Interactive entertainment network system and method for customizing operation thereof according to viewer preferences

• US 20030154486A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daniel J. Shoff, Matthew W. Dunn
• Inventors: Dunn, Matthew W., Shoff, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive entertainment network system has a video-on-demand (VOD) application which allows viewers to create their own customized lists of preferred video content programs, such as movies, games, TV shows, and so forth. Viewers are permitted to select criteria for grouping various video content programs into manageable sets. Lists of programs are provided in one or more scrollable lists, the scrolling rates of which are programmable. Once grouped, previews for the set of programs are displayed. The VOD application allows the viewers to browse the previews at their own rate, skipping forward to the next preview or backward to the previous preview. During this automated browsing, the VOD application enables the viewer to add any of the programs of interest to a customized list. The viewer can retrieve the customized list at any time. If the viewer orders a program from the customized list, the program remains available to the viewer for a rental period (which is adjustable). Upon expiration of the rental period, however, the program is no longer readily accessible until ordered again.

Claims

1. An interactive entertainment network system comprising:

multiple user interface units in individual homes;

a headend to provide video content programs to the multiple user interface units;

a distribution network interconnecting the headend and the multiple user interface units;

a storage medium at the headend containing a list of video content programs and a list of viewers;

the list of viewers being correlated with the list of video content programs so that an individual viewer has an associated customized list of preferred video content programs that is a subset of all video content programs listed in the storage medium;

each user interface unit being operable in a video-on-demand mode to enable a viewer to order one or more of the video content programs;

when operating in the video-on-demand mode, a particular user interface unit transmitting a message identifying the viewer to the headend via the distribution network;

the headend, responsive to the message, accessing the storage medium to retrieve the customized list of preferred video content programs that corresponds to the viewer identified in the message transmitted by the particular user interface unit; and

the headend transmitting the customized list of preferred video content programs to the particular user interface unit that sent the message via the distribution network.

2. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a join table in the storage medium which correlates the list of viewers with the list of video content programs.

3. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

each viewer is assigned a unique viewer ID and each video content program is assigned a unique program ID; and

the system further comprising a join table in the storage medium which correlates the viewer IDs with the program IDs, the headend querying the storage medium using a viewer ID to obtain one or more program IDs which identify preferred video content programs that comprise the customized list.

4. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a video-on-demand user interface which executes on each user interface unit, the video-on-demand user interface having a selectable icon button for adding a video content program to the customized list.

5. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a video-on-demand user interface which executes on each user interface unit, the video-on-demand user interface displaying the customized list in a scrollable presentation format wherein only a portion of entries in the customized list are displayed at one time and a new entry is displayed as a displayed entry is removed.

6. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 5 wherein:

the customized list appears to visually scroll at a selected rate while being displayed; and

the user interface unit is programmable to adjust the selected rate at which the customized list is scrolled.

7. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the storage medium also contains a rental period for associated video content programs, the rental period being longer in duration than a runtime length of an associated video content program;

whereupon ordering one of the video content programs while operating in the video-on-demand mode, the headend transmits the ordered video content program one or more times during the rental period and refuses to transmit the ordered video content program upon expiration of the rental period.

8. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the storage medium also contains an expiration date for associated preferred video content programs on the viewer'"'"'s customized list, the expiration date marking when the associated preferred video content program is automatically removed from the customized list.

9. An interactive entertainment network system comprising:

multiple user interface units in individual homes;

a headend to provide video content programs to the multiple user interface units;

a distribution network interconnecting the headend and the multiple user interface units;

a storage medium at the headend containing a list of video content programs and a rental period associated with the video content programs, the rental period being longer in duration than a runtime length of an associated video content program;

each user interface unit being operable in a video-on-demand mode to enable a viewer to order at least one of the video content programs; and

whereupon ordering one of the video content programs, the headend transmits the ordered video content program one or more times during the rental period and refuses to transmit the ordered content program upon expiration of the rental period.

10. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 9 wherein an individual rental period is assigned to each video content program.

11. An interactive entertainment network system as recited in claim 9 wherein the video content programs are grouped according to different categories and a single rental period is assigned to all of the video content programs within the same category.

12. A user interface unit for use in an individual home, the user interface unit being connected to an interactive entertainment network system having a headend, the headend providing video content programs to the user interface unit, the user interface unit comprising:

a processor;

a user interface which executes on the processor to display at least one list of entries pertaining to the video content programs;

the processor causing the list to visually scroll at a selected rate while being displayed whereby one entry is removed as another entry is added; and

the processor being programmable to adjust the selected rate at which the list is scrolled.

15. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising the additional step of selectively adding a video content program to the customized list.

16. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising the following additional steps:

assigning an expiration date to the video content programs on the customized list; and

removing one of the video content programs from the customized list when the expiration date for the one video content program has lapsed.

17. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising the following additional steps:

ordering a preferred video content program from the customized list;

imposing a rental period upon said ordering;

transmitting the ordered video content program one or more times during the rental period; and

refusing to transmit the ordered content program upon expiration of the rental period.

18. A method for operating an interactive entertainment network system having a headend which is connected to provide video content programs to a plurality of user interface units in individual homes, the method comprising the following steps:

storing a list of video content programs at the headend;

assigning a rental period to the video content programs;

sending an order request from a requesting user interface unit to the headend to rent one of the video content programs;

transmitting the ordered video content program from the headend to the requesting user interface unit as often as the user interface unit requests to view the ordered video content program so long as the rental period for the ordered video content has not elapsed; and

refusing to transmit the ordered video content program to the requesting user interface unit after the rental period for the ordered video content has expired.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 further comprising the additional step of selectively adjusting the rental period.

20. A method as recited in claim 18 further comprising the additional step of assigning individual rental periods to each of the video content programs.

21. A method as recited in claim 18 further comprising the following additional steps:

grouping different program types into general categories; and

assigning a single rental period to all of the video content programs within the same category.

22. A method for operating a user interface used in interactive entertainment network system, the interactive entertainment network system having a headend which is connected to provide video content programs to a plurality of user interface units in individual homes, the user interface being executed on a processor provided at each user interface unit, the method comprising the following steps:

generating a list of entries pertaining to the video content programs;

displaying a number of entries on the list;

scrolling through the list by continually updating the displayed entries, whereby one entry on the list is removed as another entry on the list is added; and

adjusting a rate at which entries are removed and added to thereby modify a rate at which the list visually appears to be scrolling.