Method and system for enabling visitors to subscribe to currently-viewed programming packages

• US 20030014546A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan, Kamen, Yakov, Kimball, Brian, Feroglia, Gene
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Methods and systems for enabling users visiting a friend or family member to subscribe to a TV programming package that the friend or family member currently subscribes to. In one embodiment, the method includes generating a user-interface (UI) via the friend'"'"'s set-top box to enable entry of visitor user identification information. This information, along with programming identification information is then sent to the service provider for the programming package. The service provider retrieves or generates information by which a UI may be generated to easily enable the visitor to setup and activate the programming package and sends it to the visitor'"'"'s home set-top box. In another embodiment, programming package identification information is stored on a portable storage medium and carried to the visitor'"'"'s home set-top box, where it is read to retrieve the identification information. The information is then sent to the service provider, which sends back appropriate data to generate the UI.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a visitor user visiting a friend user at a first location to subscribe to a programming package the friend currently subscribes to, comprising:

generating a user-interface via a set-top box at the first location to enable entry of visitor user identification information that may be used by a service provider that provides the programming package to identify the visitor;

sending data including the visitor user identification information and information by which the programming package can be identified to the service provider; and

sending data from the service provider to the visitor user'"'"'s home set-top box that may be used to generate a user-interface to enable the visitor user to subscribe to the programming package.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information by which the programming package can be identified comprises a unique programming package identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information by which the programming package can be identified comprises information by which the friend user can be identified by the service provider, the method further comprising querying a database that links users with programming packages to which the users subscribe to identify the programming package.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service provider employs a referral compensation scheme in which friend users are compensated when a visitor user subscribes to a programming package via a process initiated at the friend user'"'"'s set-top box, the method further comprising:

determining an identity of the friend user; and

storing data in a service provider'"'"'s database identifying compensation the friend user is to receive for referring the visitor user to the service provider.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending data to the first location to enable generation of a user-interface via the friend user'"'"'s set-top box containing information identifying the compensation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data sent to generate the user-interface at the visitor user'"'"'s home set-top box comprises one of a script, script identifier, or user-interface navigation identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data sent to generate the user-interface at the visitor user'"'"'s home set-top box comprises interactive user-interface generation data that enable an interactive user-interface to be generated through interaction between a server operated by the service provider and the home set-top box in a client-server like manner.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information by which the programming package can be identified comprises information by which the friend user can be identified by the service provider, the method further comprising querying a database that links users with programming packages to which the users subscribe to identify the programming package.

8. A method for enabling a visitor user visiting a friend user at a first location to subscribe to a programming package provided by a service provider the friend user currently subscribes to, comprising:

storing information by which the programming package can be identified on a portable storage medium via a first set-top box located at the first location;

reading the portable storage medium via a second set-top box to retrieve the information; and

using the information that is retrieved to generate a user-interface via the second set-top box to enable the visitor user to subscribe to the programming package.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information by which the programming package can be identified comprises a unique programming package identifier.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the service provider employs a referral compensation scheme in which friend users are compensated when a visitor user subscribes to a programming package via a process initiated at the friend user'"'"'s set-top box, the method further comprising:

storing information by which the friend user may be identified on the portable storage medium via the first set-top box;

retrieving the information by which the friend user may be identified via the second set-top box;

sending the information by which the friend user may be identified from the second set-top box to the service provider; and

storing data in a service provider'"'"'s database identifying compensation the friend user is to receive for referring the visitor user to the service provider.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-interface is generated by performing the operations of:

sending the information by which the programming package can be identified from the second set-top box to the service provider;

receiving one of a script, script identifier, or user-interface navigation identifier from the service provider; and

generating the user-interface based on said script, script identifier or user-interface navigation identifier.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-interface is generated by performing the operations of:

sending the information by which the programming package can be identified from the second set-top box to the service provider; and

establishing an interactive session between the service provider and the second set-top box, whereby the service provider sends interactive user-interface generation data to the set-top box via which an interactive user-interface may be generated to enable the visitor user to subscribe to the programming package.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the portable storage medium comprises one of a smart card, CD-ROM disk or DVD-disk.

16. The machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein the information by which the programming package can be identified comprises a unique programming package identifier.

17. The machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein the data received from the service provider that are used to generate the user-interface via the second set-top box comprises one of a script, script identifier, or user-interface navigation identifier.

19. The machine-readable media of claim 18, wherein the service provider employs a referral compensation scheme in which friend users are compensated when a visitor user subscribes to a programming package via a process initiated at the friend user'"'"'s (first) set-top box, and wherein execution of the instructions on the first and second set-top boxes further perform the operations of:

causing the portable storage media writing device on the first set-top box to store information by which the friend user may be identified on the portable storage medium;

causing the portable storage media reading device on the second set-top box to retrieve the information by which the friend user may be identified; and

sending the information by which the friend user may be identified from the second set-top box to the service provider.

20. The machine-readable media of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions on the second set-top box causes the user-interface to be generated by performing the operations of:

sending the information by which the programming package can be identified from the second set-top box to the service provider; and

establishing an interactive session between the service provider and the second set-top box, whereby the service provider sends interactive user-interface generation data to the set-top box via which an interactive user-interface may be generated to enable the user to subscribe to the programming package.

15. A machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed on first and second set-top boxes enable a visitor user visiting a friend user to subscribe to a programming package the friend user currently subscribes to by performing the operations of:

generating a user-interface via the first set-top box to enable the visitor user to enter visitor user identification information by which the visitor user can be identified by a service provider that provides the programming package;

sending data including the visitor user identification information and information by which the programming package can be identified to the service provider; and

generating a user-interface via the second set-top box to enable the visitor user to subscribe to the programming package, said user-interface being generated, at least in part, based on data received from the service provider configured for such purposes.

18. A machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed on first and second set-top boxes enable a visitor user visiting a friend user at a first location to subscribe to a programming package the friend user currently subscribes to by performing the operations of:

causing a portable storage medium writing device on the first set-top box to store information by which the programming package can be identified on a portable storage medium;

causing a portable storage medium reading device on the second set-top box to retrieve the information stored on the portable storage medium; and

generating a user-interface via the second set-top box based, at least in part, on the information that is retrieved, to enable a user to subscribe to the programming package.