Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Automated electrical financial or business practice or... – Electronic shopping
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2003-06-24
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 3627)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Automated electrical financial or business practice or...
Electronic shopping
Reexamination Certificate
active
06584450
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to inventory rental, and more specifically, to an approach for renting items to customers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional inventory rental models are typically based upon renting items for fixed rental periods and charging late fees for keeping rented items beyond a specified return date. These types of inventory models suffer from several significant limitations. First, conventional rental models require customers to make the decision of what items to rent at substantially the same time as the decision of when to rent the items. An example that illustrates this limitation is a video rental business. Customers go to a video rental store and select particular movies to rent at that time. The customers take the movies home and must return them by a particular due date or be charged a late fee. In this situation, the customers cannot decide what movies to rent before actually renting them. The customers may have a particular movie in mind, but there is no guarantee that the video rental store has the particular movie in stock. Moreover, due dates are inconvenient for customers, particularly for “new release” movies that are generally due back the next day.
Given the current demand for inventory rental and the limitations in the prior approaches, an approach for renting items to customers that does not suffer from limitations associated with conventional inventory rental models is highly desirable. In particular, an approach for renting inventory items to customers that allows separation of customers' decisions of what items to rent from when to rent the items is highly desirable.
There is a further need for an approach for renting items to customers on a continuous basis that avoids the use of fixed due dates or rental “windows” appurtenant to conventional rental models.
There is yet a further need for an approach for renting movies, games and music to customers that is more convenient and flexible to customers than conventional approaches.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for renting items to customers on a subscription basis. Up to a specified number of items are provided to the customer. In response to one or more item delivery criteria being satisfied (such a return of one or more previously rented items), one or more other items are provided to the customer, wherein a total current number of items provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number.
According to another of the invention, a method is provided for renting items to customers. According to the method, one or more item selection criteria are received that indicate one or more items that a customer desires to rent. Up to a specified number of the one or more items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer. In response to one or more item delivery criteria being satisfied, one or more other items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer, wherein a total current number of items provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number.
According to another of the invention, a computer-implemented method is provided for renting items to customers. According to the method, one or more item selection criteria are received that indicate one or more items that a customer desires to rent. Up to a specified number of the one or more items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer. In response to one or more item delivery criteria being satisfied, one or more other items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer, wherein a total current number of items provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number.
According to another aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method is provided for renting items to customers. According to the method, one or more item selection criteria are received that indicate one or more items that a customer desires to rent. Up to a specified number of the one or more items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer. In response to one or more item delivery criteria being satisfied, one or more other items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer, wherein a total number of items provided to the customer within a specified period of time does not exceed a specified limit.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for renting movies to customers. Up to a specified number of movies are provided to the customer. In response to a return of any of the movies provided to the customer, one or more other movies are provided to the customer, wherein a total current number of movies provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for renting movies to customers. Up to a specified number of movies are provided to the customer. In response to a return of any of the movies provided to the customer, one or more other movies are provided to the customer, wherein a total current number of movies provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number and wherein a total number of movies provided to the customer within a specified period of time does not exceed a specified limit.
According to another aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method is provided for renting movies to customers. According to the method, one or more movie selection criteria are received from a customer that indicates one or more movies that the customer desires to rent. Up to a specified number of the one or more movies indicated by the one or more movie selection criteria are provided to the customer. In response to a return of any of the movies provided to the customer, one or more other movies indicated by the one or more movie selection criteria are provided to the customer, wherein a total current number of movies provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number and wherein a total number of movies provided to the customer within a specified period of time does not exceed a specified limit.
According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for renting items to customers is provided. The apparatus comprises one or more processors and a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. The memory includes one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform several steps. First, one or more item selection criteria are received that indicate one or more items that a customer desires to rent. Up to a specified number of the one or more items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer. Finally, in response to one or more item delivery criteria being satisfied, one or more other items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria are provided to the customer, wherein a total current number of items provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number.
According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for renting items to customers. The apparatus comprises an item rental mechanism configured to receive one or more item selection criteria that indicate one or more items that a customer desires to rent. The item rental mechanism is also configured to provide to the customer up to a specified number of the one or more items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria. Finally, the item rental mechanism is configured to in response to one or more item delivery criteria being satisfied, provide to the customer one or more other items indicated by the one or more item selection criteria, wherein a total current number of items provided to the customer does not exceed the specified number.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5664110 (1997-09-01), Green et al.
patent: 5918213 (1999-06-01), Bernard et al.
patent: 2001-243285 (2001-09-01), None
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Hastings W. Reed
Hunt Neil Duncan
Randolph Marc B.
Becker Edward A.
Hickman Palermo & Truong & Becker LLP
Netflix.com, Inc.
Rice Kenneth R.
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