System and method for creating and presenting content packages

• US 20040025191A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: B. Popular, Inc.
• Original Assignee: B. Popular, Inc.
• Inventors: McDermott-Walsh, Maggie, Alexandre, Kristin K.C., Olsen, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US10/209,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20040025191A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method by which programming is delivered via the internet to an end-user. The delivered programming can be based on specified selection criteria. The programming can be supported by information generated by support tools, including, but not limited to: ebooks, articles, games, content summaries, links to websites, telephone numbers, learning confirmation sessions, recommended reading and resources, etc. The service can be provided through a variety of revenue models. If a subscriber revenue model is used, the user can elect to pay for this programming in a number of ways, including either as a time-based subscription or on a pay-per-view/pay-per-topic basis.

Claims

1. A system for presenting programming, the programming being related to one or more topics, comprising:

a plurality of database servers, each of the database servers being able to access a database that stores programming;

a client terminal capable of specifying a topic and sending a request for programming related to the topic; and

a main server connected to the plurality of database servers and to the client terminal, the main server being capable of receiving the request from the client terminal, querying the plurality of database servers to create a content package that includes programming related to the topic and sending the content package to the client terminal.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client terminal is capable of displaying the content package.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the client terminal identifies selected programming from a displayed content package, the main server requests and receives the selected programming from the appropriate database server, and the main server transmits the selected programming to the client terminal.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selected programming is displayed on the client terminal.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a fee for the display of the selected programming is charged.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a fee for transmitting the selected programming from the database server is charged.

7. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a fee is stored in one of the databases in association with the selected programming.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the programming is segmented and the segments are classified by topic, and the main server is capable of querying the database servers to identify programming segments related to the topic and then sending a list of the identified programming segments to the client terminal.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the client terminal is capable of displaying the list of the identified programming and the list of the identified programming segments in a hierarchical fashion.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, where the client terminal is capable of specifying whether the main server should send a list of programming or a list of programming segments.

11. The system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the main server having a local database containing additional information relevant to the topic, wherein the main server is capable of querying the local database to identify the additional information relevant to the topic and including the additional information in the content package.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

on the client terminal, selecting programming from the content package; and

displaying the selected programming on the client terminal.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of:

charging a fee for displaying the programming.

12. A method of presenting programming on a client terminal from a main server having access to a plurality of databases, each of the plurality of databases being maintained by a different business entity and containing a plurality of programming owned by the respective business entity, the programming being related to one or more topics, comprising the steps of:

specifying a topic at the client terminal;

sending a request to the main server from the client terminal for programming related to the topic;

at the main server, searching the plurality of databases for programming that is related to the topic;

at the main server, creating a content package that includes programming that is related to the topic; and

displaying a the content package at the client terminal.

15. A method for presenting programming, the programming being segmented into a plurality of segments, each of the segments being related to one or more topics, comprising the steps of:

selecting a topic;

creating a content package that includes a plurality of segments that relate to the topic;

displaying the content package;

selecting one of the plurality of segments from the content package; and

displaying the selected one of the plurality of segments.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the content package further includes additional information related to the topic, the additional information being selected from one or more of the following categories:

a quiz related to the topic;

an e-book presentation relating to the topic;

a recommended reading list having a plurality of references relating to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic; and

internet links to additional sources related to the topic.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the programming is fictional programming.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the programming is non-fictional programming.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the programming is quasi-reality based programming.

20. A system for presenting programming relating to a topic, the programming being segmented into a plurality of segments, comprising:

means for selecting the topic;

means for generating a content package that includes a plurality of segments that relates to the topic;

means for displaying the content package;

means for selecting one of the plurality of segments from the content package; and

means for displaying the selected one of the plurality of segments.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the content package further includes additional information related to the topic, the additional information being selected from one or more of the following categories:

a quiz related to the topic;

an e-book presentation relating to the topic;

a recommended reading list having a plurality of references relating to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic; and

internet links to additional sources related to the topic.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the programming is fictional programming.

23. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the programming is non-fictional programming.

24. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the programming is quasi-reality based programming.

32. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the plurality of segments of quasi-reality programming from the content package; and

displaying the selected one of the plurality of segments of quasi reality programming.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the segments are less than five minutes in length.

25. A method for presenting television programming, the television programming being segmented into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments being related to one or more topics, comprising the steps of:

selecting a topic;

creating a content package that includes a plurality of segments of television programming that relate to the topic; and

displaying the content package.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the plurality of segments of television programming from the content package; and

displaying the selected one of the plurality of segments of television programming.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the content package further includes additional information related to the topic, the additional information being selected from one or more of the following categories:

a quiz related to the topic;

an e-book presentation relating to the topic;

a recommended reading list having a plurality of references relating to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic; and

internet links to additional sources related to the topic.

28. A system for presenting television programming, the television programming being segmented into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments being related to one or more topics, comprising:

means for selecting a topic;

means for creating a content package that includes a plurality of segments of television programming that relate to the topic; and

means for displaying the content package.

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

means for selecting one of the plurality of segments of television programming from the content package; and

means for displaying the selected one of the plurality of segments of television programming.

30. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the content package further includes additional information related to the topic, the additional information being selected from one or more of the following categories:

a quiz related to the topic;

an e-book presentation relating to the topic;

a recommended reading list having a plurality of references relating to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic; and

internet links to additional sources related to the topic.

31. A method for presenting quasi-reality programming, the quasi-reality programming being segmented into a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments being related to one or more topics, comprising the steps of:

selecting a topic;

creating a content package that includes a plurality of segments of quasi-reality programming that relates to the topic; and

displaying the content package.

34. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the content package further includes additional information related to the topic, the additional information being selected from one or more of the following categories:

a quiz related to the topic;

an e-book presentation relating to the topic;

a recommended reading list having a plurality of references relating to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic; and

internet links to additional sources related to the topic.

35. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the quasi-reality program includes:

one or more presentations relating to the topic that present a conservative perspective of the topic;

one or more presentations relating to the topic that present a moderate perspective of the topic; and

one or more presentations relating to the topic that present a liberal perspective of the topic.

36. A system for presenting quasi-reality programming, the quasi-reality programming being segmented into a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments being related to one or more topics, comprising:

means for selecting a topic;

means for creating a content package that includes a plurality of segments of quasi-reality programming that relates to the topic; and

means for displaying the content package.

37. The system as claimed in claim 36, further comprising:

means for selecting one of the plurality of segments of quasi-reality programming from the content package; and

means for displaying the selected one of the plurality of segments of quasi-reality programming.

38. The system as claimed in claim 37, wherein the segments are less than five minutes in length.

39. The system as claimed in claim 36, wherein the content package further includes additional information related to the topic, the additional information being selected from on or more of the following categories:

a quiz related to the topic;

an e-book presentation relating to the topic;

a recommended reading list having a plurality of references relating to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic; and

internet links to additional sources related to the topic.

40. The system as claimed in claim 36, wherein the quasi-reality program includes:

one or more presentations relating to the topic that present a conservative perspective of the topic;

one or more presentations relating to the topic that present a moderate perspective of the topic; and

one or more presentations relating to the topic that present a liberal perspective of the topic.

41. A method of presenting information from a server to a client terminal, comprising the steps of:

specifying a topic at the client terminal;

sending the topic from the client terminal to the server;

at the server, searching a plurality of databases for programming and additional information that is related to the topic, the additional information including at least one of the following;

a quiz related to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic;

a game related to the topic, an e-book presentation relating to the topic, a recommended reading list relating to the topic, and internet links to websites related to the topic; and

creating and displaying a content package that includes a list of the programming and additional information in the database that is related to the topic.

42. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein at least some of the programming is segmented.

43. A system for presenting information from a server to a client terminal, comprising:

means for specifying a topic at the client terminal;

means for sending the topic from the client terminal to the server;

at the server, means for searching a plurality of databases for programming and additional information that is related to the topic, the additional information including at least one of the following;

a quiz related to the topic;

a summary of the topic;

a top ten list related to the topic;

a game related to the topic, an e-book presentation relating to the topic, a recommended reading list relating to the topic, and internet links to websites related to the topic; and

means for creating and displaying a content package that includes a list of the programming and additional information in the database that is related to the topic.

44. The system as claimed in claim 43, wherein at least some of the programming is segmented.