Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Systems and Methods for Identifying Talent
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material
which is
subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the
facsimile
reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it
appears in
the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves
all
copyrights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and
methods for
identifying talent. More specifically, the present invention relates to
systems and
methods for identifying talent via global talent competitions, which eliminate
or minimize
the costs and/or risks of identifying such talent and include mechanisms for
generating
significant charitable donations.
[0004] The music industry is dominated by four major record labels, which
control
approximately 70% of the worldwide music market and approximately 85% of the
United
States music market. These record labels include Universal Music Group with
approximately 25.5% of the worldwide music market, Sony BMG Music
Entertainment
with approximately 21.5% of the worldwide music market, EMI Group with
approximately 13.4% of the worldwide music market, and Warner Music Group with
approximately 11.3% of the worldwide music market. Consequently, these four
record
labels are responsible for the discovery and promotion of the majority of
aspiring new
artists.
[0005] Currently, these record labels incorporate a variety of techniques to
evaluate
thousands of new artists daily in search of those artists whose promotion will
create a
substantial return on investment for the record label. Such techniques include
the
employment of highly paid talent scouts, who are tasked with evaluating and
discovering
the next great talent. Many talent scouts seek artists who possess a
significant preexisting
fan base or other indicators of success, thereby increasing the likelihood
that promotion of
such artist will result in a solid return on investment for the record label.
Since every
selected artist incurs substantial upfront promotion costs prior to generation
of revenue
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for the record label, the record label faces financial loss whenever a
promoted artist does
not provide the anticipated return on investment.
[0006] Entities other than record labels have also implemented systems and
methods for
identifying talent. One such method includes regional talent competitions
(e.g., battle of
the band competitions), in which bands compete against each other in live
performances
at designated venues. In such competitions, the bands are typically screened
and selected
prior to the competition by personnel associated with the competition such as
a judge,
panel of judges, talent scout, or the like. These competitions are typically
organized
and/or conducted by private entities to generate revenue from ticket sales,
concessions,
merchandising, and the like.
[0007] Similarly, worldwide Internet talent competitions exist. In one such
system,
artists may upload their songs to a talent competition Web site for a fee, and
industry
experts employed by the Internet talent competition evaluate the uploaded
songs. In such
competitions, the industry experts screen potential contestants for the
Internet talent
competition prior to the competition. Such experts typically select the
artists that will be
allowed to compete in the talent competition. Thereafter, the public is
exposed to the
selected artists via the Internet medium and may provide feedback for the
selected artists
via the talent competition Web site. Such competitions are typically organized
and/or
conducted by private entities to generate revenue from the fees paid by the
initial
contestants.
[0008] Moreover, televised talent competitions such as American Idol and the
like exist.
American Idol personnel hold auditions in cities across the United States for
thousands of
artists during which the pool of artists is judged and narrowed to a
predetermined
quantity. The selected artists then perform in weekly competitions before a
live studio
audience on broadcast television. A panel of industry expert judges evaluates
each artist
during every level of competition, however, the final winner of the
competition is decided
by public vote. The American Idol competition is organized and/or conducted by
private
entities to generate revenue from sources such as television advertising,
merchandising,
and the like.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Briefly stated, in one aspect of the present invention, a method for
identifying
talent is provided. This method includes: creating a community; allowing,
using a
microprocessor, any member of a public to join the community via a network
connection
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capable of accessing a server associated with the community; receiving, using
a
microprocessor, talent into the community; receiving, using a microprocessor,
at least one
of the group consisting of talent media and talent promotional items from the
talent;
making at least one of the group consisting of the talent, the talent media,
the talent
promotional items, and combinations thereof available to the community via the
network;
receiving, using a microprocessor, feedback from the fans via a plurality of
electronic
devices in communication with the server; automatically selecting, using a
microprocessor, a subset of the talent based upon predetermined selection
criteria; and
promoting the subset.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of
preferred
embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in
conjunction with
the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is
shown in
the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be
understood,
however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and
instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
[0011] Fig. 1 depicts the phases of one method of identifying talent in
accordance with
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] Fig. 2 depicts the phases of an alternate method of identifying talent
in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] Fig. 3 depicts the phases of yet another method of identifying talent
in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] Figs. 4A ¨ 4C depict a flowchart of one method for identifying talent
in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] Fig. 5 depicts a diagram of an exemplary computer environment for use
with the
systems and methods of identifying talent in accordance with an embodiment of
the
present invention;
[0016] Fig. 6A is a block diagram of an exemplary computer environment for use
with
the systems and methods of discovering talent as depicted in Figs. 6A through
19 in
accordance with one alternate embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] Fig. 6B is an exemplary set of databases/database tables for use with
the
exemplary computer environment depicted in Fig. 6A in accordance with the
alternate
embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A through 19;
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[0018] Figs. 7A and 7B depict a flowchart of one method of allowing a user of
the
systems and methods of the present invention to discover talent in accordance
with the
alternate embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A through
19;
[0019] Fig. 8 depicts a flowchart of one method for allowing a user to
purchase talent
products in accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present invention
set forth in
Figs. 6A through 19;
[0020] Fig. 9 depicts a flowchart of one method for rewarding a user for
discovering
talent in accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present invention
set forth in
Figs. 6A through 19;
[0021] Figs. 10A through 10E depict a flowchart of one method for assisting a
venue user
with finding and hiring talent in accordance with the alternate embodiment of
the present
invention set forth in Figs. 6A through 19;
[0022] Figs. 11A and 11B depict a flowchart of one method for allowing a venue
to
accept a talent's application to perform for a specific event in accordance
with the
alternate embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A through
19;
[0023] Fig. 12 depicts an exemplary Open Event Dashboard for use by a venue in
accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present invention set forth in
Figs. 6A
through 19;
[0024] Figs. 13A and 13B depict a flowchart of one method for allowing a user
to check
in and vote for talent via accessing a live event code in accordance with the
alternate
embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A through 19;
[0025] Fig. 14 depicts a flowchart of a method for allowing a user to check in
and vote
for talent via logging in to the systems and methods of the present invention
in
accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present invention set forth in
Figs. 6A
through 19;
[0026] Fig. 15 depicts a flowchart of one method for identifying talent in
accordance with
the alternate embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A
through 19;
[0027] Fig. 16 depicts a flowchart of one method for uploading material in
accordance
with the alternate embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A
through 19;
[0028] Fig. 17 depicts a flowchart of one method for downloading material in
accordance
with the alternate embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A
through 19;
[0029] Figs. 18A and 18B depict a flowchart of one method for rating talent
and/or
material in accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present invention
set forth in
Figs. 6A through 19; and
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[0030] Fig. 19 depicts an exemplary fan user dashboard in accordance with the
alternate
embodiment of the present invention set forth in Figs. 6A through 19.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Certain terminology may be used in the following description for
convenience
only and is not limiting. The words "lower" and "upper" and "top" and "bottom"
designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The
terminology
includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words
of similar
import.
[0032] Where a term is provided in the singular, the inventors also
contemplate aspects of
the invention described by the plural of that term. As used in this
specification and in the
appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural
references unless
the context clearly dictates otherwise, e.g., "a voter" may include a
plurality of voters.
Thus, for example, a reference to "a method" includes one or more methods,
and/or steps
of the type described herein and/or which will become apparent to those
persons skilled in
the art upon reading this disclosure.
[0033] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used
herein have the
same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to
which this
invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to
those
described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present
invention, the
preferred methods, constructs and materials are now described. All
publications
mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Where
there are
discrepancies in terms and definitions used in references that are
incorporated by
reference, the terms used in this application shall have the definitions given
herein.
[0034] Referring first to FIG. 1, illustrated are five phases of an exemplary
embodiment
of a system and method for identifying talent. In the depicted embodiment,
artists or a
group of artists (e.g., a band) selected from a plurality of existing talent
competitions are
exposed to critics such as members of the public via mediums such as the
Internet, radio,
and television. Critique, feedback, and the like are gathered at each phase of
the system
and method to determine which artists and/or bands shall be exposed to the
scrutiny of the
critics via each of the distinct mediums. Furthermore, such critique,
feedback, scrutiny,
and the like shall ultimately determine which of the competing artists and/or
bands shall
be rewarded at the conclusion of the contest with, for example, a recording
contract.
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[0035] Talent identification method 100 begins at initial phase 102. In one
aspect of the
present invention, initial phase 102 includes receiving artists and/or bands
from one or
more existing local talent competitions. Such talent competitions may include
existing
battle of the band competitions and/or various other talent competitions
conducted
worldwide. Such competitions may be conducted live or via mediums such as the
Internet, radio, television, and the like. Furthermore, the contestants of
such competitions
may include individual artists, groups of artists, bands, or the like.
[0036] In one aspect of the present invention, a set of existing local talent
competitions
from which talent shall be advanced to Internet phase 104 is selected.
Preferably, such
set of competitions is selected to ensure worldwide participation in the
systems and/or
methods of the present invention to increase the likelihood of identifying a
"Super Group"
or "Super Artist" having worldwide appeal. For example, such set of existing
local talent
competitions may include one competition per participating country. Or such
set may
include one competition for each smaller participating country and one
competition per
state, or other geographical subdivision, for each larger participating
country. Virtually
any combination of local talent competitions may be implemented via the
systems and
methods of the present invention. However, the systems and methods of the
present
invention are not limited to worldwide competition. Such systems and methods
may be
incorporated for identification of talent from a talent pool selected from a
smaller
geographic area (e.g., the United States, the State of New York, etc.) without
departing
from the scope hereof
[0037] After a set of existing local talent competitions from which
performers, artists
and/or bands shall be advanced to Internet phase 106A is selected, selection
criteria shall
be defined to determine which artists and/or bands from each local talent
competition
shall be advanced. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention,
only one
winner from each of the predetermined list of local talent competitions shall
be advanced
to Internet phase 104. However, in other embodiments of the present invention,
all
finalists and/or all semi-finalists from each individual talent competition
may be
advanced to Internet phase 104. However, the present invention is not so
limited.
Virtually any selection criteria for determining which artists and/or bands
from each local
talent competition will be advanced to Internet phase 104 may be implemented
without
departing from the scope hereof
[0038] Receiving artists and/or bands from initial phase 102 and advancement
of such
artist and/or band through talent identification method 100 via the systems
and methods
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of the present invention provides a variety of benefits and advantages. In one
aspect of
the present invention, initial phase 102 eliminates or reduces the overhead of
the entity
seeking to identify talent by allowing the initial talent pool to be selected
purely via a
plurality of existing local talent competitions. Once a group of local talent
competitions
has been selected (e.g., one talent competition per state, one talent
competition per
country, etc.) and the selection criteria for selecting talent from each of
the local talent
competitions has been determined (e.g., each winner of each competition will
be
advanced to Internet phase 104), advancement of such participants in the
systems and
methods of the present invention is purely administrative. That is, the need
for highly
paid talent assessment personnel is completely eliminated since the local
talent
competitions determine the winners for each competition independent of the
entity
implementing the systems and methods of the present invention.
[0039] Also, receiving artists and/or bands selected by the systems and
methods of the
local talent competitions increases the likelihood that the artist and/or band
selected by
the systems and methods of the present invention (e.g., public preferences,
music listener
preferences, etc.) will become "The Next Great Super Group" or "The Next Great
Super
Artist". In many instances, such artists and/or bands are selected in the
local talent
competitions purely based upon the public's vote, or the votes of those in
attendance at the
local talent competition. Since such voters and/or attendees tend to comprise
a large
portion of music consumers, their opinions regarding the quality of up and
coming artists
and/or bands are more likely to reflect those of the music consumer. Allowing
a plurality
of actual music consumers, rather than an individual, highly paid recording
industry talent
scout, to select the initial talent pool increases the possibility that the
artist and/or band
selected using the systems and methods of the present invention will be more
palatable to
music consumers as a whole, thereby increasing the likelihood that the
identified talent
will become the "The Next Great Super Group" or "The Next Great Super Artist".
[0040] Furthermore, the aforementioned increase in the likelihood of finding
the "The
Next Great Super Group" or "The Next Great Super Artist" minimizes the risk
and
maximizes the return on investment of the entity implementing the systems and
methods
of the present invention (e.g., a record label). As the successful artists
and/or bands
advance through each phase of talent identification process 100, global fan
support for
and marketability of each artist and/or band is proven. Similarly, at the
conclusion of
talent identification process 100, the successful artist and/or band has
proven his, her, or
their marketability, which minimizes the risk associated with investing
financial capital
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into further promotion of such successful artist and/or band. Furthermore,
since
marketability and fan support have already been proven, it is more likely that
the entity
implementing the systems and methods of the present invention will maximize
its return
(e.g., profits from song sales, concert sales, and the like) on funds invested
in the further
promotion of such artist and/or band.
[0041] In addition, the systems and methods of the present invention
(including the step
of receiving artists and/or bands from initial phase 102) provide all artists
and/or bands
with equal opportunity and equal access to the entity implementing the systems
and
methods of the present invention by eliminating the bias, favoritism, bad
judgment, and
the like of such entity, which can result in the promotion of mediocre or
untalented artists
and/or bands. Via the present invention, absolutely every artist and/or band
from around
the world has the opportunity to enter an existing local talent competition.
Thereafter, if
successful, such artists and/or band may advance through talent identification
process 100
unimpeded by any employee of the entity implementing the present invention.
That is,
such artist and/or band advances purely on his, her, or their skill, talent,
and acceptance
by the general participating listening public.
[0042] Also, some implementations of the systems and methods of the present
invention
result in a truly unbiased worldwide identification of talent since cultural
biases are
minimized and/or eliminated. The advancement of artists and/or bands from
initial phase
102 to Internet phase 104 is determined solely by the local talent competition
audiences
and/or judges. Typically, such audiences and/or judges are from the same
culture as the
competing artists and/or bands. Consequently, the methods of advancing artists
and/or
bands of the present invention minimize the possibility that artists and/or
bands will be
eliminated due to cultural biases or differences. For example, a New York City
record
label executive may be unintentionally, or intentionally, biased toward
selection of United
States artists and/or bands due to such executive's familiarity with the
United States
culture. Such bias may result in non-recognition of "The Next Great Super
Group" or
"The Next Great Super Artist" solely due to such cultural bias. When
implemented in a
worldwide embodiment, the systems and methods of the present invention
minimize or
eliminate the possibility of such non-recognition. Furthermore, the voting
public's
exposure to culturally diverse musical talent and styles will likely create
new markets for
such music in areas that may not have been previously exposed to them due to
the cultural
and/or artificial music industry walls or boundaries.
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[0043] Moreover, some embodiments of the systems and methods of the present
invention facilitate identification of a truly global talent pool by
geographically
segmenting one or more of initial phase 102, Internet phase 104, and radio
phase 106.
Such segmentation narrows the talent pool to be critiqued by each critic. If
such
segmentation were not implemented, each critic would be tasked with critiquing
each and
every one of the artists and/or bands participating in the first phase of the
global talent
identification process 100. Such a cumbersome and time-consuming critiquing
process is
likely to minimize the quantity of individuals willing to partake in such
critiquing,
thereby minimizing the effectiveness of the entire talent identification
process 100.
Consequently, the systems and methods of the present invention act to segment,
and
thereby limit the number of, artists and/or bands to be critiqued by each pool
of critics to
facilitate such process, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the entire
talent
identification process 100.
[0044] Segmentation of one or more phases of talent identification process 100
facilitates
worldwide participation in the final phases (e.g., television phase 108) of
talent
identification process 100. Since critics provide critique, feedback, and the
like during
the early stages of talent identification process 100, many such individuals
will develop
an interest or desire to continue such critiquing throughout the entire
process. In some
instances, such individuals may develop artist and/or band loyalty and may
wish to help
their favorite artists and/or bands achieve the ultimate prize. Such desire to
participate
and artist and/or band loyalty will encourage individuals from around the
globe to
continue participating in talent identification process 100 through the
completion of the
process, even if such completion involves a single television broadcast or a
single series
of television broadcasts. Inclusion of such critics at the onset of talent
identification
process 100 maximizes the possibility that such individuals will tune in for
the final
stage(s), thereby increasing the overall effectiveness of talent
identification process 100.
[0045] The popularity and widespread, or worldwide, participation in talent
identification
process 100 further operates to encourage and/or attract new artists and/or
bands, and
potentially highly talented artists and/or bands, to participate in each
subsequent
implementation of the talent identification process 100. Such encouragement
and/or
attraction are likely to provide a continuous flow of talented artists and/or
bands for every
subsequent implementation of the present invention, thereby increasing the
quality of the
process and, presumably, the quality of the rewarded artist and/or band. Such
increase in
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quality further increases the likelihood of finding the "The Next Great Super
Group" or
"The Next Great Super Artist".
[0046] For all of the aforementioned reasons, talent identification process
100 begins
with an initial phase such as that described for initial phase 102. After
completion of
initial phase 102, talent identification process 100 proceeds to Internet
phase 104.
[0047] At Internet phase 104, songs and/or music videos are received from the
artists
and/or band who have met the required selection criteria for advancement from
initial
phase 102 to Internet phase 104 (i.e., the "advancing artists and/or bands").
In one aspect
of the present invention, such received songs are original works that have
been created
and performed by the respective artist(s) and/or band(s). However, alternate
embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in which such received
songs have
been created by entities other than the advancing artist(s) and/or band(s).
Or, such
received songs may be songs originally performed by artist(s) and/or band(s)
other than
the advancing artist and/or band.
[0048] After receipt of songs and/or music videos from the advancing artists
and/or
bands, such songs and/or music videos are then published via a computer
network such as
the Internet or the like via creation of user interfaces such as Web pages.
Such
publication allows critics to provide critique, feedback, and the like for
each of the
published songs and/or music videos. In one embodiment of the present
invention, critics
vote for each song and/or music video. In another embodiment of the present
invention, a
system such as that described with respect to FIG. 3 below, tallies the number
of times
each song and/or music video is accessed by a critic. Or, alternatively, such
a system
may tally the number of times each song is downloaded. Virtually any method of
quantifying the acceptance or popularity of a particular song and/or music
video by
critics, such as members of the public, may be substituted without departing
from the
scope of the present invention.
[0049] In some aspects of the present invention, critics are charged fees for
providing
such critique, feedback, or the like. Such fees may include fees for casting a
vote, fees
for downloading a song, fees for listening to a song, fees for viewing a music
video, fees
for purchasing an artist or band's product, and the like.
[0050] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in
which
revenue is also derived from advertising and sponsorship of Web sites, Web
pages, and
the like associated with talent identification process 100. In addition,
revenue may be
generated from sale of products associated with talent identification process
100 such as
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clothing, hats, mugs, bumper stickers, and the like. The interaction between
the critics
and the talent identification process 100 creates opportunities for future
direct marketing
of goods and services to the critic. Moreover, demographic information may be
collected
prior to allowing a critic to provide feedback, and such information may be
utilized to
increase advertising sales for future implementations of talent identification
process 100.
[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of
charged fees
or other collected revenue is donated to a charity such as those charities
that support the
interests of starving artists and/or bands. However, such portions of charged
fees or other
collected revenue may also be donated to unrelated charities without departing
from the
scope hereof
[0052] Collection of critique, feedback, and the like will occur during
Internet phase 104
for a predetermined period of time. Upon the expiration of such time period,
the artists
and/or bands whose songs have received the most favorable feedback (e.g., the
highest
number of votes, the highest number of downloaded or accessed songs, etc.)
will advance
to the next phase of talent identification process 100 (e.g., radio phase
106).
[0053] In radio phase 106, songs received from the artists and/or bands who
advanced
from Internet phase 104 to radio phase 106 will be broadcast via radio such as
commercial radio, satellite radio, and the like. In some embodiments of the
present
invention, such songs shall be the same songs evaluated during earlier phases
of talent
identification process 100 (e.g., Internet phase 104). However, alternate
embodiments of
the present invention are envisioned in which each advancing artist and/or
band must
submit new songs for evaluation in one or more of the phases (e.g., radio
phase 106)
following Internet phase 104.
[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the songs broadcast during
radio
phase 106 will be broadcast locally and/or internationally via one or more
newly created
radio stations (e.g., a newly created "Undiscovered Talent Station"), which
may be
dedicated to discovery of new talent and/or talent identification process 100.
In some
such embodiments of the present invention, songs from the existing "Super
Groups" and
"Super Artists" (e.g., the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, etc.) are played in
combination with the
songs received from the advancing artists and/or bands to provide perspective
to the
listeners and/or critics and to attract a larger audience of listeners.
However, combination
of the advancing artists' and/or bands' songs with existing songs, whether
such songs are
performed by "Super Groups", " Super Artists", or other lesser known
musicians, may
also be implemented in embodiments of the present invention in which the
advancing
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artists' and/or bands' songs are played via non-dedicated radio stations
without departing
from the scope hereof
[0055] Broadcast of the songs of the advancing artists and/or bands via one or
more radio
stations encompassing the geographic area of talent identification process 100
(e.g.,
worldwide) allows critics within such geographic area to listen to, and
evaluate, such
broadcast songs. Additionally, radio phase 106 attracts new participants to
talent
identification process 100, such as those individuals who are not computer-
savvy. Either
during, or at the conclusion of, radio phase 106, such critics shall be
provided with the
ability to provide critique, feedback, or the like for one or more broadcast
songs, artists,
and/or bands. Such critique, feedback, or the like may be provided via any
system and
method known in the art or any systems and methods yet to be invented without
departing
from the scope of the present invention. Such systems and methods include, but
are not
limited to, electronic mail, text messaging, telephones, cell phones, Apple
IPodsTM,
personal computers, and Blackberrys .
[0056] In some aspects of the present invention, critics are charged fees for
providing
such critique, feedback, or the like during radio phase 106. Such fees may
include fees
for casting a vote. Additional revenue may also be generated for advertising
and
sponsorship of the radio stations associated with talent identification
process 100, as well
as the sale of products associated with talent identification process 100. As
discussed
above with respect to Internet phase 104, in some embodiments of the present
invention,
at least a portion of charged fees or other collected revenue is donated to
charity.
[0057] Collection of critique, feedback, and the like will occur during radio
phase 106 for
a predetermined period of time. Upon the expiration of such time period, the
artists
and/or bands whose songs have received the most favorable feedback (e.g., the
highest
number of votes) will advance to the next phase of talent identification
process 100 (e.g.,
television phase 108).
[0058] In television phase 108, the artists and/or bands whose songs received
the most
favorable feedback in radio phase 106 will compete in a local, national, or
international
television competition. In some embodiments of the present invention, such
artists and/or
bands shall perform the same song or songs evaluated during earlier phases of
talent
identification process 100 (e.g., Internet phase 104, radio phase 106, etc.).
However,
alternate embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in which each
advancing
artist and/or band must perform a new song for evaluation in television phase
108.
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[0059] Competition of the advancing artists and/or bands via one or more
television
shows broadcast to the entire geographic area of talent identification process
100 (e.g.,
worldwide) allows critics within such geographic area to see, hear, and
evaluate such
artists and/or bands and the associated performances. Either during, or at the
conclusion
of, television phase 108, such critics shall be provided with the ability to
provide critique,
feedback, or the like for one or more of the competing artists and/or bands.
Such critique,
feedback, or the like may be provided via any system and method known in the
art or any
systems and methods yet to be invented without departing from the scope of the
present
invention. Such systems and methods include, but are not limited to,
electronic mail, text
messaging, telephones, cell phones, Apple IPodsTM, personal computers, and
Blackberrys .
[0060] Similar to that discussed above with respect to the other phases of
talent
identification process 100, in some aspects of the present invention, critics
are charged
fees for providing such critique, feedback, or the like during television
phase 108. Such
fees may include fees for casting a vote. Additional revenue may also be
generated for
advertising and sponsorship of the television shows associated with talent
identification
process 100, as well as the sale of products associated with talent
identification process
100. As discussed above with respect to Internet phase 104 and radio phase
106, in some
embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of charged fees or
other collected
revenue is donated to charity.
[0061] Collection of critique, feedback, and the like will occur during
television phase
108 for a predetermined period of time. Upon the expiration of such time
period, the
artist and/or band, who receive the most favorable feedback (e.g., the highest
number of
votes) will advance to award phase 110.
[0062] In one aspect of the present invention, during award phase 110, the
artist and/or
band receiving the most favorable feedback during the prior phase may be named
"The
Next Great Super Group" or "The Next Great Super Artist". In another aspect of
the
present invention, such artist and/or band advancing to award phase 110 is
awarded a
record deal. Although only one, or some other minimal quantity of, artists
and/or bands
will typically be selected as the winner of talent identification process 100,
all of the
artists and/or bands participating therein will be awarded with worldwide
exposure and
publicity, which may potentially lead to a record deal or other benefits
separate and
distinct from talent identification process 100.
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[0063] In another embodiment of the present invention, talent identification
process 100
additionally includes a critic award process. In its most simplistic form, the
critic(s) that
correctly identify the winner of talent identification process 100 in every
phase of such
process receives an award. Alternatively, the critic award process may occur
during each
individual phase of identification process 100. That is, winning critic(s) may
be selected
at the end of each phase. In one such embodiment, a different critic is
selected as a
winner of each phase.
[0064] In another such embodiment, several critics are selected as critic semi-
finalists at
the conclusion of initial phase 102. In this embodiment, the critic semi-
finalists selected
at the conclusion of initial phase 102 proceed to Internet phase 104, at which
one or more
of the critic semi-finalists are eliminated. This process is repeated at the
conclusion of
radio phase 106 and television phase 108 until one or more of the critic semi-
finalists are
determined to be the critic winner. Such winner may then receive an award
during award
phase 110. Additionally, the critic semi-finalists may receive differing
awards based
upon the extent to which each semi-finalist critic advances through the critic
award
portion of talent identification process 100.
[0065] In the embodiments of the present invention in which critics are
ranked, a method
of ranking is required. In one embodiment of the present invention, the method
of
ranking is based upon how accurately each critic guesses the semi-finalists of
each phase
of talent identification process 100. Alternatively, the method of ranking may
be based
upon how well the critic assesses the artist and/or band. This assessment may
include,
but is not limited to, written critiques of the artist and/or band, verbal
critiques of the
artist and/or band, knowledge of industry standards relating to the artist
and/or bands'
performances, and combinations thereof In addition, such critics may be ranked
by
professional talent scouts, judges, or the like, or, alternatively, such
individuals may be
ranked by each other (i.e., the critics tasked with critiquing the artists
and/or bands).
However, the present invention is not so limited. Virtually any criteria
and/or method for
ranking critics or selecting a winning critic may be implemented without
departing from
the scope hereof
[0066] Although the critic winner may receive any award without departing from
the
scope of the invention, the award may be selected to add to the entertainment
value of
talent identification process 100. For example, the critic winner may be
awarded a
position as a talent scout or agent. Or, the critic winner may host a phase of
a subsequent
implementation of talent identification process 100 (e.g., television phase
108).
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[0067] Although FIG. 1 depicts the steps of talent identification process 100
in a specific,
predetermined manner (i.e., Internet phase 104, radio phase 106, and
television phase
108), varying sequences of such steps may be substituted without departing
from the
scope of the present invention. For example, television phase 108 may precede
radio
phase 106, radio phase 106 may preceded Internet phase 104, etc. Furthermore,
some
phases may include combinations of the phases discussed herein. For example,
television
phase 108 may include an Internet counterpart in which critics may view the
television
show via the Internet.
[0068] Turning next to FIG. 2, illustrated is another exemplary embodiment of
a system
and method for identifying talent. In talent identification process 200,
radio, television,
and award phases 206, 208, and 210, respectively, are similar to radio,
television, and
award phases 106, 108, and 110, respectively, of talent identification process
100 as
described above with respect to Fig. 1. However, talent identification process
200 differs
from talent identification process 100 with respect to its initial and
Internet phases 202
and 204, respectively.
[0069] In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 2, a
plurality of initial
phases 202 and Internet phases 204 exist. In one aspect of the present
invention, each
grouped initial phase 202 and Internet phase 204 (e.g., initial phase 202a and
Internet
phase 204a) is associated with a subset of the totality of the existing talent
competitions
selected as a part of the implementation of the present invention. Virtually
any criteria
may be used for separation of the existing talent competitions into subsets.
In one
embodiment of the present invention, the existing talent competitions are
separated based
upon geographic areas. For example, each country participating in talent
identification
process 200 may have a dedicated initial phase 202 and Internet phase 204. Or,
alternatively, the existing talent competitions may be divided based on
different genres of
music. For example, classic rock, rap, dance, and the like may each comprise a
separate
and distinct subset. Other possible subsets include, but are not limited to,
regions of the
world, regions of a country, number of artists in the band, age of the artist
and/or band,
alphabetic separation of the artist's and/or band's name, alphabetic
separation of the
artist's and/or band's song name, date of the existing talent competition,
time of year of
the competition, and combinations thereof However, any method of separation of
the
existing talent competitions may be substituted without departing from the
scope of the
present invention. Additionally, any quantity of initial and Internet phases
202 and 204
may be included without departing from the scope hereof
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[0070] As part of each individual Internet phase 204, songs and/or music
videos are
received from the artists and/or band who have met the required criteria for
advancement
from the associated initial phase 202 to the respective Internet phase, as
described above
with respect to Fig. 1. After receipt of songs and/or music videos from the
advancing
artists and/or bands, such songs and/or music videos are then published via a
computer
network such as the Internet or the like via creation of user interfaces such
as Web pages.
In one aspect of the present invention, each Internet phase 204 has a
dedicated user
interface (e.g., each Internet phase 204 may be associated with a dedicated
Web page, a
dedicated hypertext link on a single Web Page, a dedicated Web Site, etc.).
[0071] Such publication allows critics to provide critique, feedback, and the
like for each
of the published songs and/or music videos, as described above with respect to
FIG. 1.
However, in this embodiment of the present invention, the critics may choose
to critique
the artists and/or bands in any one or more of the multiple subsets (i.e., the
multiple
Internet phases 204). This allows critics with limited time to participate in
talent
identification process 200 by reducing the quantity of songs and/or videos
that the critic
must review prior to providing feedback. Additionally, segmenting initial
phase 202
and/or Internet phase 204 minimizes the possibility that the critics will
provide feedback
without reviewing all published songs and/or videos. For example, a critic who
becomes
bored or tired of reviewing the published songs and/or videos may provide
incorrect or
inaccurate feedback due to his or her failure to review all published songs
and/or music
videos. This may prevent the critic from providing favorable feedback for the
best artists
and/or bands if such critic failed to review to such artist(s)' and/or bands'
published songs
or videos. However, a critic may choose to review all songs and/or videos in
all Internet
phases 204 if so desired by simply accessing each of the user interfaces
associated with
each of the Internet phases 204. Alternatively, a critic could choose to
review all songs
and/or videos in all Internet phases 204 while opting to provide feedback for
a single
Internet phase 204 only. Additionally, incorporation of a plurality of
Internet phases 204
allows the critics to review music and/or videos in select subsets only (e.g.,
a critic may
desire to review classic rock songs and/or videos while avoiding review of rap
songs
and/or videos).
[0072] Such embodiments of the present invention also allow a more varied
range of
semi-finalists to reach the final phases of talent identification process 200.
For example,
in embodiments of the present invention including a single Internet phase 204,
an artist
and/or band of one genre or other type of subset may be eliminated if a
majority of the
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critics prefer one specific subset. However, in embodiments of the present
invention
incorporating multiple Internet phases 204 separated by categories such as
music genre,
the semi-finalists are guaranteed to represent each of the categories of each
of the Internet
phases 204.
[0073] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, only one initial
phase 202 is
implemented, however, it leads to several Internet phases 204. That is, the
advancing
artists and/or bands determined in initial phase 202 may be split between a
plurality of
Internet phases 204. For example, such advancing artists and/or bands may be
sorted into
Internet phases 204 based upon predefined criteria such as that discussed
above.
[0074] Collection of critique, feedback, and the like will occur during each
Internet phase
204 for a predetermined period of time. In one embodiment of the present
invention,
upon the expiration of the respective time period, the artists and/or bands
whose songs
have received the most favorable feedback in each Internet phase 204 will
advance to a
single radio phase 206. Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present
invention,
criteria shall be defined to determine which artists and/or bands from each
Internet phase
204 shall be advanced. For example, in one embodiment of the present
invention, only
one winner from each Internet phase 204 shall be advanced to radio phase 206.
However,
in other embodiments of the present invention, all finalists and/or all semi-
finalists from
each Internet phase 204 may be advanced to radio phase 206. However, the
present
invention is not so limited. Virtually any criteria for determining which
artists and/or
bands from each Internet phase 204 will be advanced to radio phase 206 may be
implemented without departing from the scope hereof
[0075] Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated is another exemplary embodiment of
a system
and method for identifying talent. In talent identification process 300,
television and
award phases 308 and 310, respectively, are similar to television and award
phases 108
and 110, respectively, of talent identification process 100 as described above
with respect
to Fig. 1. Also, initial and Internet phases 302 and 304, respectively, are
similar to initial
and Internet phases 202 and 204, respectively, of talent identification
process 200 as
described above with respect to Fig. 2. However, talent identification process
300 differs
from talent identification processes 100 and 200 with respect to its radio
phase 306.
[0076] In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 3, a
plurality of radio
phases 306 exist. In one aspect of the present invention, each radio phase 306
is grouped
with an initial phase 302 and Internet phase 304 (e.g., initial phase 302a and
Internet
phase 304a), and each three phase grouping is associated with a subset of the
totality of
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the existing talent competitions selected as a part of the implementation of
the present
invention. Virtually any criteria may be used for separation of the existing
talent
competitions into subsets as described above with respect to FIG. 2.
[0077] As part of each individual radio phase 306, songs are received from the
artists
and/or bands who have met the required criteria for advancement from the
associated
Internet phase 304 to the respective radio phase 306, as described above with
respect to
FIG. 1. Such songs will be broadcast via radio such as commercial radio,
satellite radio,
and the like, as described above with respect to Fig. 1. In one aspect of the
present
invention, each radio phase 306 has a dedicated radio station.
[0078] Such broadcast allows critics to provide critique, feedback, and the
like for each
of the broadcast songs, as described above with respect to FIG. 1. However, in
this
embodiment of the present invention, the critics may choose to critique the
artists and/or
bands in any one or more of the multiple subsets (i.e., the multiple radio
phases 306).
This allows critics with limited time to participate in talent identification
process 300 by
reducing the quantity of songs that the critic must listen to prior to
providing feedback.
Additionally, segmenting radio phase 306 minimizes the possibility that the
critics will
provide feedback without listening to all broadcast songs. For example, a
critic who
becomes bored or tired of listening to the broadcast songs may provide
incorrect or
inaccurate feedback due to his or her failure to listen to all broadcast
songs. This may
prevent the critic from providing favorable feedback for the best artists
and/or bands if
such critic failed to listen to such artist(s)' and/or bands' broadcast songs.
However, a
critic may choose to listen to all songs in all radio phases 306 if so desired
by simply
accessing each of the radio phases (e.g., accessing each of the radio
stations).
Alternatively, a critic could choose to listen to all songs in all radio
phases 306 while
opting to provide feedback for a single radio phase 306 only. Additionally,
incorporation
of a plurality of radio phases 306 allows the critics to listen to all songs
in select subsets
only (e.g., a critic may desire to listen to classic rock songs while avoiding
listening to rap
songs).
[0079] Such embodiments of the present invention also allow a more varied
range of
semi-finalists to reach the final phases of talent identification process 300.
For example,
in embodiments of the present invention including a single radio phase 306, an
artist
and/or band of one genre or other type of subset may be eliminated if a
majority of the
critics prefer one specific subset. However, in embodiments of the present
invention
incorporating multiple radio phases 306 separated by categories such as music
genre, the
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semi-finalists are guaranteed to represent each of the categories of each of
the radio
phases 306.
[0080] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, only one initial
phase 302
and/or Internet phase 304 is implemented, however, it leads to several radio
phases 306.
That is, the advancing artists and/or bands determined in initial phase 302
and/or Internet
phase 304 may be split between a plurality of radio phases 306. For example,
such
advancing artists and/or bands may be sorted into radio phases 306 based upon
predefined
criteria such as that discussed above.
[0081] Collection of critique, feedback, and the like will occur during each
radio phase
306 for a predetermined period of time. In one embodiment of the present
invention,
upon the expiration of the respective time period, the artists and/or bands
whose songs
have received the most favorable feedback in each radio phase 306 will advance
to a
single television phase 308. Alternatively, in another embodiment of the
present
invention, criteria shall be defined to determine which artists and/or bands
from each
radio phase 306 shall be advanced. For example, in one embodiment of the
present
invention, only one winner from each radio phase 306 shall be advanced to
television
phase 308. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, all
finalists and/or
all semi-finalists from each radio phase 306 may be advanced to television
phase 308.
However, the present invention is not so limited. Virtually any criteria for
determining
which artists and/or bands from each radio phase 306 will be advanced to
television phase
308 may be implemented without departing from the scope hereof
[0082] Referring next to FIGS. 4A-4C, illustrated is a flow diagram of an
exemplary
embodiment of a talent identification process, namely talent identification
process 400, in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As depicted in FIG.
4A, talent
identification process 400 begins at step 402 with the start of the first
phase of talent
identification process 400, after which talent identification process 400
proceeds to step
404.
[0083] At step 404, a plurality of artists and/or bands is selected from
existing
unaffiliated talent competitions such as battle of the band competitions and
various other
talent competitions conducted worldwide or in one or more specific,
predetermined
geographic areas. In one aspect of the present invention, eligible artists
and/or bands will
consist of artists and/or bands who have reached the finals, semi-finals, or
the like in one
or more existing local, national, and/or international talent competitions. In
some
embodiments of the present invention, such artists and/or bands will be
required to have
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an existing portfolio including one or more of artist and/or band biographies,
original
music, original music videos, professionally recorded songs, and the like.
However, such
a requirement is not necessary to implement the systems and methods of the
present
invention. Talent identification process 400 then proceeds to step 406.
[0084] At step 406, songs are received from the artists and/or bands selected
in step 404.
In one aspect of the present invention, such received songs are original works
that have
been created and performed by the respective artist(s) and/or band(s).
However, alternate
embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in which such received
songs have
been created by entities other than the advancing artist(s) and/or band(s).
Or, such
received songs may be songs originally performed by artist(s) and/or band(s)
other than
the advancing artist and/or band.
[0085] Next, at step 408, the songs received in step 406 are published to an
Internet Web
site. In one embodiment of the present invention, publishing includes
uploading the
information to a server or the like, which would typically be hosted by the
entity
implementing talent identification process 400. Thereafter, critics may access
the
published songs via a portal such as a Web page of the Internet Web site.
Furthermore,
the Web site may include a search engine configured to identify published
songs via one
or more criteria including, but not limited to, artist, band, one or more
keywords, and title.
In such an embodiment, published songs may be retrieved by entering relevant
search
criteria in the search engine. Upon executing the search, the song, as well as
other
information relating to the song and its associated artist and/or band, is
made available to
the critic for listening, downloading, and/or evaluation. Talent
identification process 400
then proceeds to step 410.
[0086] At step 410, published songs have been made available to the critic for
listening,
downloading, and/or evaluation via an Internet Web page. At this point, such
individual
may listen to or download one or more songs. In some embodiments of the
present
invention, the user simply clicks a link corresponding to the song and the
desired task
(e.g., downloading, listening, etc.). In one aspect of the present invention,
clicking such
links may also redirect the individual to the respective artist's and/or
band's Web site to
allow the individual to gain additional information regarding the respective
artist and/or
band.
[0087] During step 410, feedback is received for each published song. In one
embodiment of the present invention, critics vote for each song. In another
embodiment
of the present invention, a server or the like through which the songs have
been published
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tallies the number of times each song is accessed by a critic. For example,
such server
may record the number of times each song is downloaded, listened to, or
otherwise
accessed. Such critique, feedback, or the like may be gathered or collected
via any
system and method known in the art or any systems and methods yet to be
invented
without departing from the scope of the present invention. Such systems and
methods
include, but are not limited to, Internet tracking, electronic mail, text
messaging, servers,
telephones, cell phones, Apple IPodsTM, personal computers, and/or Blackberrys
.
[0088] Talent identification process 400 then proceeds to step 412. The first
phase of
talent identification process 400 will run for a predetermined period. If the
time period
for such phase has not expired, talent identification process 400 returns to
step 410.
However, if such time period has expired, talent identification process 400
proceeds to
step 414.
[0089] At step 414, the feedback received for each song is tallied. In one
aspect of the
present invention, the songs receiving the highest number of votes from the
critics will be
selected to advance to the second phase of talent identification process 400.
However,
alternative methods of tallying feedback may be substituted without departing
from the
scope of the invention. For example, such tallying may include tallying the
number of
times each song is downloaded, listened to, or the like. Talent identification
process 400
then proceeds to step 416.
[0090] At step 416, a plurality of artists and/or bands associated with the
songs receiving
the most favorable feedback are advanced to the second stage of talent
identification
process 400. Thereafter, or simultaneous with step 416, such process proceeds
to step
418, at which a portion of the revenue collected via talent identification
process 400 is
donated to charity. Such revenue may include, but is not limited to, fees
charged to the
critics, advertising or other promotional revenue, sales of goods associated
with talent
identification process 400, and the like as discussed in greater detail above
with respect to
FIG. 1.
[0091] Next, at step 420, the second phase of talent identification process
400 begins and
the process proceeds to step 422. At 422, songs are received from the artists
and/or bands
advanced from the first phase to the second phase in step 416. Next, at step
424, the
received songs are broadcast via radio such as commercial radio, satellite
radio, and the
like. In some embodiments of the present invention, such songs shall be the
same songs
evaluated during other phases of talent identification process 400. However,
alternate
embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in which each advancing
artist
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and/or band must submit new songs for evaluation in one or more of the phases
following
the first phase. Depending upon the specific embodiment of the present
invention, the
broadcast songs may be heard by the general public, private subscribers (e.g.,
satellite
radio subscribers), or a combination thereof
[0092] Talent identification process 400 may optionally proceed to step 426,
or,
alternatively, such step may be omitted. At step 426, songs from the existing
"Super
Groups", existing "Super Artists", or other lesser-known musicians are played
in
combination with the songs received from the advancing artists and/or bands to
provide
perspective to the listeners and/or critics and to attract a larger audience
of listeners.
Talent identification process then proceeds to step 428.
[0093] During step 428, feedback is received for each broadcast song. In one
embodiment of the present invention, critics vote for each song. Such
critique, feedback,
or the like may be provided via any system and method known in the art or any
systems
and methods yet to be invented without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
Such systems and methods include, but are not limited to, Internet tracking,
electronic
mail, text messaging, servers, telephones, cell phones, Apple IpodsTM,
personal
computers, and/or Blackberrys .
[0094] Talent identification process 400 then proceeds to step 430. The second
phase of
talent identification process 400 will run for a predetermined period. If the
time period
for such phase has not expired, talent identification process 400 returns to
step 428.
However, if such time period has expired, talent identification process 400
proceeds to
step 432.
[0095] At step 432, the feedback received for each broadcast song is tallied.
In one
aspect of the present invention, the songs receiving the highest number of
votes from the
critics will be selected to advance to the third phase of talent
identification process 400.
However, alternative methods of tallying feedback may be substituted without
departing
from the scope of the invention. Talent identification process 400 then
proceeds to step
434.
[0096] At step 434, a plurality of artists and/or bands associated with the
songs receiving
the most favorable feedback are advanced to the third stage of talent
identification
process 400. Thereafter, such process proceeds to step 436, at which a portion
of the
revenue collected via talent identification process 400 is donated to charity.
Such revenue
may include, but is not limited to, fees charged to the critics, advertising
or other
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promotional revenue, sales of goods associated with talent identification
process 400, and
the like as discussed in greater detail above with respect to FIG. 1.
[0097] Next, at step 438, the third phase of talent identification process 400
begins and
the process proceeds to step 440. At step 440, artists and/or bands advanced
from the
second phase to the third phase are received. Next, at step 442, the received
artists and/or
bands will compete in a local, national, or international television
competition. In some
embodiments of the present invention, such artists and/or bands shall perform
the same
song or songs evaluated during earlier phases of talent identification process
400.
However, alternate embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in
which each
advancing artist and/or band must perform a new song for evaluation in the
third phase of
talent identification process 400.
[0098] Next, at step 444, the television competition is broadcast to the
entire participating
geographic area of talent identification process 400 (e.g., worldwide) allows
critics within
such geographic area to see, hear, and evaluate such artists and/or bands and
the
associated performances. Such television competition may also be simulcast on
the
Internet, radio, or the like. Step 444 may occur simultaneously with step 442
(i.e., a live
television competition) or subsequent to step 442 (i.e., broadcast of a taped
television
performance). Talent identification process then proceeds to step 446.
[0099] During step 446, feedback is received for each artist and/or band
performing in the
television competition. In one embodiment of the present invention, critics
vote for each
song. Such critique, feedback, or the like may be provided via any system and
method
known in the art or any systems and methods yet to be invented without
departing from
the scope of the present invention. Such systems and methods include, but are
not limited
to, Internet tracking, electronic mail, text messaging, servers, telephones,
cell phones,
Apple IpodsTM, personal computers, and/or Blackberrys .
[00100] Talent identification process 400 then proceeds to step 448. The third
phase of
talent identification process 400 will run for a predetermined period. If the
time period
for such phase has not expired, talent identification process 400 returns to
step 446.
However, if such time period has expired, talent identification process 400
proceeds to
step 450.
[00101] At step 450, the feedback received for each performing artist and/or
band is
tallied. In one aspect of the present invention, the artist and/or band
receiving the highest
number of votes from the critics will be selected as the winner of talent
identification
process 400. However, alternative methods of tallying feedback may be
substituted
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without departing from the scope of the invention. Talent identification
process 400 then
proceeds to step 452.
[00102] At step 452, a determination is made regarding which artist and/or
band
received the most favorable feedback. Thereafter, talent identification
process 400
proceeds to step 454, at which the winning artist and/or band is rewarded. In
the
embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS. 4A ¨ 4C, the winning
artist and/or
band is awarded with a record deal. However, other awards may be substituted
without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
[00103] Next, at step 456, a portion of the revenue collected via talent
identification
process 400 is donated to charity. Such revenue may include, but is not
limited to, fees
charged to the critics, advertising or other promotional revenue, sales of
goods associated
with talent identification process 400, and the like as discussed in greater
detail above
with respect to FIG. 1. Thereafter, talent identification process 400 ends at
step 458.
[00104] Turning now to FIG. 5, illustrated is a schematic diagram of an
exemplary
computer environment 500 for receiving critique, feedback, and the like in
accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment,
computer
environment 500 includes, inter alia, data system 502, Internet 504,
connections 506, and
computing devices 508a, 508b, and 508c.
[00105] Computing devices 508a, 508b, and 508c are connected to Internet 504
via
connections 506, which may be any form of Internet connection known in the art
or yet to
be invented. Connections 506 may include, but are not limited to, telephone
lines (xDSL,
Ti, leased lines, etc.), cable lines, power lines, wireless transmissions, and
the like.
Computing devices 508a, 508b, and 508c include any equipment necessary (e.g.,
modems, routers, etc.), as is known in the art, to facilitate such
communication with the
Internet. Data system 502 is also connected to Internet 504 using one of the
aforementioned methods or other such methods known in the art.
[00106] Using a system such as that depicted in FIG. 3, a critic may vote for
an artist
and/or band via a computing device connected to Internet 504 such as computing
device
508a, 508b, and 508c. Such a computing device may be the individual's personal
computer, an Internet café computer, an Apple IP0dTM, a computerized portable
electronic device (e.g., a personal data assistant, cell phone, etc.), or the
like. Using the
system exemplified in FIG. 5, such voting may include upload of an electronic
form of
the information from a computing device 508a, 508b, and 508c via Internet 504
to data
system 502 (e.g., server, mainframe, computer, etc.), wherein data system 502
is typically
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provided and/or managed by the entity implementing the talent identification
process or
its affiliate, subcontractor, or the like. However, alternate embodiments of
collecting
votes may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof For example,
in one
aspect of the present invention, the voter transmits the vote directly to the
entity
implementing the talent identification process in electronic format without
upload (e.g.,
via electronic mail). Such transmission may also be performed at a computing
device
508a, 508b, or 508c via Internet 504, however, in this scenario, manipulation
by the
entity's staff or systems may be required prior to transferring the voting
information to
data system 502.
[00107] Although the systems and methods disclosed herein have focused on
embodiments in which musical talent is discovered, one of skill in the art may
easily
appreciate that such systems and methods may be equally applied for
identification of
other types of non-musical talent such as models, athletes, actors/actresses,
and the like.
[00108] Referring now to Figs. 6A through 19, depicted are systems and methods
for
discovering talent in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
That is,
the systems and methods of Figs. 6A through 19 provide music fans and the like
the
ability to discover talent on their own and to suggest talent for inclusion in
one or more
competitions and/or in the community of fans, talent, musicians, and the like
created by
the systems and methods of the present invention. The systems and methods of
Figs. 6A
through 19 also track statistics for the talent that may be utilized by in-
house or third
party recruiters for career advancement opportunities.
[00109] Figs. 6A and 6B set forth herein represent an exemplary computing
system
environment for allowing a user of system 600 to perform the methods described
with
respect to Figs. 6A through 19. The depicted computing system environment is
only one
example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended to suggest any
limitation as to the scope of use or functionality. Numerous other general
purpose or
special purpose computing system environments or configurations may be used.
Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations
that
may be suitable for use include, but are not limited to, personal computers
("PCs"), server
computers, handheld or laptop devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-
based
systems, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, cell phones,
tablets,
embedded systems, distributed computing environments that include any of the
above
systems or devices, and the like.
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[00110] Computer-executable instructions such as program modules executed by a
computer may be used. Generally, program modules include routines, programs,
objects,
components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement
particular
abstract data types. Distributed computing environments may be used where
tasks are
performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a
communications
network or other data transmission medium. In a distributed computing
environment,
program modules and other data may be located in both local and remote
computer
storage media including memory storage devices.
[00111] Referring now to Fig. 6A, depicted is an exemplary system 600 for
implementing embodiments of the present invention. This exemplary system
includes,
inter alia, one or more computing devices 602 and server 620, which interface
to each
other via network 610. In its most basic configuration, computing device 602
includes at
least one processing unit 602 and at least one memory 604. Depending on the
exact
configuration and type of the computing device, memory 604 may be volatile
(such as
random access memory ("RAM")), non-volatile (such as read-only memory ("ROM"),
flash memory, etc.), or some combination of the two. This most basic
configuration is
illustrated in Fig. 6A by dashed lines 606. In addition to that described
herein, computing
devices 602 can be any web-enabled handheld device (e.g., cell phone, smart
phone, or
the like) or personal computer including those operating via Android, Apple,
and/or
Windows mobile or non-mobile operating systems.
[00112] Computing device 602 may have additional features/functionality. For
example, computing device 602 may include additional storage (removable and/or
non-
removable) including, but not limited to, magnetic or optical disks or tape,
thumb drives,
and external hard drives as applicable. Such additional storage is illustrated
in Fig. 6A by
removable storage 608 and non-removable storage 610.
[00113] Computing device 602 typically includes or is provided with a variety
of
computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media
that can
be accessed by computing device 602 and includes both volatile and non-
volatile media,
removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation,
computer-
readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media.
[00114] Computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable
and
non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of
information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program
modules or
other data. Memory 604, removable storage 608, and non-removable storage 610
are all
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examples of computer storage media. Computer storage media includes, but is
not
limited to, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
("EEPROM"), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile
disks ("DVD") or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,
magnetic disk
storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be
used to
store the desired information and which can accessed by computing device 602.
Any
such computer storage media may be part of computing device 602 as applicable.
[00115] Computing device 602 may also contain communications connection 612
that
allows the device to communicate with other devices. Such communications
connection
612 is an example of communication media. Communication media typically
embodies
computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules and/or other
data in a
modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and
includes
any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means a
signal that
has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to
encode
information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,
communication media
includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and
wireless
media such as acoustic, radio frequency ("RF"), infrared and other wireless
media. The
term computer-readable media as used herein includes both storage media and
communication media.
[00116] Computing device 602 may also have input device(s) 614 such as
keyboard,
mouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device, etc. Output device(s) 616
such as a
display, speakers, printer, etc. may also be included. All these devices are
generally
known to the relevant public and therefore need not be discussed in any detail
herein
except as provided.
[00117] Notably, computing device 602 is one of a plurality of computing
devices 602
inter-connected by a network 110. As may be appreciated, network 110 may be
any
appropriate network and each computing device 602 may be connected thereto by
way of
connection 612 in any appropriate manner, and each computing device 602 may
communicate with one or more of the other computing devices 602 in network 110
in any
appropriate manner. For example, network 110 may be a wired network, wireless
network, or a combination thereof within an organization or home or the like,
and may
include a direct or indirect coupling to an external network such as the
Internet or the like.
Likewise, the network 110 may be such an external network.
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[00118] Computing device 602 may connect to a server 620 via such an internal
or
external network. Although Fig. 6 depicts computing device 602 located in
close
proximity to server 620, this depiction is not intended to define any
geographic
boundaries. For example, when network 110 is the Internet, computing device
can have
any physical location. For example, computing device may be a tablet, cell
phone,
personal computer, or the like located at any user's office, home, a
performance venue for
the talent, etc. Or computing device could be located proximate to server 620
without
departing from the scope hereof Also, although Fig. 1 depicts computing
devices 602
coupled to server 620 via network 110, computing devices may be coupled to
server 620
via any other compatible networks including, without limitation, an intranet,
local area
network, or the like.
[00119] The system uses a standard client server technology architecture,
which allows
users of the system to access information stored in the relational databases
via custom
user interfaces. The application is hosted on a server such as server 620
which is
accessible via the Internet using a publically addressable Uniform Resource
Locator
("URL"). For example, users can access the system using any web-enabled device
equipped with a web browser. Communication between software component and sub-
systems are achieved by a combination of direct function calls, publish and
subscribe
mechanisms, stored procedures, and direct SQL queries.
[00120] In some embodiments, server 620 is an Edge R200 server as manufactured
by
Dell, Inc., however, alternate servers may be substituted without departing
from the scope
hereof System 600 and/or server 620 utilize a PHP scripting language to
implement the
processes described in detail herein. However, alternate scripting languages
may be
utilized without departing from the scope hereof
[00121] The exemplary embodiment of the present invention utilizes a Linux
variant
messaging subsystem. However, alternate messaging subsystems may be
substituted
including, without limitation, a Windows Communication Foundation ("WCF")
messaging subsystem of a Microsoft Windows operating system utilizing a .NET
Framework 3.0 programming interface.
[00122] Also, in the depicted embodiment, computing device 602 interacts with
server
620 via a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP")
communications
protocol; however, other communication protocols may be substituted.
[00123] Computing devices 602 are equipped with one or more Web browsers to
allow
them to interact with server 620 via a HyperText Transfer Protocol ("HTTP").
HTTP
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functions as a request-response protocol in client-server computing. For
example, a web
browser operating on computing device 602 may execute a client application
that allows
it to interact with applications executed by server 620. The client
application submits
HTTP request messages to the server. Server 620, which provides resources such
as
HTML files and other content, or performs other functions on behalf of the
client
application, returns a response message to the client application upon
request. The
response typically contains completion status information about the request as
well as the
requested content. However, alternate methods of computing device/server
communications may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof
[00124] In the exemplary system 600, server 620 includes one or more databases
622
as depicted in Fig. 6B, which may include a plurality of database tables
including,
without limitation, Ratings, Users, Events, Fan Invitation, Events Talent,
User Uploads,
Admin Info, Purchase, Charity, and Venue database tables 622a through 622j. As
may be
appreciated, database(s) 622 may be any appropriate database capable of
storing data and
it may be included within or connected to server 620 or any plurality of
servers similar to
620 in any appropriate manner.
[00125] In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in Figs.
6A
and 6B, database(s) 622 are structured query language ("SQL") database(s) with
a
relational database management system, namely, MySQL as is commonly known and
used in the art. Database(s) 622 are resident within server 620. However,
other databases
may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present invention
including,
but not limited to, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 MySQL, Microsoft
Access , and Oracle databases, and such databases may be internal or external
to server
620.
[00126] It should be understood that the various techniques described herein
may be
implemented in connection with hardware or software or, as appropriate, with a
combination of both. Thus, the methods and apparatus of the presently
disclosed subject
matter, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program
code (i.e.,
instructions, scripts, and the like) embodied in tangible media, such as
floppy diskettes,
CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium wherein,
when
the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer,
the
machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the presently disclosed subject
matter.
[00127] In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, the
interface unit generally includes a processor, a storage medium readable by
the processor
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(including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least
one input
device, and at least one output device. One or more programs may implement or
utilize
the processes described in connection with the presently disclosed subject
matter (e.g.,
through the use of an application-program interface ("API"), reusable
controls, or the
like). Such programs may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-
oriented
programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the
program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In
any case,
the language may be a compiled or interpreted language, and combined with
hardware
implementations.
[00128] Although exemplary embodiments may refer to utilizing aspects of the
presently disclosed subject matter in the context of one or more stand-alone
computer
systems, the subject matter is not so limited, but rather may be implemented
in connection
with any computing environment, such as system 100 or a distributed computing
environment. Still further, aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter
may be
implemented in or across a plurality of processing chips or devices, and
storage may
similarly be effected across a plurality of devices in system 100. Such
devices might
include personal computers, network servers, and handheld devices (e.g., cell
phones,
tablets, smartphones, etc.), for example.
[00129] In the exemplary embodiment, server 620 and its associated databases
are
programmed to execute a plurality of processes including those shown in Figs.
7A
through 11B and 13A through 18B as discussed in greater detail below. Turning
now to
Figs. 7A and 7B, depicted is process 700 for allowing a user of the systems
and methods
of the present invention to discover talent in accordance with one embodiment
of the
present invention. In the depicted embodiment, such discovery involves the
sending of an
invitation for the talent to join the community created by the systems and
methods of the
present invention.
[00130] Process 700 starts at 702, at which system 600 receives a login
request from a
user. The users referenced herein may be any member of the public. Each user
becomes
a member of the community created by the systems and methods of the present
invention
by accessing a Web page or the like associated with system 600 and selecting a
registration option. Such access is similar to that discussed below for
logging in to
system 600. Thereafter, the user enters various information and selects login
data (e.g., a
user name and password) that will be used to access the user's account at a
future date as
is known in the art.
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[00131] The login request typically involves entry of a user identification
("ID") and
password via the user's computing device 602 as is known in the art. For
example, a user
may open an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome,
Firefox, Safari
or the like, and may enter the desired Uniform Resource Locator ("URL") to
access one
or more predefined Web pages provided by server 620. The Web page displayed to
the
user includes one or more hyperlinks, text entry boxes, and/or the like to
facilitate entry
of a user ID and password as is known in the art. Alternate methods of
accessing the
systems and methods of the present invention may also be added or substituted
without
departing from the scope hereof including mobile applications that provide
access to same
via any one or more mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, Web-enabled
appliances, and the like.
[00132] At step 704, if the user ID and password matches the information
included in,
for example, Users table 622b, the user is logged into system 600 and process
700
proceeds to 706. If a match does not occur, process 700 proceeds to 702, at
which the
user is prompted to re-enter the correct user ID and password.
[00133] At 706, process 700 prompts the user to select or otherwise enter a
talent
profile type for the talent the user wishes to "discover." In the depicted
embodiment, the
profiles that may be selected by a user are dependent upon the type of user
discovering
the talent. The user's type is assigned when the user first registers with
system 600 as
discussed above. That is, during the registration process, the user is
assigned a user type
of fan, intern, or school discoverer. Any user wishing to register with the
systems and
methods of the present invention may register with the type of "fan." Intern
type users
are selected by administrators of the systems and methods of the present
invention, for
example, via selection for a school (e.g., college) internship program or the
like. "School
discoverer" types are assigned to any users that are discovered by "interns"
as discussed
in greater detail below. However, alternate user types and alternate methods
of assigning
user types may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
[00134] In the depicted embodiment, a "fan" can be any user of the system
including,
without limitation, people or talent following established talent and/or
wishing to discover
established talent. The system is designed that a fan may only discover
established talent;
however, alternate embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in
which a fan
can discover other types of talent instead of, or in addition to, established
talent.
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[00135] In the depicted embodiment, "established talent" is talent with
original art
(e.g., music), a cover artist (i.e., a musical artist who records a version of
a song that was
originally recorded by another artist), or a disc jockey ("DJ").
[00136] An "intern" is part of an internship program (e.g., a college
internship
program) associated with the systems and methods of the present invention. An
"intern"
has the same abilities as a "fan" but they also have the additional ability to
discover
"developing talent" and/or "school discoverers." A "developing talent" is
talent that is
just starting his or her career and has not yet created original art, for
example, music. In
addition, developing talent may not yet have determined how to classify their
music
and/or artistic ability. Once developing talent has been discovered by an
intern, he or she
can upload original art (e.g., an original song) and test its popularity in
various ways.
[00137] Any discovered developing talent becomes a part of the discovering
intern's
network. This allows the discovered developing talent to test his/her/their
popularity by
uploading raw versions of original music and videos for access by other people
in the
network. Additionally, the developing talent receives instant feedback from
the network.
For example, developing talent may view information including, but not limited
to: the
number of people in the network who have added the talent's art (e.g.,
song(s), videos,
etc.) to his or her playlist or favorites playlist as described in greater
detail below; how
many times the talent's art has been viewed or played; quantity of fans
requesting the
talent to participate in a live event; and other feedback gathered by system
600 as
discussed in greater detail below. In the depicted embodiment, all talent
media added to a
user's favorite list is tallied as a count of "favorite" songs, "favorite"
videos, or the like
associated with the talent.
[00138] Developing talent cannot sell songs or other art or items via the
systems and
methods of the present invention unless they are reclassified as "established
talent." As
long as the developing talent has uploaded an original song, this
reclassification can be
done with a simple change in his/her/their profile setting. This allows
developing talent
to remain in the "developing" mode until the talent decides which direction to
take as a
musician.
[00139] Talent profile settings are setup by the talent during registration as
discussed
in greater detail below with respect to 728. Talent profiles may include
information such
as, but not limited to: username; password; e-mail address; address; talent
category (e.g.,
original, developing, or DJ); age; gender; talent type (e.g., solo, band,
etc.); live
performer (i.e., whether the talent is willing to perform live events); one or
more genres
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of music played by the talent (e.g., Indie, Rock, Alternative, Jazz, etc.);
talent profile
picture; the distance the talent is willing to travel to perform at an event;
one or more
charities to whom the talent wishes to donate funds; whether the talent wishes
to be
notified of potential performance events that match the talent's profile
settings; and
agreement to terms and conditions of participation in the systems and methods
of the
present invention. However, information may be substituted, deleted, or added
to the
profile without departing from the scope hereof
[00140] In the depicted embodiment of the systems and methods of the present
invention, the developing talent can change his or her profile to: "Original
Artist" (i.e.,
the artist has uploaded original material); "Cover Artist" (i.e., the talent
has decided not to
write or upload his or her own original material but has uploaded the talent's
performance
of another person's music); or "DJ" (i.e., the talent has uploaded a sample
mix created by
the talent or a video of the talent working at a party or a club).
[00141] A "school discoverer" is a college, high school, or middle school
student who
is not an intern. A "school discover" is discovered by an intern and becomes a
part of the
intern's network. The school discoverer can discover established talent and/or
developing
talent. If talent discovered by a school discoverer makes sales via the
systems and
methods of the present invention, the school discoverer and the intern that
discovered the
school discoverer share in any commissions, rewards, promotions, and the like
related to
the discovered talent. For example, in the depicted embodiment, both the
intern and the
school discoverer receive a commission in the amount of 2.5% of all sales made
by the
discovered talent (i.e., they share the commission awarded to a fan in equal
proportions).
However, other methods or rewarding or compensating fans, interns, and/or
school
discoverers for their discovered talent may be substituted without departing
from the
scope hereof
[00142] Once the school discoverer earns the ability to become an intern, he
or she will
be awarded 100% of all rewards, promotions, or the like associated with the
talent he or
she discovers after becoming an intern. That is, for future discoveries only,
the school
discoverer turned intern will no longer have to share the commissions with the
intern that
discovered him or her. In the depicted embodiment, the new intern will
continue to share
the commissions with the intern that discovered him or her for all talent
discovered before
the date upon which the school discoverer becomes an intern. However,
alternate
methods of awarding commissions may be substituted without departing from the
scope
hereof
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[00143] In sum, in the depicted embodiment, if a user is a fan, he or she is
only
permitted to discover talent that has a talent profile of established. If a
user is an intern or
school discoverer, he or she is permitted to discover talent having a talent
profile of
developing or established. However, alternate configurations and/or options
may be
substituted.
[00144] Process 700 then proceeds to 710, at which the user enters the e-mail
information for the discovered talent. In the depicted embodiment of the
present
invention, the user also selects a profile for the talent (e.g., original
artist, cover artist, DJ,
etc.). If the talent receiving the invitation does not agree with the profile
selected by the
inviting user, the talent must decline the invitation (i.e., the talent does
not have the
ability to change his or her profile). However, alternate embodiments are
envisioned in
which the talent may alter his or her profile. Also, in the depicted
embodiment, although
the entered information includes the talent's name, e-mail address, and
profile, alternate
information may be substituted.
[00145] Next, at 712, the information entered at step 710 is compared to the
information stored in Users table 622b (Fig. 6B). If there is a match (e.g.,
if the talent's
email address matches the email address of talent that already exists in Users
table 622b),
this indicates that the talent already has an account, and process 700
proceeds to 714 at
which the user is notified that the talent has already been "discovered"
(i.e., the talent
already has an account in Users table 622b).
[00146] In the depicted embodiment, such notification includes the automatic
generation and transmission (e.g., by server 620) of a predefined email that
is sent to the
e-mail address associated with the user as stored, for example, in Users table
622b. An
email may be sent, for example, via network 610 via a standard Simple Mail
Transfer
Protocol ("SMTP") server and third party SMTP services such as those provided
by
Yahoo, Google, or the like. However, various methods of communication and
methods
of interfacing with same may be substituted without departing from the scope
hereof
including, without limitation, Short Message Service ("SMS"), Facebook ,
Twitter ,
pushing the notification via a mobile application, etc. For example, if the
message is sent
via SMS, it may be transmitted utilizing a web-based SMS gateway interacting
with an
API executed by server 620 or the like. Process 700 then ends at 716. Such
alternate
methods may be utilized for any notification sent via system 600 including
those
discussed in greater detail below.
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[00147] Alternatively, if at 712, the information entered at step 710 is not
present in
Users table 622b, process 700 proceeds to 718 at which an invitation code is
generated.
In the depicted embodiment, the invitation code is automatically generated by
a server
such as server 620, and it includes the user's ID (i.e., a numeric identifier
associated with
the user and stored in Users table 622b in conjunction with the user's other
information)
followed by a random code. In some embodiments, the random code is generated
by built
in PHP or MySQL functions such as md5 and shal. However, alternate random
codes
may be substituted including a code that simply increments the prior issued
code by a
predetermined value. The resulting invitation code is then stored in Fan
Invitation table
622d (Fig. 6B) in step 720. The profile type for the talent (i.e., developing
or established)
may also be stored in this table and linked to the invitation code.
[00148] Process 700 then proceeds to 721, at which the user selects or
otherwise enters
data to cause an invitation to be sent to the discovered talent via electronic
mail ("e-
mail") or another method (e.g., a text message, a hyperlink, Facebook
message, Twitter
message, etc.). In the depicted process, one alternate method of delivering an
invitation is
the sending of a hyperlink to the discovered talent, but any one or more
methods of
sending an invitation may be substituted without departing from the scope of
the present
invention.
[00149] If the user decides to send the invitation via e-mail, process 700
proceeds to
722, as depicted in Fig. 7B, at which the invitation code is forwarded to the
discovered
talent. In the depicted embodiment, such notification includes the automatic
generation
and transmission (e.g., by server 620) of a predefined email that is sent to
the e-mail
address associated with the talent as entered at step 710. This e-mail may
include an
embedded hypertext link upon which the recipient may click in order to accept
the
invitation. An email may be sent, for example, as discussed above with respect
to step
714.
[00150] It should be noted that there is no limit to the quantity of users who
can
generate and send one or multiple invitations to a particular talent who is
not registered
with the systems and methods of the present invention. That is, system 600
will generate
an unlimited quantity of invitation codes until the particular recipient
talent accepts one of
the invitations. Once an invitation is accepted, no more invitation codes may
be
generated for this talent, and all previous invitations are deleted from Fan
Invitation table
622d (Fig. 6B). However, alternate methods are envisioned in which the
quantity of
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invitations is limited in some manner and/or the previously sent invitations
are retained in
database 622.
[00151] Referring back to step 721 as discussed above with reference to Fig.
7A, if a
user does not wish to send the invitation via email, process 700 proceeds to
step 730. At
step 730, the new invitation code is displayed to the user. In the depicted
embodiment,
the code is displayed via one or more predefined Web pages provided by server
620 to the
user via, for example, the user's Web browser. Or, as an alternative to, or in
addition to a
Web browser, the code may be provided via display on a mobile device such as a
smartphone, tablet, Web-enabled appliance or the like. Or the code may be sent
via SMS.
Any compatible method of providing or displaying the code to the user may be
substituted without departing from the scope hereof Then, at 732, the user may
memorize or otherwise record the code for use in step 734. For example, the
user may
copy and paste the code from a Web browser to a document for storage. Any
method of
recording or memorizing the code may be utilized without departing from the
scope
hereof including, without limitation, memorization of the code by the user.
[00152] At 734, the user forwards the invitation code to the talent. The
methods of
forwarding the code are numerous and include, without limitation, sending via
Facebook
message, Twitter message, Talent Contact Forums, regular mail, electronic
mail,
telephone, SMS, blogs, and the like. Thereafter, process 700 proceeds to 724
as depicted
in Fig. 7B.
[00153] At 724, the talent has received an invitation code via one of multiple
methods
and decides whether or not to accept the invitation. If the talent does not
wish to accept
the invitation, process 700 proceeds to 716, at which it ends.
[00154] Alternatively, if at 724, the talent wishes to accept the
invitation to join the
community created by the systems and methods of the present invention, process
700
proceeds to 726, at which acceptance of the invitation is initiated. In the
depicted
embodiment, if the discovered talent received the invitation via e-mail via
step 722,
initiating acceptance includes clicking a hypertext link embedded in the
email. This
clicking directs the user to an invitation acceptance Web page. Or,
alternatively, if the
invitation code was sent to the recipient via alternate methods such as those
described in
step 734, acceptance of the invitation may require the user to access a Web
page via a
predefined URL via the user's Web browser. This Web page will then prompt the
user to
enter his or her invitation code. However, alternate methods of accepting the
invitation
may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof including, without
limitation,
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calling a customer service representative, emailing or texting the intent to
accept, and the
like.
[00155] Next, at 728, the discovered talent is prompted to register with the
systems and
methods of the present invention via display of one or more registration Web
pages that
include various methods of entering information (e.g., text entry boxes, pull
down menus,
etc.). The registration Web page(s) vary based upon whether the talent is a
developing or
established talent, and this information may be determined by the invitation
code. That
is, when server 620 receives the invitation code entered by the talent, it
reads the profile
type (e.g., developing, established talent, etc.) associated with the
invitation code as
stored in Fan Invitation table 622d (Fig. 6B) and presents the talent with the
proper
registration page. However, as discussed above, alternate forms of talent
registration may
be substituted including, without limitation, mail in forms, telephonic
registration, and the
like.
[00156] Once all of the talent's information has been entered via the
registration Web
page(s), a record is created for the talent that includes such information. In
the depicted
embodiment, the information is stored as a new database record in Users table
622b at
step 730. In the depicted embodiment, the database record includes, inter
alia, the
following fields: Discovered User (i.e., this field is populated with the User
ID for the
discovered talent) and Discovering User (i.e., this field is populated with
the User ID(s)
for the fan or fans who discovered the talent). The User ID of the discovering
user may
be derived from the invitation code. However, alternate table fields may be
substituted
without departing from the scope hereof
[00157] Next, at 732, the user(s) who discovered the new talent is notified of
a
successful discovery. In the depicted embodiment, such notification includes
the
automatic generation and transmission (e.g., by server 620) of a predefined
email that is
sent to the e-mail address associated with the discovering user as entered and
stored in,
for example, Users table 622b (at the time the user initially registered with
the systems
and methods of the present invention). This e-mail may include the user ID
associated
with the discovered talent to allow the user to, for example, promote and
track the success
of the discovered talents' music or other media and associated
products/promotional
items. An email may be sent, for example, as discussed above with respect to
step 714.
However, alternate methods of notifying the user(s) of the successful
discovery of talent
may be substituted including, without limitation, SMS text, telephonic, etc.
Process 700
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then proceeds to 734, at which any prior invitations sent to the talent are
deleted from Fan
Invitation table 622d. Thereafter, process 700 proceeds to 716, at which it
ends.
[00158] Turning now to Fig. 8, depicted is a process for allowing a user to
purchase
talent products in accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present
invention
depicted in Figs. 6A through 19. Process 800 starts at 802, at which system
600 receives
a login request from a user as described in greater detail above with respect
to 702. Next,
at step 804, if the user ID and password matches the information included in,
for example,
Users table 622b, the user is logged into system 600, and process 800 proceeds
to 806. If
a match does not occur, process 800 returns to 802, at which the user is
prompted to re-
enter the correct user ID and password.
[00159] At 806, process 800 allows the user to view the talent's products
available for
purchase. The user may find such material by searching, for example, all
products
uploaded for sale by a particular talent. Such products may be listed, for
example, on one
or more Web pages associated with the talent. Once the user finds the
product(s) that he
or she wishes to purchase, the user selects the product(s) to be downloaded by
clicking,
for example, a purchase button or the like (e.g., similar to Buy Now button
1910 as shown
in Fig. 19), and process 800 proceeds to 808.
[00160] At 808, the user selects purchase options. For example, in the
depicted
embodiment, these options include delivery method (e.g., download, standard
delivery, 2
day delivery, etc.), destination name, destination address, and the like.
Next, process 800
proceeds to 810, at which the user is prompted to make a purchase.
[00161] Next, at 812, process 800 receives the user's selection (i.e., product
to be
purchased). Then, at 814, process 800 provides the user with a means for
making
payment, for example, a Web site or the like. In the depicted embodiment, the
user is
directed to a www.paypal.com Web site via a PayPal API or the like, however,
alternate
methods of receiving payment may be substituted including, without limitation,
PaymentechTm methods as offered by Chase Bank. Once payment has been received,
process 800 proceeds to 815.
[00162] At 815, the information related to the processed transaction is
recorded in a
table such as Purchase table 622h (Fig. 6B). The database record may include
information such as, but not limited to, talent user ID, total sale price,
total revenue
derived from sale, purchaser user ID, date of sale, and the like. The
processed transaction
data may also be linked to the database record of the talent whose goods or
services are
being purchased.
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[00163] Then, at 816, the shipment of the order is initiated. This step
includes sending
the information received at step 808 to a third party that warehouses,
packages, and/or
ships the purchased products to the address entered by the user. Process 800
then
proceeds to 818, at which the Products Sold field of the talent who sold the
product(s) is
incremented by the number of products purchased. This field maintains a
running tally of
all of the products sold by the talent via the systems and methods of the
present invention
during the talent's career. Such a field may be stored, for example, in
Purchase Talent
table 622h or the like without departing from the scope hereof Although the
depicted
embodiment includes the ability to track every product purchased, alternate
embodiments
are envisioned in which different types of products are tallied in different
fields. For
example, a field may be created for each type of product sold (e.g., T-shirts
Sold field,
Mugs Sold field, Posters Sold field, etc.). Or, the sales amount (e.g., total
dollar sales)
may be tallied in addition to, or in lieu of, the quantity of products sold.
Process 800 then
initiates process 900 as depicted in Fig. 9 and as described in greater detail
below.
[00164] Turning now to Fig. 9, depicted is a flowchart of one method 900 of
rewarding
a user for discovering talent in accordance with the alternate embodiment of
the present
invention set forth in Figs. 6A through 19 as discussed herein. In one aspect
of the
invention, users are rewarded via the payment of a commission on (or
percentage of) all
future sales associated with the discovered talent. In other words, once the
discovered
talent is registered with system 600, the talent may utilize the systems and
methods of the
present invention to sell talent products including, without limitation, music
downloads,
video downloads, and talent promotional items (e.g., t-shirts, mugs,
backpacks, hats, and
the like) via system 600 as described above with regards to process 800.
However,
alternate methods of offering talent products may be substituted without
departing from
the scope hereof including, without limitation, third party e-commerce
solutions.
[00165] In the depicted embodiment, the commission is paid as soon as the
transaction
is processed. That is, upon the purchase of a talent's music or goods, the
discovering
user(s) (e.g., fans, interns, and/or school discoverers) are immediately
rewarded via, for
example, deposit of the commission into a PayPal account or the like.
However,
alternate embodiments are envisioned in which rewards are awarded on a
predetermined
time schedule (e.g., monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually), and process
900 is
executed for every discovered talent on that predetermined time schedule. Or,
process
900 may be executed for a particular talent whenever the discovering user
prompts the
system to do so.
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[00166] In the depicted embodiment, the user discovering the talent is
rewarded based
upon the talent's Internet and mobile (e.g., cellular phone, electronic
tablet, etc.) sales
only, regardless of where those transactions are made (e.g., at a show, at
home, etc.).
However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which rewards for varying
sales are
substituted or added without departing from the scope hereof
[00167] First, at step 904, the e-commerce transaction data recorded in step
815 (See
Fig. 8) is queried to determine the talent ID associated with the processed
transaction, the
total dollar amount of the sale, and the e-mail address of the talent. Then,
at 906, the
talent's user record (as stored, for example, in Users table 622b) is queried
to determine
whether one or more discovering users are associated with the talent whose
goods or
services were purchased, and the associated e-mail addresses. That is, in the
depicted
embodiment, if the talent whose goods or services are being purchased was
discovered by
a user of system 600 via a process such as process 700, as discussed above,
the
discovering user's or users' identity(ies) are associated with the talent's
database record
as stored in a database table such as Users table 622b. For example, the user
ID(s) of the
discovering user(s) may be stored in discoverer field(s) associated with the
talent's
database record.
[00168] If, at 906, a discovering user is not found, process 900 proceeds to
910 and
operates as discussed below. This may occur, for example, if talent
independently
decides to register with the systems and methods of the present invention
without being
referred or invited by another user. In the depicted embodiment, a user must
be invited
by another user; however, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which an
invitation is
not required.
[00169] Alternatively, if, at 906, a discovering user is found, process 900
proceeds to
908, at which it analyzes the data associated with the discover field(s) as
read in step 906.
In the depicted embodiment, if one discovering user ID is found, the
commission
information is set to equal a predetermined discoverer commission percentage,
for
example, five percent (5%). As discussed below, the discoverer's commission is
a
percentage of total sales, therefore, this commission information allows the
commission
to be calculated. Or, if more than one discovering user IDs are found, in the
depicted
embodiment, each discovering user shares equally in the predetermined
discoverer
commission percentage (again, in this example, five percent (5%)). That is, if
there are
two discovering users, each such user shall be entitled to two and one half
percent (2- 1/2
%) of total sales. This may happen, for example, when the first discoverer is
an intern
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and the second discoverer is a school discoverer associated with that intern.
If
discovering user ID(s) are found, the e-mail address(es) associated with those
user IDs are
also obtained for use in step 908.
[00170] However, alternate embodiments of the present invention are envisioned
in
which varying commission percentages are utilized for different discoverers.
In such a
scenario, a particular discoverer's unique commission percentage may be stored
along
with the discoverer's database record and it may be read as part of step 908.
This
information may be stored, for example, in Users table 622b in association
with the
discovering user's user ID. Also, although the depicted embodiment calculates
the
commission based upon a percentage of total sales, virtually any other form of
commission may be substituted including, without limitation, a percentage of
gross
revenue or some other amount, a flat fee, a fixed dollar amount, reward points
per dollar
of total sales, etc.
[00171] Next, at 910, all commissions for a particular transaction are
calculated. In the
depicted embodiment, commissions are paid to the discovering user(s), and the
talent
associated with the purchased goods or services. The commission(s) for the
discovering
user(s) are calculated based upon the data retrieved in steps 904 and 908. For
example, in
the depicted embodiment, the commission(s) are calculated by multiplying the
commission percentage(s) retrieved or determined in step 908 by the total
sales amount of
the transaction as retrieved in step 904. In this scenario, the commission is
a monetary
amount, however, non-monetary commissions may also be issued (e.g., credits
towards
the purchase of talent products, points, etc.).
[00172] In the depicted embodiment, the talent commission is calculated based
upon
the sales data retrieved in step 904 and a predetermined talent commission
percentage
(e.g., 80%). That is, in the depicted embodiment, the talent commission is
calculated by
multiplying the talent commission percentage by the total sales amount of the
transaction
as retrieved in step 904. Again, in this scenario, the talent commission is a
monetary
amount, however, non-monetary commissions may also be issued (e.g., credits
towards
the purchase of products, points, etc.).
[00173] After all commissions have been calculated, process 900 proceeds to
912. At
912, the commissions are dispensed to the discovering user(s), if any, and the
talent. In
the depicted embodiment, the monetary values calculated at step 910 are
dispensed to
PayPal accounts associated with same. This dispensation is done automatically
utilizing
an API sub-routine developed by PayPal . This sub-routine receives the dollar
amount to
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be dispensed, as calculated in step 910, as well as the talent and discovering
user's payout
email addresses as retrieved during steps 904 and 908. This information allows
the API
sub-routine to automatically deposit the commissions into the PayPal accounts
of the
talent and discovering users. However, alternate methods of dispensing
commissions
may be substituted including, without limitation, mailing of a check, direct
deposit to a
bank account, issuance of a monetary credit or points to be utilized for
products, and the
like. Thereafter, process 900 proceeds to 914.
[00174] It should be noted that any portion of the total sale that has not
been dispensed
as a commission to the talent and/or discovering user(s) is retained by the
provider of the
systems and methods of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, such
provider retains fifteen percent (15%) of the total sales amount when there
are one or
more discovering users, and twenty percent (20%) of the total sales amount
when there
are no discovering users. However, varying amounts and/or percentages may be
substituted without departing from the scope hereof
[00175] Next, at step 914, the database record associated with the talent is
queried to
determine whether or not that talent has selected one or more charities. If
no, process 900
proceeds to step 918, as discussed in greater detail below. If yes, process
900 proceeds to
step 916. At 916, a portion of the total transaction sales is donated to the
selected charity
(ies). The information for payment to the charities may be read from Charity
table 622i
and may be deposited, for example, via a PayPal account associated with the
charity.
However, other methods of dispensing charitable contributions may be
substituted
including, without limitation, mailing of a check, direct deposit to a bank
account,
issuance of a monetary credit or points to be utilized for products, and the
like.
[00176] Next, process 900 proceeds to 918, at which all paid commissions
and/or
donations are recorded in database 622. For example, information such as
dollar value,
date, time, and talent responsible for each charitable donation may be
recorded in
database 622 in a table such as Charity table 622i. Similarly, the dollar
value, date, and
time of commission payments paid to users may be recorded in database 622 in a
table
such as Users table 622b. However, varying types of information may be
recorded in
database 622 or elsewhere without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
Thereafter, process 900 proceeds to 920, at which it ends.
[00177] Turning next to Figs. 10A through 10E, depicted is a flowchart of one
method
for connecting talent, fans, and venues in the community created by the
systems and
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methods of the present invention (the "Community") in accordance with an
alternate
embodiment of the present invention such as that depicted in Figs. 6A through
19.
[00178] Process 1000 starts at 1002, at which system 600 receives a login
request from
a user. In this process, the user will typically be associated with a venue at
which one or
more of the talent within the Community might perform or otherwise display
their
talents/art. The venue type users referenced herein may be any venue that
hosts and/or
promotes events. Each venue type user becomes a member of the community
created by
the systems and methods of the present invention by accessing a Web page or
the like
associated with system 600 and selecting a registration option. Such access is
similar to
that discussed above for logging in to system 600. Thereafter, the user enters
various
information and selects login data (e.g., a user name and password) that will
be used to
access the user's account at a future date as is known in the art.
[00179] Such a request typically involves entry of a user
identification ("ID") and
password via the user's computing device 602 as is known in the art. For
example, a user
may open an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome,
Firefox, Safari
or the like, and may enter the desired Uniform Resource Locator ("URL") to
access one
or more predefined Web pages provided by server 620. The Web page displayed to
the
user includes one or more hyperlinks, text entry boxes, and/or the like to
facilitate entry
of a user ID and password as is known in the art. Alternate methods of
accessing the
systems and methods of the present invention may also be added or substituted
without
departing from the scope hereof including mobile applications that provide
access to same
via any one or more mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, Web-enabled
appliances, and the like.
[00180] At step 1004, if the user ID and password matches the information
included in
Users table 622b, the user is logged into system 600, and process 1000
proceeds to 1006.
If a match does not occur, process 1000 returns to 1002, at which the user is
prompted to
re-enter the correct user ID and password.
[00181] Next, at step 1006, process 1000 determines whether the user's
subscription is
active. For example, process 1000 may query the active subscription field
associated
with the user's record as stored in Users table 622b. If, at 1006, it is
determined that the
user does not have an active subscription, process 1000 proceeds to 1008.
[00182] At 1008, in the depicted embodiment, the account balance for the venue
user
is queried to determine if there are sufficient funds to proceed. For example,
in the
depicted embodiment, a token system is utilized, and, at 1008, the account is
queried to
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determine whether there is more than one token in the account. If the account
balance
does not have sufficient funds to proceed (i.e., there is less than one token
in the account),
process 1000 proceeds to 1010, at which the venue user is prompted to purchase
one or
more tokens or to purchase an active subscription.
[00183] Next, at 1012, process 1000 receives the user's selection (i.e.,
purchase of an
active subscription or one or more tokens). Then, at 1014, process 1000
provides the user
with a means for making payment, for example, a Web site or the like. In the
depicted
embodiment, the user is directed to a www.paypal.com Web site via a PayPal
API or the
like, however, alternate methods of receiving payment may be substituted. Once
payment
has been received, the details of the transaction are stored in Purchase table
622h or the
like, and control is returned to process 1000.
[00184] Next, process 1000 updates the user record to reflect the purchase at
1016.
For example, if the user chose to purchase an active subscription at step
1012, the active
subscription field of the user's database record is marked "A" and is stored
in a database
table such as Users table 622b. Or, alternatively, if the user chose to
purchase tokens at
1012, the token field of the user's database record is updated to reflect the
quantity of
tokens purchased. A user may choose to purchase tokens if he/she/they wish to
"pay as
they go" rather than purchasing an active subscription.
[00185] Next, process 1000 proceeds to 1018 as shown in Fig. 10B. Step 1018
may
also be reached directly from step 1008 (Fig. 10A) if the user has sufficient
funds in his or
her account, thereby negating the need for the user to purchase tokens or the
like via steps
of 1010 through 1016. At step 1018, process 1000 charges the user for the
posting. In
the depicted embodiment, one token is charged. That is, process 1000 decreases
the
number of tokens available in the token field of the user's database record by
one.
Process 1000 then proceeds to 1020.
[00186] At 1020, the user is prompted to create his or her
advertisement/posting. It
should be noted that step 1020 may also be reached directly from step 1006 if
the user has
an active subscription. That is, when a venue user purchases an active
subscription, the
user is allowed to post an unlimited quantity of event bookings as described
below and is
allowed to advertise an unlimited quantity of events (whether talent for such
events was
found through system 600 or elsewhere). However, alternate types of active
subscriptions
may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof
[00187] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1022. At 1022, the legal terms and
conditions
of the posting are presented to the user. If the user does not wish to accept
the terms and
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conditions, process 1000 proceeds to 1099 (Fig. 10E), at which it ends. In the
depicted
embodiment, accepting the terms and conditions presented to the venue user at
step 1022
requires the venue to automatically agree to the terms and conditions of the
legal
document generated at steps 1071 or 1106 and/or to electronically sign such
documents,
as discussed in greater detail below. However, alternate embodiments are
envisioned in
which the legal documents are reviewed and signed separate from the terms and
conditions presented at step 1022.
[00188] If the user accepts the legal terms and conditions presented at step
1022,
process 1000 proceeds to 1024, at which the user selects a private or open
event (i.e., the
engagement of talent to perform or otherwise display his or her art) posting.
If the user
selects a "Private" posting, process 1000 proceeds to 1026. At 1026,
information related
to the posting is received from the user. For example, this step may present a
template via
a Web page or the like to the user with predefined data fields to allow and
guide the user
to enter the necessary information. This information may include, without
limitation, one
or more of the following: name of talent desired to perform at the event,
event name,
event date and time, event duration, music genre, age limits for attendees,
capacity of the
venue, price to be paid by the venue to the talent, terms of payment, venue
site conditions,
talent and/or venue cancellation policy, responsibilities of the talent,
equipment to be
supplied by the venue and/or by the talent, and a deadline for response (to
accept or
decline the event).
[00189] Next, at 1027, the information entered by the user is received and
recorded in
a database table such as Events table 622c. Process then proceeds to 1028, at
which the
contact information for the talent submitted by the user in step 1024 is
queried from a
database table such as Events Talent table 622e. For example, such contact
information
may be the talent's email address, phone number, or the like.
[00190] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1029, at which database 622 is queried
to
determine whether the desired talent is available. That is, database 622 is
queried to
determine if a booked event already exists in the database for that particular
talent that
overlaps with the requested date and time. If an overlapping booked event
exists, the
talent is not available to perform, and process 1000 proceeds to 1031, at
which the venue
is notified that the talent is not available. Thereafter, process 1000 ends at
1099 (Fig.
10E). Such a process reduces or eliminates the ability for talent to
doublebook using
system 600, thereby decreasing any frustration related thereto on the part of
the venue
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and/or the talent. However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which the
talent is
allowed to doublebook and/or accept a new request in lieu of a pre-arranged
booking.
[00191] Alternatively, if no overlapping booked event exists for the requested
date and
time, the talent is available, and process 1000 proceeds to 1030, at which a
request is
made to the talent in relation to the private event posting. In the depicted
embodiment,
such request includes the automatic generation and transmission (e.g., by
server 620) of a
predefined email that is sent to the e-mail address associated with the talent
as retrieved
from Events Talent table 622e at step 1028. This e-mail may include an
embedded
hypertext link upon which the recipient may click in order to view the event
request. An
email may be sent, for example, as discussed above with respect to step 714.
[00192] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1032, at which the details of the
request are
displayed to the user. In the depicted embodiment, the details are displayed
via one or
more predefined Web pages provided by server 620 to the user via, for example,
the
user's Web browser. Or, as an alternative to, or in addition to a Web browser,
the details
may be provided via display on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet,
Web-
enabled appliance of the like. Or the details may be sent via SMS. Any
compatible
method of providing or displaying the details of the request to the talent may
be
substituted without departing from the scope hereof
[00193] Then, at 1034 as depicted in Fig. 10C, the talent decides whether or
not to
accept the event request. If the event is not accepted, process 1000 proceeds
to 1099 (Fig.
10E), at which it ends. If the request is accepted, process 1000 proceeds to
1052 as
discussed in greater detail below. The request may be accepted, for example,
by clicking
an "Accept Private Event Request" hyperlink, graphical button, or the like
that is
displayed along with the private event information.
[00194] Referring back to step 1024, if the user decides to post an open event
request,
process 1000 proceeds to 1036. At 1036, information related to the posting is
received
from the user. For example, this step may present a template via a Web page to
the user
with predefined data fields to allow and guide the user to enter the necessary
information.
This information may include, without limitation, one or more of the
following: event
name, event date and time, event duration, music genre, age limits for
attendees, capacity
of the venue, price to be paid by the venue to the talent, the quantity of
talent desired,
terms of payment, venue site conditions, venue and/or talent cancellation
policy,
responsibilities of the talent, equipment to be supplied by the venue and/or
by the talent,
and a deadline for response (to accept or decline the event). In the depicted
embodiment
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of the present invention, a venue user may submit a range of suggested prices
to be paid
to the talent or a fixed price. Such suggestions may be submitted in a
comments field or
the like. Or, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which the venue
determines the
price as part of the posting information.
[00195] Next, at 1037, the information entered by the user is received and
recorded in
a database table such as Events table 622c. Process then proceeds to 1038, at
which the
location of the venue user is queried from a database table such as Users
table 622b. For
example, such location information may include the venue's zip code, town,
state, street
address, or other geographical information. In the depicted embodiment, this
location
information is utilized to retrieve the longitudinal and latitudinal
coordinates of the venue
via incorporation of an API such as the Google Maps API, which are saved in
association with the venue user's profile in a database table such as Users
table 622b.
Alternate APIs may also be substituted including, without limitation, MapQuest
and
Bing . However, retrieval of such longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates is
not required
to implement the present invention.
[00196] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1040, at which a query is performed to
find all
talent who have not chosen to opt out of notifications (e.g., event
notifications). For
example, in the depicted embodiment, Events Talent table 622e and/or the like
is queried
to retrieve all talent whose records do not include a "Y" in the "Notification
Opt Out"
field. This field is populated, for example, when the talent initially
registers with the
systems and methods of the present invention as discussed above with respect
to steps
728 and 730 (Fig. 7B).
[00197] Next, at 1042, the records retrieved at step 1040 are filtered to
determine a
potential talent pool. In the depicted embodiment, process 1000 reads the zip
code or
other geographical information associated with each of the records and
utilizes an API
such as the Google Maps API to determine the longitudinal and latitudinal
coordinates
associated with each of the records. These coordinates are then compared to
the
coordinates associated with the venue requesting the event to determine the
aerial
distance between the venue and the talent. This calculated aerial distance is
then
compared to the maximum aerial distance associated with each talent record.
Talent
records for which the calculated aerial distance exceeds the maximum aerial
distance
associated with the record are removed from the pool of potential talent.
[00198] Maximum aerial distances may be set by the talent user during the
registration
process (or at some time thereafter) and may indicate the aerial or other
distance that the
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talent is willing to travel to perform at an event. Each of the parameters
utilized to
determine whether talent will be notified of a posted event is considered
notification
criteria including, without limitation, maximum aerial distance, genre type,
consenting to
receive notifications, and the like.
[00199] In the depicted embodiment, the venue posting the event also sets a
maximum
distance in which the talent must be located in order to perform at the event
(or apply to
perform at the event). If the talent is located farther than the maximum
distance set by the
venue, the talent is removed from the pool of potential talent. In other
words, in the
depicted embodiment, a maximum aerial distance set by the venue will override
the
maximum aerial distance set by the talent. Therefore, if talent is located
farther than the
maximum aerial distance set by the venue, but within the maximum aerial
distance set by
the talent, such talent will not be notified of the event. However, this
feature is not
required to implement the present invention.
[00200] The depicted embodiment of the present invention also filters records
to
eliminate any talent that has a "live event" genre that differs from the genre
desired for
the event as indicated by the venue in the open event request. The "live
event" genre
associated with the talent may be set or modified by the talent user at
registration or at
some time thereafter. The event genre is submitted by the venue user when
submitting an
event request as discussed above with respect to step 1036. However, other
methods of
filtering the talent pool may be substituted or added without departing from
the scope
hereof Embodiments are also envisioned in which the talent is not filtered
prior to
posting the open event request (i.e., all talent has the opportunity to
respond to the
request).
[00201] Once the talent pool has been determined, process 1000 proceeds to
1043 as
depicted in Fig. 10C, at which the contact information for the talent filtered
in step 1042
is queried from a database table such as Events Talent table 622e. For
example, such
contact information may include the talent's email address, phone number, or
the like.
[00202] Next, at 1044, a request is made to the talent filtered in step 1042
in relation to
the open event posting. In the depicted embodiment, such request includes the
automatic
generation and transmission (e.g., by server 620) of a predefined email that
is sent to the
e-mail addresses associated with the filtered talent as retrieved from, for
example, Events
Talent table 622e at step 1043. This e-mail may include an embedded hypertext
link
upon which the recipient(s) may click in order to view the event request. An
email may
be sent, for example, as discussed above with respect to step 714.
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[00203] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1046, at which the details of the
request are
displayed to the user. In the depicted embodiment, the details are displayed
via one or
more predefined Web pages provided by server 620 to the user via, for example,
the
user's Web browser. Or, as an alternative to, or in addition to a Web browser,
the details
may be provided via display on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet,
Web-
enabled appliance or the like. Or the details may be sent via SMS. Any
compatible
method of providing or displaying the details of the request to the talent may
be
substituted without departing from the scope hereof
[00204] Then, at 1048, the talent decides whether or not to apply to the open
event
request. If the talent does not wish to apply, process 1000 proceeds to 1099
(Fig. 10E), at
which it ends. If the talent wishes to apply to the open event request,
process 1000
proceeds to 1050, at which a response is entered. In the depicted embodiment
of the
present invention, such a response must include, for example, the talent's
price for
performing the open event or the request will not be accepted. This allows the
venue user
to evaluate all talent interested in performing at the event based upon price
and other
criteria related to the user as discussed in greater detail below with regards
to Fig. 12.
However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which the talent is not
required to
submit the talent's price for performing the open event. After any required
information is
entered, the talent clicks an "Accept Open Event Request" graphical button or
the like to
proceed.
[00205] Next, at 1051, database 622 is queried to determine whether the talent
wishing
to apply to the posting is available to perform. That is, database 622 is
queried to
determine if a booked event already exists in the database for that particular
talent that
overlaps with the requested date and time. If an overlapping booked event
exists, the
talent is not available to perform, and process 1000 proceeds to 1055. At
1055, the talent
is notified that he or she is already booked to perform at an event that
overlaps with the
requested date and time and that a new application will not be accepted by
system 600.
Thereafter, process 1000 ends at 1099 (Fig. 10E). Such a process reduces or
eliminates
the ability for talent to doublebook using system 600, thereby decreasing any
frustration
related thereto on the part of the venue and/or the talent. However, alternate
embodiments are envisioned in which the talent is allowed to doublebook and/or
accept a
new request in lieu of a pre-arranged booking.
[00206] Alternatively, if, at 1051, no overlapping booked event exists for the
requested
date and time, the talent is available, and process 1000 proceeds to 1053. At
1053,
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database 622 is queried to determine whether the desired talent has a
conflict. More
specifically, database 622 is queried to determine whether the talent already
submitted an
application to perform at another event that overlaps with the date and time
of the event to
which the applicant wishes to apply. If an application for an overlapping
event exists,
process 1000 proceeds to 1057, at which the conflict is displayed to the
talent, and the
talent is provided with an option to replace the prior application for the
overlapping event
with the new application to be submitted or abandon the application in the
process of
being submitted.
[00207] If, at 1057, the talent does not wish to replace the prior application
for the
overlapping event, process 1000 proceeds to 1099 (Fig. 10E), at which it ends.
If the
talent wishes to replace the prior application, the prior application is
removed from the
respective venue's Open Event Dashboard, and process 1000 proceeds to 1052.
Step
1052 may also be reached directly from step 1053 if there are no prior
applications for an
event that overlap with the event to which the talent wishes to apply. Step
1052 may also
be reached from 1034 as discussed above.
[00208] At 1052, process 1000 determines whether the talent's subscription is
active.
In the depicted embodiment, process 1000 may query the active subscription
field
associated with the talent's record as stored in Users table 622b. If, at
1052, it is
determined that the talent does not have an active subscription, process 1000
proceeds to
1054.
[00209] At 1054, in the depicted embodiment, the account balance for the
talent is
queried to determine if there are sufficient funds to proceed. For example, in
the depicted
embodiment, a token system is utilized, and, at 1054, the account is queried
to determine
whether there is more than one token in the account. If the account balance
does not have
sufficient funds to proceed (i.e., there is less than one token in the
account), process 1000
proceeds to 1056, at which the talent is prompted to purchase one or more
tokens or an
active subscription.
[00210] Next, at 1058 as shown in Fig. 10D, process 1000 receives the talent's
selection (i.e., purchase of an active subscription or one or more tokens).
Then, at 1060,
process 1000 provides the user with a means for making payment, for example, a
Web
site or the like. In the depicted embodiment, the user is directed to a
www.paypal.com
Web site via a PayPal API or the like, however, alternate methods of
receiving payment
may be substituted. Once payment has been received, control is returned to
process 1000,
which then updates the talent record to reflect the purchase at step 1062. For
example, if
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the user chose to purchase an active subscription at step 1058, the active
subscription
field of the talent's database record is marked "A" and is stored in a
database table such
as Users table 622b. Or, alternatively, if the user chose to purchase tokens
at 1058, the
token field of the talent's database record is updated to reflect the quantity
of tokens
purchased.
[00211] Next, process 1000 proceeds to 1064. Step 1064 may also be reached
directly
from step 1054 (Fig. 10C) if the talent has sufficient funds in his or her
account, thereby
negating the need for the talent to purchase tokens or the like via steps of
1056 through
1062. At step 1064, process 1000 charges the talent for applying to the
Private or Open
event posting. In the depicted embodiment, one token is charged. That is,
process 1000
decreases the number of tokens available in the token field of the talent's
database record
by one. Process 1000 then proceeds to 1066. It should be noted that although
the
depicted methods charge talent for applying, alternate embodiments of the
present
invention are envisioned in which the talent is only charged if his/her/their
application is
accepted by the venue and an event is booked.
[00212] At 1066, the legal terms and conditions of applying to the "Open
Event"
posting are presented to the talent. It should be noted that process 1000 may
reach step
1066 from either of steps 1052 or 1064. If the talent does not wish to accept
the terms and
conditions, process 1000 proceeds to 1099 (Fig. 10E), at which it ends.
Alternatively, if
the talent accesses and agrees to the legal terms and conditions, process 1000
proceeds to
1068. In the depicted embodiment, accepting the terms and conditions presented
to the
talent at step 1066 requires the talent to automatically agree to the terms
and conditions of
the legal document generated at step 1071 or 1106 and/or to electronically
sign such
documents, as discussed in greater detail below. However, alternate
embodiments are
envisioned in which the legal documents are reviewed and signed separate from
the terms
and conditions presented at step 1066.
[00213] Next, at 1068, process 1000 determines whether the event accepted or
applied
to by the talent as described in Figs. 10A through 10C is open or private. If
the event is a
private event accepted by the talent, process 1000 proceeds to 1070. In the
depicted
embodiment, acceptance by the talent of a private event binds the venue to the
terms and
conditions of the deal offered by the venue, however, alternate embodiments
are
envisioned in which the talent's acceptance of the posting does not bind the
venue.
[00214] At 1070, the venue that posted the event is notified that the desired
talent has
agreed to perform the event. In the depicted embodiment of the present
invention, this
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notification involves displaying an acceptance message on the venue's
"dashboard" or
other informational screen. Such a dashboard may include information such as
that
depicted on the Open Event Dashboard shown in Fig. 12 as discussed below with
the
exception of the talent application acceptance graphical buttons 1219 and
talent
application rejection graphical buttons 1221. That is, in a private event,
talent application
acceptance graphical buttons 1219 and/or talent application rejection
graphical buttons
1221 are not required since the venue has selected the talent prior to sending
an invitation
to the talent, and the event is booked upon acceptance by the talent. However
alternate
methods of providing such notification to the venue may be added or
substituted without
departing from the scope hereof including, without limitation, e-mail
notification, text
notification, and the like.
[00215] In the depicted embodiment of the present invention, talent can only
accept a
private event at the price offered by the venue when the event was posted
(e.g., at step
1026). If the talent wishes to perform the event for a different price, the
venue must
resubmit a new posting with the agreed upon price. However, alternate
embodiments are
envisioned in which system 600 allows the venue and the talent to negotiate a
price
without re-posting the event.
[00216] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1071, at which documents are
automatically
generated and automatically electronically signed as per the talent's
acceptance of the
terms and conditions presented at step 1066 and the venue's acceptance of the
terms and
conditions at step 1022. Thereafter, at 1072, the event is displayed. These
steps are
nearly identical, or may be nearly identical to steps 1106 and 1108,
respectively, as
discussed in greater detail below with respect to Figs. 11A and 11B.
Thereafter, process
1000 proceeds to 1073.
[00217] At 1073, potential fans are queried. In the depicted embodiment of the
present
invention, a query is performed to find all fans whom have not chosen to opt
out of
notifications (e.g., event notifications). For example, in the depicted
embodiment, Users
table 622b and/or the like is queried to retrieve all fans whose records do
not include a
"Y" in the "Notification Opt Out" field. This field is populated, for example,
when the
fan initially registers with the systems and methods of the present invention.
[00218] Next, at 1074, the location of the venue for the event accepted by the
talent is
queried from a database table such as Users table 622b. For example, such
location
information may include the venue's zip code, town, state, street address, or
other
geographical information. In the depicted embodiment, this location
information is
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utilized to retrieve the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates of the venue
via
incorporation of an API such as the Google Maps API, which are saved in
association
with the event's record in a database table such as Events table 622c.
However, retrieval
of such longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates is not required to implement
the present
invention.
[00219] Next, at 1076, the records retrieved at step 1072 are filtered to
determine a
potential fan pool for the event. In the depicted embodiment, process 1000
reads the zip
code or other geographical information associated with each of the fan records
and
utilizes an API such as the Google Maps API to determine the longitudinal and
latitudinal coordinates associated with each of the records. These coordinates
are then
compared to the coordinates associated with the venue at which the event will
be held to
determine the aerial distance between the event venue and the fan. This
calculated aerial
distance is then compared to the maximum aerial distance associated with each
fan
record. Fan records for which the calculated aerial distance exceeds the
maximum aerial
distance associated with the fan record are removed from the pool of potential
fans. Such
maximum aerial distances may be set by the fan user during the registration
process (or at
some time thereafter) and indicate the distance a fan is willing to travel to
an event.
[00220] The depicted embodiment of the present invention also filters records
to
eliminate any fans that have a "live event" genre that differs from the genre
of the event.
The "live event" genre associated with the fan may be set or modified by the
fan user at
registration or at some time thereafter. The event genre is submitted by the
venue user
when submitting an event request as discussed above with respect to step 1026.
However, other methods of filtering the fan pool may be substituted or added
without
departing from the scope hereof Embodiments are also envisioned in which the
fan pool
is not filtered prior to sending invitations to the event (i.e., all fans have
the opportunity to
receive an invitation).
[00221] Once the fan pool has been determined, process 1000 proceeds to 1078
of Fig.
10E, at which the contact information for the fans filtered in step 1076 is
queried from a
database table such as Users table 622b. For example, such contact information
may be
the fan's email address, phone number, or the like.
[00222] Next, at 1079, an invitation is generated and sent to each of the fans
filtered in
step 1076 to invite each of the fans to the event. In the depicted embodiment,
such
invitation includes the automatic generation and transmission (e.g., by server
620) of a
predefined email that is sent to the e-mail addresses associated with the
filtered fans as
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retrieved from, for example, Users table 622b at step 1078. This e-mail may
include an
embedded hypertext link upon which the recipient(s) may click in order to view
the
details of the event. An email may be sent, for example, as discussed above
with respect
to step 714. These details may include, but are not limited to, talent name,
date, time,
venue, and the like for the specific event.
[00223] Upon receipt, the recipient may open the email and clicks the embedded
hypertext link to view the invitation (including the details of the event). In
the depicted
embodiment, the details are displayed via one or more predefined Web pages
provided by
server 620 to the user via, for example, the user's Web browser. Or, as an
alternative to,
or in addition to a Web browser, the details may be provided via display on a
mobile
device such as a smartphone, tablet, Web-enabled appliance or the like. Or the
details
may be sent via SMS. Any compatible method of providing or displaying the
details of
the event to the fan may be substituted without departing from the scope
hereof
[00224] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1080, at which the details of the event
are
stored in database 622 via a table such as Events table 622c. Such details may
include,
but are not limited to, event ID, venue, talent name, contract date (i.e., the
date of the
contract executed between the venue and the talent), contract time (i.e., the
time of the
contract executed between the venue and the talent), event date, event time,
price paid to
talent for the event, duration of the event, special arrangements required,
and the like.
[00225] Next, at 1081, a live show code is generated. This code allows a fan
or other
viewer of the live event to enter feedback for the event as discussed in
greater detail
below with regards to Figs. 13A and 13B. In the depicted embodiment, the live
show
code is a QR ("Quick Response") code, however, other codes may be substituted
without
departing from the scope hereof including, without limitation, a unique event
identification number. Or, alternate methods of linking the systems and
methods of the
present invention to the live event (other than codes) may be substituted. In
the depicted
embodiment of the present invention, the live show code is generated by a
third party QR
generator API; however, alternate methods may be substituted.
[00226] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1082, at which the code generated at
1081 is
provided to the venue. In the depicted embodiment, such provision includes
displaying
the live event code to the venue. More specifically, a live event code
graphical button is
displayed on the venue's Open Event Dashboard such as that depicted in Fig.
12.
Clicking on the live event code graphical button displays the code to the
venue user
and/or allows the venue user to download the code for recordation,
reproduction, etc.
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This allows the venue to display the code at the live event, which allows
viewers at the
event to utilize the code to provide feedback via the systems and methods of
the present
invention.
[00227] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1083, at which the Event Booking field
of the
talent booking the event is incremented by one. This maintains a running tally
of all of
the events booked by the talent via the systems and methods of the present
invention
during the talent's career. Such a field may be stored, for example, in Events
Talent table
622e or the like without departing from the scope hereof
[00228] Next, at 1084, the event is promoted. In the depicted embodiment of
the
present invention, such promotion includes displaying the details of the event
(e.g., talent
name, venue name, live show code or link to download live show code, etc.) on
one or
more Web pages associated with the systems and methods of the present
invention.
However, other methods of promoting the event may be added or substituted
without
departing from the scope hereof Process 1000 then proceeds to 1099, at which
it ends.
[00229] Alternatively, if, at step 1068, it is determined that the event is an
open event,
process 1000 proceeds to 1085. At 1085, the venue that posted the event is
notified that
talent has applied to perform at the event. In the depicted embodiment, such
notification
includes the automatic generation and transmission (e.g., by server 620) of a
predefined
email that is sent to the e-mail addresses associated with the venue hosting
the event.
This e-mail may include an embedded hypertext link upon which the recipient(s)
may
click in order to view the talent name, talent profile, and price requested by
the talent for
the requested event. In the depicted embodiment of the present invention,
clicking this
link directs the venue user to the venue's dashboard as discussed herein, and
the
dashboard displays the necessary information regarding the talent's
application to
perform at the event. However, alternate methods of providing such
notification to the
venue may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof including,
without
limitation, e-mail notification, text notification, and the like.
[00230] After the notification is sent, process 1000 performs steps 1086
through 1094,
which are nearly identical to steps 1073 through 1079 as discussed above with
one
exception. At step 1094, process 1000 sends a polling question to the fans in
the fan pool
(in lieu of an invitation to the event). In the depicted embodiment, the
polling question is
"Would you like to see this talent?" in reference to the talent that applied
for the event in
the preceding steps.
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[00231] Next, at 1096, the responses to the polling question are recorded, for
example,
in Events Talent table 622e. In the depicted embodiment, the responses
indicate whether
or not the user wishes to see the talent perform. These "want to see" votes
are tallied and
displayed to the venue hosting the event via, for example, the venue's Open
Event
Dashboard. However, other polling questions/responses may be posed/recorded
and/or
such responses may be utilized differently without departing from the scope
hereof
including, without limitation, "do not want to see" votes.
[00232] Process 1000 then proceeds to 1097, at which the details of the event
are
stored in database 622 via a table such as Events table 622c. Such details may
include,
but are not limited to, event ID, venue, talent name, contract date (i.e., the
date of the
contract executed between the venue and the talent), contract time (i.e., the
time of the
contract executed between the venue and the talent), event date, event time,
price paid to
talent for the event, duration of the event, special arrangements required,
and the like.
Thereafter, process 1000 returns to 1096, at which it continues to record
"want to see" or
other types of responses (e.g., votes).
[00233] Turning now to Figs. 11A and 11B, depicted is a process for allowing a
venue
to accept a talent's application to perform for a specific event. Such an
acceptance may
be initiated via, for example, the venue's Open Event Dashboard. One such
exemplary
dashboard is depicted in Fig. 12.
[00234] As seen in Fig. 12, Open Event Dashboard 1200 is available to the
respective
venue via the systems and methods of the present invention. That is, the venue
may
access a Web page or the like that displays the Open Event Dashboard when
logged into
system 600. The Open Event Dashboard 1200 may include information such as, but
not
limited to, event title 1202, event date 1204, event location 1206, event
times 1208 (e.g.,
doors open time and show time), venue capacity 1210, minimum age requirement
1212,
open event booking duration time 1214 (i.e., the duration of time remaining to
book talent
for the event), event Web site 1216, documents 1217 (clicking this button
automatically
generates copies of the legal documents that are automatically generated and
electronically signed when talent agrees to perform a private event or when a
venue
selects talent to perform at an open event), list of talent who applied to
perform 1218,
talent application acceptance graphical buttons 1219, talent application
rejection graphical
buttons 1221, quantity of fans wishing to see specific talent perform at the
event 1220
(i.e., those fans who cast "want to see" votes as discussed in greater detail
above with
respect to Fig. 10E, career average check-ins per show 1222 (e.g., the
quantity of unique
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check-ins associated with the listed talent divided by the total number of
events
performed by the listed talent), Show rate 1223 (e.g., the quantity of pre-
registered fans
who check in at an event divided by the quantity of fans who submitted a "want
to see"
vote, for example, at step 1096 of Fig. 10E), live event code 1224, and price
1230 (the
price the talent is requesting to be paid to perform at the event). However,
alternate
embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in which the Open Event
Dashboard
includes varying information without departing from the scope hereof Or, data
displayed
on the Open Event Dashboard may be calculated differently without departing
from the
scope hereof For example, although attendance by fans who register at an event
is
excluded from the Show Rate calculation, alternate embodiments are envisioned
in which
such attendance is included.
[00235] Referring back to Fig. 11, the exemplary process for allowing a venue
to
accept a talent application begins at 1102. At 1102, the talent applications
are accepted or
rejected. In the depicted embodiment, this occurs when someone associated with
the
venue clicks accept graphical button 1219 or reject graphical button 1221 in
the venue's
Open Event Dashboard. Rejected talent information (e.g., name as listed in
1218,
quantity of fans wishing to see specific talent perform at the event 1220,
average check-in
data 1222, show rate data 1223, price data 1230, talent accept and reject
graphical buttons
1219 and 1221, respectively, etc.) is then removed from the respective venue's
Open
Event Dashboard.
[00236] Next, process 1100 proceeds to 1104, at which all accepted and
rejected talent
are notified. In the depicted embodiment, such notification includes the
automatic
generation and transmission (e.g., by server 620) of a predefined email that
is sent to the
e-mail address associated with the talent as stored in Users table 622b as
discussed in
greater detail above with regards to step 714. However, various methods of
communication and methods of interfacing with same may be substituted without
departing from the scope hereof including, without limitation, SMS, regular
mail, and
telephone. Process 1100 then proceeds to 1106.
[00237] At 1106, documents are generated. In the depicted embodiment, such
documents include a legal contract that includes the terms and conditions of
the booking.
The contract may be prepared using a pre-written contract applicable to the
type of event
to be performed, and a collection of such pre-written contracts may be saved
in database
622, for example, in Admin Info table 622g, which stores this and other types
of
administrative data. Variable data may be imported from other tables in
database 622 and
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automatically inserted in the applicable contract. Such data may include,
without
limitation, event time, event date, contract time, contract date, the fee to
be paid to the
talent for performing the event, event duration, and the like. However,
alternate types of
documents may be added or substituted and alternate methods of creating same
may be
substituted without departing from the scope hereof In the depicted
embodiment, the
legal documents are automatically generated and electronically signed and are
considered
to be executed and legally binding on the venue and the talent upon creation
of the
documents as per the talent's acceptance of the terms and conditions presented
at step
1066 and the venue's acceptance of the terms and conditions at step 1022.
However,
alternate embodiments are envisioned in which the legal documents are reviewed
and
signed separate from the terms and conditions presented at step 1066.
Alternatively, this
step may be omitted without departing from the scope hereof
[00238] Once the documents are created and electronically signed, documents
graphical button 1217 is displayed via Open Event Dashboard 1200. This
graphical
button allows the venue to click thereupon in order to view, print, save, etc.
a Portable
Document Format ("PDF") copy of one or more documents. However, alternate
methods
of accessing copies of the executed documents and/or alternate forms for
displaying the
documents may be substituted or added without departing from the scope hereof
Alternatively, one or more of these items may be omitted without departing
from the
scope hereof
[00239] Next, at 1108, the information pertaining to the booked event is
displayed via
the systems and methods of the present invention. Optionally, the systems and
methods
of the present invention may also display information pertaining to the booked
event to
the public and/or all registered users via a Web page (e.g., displayed via a
personal
computer or mobile device) or the like. In the depicted embodiment, such Web
page is
associated with the same domain name(s) as the user login and other Web pages
described herein with reference to Figs. 6A through 19. However, alternate
methods of
publishing or advertising the booked event may be added or substituted without
departing
from the scope hereof Some information may be omitted including, without
limitation,
the price paid to the talent to perform the booked event.
[00240] Process 1100 then proceeds to 1110, at which an opportunity circle is
created
for the booked event. The opportunity circle connects all user IDs within the
circle and
allows them to easily connect and/or communicate with each other. In the
depicted
embodiment, an internal chat mechanism allows the users in the opportunity
circle to
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instant message or chat with one another. These functions may be employed
utilizing
third party APIs or custom written code as is known in the art. However,
alternate
methods of connecting and/or communicating may be added or substituted without
departing from the scope hereof including, without limitation, text messaging,
emailing,
video chat, etc. Or, the opportunity circle may be omitted without departing
from the
scope hereof
[00241] In the depicted embodiment, the opportunity circle includes all user
IDs saved
in database 622 in association with the booked event. Each user ID corresponds
to one of
the users who responded affirmatively to the request generated at step 1094 as
discussed
above with respect to Fig. 10E. That is, the opportunity circle includes all
user IDs for all
fans who voted for the talent to perform at the booked event. However, other
methods of
adding user IDs to the opportunity circle may be substituted or added without
departing
from the scope hereof For example, such user IDs may include the ID associated
with
each fan in the filtered fan pool created after step 1090 as discussed above
with respect to
Fig. 10D.
[00242] In the depicted embodiment of the present invention, users within the
opportunity circle can connect with other users therein based upon similar
attributes
(other than voting for the same talent) including, without limitation, age,
horoscope,
interests, favorite things, relationship status, intention (e.g., looking to
meet new friends,
looking to network for business opportunities, looking for a relationship,
etc.), education
level, ethnicity, employment status, religious beliefs, and social traits
(e.g., drinker,
smoker, heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual). Each user may set these
attributes
when the user registers with the systems and methods of the present invention.
Or, if the
user does not wish to participate in the opportunity circle, he or she can
elect to opt out of
same. After the attributes are entered and saved, they are utilized by system
600 to match
users to other users in the opportunity circle who have similar attributes. A
list is
provided to the user who is then able to contact one or more other users via,
for example,
SMS, email or the like.
[00243] Once a digital connection is made via the opportunity circle, the
users who
have made that connection may elect to meet in person at the booked event to
further the
connection. The venue hosting the booked event benefits as there is an
increased
likelihood that the user will attend the show, which is likely to increase the
overall
attendance at the booked event.
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[00244] After the opportunity circle has been created, process 1000 proceeds
to 1112,
at which the opportunity circle fans are queried. In the depicted embodiment
of the
present invention, a query is performed to find all fans who have not chosen
to opt out of
notifications (e.g., event notifications). For example, in the depicted
embodiment, Users
table 622b and/or the like is queried to retrieve all opportunity circle fans
whose records
do not include a "Y" in the "Notification Opt Out" field. This field is
populated, for
example, when the fan initially registers with the systems and methods of the
present
invention.
[00245] Next, at 1114, the location of the venue for the booked event is
queried from a
database table such as Events table 622c. For example, such location
information may
include the venue's zip code, town and state, street address, or other
geographical
information. In the depicted embodiment, this location information is utilized
to retrieve
the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates of the venue via incorporation of
an API such
as the Google Maps API. The coordinates are then saved in association with
the event's
record in a database table such as Events table 622c. However, retrieval of
such
longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates is not required to implement the
present
invention.
[00246] Next, process 1100 performs steps 1116 through 1132, which are
identical to,
or substantially identical to, steps 1076 through 1099, as discussed above
with respect to
Figs. 10D and 10E. In these steps, a potential fan pool is created/filtered,
event
invitations are sent to the fan pool, event data is stored, a live show code
is generated and
provided to the venue hosting the event, and the event is promoted, all as
discussed in
greater detail above.
[00247] Referring now to Figs. 13A and 13B, depicted is a method 1300 for
checking
in and voting for talent via accessing a live event code in accordance with
one
embodiment of the present invention. Process 1300 begins at 1302, at which a
user
accesses a live event code. In the depicted embodiment, the live event code is
a QR code,
however, alternate codes or methods of initiating a Web page or the like may
be
substituted without departing from the scope hereof For example, a user
present at a live
event may scan the code with a smartphone or other mobile device. In such an
example,
the venue posts or otherwise displays the QR code at the live event. In the
depicted
embodiment, this scanning of the QR code generates a hyperlink that directs
the user to a
live event Web page utilizing TCP/IP or the like, and the Web page is
displayed on the
mobile device at 1304.
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[00248] At 1306, the user is prompted to log in to the live event Web page.
Such a
request typically involves entry of a user ID and password via the user's
computing
device 602 as discussed above with respective to step 702. At step 1308, if
the user ID
and password matches the information included in, for example, Users table
622b, the
user is logged into system 600, and process 1300 proceeds to 1316. If a match
does not
occur, process 1300 proceeds to 1310, at which a fan registration Web page is
displayed
to the user. Such registration page allows the fan, for example, to enter
personal
information and preferences. If, at 1312, the user completes the registration
process by
entering and submitting the necessary data as is known in the art, process
1300 returns to
1306, at which the user is again prompted to login as discussed above.
[00249] If, at 1312, the user does not wish to register, process 1300
proceeds to 1314,
at which the home page for the systems and methods of the present invention is
displayed
to the user. Such home page may include, but is not limited to, advertisements
for talent
and live events associated with the systems and methods of the present
invention.
Thereafter, process 1300 ends at 1340 (Fig. 13B).
[00250] Alternatively, if, at 1308, the login is successful, process 1300
proceeds to
1316, at which it is determined whether the user's attendance was previously
recorded.
At 1316, process 1300 queries database 622 to determine whether an attendance
record
exists that includes both the ID of the live event being attended and the ID
of the logged
in user. Such records may be stored, for example, in Events table 622c. If the
user's
attendance has already been recorded, process 1300 proceeds to 1322 as
discussed in
greater detail below. If the user's attendance has not been previously
recorded, process
1300 proceeds to 1317.
[00251] Next, at 1317, it is determined whether the user is a new user. At
1317,
process 1300 queries database 622 to determine the date and time the user
registered with
system 600. This date and time is compared to the date and time of the live
event being
attended. Such records may be stored, for example, in Users table 622b and/or
Events
table 622c. If the user registered after the live event started (i.e., the
user registered at the
event), process 1300 proceeds to 1322 as discussed in greater detail below. If
the user
registered with system 600 prior to the event, process 1300 proceeds to 1318.
[00252] At 1318, the attendance field of the live event record is incremented
by one.
Process 1300 then proceeds to 1319, at which the Check In field of the talent
performing
at the event is incremented by one. This field maintains a running tally of
all check-ins
for all events performed by the talent via the systems and methods of the
present
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invention during the talent's career. Further, in the depicted embodiment,
process 1300
also recalculates the Average Check-In and Show Rates based upon the increased
attendance as discussed in greater detail above with regards to Fig. 12. Such
data may be
stored, for example, in Events Talent table 622e or the like without departing
from the
scope hereof
[00253] Next, at 1320, an attendance record including the event ID and user ID
is
created and stored in database 622 to track attendance by the particular user
and to avoid
double counting of same. Then, process 1300 proceeds to 1322, at which a
mobile
application is launched. In the depicted embodiment, process 1300 sends a push
notification via a wireless network to the mobile device to command the
desired mobile
application to be launched. This application allows local deals or promotions
created by
the venue to be displayed to the user via the user's mobile device at 1324. In
some
embodiments of the present invention, the local deal may be displayed directly
to the user
via the mobile device.
[00254] Next, at 1326, the user decides whether to cast a vote for the talent
performing
at the live event. If the user does not wish to cast a vote, process 1300 ends
at 1340.
Alternatively, if the user wishes to cast a vote, the user clicks or otherwise
selects a vote
graphical button, and process 1300 proceeds to 1328, at which the vote is
cast. In the
depicted embodiment, a vote is placed via sending an SMS message or the like.
The user
is charged a fee for each vote, and the payment of such fee is stored in
database 622, for
example, in Purchase table 622h. Embodiments of the present invention are
envisioned in
which a user is rewarded for placing a vote (e.g., the user receives one free
download per
vote from the talent for which the vote was submitted). Also, embodiments are
envisioned in which a portion of the price charged per vote is contributed to
one or more
charities associated with the event at which the talent is performing.
However, alternate
methods of casting a vote may be substituted without departing from the scope
hereof
including, without limitation, via sending a wireless URL call to database
622. Process
1300 then proceeds to 1330.
[00255] At 1330, process 1300 determines whether the user has already cast a
vote for
the same talent at the same event. Process 1300 queries database 622 to
determine
whether a vote record exists that includes both the ID of the live event being
attended and
the ID of the logged in user. Such records may be stored, for example, in
Events table
622c. If the user's vote has already been recorded, process 1300 proceeds to
1340, at
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which it ends. If the user's vote has not been previously recorded, process
1300 proceeds
to 1332.
[00256] At 1332, a vote record including the event ID and user ID is created
and stored
in database 622 to track the particular user's vote and to avoid double
counting of same.
Next, process 1300 proceeds to 1334, at which the ID of the talent performing
at the
current event is queried. In the depicted embodiment, the talent ID associated
with the
open live event record is queried. Process 1300 then proceeds to 1336, at
which the
Performance Vote record field associated with the talent's database record is
incremented
by one. In the depicted embodiment, the Performance Vote record field
associated with a
talent's database record tallies all votes cast for the talent since the
talent registered with
system 600. Such a field may be stored, for example, in Events Talent table
622e or the
like without departing from the scope hereof Process 1300 then ends at 1340.
[00257] Turning now to Fig. 14, depicted is a method 1400 for allowing a user
to
check in and vote for talent via logging in to the systems and methods of the
present
invention in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Process
1400
begins at 1402, at which a user initiates a live event check in. In the
depicted
embodiment, initiating a check in involves accessing an application that has
been
downloaded to the user's mobile device. This application allows the systems
and
methods to be utilized on a mobile device, and also allows the mobile device
to
communicate with system 600. The application connects the mobile device to
system 600
via, for example, a wireless URL call, and the user is presented with a Web
page at which
he or she is prompted to login. However, alternate methods of initiating
communication
with system 600 may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof
including,
without limitation, a Web site.
[00258] Login typically involves entry of a user ID and password via the
user's
computing device 602 as discussed above with respect to step 702 and as is
known in the
art. Next, at step 1404, if the user ID and password matches the information
included in,
for example, Users table 622b, the user is logged into system 600, and process
1400
proceeds to 1406. If a match does not occur, process 1400 returns to 1402, at
which the
user is given another chance to enter login information.
[00259] At 1406, the user selects the event being attended by the user. For
example,
the user may click a hyperlink, graphical button, etc. associated with the
event. Next, at
1408, the user selects the check in option. This option may also be presented,
for
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example, as a hyperlink, graphical button, icon, or the like that is able to
be clicked by the
user.
[00260] Next, at 1410, process 1400 reads the date, start time, and check in
end time of
the event selected by the user as stored, for example, in Events table 622c.
The check in
end time is a time chosen by the providers of the systems and methods of the
present
invention, and it occurs at a time that is equal to the end time of the event
plus an added
time period (e.g., a half hour). The extra time may be appended to the end
time of the
event to allow a user sufficient time to check in and/or vote if the user is
unable to vote
during the event due to, for example, lack of cell service or the like. These
times are
compared to the date and time at which check in is initiated in step 1408. If
check in was
not initiated on the date of the event, after the start time of the event, and
before the check
in end time associated with the event, process 1400 returns to 1406, at which
the user is
prompted to select a different event. If check in is initiated on the same
date and after the
start time but before the check in end time of the event, process 1400
proceeds to 1412.
[00261] Similarly, at
1412, process 1400 reads the location associated with the event as
may also be stored, for example, in Events table 622c. In the depicted
embodiment,
process 1400 utilizes an API such as the Google Maps API to determine the
longitudinal
and latitudinal coordinates associated with the event. These coordinates are
then
compared to the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates associated with the
mobile
device requesting check in to determine the aerial distance between the live
event venue
and the mobile device. This calculated aerial distance is then compared to a
predetermined maximum distance, for example, five miles. If check in is not
initiated
from a mobile device located at a distance less than the predetermined maximum
distance
from the live event venue, process 1400 returns to 1406, at which the user is
prompted to
select a different event. If check in is initiated from a mobile device
located less than the
predetermined maximum distance from the live event venue, process 1400
proceeds to
1414.
[00262] At 1414, process 1400 queries database 622 to determine whether an
attendance record exists that includes both the ID of the live event being
attended and the
ID of the logged in user attempting to check in. Such records may be stored,
for example,
in Events table 622c. If the user's attendance has already been recorded,
process 1400
proceeds to 1322 as discussed in greater detail above with respect to Figs.
13A and 13B.
If the user's attendance has not been previously recorded, process 1400
proceeds to 1415.
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[00263] Next, at 1415, it is determined whether the user is a new user. At
1415,
process 1400 queries database 622 to determine the date and time the user
registered with
system 600. This date and time is compared to the date and time of the live
event being
attended. Such records may be stored, for example, in Users table 622b and/or
Events
table 622c. If the user registered after the live event started (i.e., the
user registered at the
event), process 1400 proceeds to 1322 as discussed in greater detail above. If
the user
registered with system 600 prior to the event, process 1400 proceeds to 1416.
[00264] At 1416, the attendance field of the live event record is incremented
by one.
Next, at 1418, an attendance record including the event ID and user ID is
created and
stored in database 622 to track attendance by the particular user and to avoid
double
counting of same. Process 1400 then proceeds to 1419, at which the Check In
field of the
talent performing at the event is incremented by one. This field maintains a
running tally
of all check-ins for all events performed by the talent via the systems and
methods of the
present invention during the talent's career. Further, in the depicted
embodiment, process
1400 also recalculates the Average Check-In and Show Rates based upon the
increased
attendance as discussed in greater detail above with regards to Fig. 12. Such
data may be
stored, for example, in Events Talent table 622e or the like without departing
from the
scope hereof Process 1400 then proceeds to 1322 as discussed in greater detail
above
with respect to Figs. 13A and 13B.
[00265] Referring next to Fig. 15, depicted is method 1500 for identifying
talent in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In the depicted
embodiment,
the talent to be identified is a subset of all talent in the Community, and
this subset may
be determined based upon predetermined selection criteria as discussed below.
In some
scenarios, a method such as method 1500 may be utilized to identify talent for
participation in a talent competition in accordance with an alternate
embodiment of the
present invention. In another scenario, talent achievements and/or other
identifying
selection criteria is quantified and displayed for use by talent scouts,
record label
representatives, or the like to allow the talent to be recruited and/or
identified for other
endeavors. This selection criteria may include feedback received from
community fans
or other participants. The feedback may include, but is not limited to, votes,
check ins,
purchased talent media, purchased talent promotional products, ratings, and
placement of
talent media in a one or more favorite lists.
[00266] Process 1500 begins at 1506, typically after the systems and methods
of the
present invention have been in place for sufficient time to allow the talent
utilizing the
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systems and methods of the present invention depicted in Figs. 6A through 19
to accrue a
favorable status that makes the talent more likely to be selected at the end
of process 1500
for advancement in one or more manners as discussed in greater detail below.
For
example, during the time period prior to initiation of process 1500, talent
may accrue
selection criteria or statistics such as, but not limited to: quantity of
uploaded songs
and/or albums for fans to download and/or critique; quantity of songs and/or
albums sold
to fans through the systems and methods of the present invention; quantity of
votes and/or
other ratings received from fans; and quantity of performances and/or fan
check-ins at
venues that hire the talent through the systems and methods of the present
invention.
[00267] At 1506, the talent is filtered by active status. That is, process
1500
determines whether the talent's registration is active. It should be noted
that talent may
have an active registration with system 600 without having an active
subscription. In
such a scenario, talent may be on a pay as you go system for each item
initiated through
system 600 including, but not limited to, applying for event bookings. In the
depicted
embodiment, process 1500 queries the active registration field associated with
the talent's
record as stored in Events Talent table 622e. If, at 1506, it is determined
that the talent
does not have an active registration, the talent is eliminated from the pool
of talent to be
considered for advancement, and process 1500 proceeds to 1508. However,
alternate
methods of eliminating inactive talent from consideration for advancement may
be
substituted. For example, talent may be required to have an active
subscription.
[00268] At 1508, talent is filtered by productivity and/or a talent's
productivity is
quantified for additional consideration. In the depicted embodiment, process
1500
queries, for example, the Event Booking and Check In fields associated with
the talent's
record as stored in Events Talent table 622e. Any talent that has not booked
at least five
thousand (5,000) events and has not received at least twenty thousand (20,000)
unique
check-ins (i.e., each check-in considered in this number must come from a
different fan)
is eliminated from the list of talent to be considered for advancement. If the
talent is not
eliminated, the talent's name is added to a list of talent being considered
for advancement,
and his or her productivity statistics (e.g., quantity of career bookings,
quantity of unique
check-ins, etc.) is provided along with the talent's name. This information,
as well as the
other information listed below, may be utilized at any time by those seeking
new talent.
This information will also be utilized at step 1518 to determine the final
talent pool to be
advanced, for example, to the first stages of a music competition. However,
other
purposes may be substituted or added without departing from the scope hereof
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[00269] In 1510, talent is filtered by sales. In the depicted embodiment, for
all talent that
has not been previously eliminated, process 1500 queries the album sales and
song sales
fields associated with the talents' records as stored in Events Talent table
622e and/or
Purchase table 622h. Any talent that has not sold five thousand (5,000) albums
and ten
thousand (10,000) singles is eliminated from the list of talent to be
considered for
advancement. If the talent is not eliminated, the talent's name is added to a
list of talent
being considered for advancement, and his or her sales statistics (e.g.,
quantity of songs
and albums sold) is provided along with the talent's name. This information,
as well as
the other information listed below, may be utilized at any time by those
seeking new
talent. This information will also be utilized at step 1518 to determine the
final talent
pool to be advanced, for example, to the first stages of a music competition.
Although the
depicted embodiment considers album and song sales only, other forms of sales
may also
be considered including, without limitation, product sales, video download
sales, etc.
[00270]Next, process 1500 proceeds to 1512, at which the talent is filtered by
ratings. In the
depicted embodiment, for all talent that has not been previously eliminated,
process 1500
queries the Cumulative Song Rating field associated with the talents' records
as stored in
Ratings table 622e. Any talent that has a cumulative song rating of less than
four (4) stars
is eliminated from the list of talent to be considered for advancement. If the
talent is not
eliminated, the talent's name is added to a list of talent being considered
for advancement,
and his or her rating statistics is provided along with the talent's name.
This information,
as well as the other information listed below, may be utilized at any time by
those seeking
new talent. This information will also be utilized at step 1518 to determine
the final
talent pool to be advanced, for example, to the first stages of a music
competition.
Although the depicted embodiment considers cumulative song ratings, other
ratings may
also be considered including, without limitation, album ratings, video
ratings, live
performance ratings, talent ratings, and the like. Process 1500 then proceeds
to 1514.
[00271 ] At 1514, talent is filtered by votes. In the depicted embodiment, for
all talent that
has not been previously eliminated, process 1500 queries the performance vote
quantity
field associated with the talents' records as stored in, for example, Events
Talent table
622e. Any talent that has less than ten thousand (10,000) unique performance
votes (i.e.,
each vote considered in this number must come from a different fan) is
eliminated from
the list of talent to be considered for advancement. If the talent is not
eliminated, the
talent's name is added to a list of talent being considered for advancement,
and his or her
vote statistics are provided along with the talent's name. This information,
as well as the
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other information listed below, may be utilized at any time by those seeking
new talent.
This information will also be utilized at step 1518 to determine the final
talent pool to be
advanced, for example, to the first stages of a music competition. Although
the depicted
embodiment considers performance vote quantity, other quantities may also be
considered. Process 1500 then proceeds to 1516.
[00272]Next, at 1516, talent is filtered by failure to agree to the terms and
conditions for
advancement. Such terms and conditions may include, for example, an agreement
that
the talent will pay a percentage of all future earnings (e.g., 20%) to the
providers of the
systems and methods of the present invention if the talent signs a music deal
with a third
party (e.g., talent agency, music label, etc.). However, other terms and
conditions may be
added or substituted without departing from the scope hereof Such agreement
may
include signing of a written legal agreement by the talent or the like, but
this is not
required to implement the present invention. Any talent that does not agree to
the terms
and conditions presented at 1516, is eliminated from the list of talent being
considered for
advancement. Process 1500 then proceeds to 1518.
[00273] At 1518, talent that has not been previously eliminated is promoted.
Such
promotion may include, for example, posting information on the Web pages of
the system
and methods of the present invention stating that the advanced talent has
achieved
minimum criteria. Or, such promotion may include access to expertise,
education,
counseling, and the like related to the advancement of the talent's career.
[00274]Next, at 1520, talent that has not been previously eliminated is
advanced to a next
stage of competition or such talent is entered into a competition such as that
described
above with respect to Figs. 1 through 5. For example, process 1500 may be
substituted
for the initial phase described above with respect to Figs. 1 through 5, and
the talent
selected for advancement via process 1500 may be automatically entered into
the next
phase of the Fig. 1 through 5 competition (e.g., the Internet Phase). Or
process 1500 may
be substituted for the initial and Internet phases described above with
respect to Figs. 1
through 5, and the talent selected for advancement via process 1500 may be
automatically
entered into the next phase of the Fig. 1 through 5 competition (e.g., the
Radio Phase).
However, varying configurations of utilizing the talent selected by process
1500 may be
substituted without departing from the scope hereof Thereafter, process 1500
ends at
1522.
[00275] Although the above embodiment includes automatic advancement of talent
without the participation by the providers of the systems and methods of the
present
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invention in the selection of the talent to be advanced, alternate embodiments
of the
present invention are envisioned in which the providers of the systems and
methods of the
present invention intervene in determining which talent is automatically
advanced.
However, in the depicted embodiment, selection of the talent to be advanced is
driven
100% by public fan participation in the systems and methods of the present
invention
without the intervention of any third party judges or the like.
[00276] Although Fig. 15 utilizes talent active status, talent
productivity, talent sales,
talent rating, and talent votes to automatically advance talent, any of these
criteria may be
omitted and/or other criteria may be added without departing from the scope of
the
present invention.
[00277] Referring now to Fig. 16, depicted is a process for uploading media in
accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present invention depicted in
Figs. 6A
through 19. Process 1600 starts at 1602, at which system 600 receives a login
request
from a user as described in greater detail above with respect to 702. Next, at
step 1604, if
the user ID and password matches the information included in, for example,
Users table
622b, the user is logged into system 600 and process 1600 proceeds to 1606. If
a match
does not occur, process 1600 returns to 1602, at which the user is prompted to
re-enter the
correct user ID and password.
[00278] At 1606, process 1600 prompts the user to upload material. In the
depicted
embodiment, the user may choose one of three icons to upload talent media such
as a
video, a song, or an album, however, material may be omitted or added without
departing
from the scope hereof That is, the user simply double clicks the desired icon
to initiate
the upload. Process 1600 then proceeds to 1608.
[00279] At 1608, the user selects upload options. For example, in the depicted
embodiment these options include musical genre of the material being uploaded,
price
(e.g., free or the fee paid by a user to download as discussed below),
delivery method
(e.g., streaming, download a file, etc.), and file type (e.g., .mp3, .mp4,
.wav, etc.). During
step 1608, the user also has the ability to enter information about the
material being
uploaded including, but not limited to, title, thumbnail image, and the like.
Also, the user
selects the file containing the material to be uploaded, and the material is
uploaded using
built in PHP methods such as move_uploaded_file, a built in Simple Mail
Transfer
Protocol ("SMTP") provided by the hosting provider, and third party APIs such
as
EZtexting.
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[00280] Next, at 1610, the uploaded material is stored in database 622. For
example,
such material may be stored in User Uploads table 622f or the like without
departing from
the scope hereof Process 1600 then proceeds to 1612, at which the Uploaded
Albums,
Uploaded Songs, or Uploaded Videos field of the talent uploading the material
is
incremented by one (depending on the type of material uploaded). This
maintains a
running tally of all of the material uploaded by the talent via the systems
and methods of
the present invention during the talent's career. Such a field may be stored,
for example,
in Users Talent table 622b or the like without departing from the scope hereof
Process
1600 then ends at 1614. Although the depicted embodiment includes the ability
to upload
albums, songs, and videos, media may be eliminated, added, or substituted
without
departing from the scope hereof
[00281] Turning now to Fig. 17, depicted is a process for downloading media in
accordance with the alternate embodiment of the present invention depicted in
Figs. 6A
through 19. Process 1700 starts at 1702, at which system 600 receives a login
request
from a user as described in greater detail above with respect to 702. Next, at
step 1704, if
the user ID and password matches the information included in, for example,
Users table
622b, the user is logged into system 600, and process 1700 proceeds to 1706.
If a match
does not occur, process 1700 returns to 1702, at which the user is prompted to
re-enter the
correct user ID and password.
[00282] At 1706, process 1700 allows the user to download material. The user
may
find such material by accessing, for example, all material uploaded for a
particular talent.
Such material may be listed, for example, on one or more Web pages associated
with the
talent and/or a fan dashboard. One such exemplary Fan Dashboard is depicted in
Fig. 19.
In the depicted embodiment, every fan has a dedicated Fan Dashboard that is
accessible
to the fan after the fan logs in to the systems and methods of the present
invention. That
is, each fan may access a Web page or the like that displays his or her Fan
Dashboard
when logged into system 600.
[00283] In the depicted embodiment of the present invention, Fan Dashboard
1900
includes two tabs, namely, a music tab 1902 and a video tab 1904. Fig. 19
depicts a view
of the Fan Dashboard 1900 when the music tab 1902 has been selected. Music tab
1902
includes a list of music and associated information such as, but not limited
to: music title
1902, associated album title 1904 (if any), talent name 1906, price 1908
(e.g., the price
paid to download the music), Buy Now button 1910 (i.e., clicking this button
allows the
user to download music as described in greater detail herein with regards to
Fig. 17),
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Love button 1912 (i.e., clicking this button allows the user to "love" the
music which
adds the music to the user's favorite music or "love" list); Download button
1914 (i.e.,
clicking this button allows the user to download music previously purchased
without
repurchasing the music as described in greater detail herein with regards to
Fig. 17);
Remove button 1916 (i.e., clicking this button allows the user to remove music
from the
list displayed in the Fan Dashboard); and Play buttons 1918 (i.e., clicking
one of these
buttons plays the music on the same line as the selected button and displays
the selected
music in the music control box 1920 along with the selected music title 1922).
[00284] In the depicted embodiment, music tab 1902 also includes a search box
1924
that allows the user to search for one or more of search options 1928 by
clicking the
search button 1926. Search options may include, but are not limited to,
talent, genre,
song, and/or album. Also, video tab 1904 is substantially identical to music
tab 1902 with
the exception that the video tab 1904 displays a list of videos rather than
songs or albums,
and it similarly allows such videos to be played, searched, bought, loved,
removed, and
downloaded.
[00285] Alternate embodiments of the present invention are envisioned in which
the
Fan Dashboard includes varying information without departing from the scope
hereof
Also, varying tabs may be added and/or deleted without departing from the
scope hereof
[00286] Referring back to Fig. 17, once the user finds the material that he or
she
wishes to download, the user begins the download process by clicking, for
example,
download button 1914 (Fig. 19), and process 1700 proceeds to 1708.
[00287] At 1708, the user selects download options. For example, in the
depicted
embodiment these options include delivery method (e.g., streaming, download a
file, etc.)
and desired file type (e.g., .mp3, .mp4, .wav, etc.). Downloads are performed
using built
in PHP methods such as move_uploaded_file, a built in Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol
("SMTP") provided by the hosting provider, and third party APIs such as
EZtexting.
[00288] Next, at 1710, if the material to be downloaded is free, process 1700
proceeds
to 1718 as discussed in greater detail below. If the material to be downloaded
is not free,
process 1700 proceeds to 1712, at which the user is prompted to make a
purchase.
[00289] Next, at 1714, process 1700 receives the user's selection (i.e.,
purchase of the
material to be downloaded). Then, at 1716, process 1700 provides the user with
a means
for making payment, for example, a Web site or the like. In the depicted
embodiment, the
user is directed to a www.paypal.com Web site via a PayPal API or the like,
however,
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alternate methods of receiving payment may be substituted. Once payment has
been
received, process 1700 to 1718.
[00290] At 1718, the download of the material is initiated. The user selects a
location
on his or her electronic device such as computing device 602 (Fig. 6A) to save
the
downloaded material. The downloaded material is also associated with the
user's account
via system 600 such that the user may view one or more lists of all downloaded
material
at any time via system 600. Such information may be presented in any form
including,
without limitation, one or more Web pages or the like. In the depicted
embodiment, such
Web pages allow the user to control the lists of downloaded material and/or
the
downloaded material itself For example, users may choose to play material on
the list, to
remove material from the list, etc.
[00291] Process 1700 then proceeds to 1720, at which the Albums Sold, Songs
Sold, or
Videos Sold field of the talent who uploaded the material is incremented by
one
(depending on the type of material downloaded). This maintains a running tally
of all of
the material sold by the talent via the systems and methods of the present
invention
during the talent's career. Such a field may be stored, for example, in Events
Talent table
622e or the like without departing from the scope hereof Process 1700 then
ends at
1722. Although the depicted embodiment includes the ability to purchase
albums, songs,
and videos, media may be eliminated, added, or substituted without departing
from the
scope hereof
[00292] Referring now to Figs. 18A and 18B, depicted is a process for rating
talent,
venues, and/or media in accordance with the alternate embodiment of the
present
invention depicted in Figs. 6A through 19. Process 1800 starts at 1802, at
which system
600 receives a login request from a user as described in greater detail above
with respect
to 702. Next, at step 1804, if the user ID and password matches the
information included
in, for example, Users table 622b, the user is logged into system 600, and
process 1800
proceeds to 1806. If a match does not occur, process 1800 returns to 1802, at
which the
user is prompted to re-enter the correct user ID and password.
[00293] At 1806, process 1800 allows the user to select talent, venue, or
media to be
rated. The user may find such material by, for example, searching for talent,
searching
for a venue, and/or searching all material or media uploaded for a particular
talent. Such
material may be listed, for example, on one or more Web pages. Each listing
may include
for example, information including, but not limited to, talent/venue/media
name or title.
For media, such information may also include the associated talent, price,
etc. However
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alternate methods of finding material to rate may be substituted without
departing from
the scope hereof The user then selects the material to be rated by clicking or
the like, and
process 1800 proceeds to 1808.
[00294] At 1808, process 1800 determines whether or not a fee must be paid to
rate the
talent/venue/media. In the depicted embodiment, there is no fee to rate talent
or venues,
but the user is unable to rate media unless the user has purchased the media
and played it
in full. Therefore, at 1808, process 1800 determines whether the media has
been
previously purchased by the user. If yes, process 1800 proceeds to 1817 as
discussed in
greater detail below. Or, if a user has not previously purchased the media but
the media
is free, process 1800 also proceeds to 1817 as discussed in greater detail
below. If the
user has not purchased the media and the media is not free, process 1800
proceeds to
1810, at which the user is prompted to make a purchase. Although the depicted
systems
and methods of the present invention do not require a fee to rate
talent/venues/media,
alternate embodiments are envisioned in which the ability to submit one or
more ratings
requires payment of a fee.
[00295] Next, at 1816, process 1800 receives the user's selection (i.e.,
purchase of the
material to be downloaded/rated). Then, at 1816, process 1800 provides the
user with a
means for making payment, for example, a Web site or the like. In the depicted
embodiment, the user is directed to a www.paypal.com Web site via a PayPal
API or the
like, however, alternate methods of receiving payment may be substituted. Once
payment
has been received, process 1800 proceeds to 1817.
[00296] At 1817, the download of the material is initiated. The user selects a
location
on his or her electronic device such as computing device 602 (Fig. 6A) to save
the
downloaded material. The downloaded material is also associated with the
user's account
via system 600 such that the user may view one or more lists of all downloaded
material
at any time via system 600. Such information may be presented in any form
including,
without limitation, one or more Web pages or the like. In the depicted
embodiment, such
Web pages allow the user to control the lists of downloaded material and/or
the
downloaded material itself For example, users may choose to play material on
the list, to
remove material from the list, etc.
[00297] Next, at 1818, the user is prompted to play the material to be rated
in full.
That is, in the depicted systems and methods of the present invention, the
user must play
the material to be rated from start to finish before the user is able to
submit a rating.
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However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which such a requirement is
not
utilized.
[00298] Next, at 1820, process 1800 determines whether or not the material to
be rated
has been played in full. In the depicted embodiment, process 1800 compares the
run-time
counter (i.e., a counter that indicates how long the material has been
playing) to the total
length of the material. If they are equal, the material is designated to have
been played in
full. If the user has not played the material in full, process 1800 returns to
1818.
Alternatively, if the material has been played in full, process 1800 proceeds
to 1822, at
which the user is prompted to enter a rating. In the depicted embodiment, a
five star
rating system is utilized, wherein five is the highest rating and one is the
lowest rating.
However, alternate rating systems may be substituted without departing from
the scope
herein. Ratings may be entered by the user by simply clicking the desired
quantity of
stars on a Web page or the like provided by system 600.
[00299] Next, at 1824, system 600 receives the user's rating and stores same
in Ratings
table 622a. Then, at 1826, process 1800 queries the previous rating data for
the
talent/venue/media. Such rating data may include quantity of ratings and
average
cumulative rating (i.e., the sum of all ratings received divided by the
quantity of ratings
received). Such data may be read from, for example, the Cumulative Song
Rating,
Cumulative Album Rating, Cumulative Video Rating, Cumulative Talent Rating,
Album
Rating, Song Rating, Video Rating, or Talent Rating fields of the talent who
is being
rated. Such fields may be found, for example, in Ratings table 622a. This
table maintains
rating information for all talent and all of the material sold by the talent
via the systems
and methods of the present invention. Alternatively, if a venue is being
rated, such data
may be read from, for example, the Venue Rating or Venue Cumulative Rating
field of a
table such as Venue table 622j. Venue table 622j stores all venue information
including
name and address as well as venue type (e.g., bar, restaurant, club,
community, school,
etc.).
[00300] After the previous rating data has been queried, new rating data is
calculated at
1828. In the depicted embodiment, a new cumulative rating is calculated by
adding the
new rating received to the sum of all prior ratings. This value is then
divided by the total
number of ratings to calculate a new cumulative rating. However, alternate
methods of
calculating a rating may be substituted without departing from the scope
hereof including,
but not limited to, weighted ratings and the like.
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[00301] At 1830, the new cumulative rating is stored in database 622 in the
same field
and/or table from which the prior cumulative rating data was retrieved at
steps 1826 as
discussed above. Process 1800 then proceeds to 1832, at which it ends.
[00302] Although several processes have been disclosed as software, it may be
appreciated by one of skill in the art that the same processes, functions,
etc. may be
performed via hardware or a combination of hardware and software. Similarly,
although
the present invention has been depicted as a hardwired system, these concepts
may be
applied to wireless systems and hybrid hardwired and wireless systems without
departing
from the scope of the present invention.
[00303] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could
be made to
the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive
concept
thereof It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the
particular
embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the
spirit and
scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
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