the services provided by the system. AT

As a result, an interaction is created between advertisers, owners, users and the system itself, in which content owners would be interested not only in royalties from direct sales of their content in the system, but also in royalties for paid displays of advertising, which were promoted by the popularity of their content among users.

Sources of information taken into account:

1. The journal "CONNECT! World of Communications", 2005, No. 11, article "Converged billing of multi-network services." Author Alexander Gurgenidze (prototype);

2. The journal "Open Systems", 1997, No. 2, article "Alpha on the way to video." Author: Vasily Chernov;

3. The magazine "Komersant", St. Petersburg. Number 069 dated 19-04-2005. The article "Content providers will order music at a fixed price." Author: Alexander Petrov.

Claims (1)

A device for mutual settlements in the field of distribution of audio, visual and audiovisual works and other multimedia content, comprising at least one user subscriber device connected to a content selling system including a billing module associated with a content storage system, a directory providing module to a user content and content delivery module with the ability to provide user access to the paid content unit, characterized in that it is equipped with a storage p klamnyh materials associated with the billing module is further configured to provide the user access to the advertising material.