Method and system for providing media content

• US 20040031057A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christopher P. Waites
• Original Assignee: Christopher P. Waites
• Inventors: Waites, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US10/416,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20040031057A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An improved method of providing media content to at least one user comprising the steps of accessing by the user of a server/provider website via a set-top box, and selecting by the user of media content stored in a server/provider database, and delivery of the selected media content to the user set-top box by the server/provider.

Claims

1. A method of providing media content to at least one user comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing by the user of a server/provider website via set-top box;

(b) selecting by the user of media content stored in a server/provider database; and

(c) delivering of the selected media content to the user set-top box by the server provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing is via the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user set-top box further comprises a DVD player/recorder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transfer between the user and the server/provider is via fiber optic cable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a server/provider control box controls a user'"'"'s TV and external devices connected to the TV as well as all devices in the user set-top box.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content provided by the server/provider is stored in the user set-top box.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising deleting the stored media content after a preselected time period.