Method and apparatus for providing custom television channels to viewers
First Claim
1. A method for providing television programming, comprising:
- providing access to television programming to enable a customer of a broker to create a custom channel including at least one television program selected from the television programming; and
transmitting the custom channel from the broker to the customer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for transmitting one or more custom television channels to each of a plurality of customers. To create a custom channel, a customer selects one or more television programs using a customer interface and submits the selected television programs via the customer interface to a broker. The broker receives the selected television programs from one or more content providers and transmits the custom channels to the customers. Alternatively, the broker may generate custom channel data for each of a plurality of customers and send the custom channel data to a provider, the provider then transmitting the custom channels to the customers. A custom channel may include live television programs as well as pre-recorded television programs.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A method for providing television programming, comprising:
-
providing access to television programming to enable a customer of a broker to create a custom channel including at least one television program selected from the television programming; and
transmitting the custom channel from the broker to the customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method for providing television programming, comprising:
-
providing a program guide including a listing of television programming received by a broker from at least one provider;
providing access to the program guide to enable a customer of the broker to select at least one television program from the television programming;
adding the at least one selected television program to a custom channel; and
transmitting the custom channel from the broker to the customer. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for providing television programming, comprising:
-
providing a program guide including a listing of television programming available from a provider;
providing access to the program guide to enable a customer of a broker to select at least one television program from the television programming;
generating custom channel data identifying the at least one selected television program; and
sending the custom channel data from the broker to the provider. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30)
-
-
12. A method for providing television programming, comprising:
-
receiving from a broker custom channel data associated with a customer, the custom channel data identifying selected television programming for at least one custom channel; and
transmitting the at least one custom channel to the customer.
-
-
15. A method of creating a custom channel, comprising:
-
selecting at least one television program from a listing of available television programming;
selecting a time for viewing the at least one selected television program; and
adding the at least one selected television program and the selected time to a custom channel.
-
-
18. A system for providing television programming, comprising:
-
a receiver to receive television programming from at least one provider;
a customer interface providing access to the television programming to enable a customer of a broker to create a custom channel including at least one television program selected from the television programming; and
a transmitter coupled to the receiver, the transmitter to transmit the custom channel from the broker to the customer.
-
-
24. A system for providing television programming, comprising:
-
a customer interface providing access to a listing of television programming available from a provider to enable a customer of a broker to create a custom channel including at least one program selected from the television programming; and
a controller to generate custom channel data identifying the at least one selected television program and to send the custom channel data from the broker to the provider.
-
-
28. An article of manufacture, comprising:
-
a machine accessible medium, said machine accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause said machine to;
provide access to television programming to enable a customer of a broker to create a custom channel including at least one television program selected from the television programming; and
transmit the custom channel from the broker to the customer.
-
Specification