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Video-on-demand content delivery system for providing video-on-demand services to TV service subscribers

  • US 10,057,649 B2
  • Filed: 01/08/2018
  • Issued: 08/21/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A video-on-demand application for providing video-on-demand services, stored on non-volatile computer readable memory operatively connected to a set top box that is operatively connectable to TV equipment of a television service subscriber, and programmed to perform at least the following steps:

  • (a) receiving, from a video-on-demand content delivery system of the television service provider system comprising a first set of one or more computers and computer-readable memory operatively connected to the first set of one or more computers of the television service provider system, via a closed system, at least the following digital content;

    (i) first video-on-demand application-readable metadata, associated with a first video content and usable to generate a video-on-demand content menu, the first video-on-demand application-readable metadata comprising;

    (1) first title information comprising a first title, and(2) first content provider designated hierarchically arranged category information and subcategory information to specify a location of the first title information for the video content in a video-on-demand application, the first content provider designated category information and subcategory information associated with the first title information of the first video content using a same hierarchical structure of categories and subcategories as is to be used for placement of the first title information in the video-on-demand application;

    wherein the first video content was uploaded to a Web-based content management system by a content provider device associated with a first video content provider via the Internet in a digital video format, along with the associated first video-on-demand application-readable metadata including first title information, and first content provider designated hierarchically arranged category information and subcategory information designated by the first video content provider, to specify a hierarchical location of the first title of the first video content within the video-on-demand content menu using the first category information and first subcategory information associated with the first title information, and further including first time information for availability of the first video content for scheduling of viewing of the first video content through the video-on-demand application; and

    wherein the first video content was transmitted from the Web-based content management system to the video-on-demand content delivery system at the television service provider system, where the first video content is stored on a video server associated with the video-on-demand content delivery system and comprising a second set of one or more computers and computer-readable memory operatively connected to the second set of one or more computers of the video server, and wherein the video server is configured to supply the first video content, upon request, for transmission to the set top box;

    (b) generating, by the video-on-demand application, the video-on-demand content menu for navigating through titles, including the first title of the first video content, by hierarchically-arranged category information and subcategory information including at least the first category information and the first subcategory information in order to locate a respective one of the titles whose associated video content is desired for viewing on the respective TV equipment, andwherein the video-on-demand content menu lists the titles using the same hierarchical structure of category information and subcategory information as was designated by one or more video content providers, including the first video content provider, in the uploaded first video-on-demand application-readable metadata for the respective video content, wherein a plurality of different display templates, including a first display template, are accessible to the video-on-demand application, and wherein the video-on-demand application has access to the first display template for generating and displaying the video-on-demand content menu at the TV equipment of the television service subscriber;

    wherein which titles are available for selection from the video-on-demand content menu at a respective time is based at least in part on respective time information during which the respective video content associated with the respective time information can be accessed through the video-on-demand application; and

    (c) in response to the television service subscriber selecting, via a control unit in communication with the set top box, the first title associated with the first video content from the hierarchically-arranged category information and subcategory information of the video-on-demand content menu, transmitting, by the video-on-demand application, an electronic request for the first video content associated with the selected first title to be transmitted to the set top box, via the closed system, for display of the first video content on the TV equipment of the television service subscriber.

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