Patent ID: 6567824
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
A computer-implemented method of inventory management for a number of stations, each station being a separate business entity having a geographic location and a market area, and having associated advertising inventory for sale, wherein the inventory comprises segments of advertising time associated with future time periods, comprising:generating a visually viewable table of one or more advertising time segments that meet specified customer request criteria using price forecasting program logic; generating advertising time segment inventory pricing information with yield management program logic for use by the price forecasting logic in accordance with a pricing strategy; generating a confirmation of an order for inventory and maintaining scheduling, processing and accounting information in data files relating to such orders using traffic billing program logic; accessing time segment inventory pricing information of multiple member stations; and providing access to inventory information of multiple stations in response to a customer request so that the table of inventory time segments generated by the price forecasting program logic that meets the specified customer criteria can include inventory items from some or all member stations which meet such criteria.