Video on demand methods and systems

• US 20010027561A1
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Goldman, Phillip Y., Bruck, Timo, White, Christopher M., Mighdoll, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An entertainment head-end provides broadcast programming, video-on-demand services, and HTML-based interactive programming through a distribution network to client terminals in subscribers'"'"' homes. A number of different features are provided, including novel user interfaces, enhanced video-on-demand controls, a variety of interactive services (personalized news, jukebox, games, celebrity chat), and techniques that combine to provide user experiences evocative of conventional television.

Claims

1. A method of presenting interactive video entertainment, comprising:

providing plural viewing channels;

on certain of said channels, providing television programs;

on at least one of said channels, providing interactive video entertainment;

when switching away from an interactive video entertainment channel, storing state information associated with said interactive video entertainment channel; and

when thereafter switching back to said interactive video entertainment channel, restoring said state information.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the state information includes a pointer associated with a point at which the interactive video entertainment was interrupted when switching away from the interactive video entertainment channel.

3. The method of

claim 2

, wherein the state information is used to resume transmission of the interactive video entertainment from substantially the point of interruption.

4. The method of

claim 2

in which the interactive video entertainment is presented for display at a client terminal, and the method includes storing said pointer in a store at the client terminal.

5. The method of

claim 2

in which the interactive video entertainment is provided to a client terminal from a video infrastructure, and the method includes storing said pointer in a store in the video infrastructure, remote from the client terminal.

6. The method of

claim 1

further comprising:

switching between said channels using a remote control device.

7. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

using a remote control device in conjunction with an on-screen electronic programming guide to browse said plural viewing channels; and

selecting a channel providing the interactive video entertainment.

8. The method of

claim 3

further comprising:

before switching away from said interactive video entertainment channel, said interactive video entertainment is transported over a first transmission frequency;

upon switching back to said interactive video entertainment channel, said resumed interactive video entertainment is transported over a transmission frequency different from said first transmission frequency.

9. The method of

claim 1

further comprising:

viewing e-mail while switched away from said interactive video entertainment.

10. The method of

claim 9

, wherein the state information includes a pointer associated with a point at which the interactive video entertainment was interrupted when switching away from the interactive video entertainment channel and upon switching back to said interactive video entertainment channel, resuming the interactive video entertainment at the point of interruption without a start request.

11. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said interactive video entertainment is overscanned.

12. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

providing an on-screen user interface with plural controls for the user to interact with said interactive video entertainment channel.

13. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

receiving a downloaded software control package in response to selecting a specific interactive content on the interactive video entertainment channel; and

providing an on-screen user interface with plural controls associated with said specific interactive content.

14. The method of

claim 13

, wherein said specific interactive content is a multi-user interactive content.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing a method of presenting an on-demand video, the method comprising:

defining plural viewing channels;

on certain of said channels, providing television programs;

on at least one of said channels, displaying the on-demand video;

switching away from the channel displaying the on-demand video to another of the plural viewing channels and storing state information associated with a point of interruption of the on-demand video; and

when thereafter switching back to the channel displaying the on-demand video, restoring said state information to display the on-demand video from substantially the point of interruption.

16. A system for presenting video entertainment, the system comprising:

means for receiving a composite signal comprising television channels and at least one interactive video entertainment channel;

means for switching between said channels;

means for displaying said channels; and

means for storing state information associated with said interactive video entertainment channel;

wherein, after switching back to said interactive video entertainment channel after switching away, said state information is used to resume an earlier-commenced activity on said interactive video entertainment channel from a point of interruption.

17. A method of presenting interactive video entertainment comprising:

receiving a composite signal comprising plural viewing channels;

on certain of said channels, providing broadcast programs;

on at least one of said channels, providing interactive video entertainment;

displaying a real time broadcast program, in response to a switching input received from a remote control;

recording the real time broadcast program in a memory device in response to receiving a delay input from the remote control; and

displaying the recorded real time broadcast program from the memory device while simultaneously continuing to record the real time broadcast program in the memory device, in response to receiving a resume input from the remote control.

18. The method of

claim 17

, which includes listing the copied real time broadcast program in an electronic programming guide.