System and method for selection of video products that are deliverable on demand

• US 20030167471A1
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gist Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gist Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Walter, Keith, Roth, Cliff, Ruderman, David
• Application Number:
  US10/090,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167471A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for managing series video-on-demand (SVOD) products is described. One implementation of the described device includes the steps of receiving a selection to activate a SVOD guide; retrieving a list of SVOD providers; retrieving display data for each of the SVOD providers included in the list of SVOD providers; and initiating display of the retrieved display data for each of the SVOD providers, wherein a user can select at least one of the SVOD providers.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of video on demand (VOD) products, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of VOD product categories;

initiating display of at least a portion of the plurality of identified VOD product categories;

receiving an indication of a selected one of the plurality of VOD product categories;

identifying a plurality of VOD product subcategories, wherein the plurality of VOD product subcategories are associated with the selected one of the plurality of VOD product categories;

receiving an indication of a selected one of the plurality of VOD product subcategories;

identifying a plurality of VOD products associated with the selected one of the plurality of VOD product subcategories;

retrieving a plurality of VOD product identifiers, each of the plurality of product identifiers associated with one of the identified plurality of VOD products; and

initiating display of at least a portion of the retrieved plurality of VOD product identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of VOD product categories comprises:

retrieving a list of VOD categories from a memory local to a rendering system, wherein the rendering system is configured to initiate display of the retrieved image data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of VOD product categories comprises:

retrieving a list of VOD categories from a VOD provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating display of the retrieved image data comprises:

initiating display of the retrieved image data in a guide-display section of a display device, wherein the guide-display section is configured to be horizontally scrollable.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a characteristic of a display device, wherein the display device is configured to display the retrieved image data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the number of VOD product identifiers included in the at least a portion of the VOD product identifiers corresponds to the determined characteristic.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a user-defined customization factor;

wherein the number of VOD product identifiers included in the at least a portion of the VOD product.identifiers corresponds to the user-defined customization factor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a user-defined ranking criteria; and

sorting the identified plurality of VOD products according to the retrieved user-defined ranking criteria;

wherein the plurality of VOD product identifiers associated with the sorted plurality of VOD products is displayable according to the sorting.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication of the selected category and subcategory to a VOD guide provider;

identifying, at the VOD guide provider, the plurality of VOD products associated with the selected category and subcategory; and

providing a list of the plurality of VOD products to a rendering system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the list of the plurality of VOD products to the rendering system comprises:

providing a list of the plurality of VOD products to a set-top box.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether any of the plurality of VOD product identifiers associated with VOD products included in the list are stored local to the rendering system; and

responsive to the VOD product identifier for a first of the plurality of VOD products not being stored local to the rendering system, requesting that the VOD guide provider provide the VOD product identifier for the first of the plurality of VOD products.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a viewing restriction; and

determining whether the viewing restriction applies to any of the plurality of VOD products associated with the selected one of the plurality of VOD product categories.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein initiating display of the retrieved image data comprises:

initiating display of only the retrieved plurality of VOD product identifiers that comply with the viewing restriction.

14. A method for managing a plurality of VOD products, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a VOD product category;

identifying a plurality of VOD indicators corresponding to the VOD product category;

assigning a priority to each of the plurality of VOD indicators;

identifying a set of the VOD indicators, wherein the set of the VOD indicators is identified according to the priority assigned to each of the plurality of VOD indicators; and

initiating display of the VOD indicators included in the set of VOD indicators.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a plurality of VOD product display blocks, wherein each of the plurality of VOD product display blocks corresponds to the VOD indicator for each of the VOD indicators included in the set of VOD indicators;

wherein initiating display of the indicators comprises;

initiating display of at least one of the plurality of VOD product display blocks.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sorting the plurality of VOD indicators according to a user-defined criteria.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user-defined criteria is based upon the rating of the VOD product associated with each of the plurality of VOD indicators.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying a first of the plurality of VOD indicators that does not comply with the user-defined criteria; and

removing the first of the plurality of VOD indicators from the identified plurality of VOD indicators such that display of the VOD product indicator associated with the first of the plurality of VOD indicators is not initiated.

19. A method for managing series video-on-demand (SVOD) products, the method comprising:

receiving a selection to activate a SVOD guide;

retrieving a list of SVOD providers;

retrieving display data for each of the SVOD providers included in the list of SVOD providers; and

initiating display of the retrieved display data for each of the SVOD providers, wherein a user can select at least one of the SVOD providers.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

ranking the SVOD providers included in the list according to a ranking criteria;

wherein initiating display comprises;

rendering the display data for a higher ranking SVOD provider before rendering the display data for a lower ranking SVOD provider.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying a SVOD provider that corresponds to a screening criteria.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein rendering comprises:

initiating display of the retrieved display data for SVOD providers other than the identified SVOD provider that corresponds to the screening criteria.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a selection of SVOD provider included in the list of SVOD providers; and

retrieving a list of available SVOD products corresponding to the selected SVOD provider.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a SVOD product included in the list of available SVOD products; and

initiating display of a list of available seasons for the selected SVOD product.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a season included in the list of available seasons; and

initiating display of a list of available episodes for the selected season and selected SVOD product.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a selection of an episode included in the list of available episodes.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

retrieving episodic data related to the selected episode; and

initiating display of the retrieved episodic data.

28. A system for managing series video-on-demand (SVOD) products, the method comprising:

means for receiving a selection to activate a SVOD guide;

means for retrieving a list of SVOD providers;

means for retrieving display data for each of the SVOD providers included in the list of SVOD providers; and

means for initiating display of the retrieved display data for each of the SVOD providers, wherein a user can select at least one of the SVOD providers.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for ranking the SVOD providers included in the list according to a ranking criteria;

wherein the means for initiating display comprises;

means for rendering the display data for a higher ranking SVOD provider before rendering the display data for a lower ranking SVOD provider.