High-level menu display of purchased content using existing bandwidth

• US 20040133918A1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Danker, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/336,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133918A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for displaying purchased content information in a high-level menu display of a server-client broadcast system. Purchased content information is stored locally and is changed according to viewing parameters. The menu display reflects the current purchased content information. When the client accesses the server for other purposes, purchased content information is exchanged between the client and the server. Accordingly, only existing bandwidth is utilized and no additional load is placed on the system as a result of maintaining purchased content information in a high-level menu.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving purchased content information from a client device, the purchased content information relating to one or more items of purchased content;

displaying one or more viewing parameters taken from the purchased content information in a broadcast system high-level menu display;

updating the purchased content information from a remote purchased content information on a content server when the client accesses the content server for a purpose other than updating the purchased content information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the high-level menu display further comprises a top-level menu display.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting local changes that occur on the client; and

updating the purchased content information on the client device to reflect the local changes.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising providing the updated purchased content information to the server when the client accesses the server.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising updating the high-level menu display with the local changes detected.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the purchased content information includes one or more of the following items:

a program identifier;

a program title;

a program expiration time;

a program expiration date;

a program description;

a program run time;

a program rating;

one or more program actors;

one or more program producers;

one or more program directors;

a maximum number of time a program may be viewed;

a program on-demand identifier.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the updating only occurs if the remote purchased content information has changed since the last time the purchased content information on the client has been updated.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising updating the high-level menu display if the updated purchased content information affects the displayed viewing parameters.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the client further comprises a set-top box and the display further comprises a television.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the purchased content further comprises video, audio and/or audio-video content.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the purchased content information includes a program expiration time associated with a purchased content program, the method further comprising providing a notification when the purchased content program cannot be concluded before the expiration time is reached.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising providing the notification when the purchased content program cannot be concluded when played at a normal speed.

13. A client device, comprising:

memory;

audio/video output means for transmitting audio and/or video data to one or more display devices;

a menu application configured to generate a top-level menu display associated with a content broadcasting system;

local purchased content information stored in the memory, the purchased content information including one or more viewing parameters and/or other data related to each of one or more purchased content programs;

means for accessing a content server; and

wherein the local purchased content information is updated from remote purchased content information stored at the content server whenever the content server is accessed for a purpose other than updating the local purchased content information.

14. The client device as recited in claim 13, further comprising an application configured to monitor the client device for local changes to purchased content and update the local purchased content information when any local changes that affect the local purchased content information occur.

15. The client device as recited in claim 13, wherein the local purchased content information is transmitted to the content server when the client device accesses the content server.

16. The client device as recited in claim 13, wherein the local changes further comprises one or more of the following:

the playing of a purchased content program;

the expiration of access privileges for a purchased content program;

the cancellation of a purchased access program.

17. The client device as recited in claim 13, wherein the local purchased content information is updated only if the remote purchased content information has changed since the local purchased content information was previously updated.

18. The client device as recited in claim 13, wherein the local purchased content information further comprises one or more items from the following list of items:

a program identifier;

a program title;

a program expiration time;

a program expiration date;

a program description;

a program run time;

a program rating;

one or more program actors;

one or more program producers;

one or more program directors;

a maximum number of time a program may be viewed;

a program on-demand identifier.

19. The client device as recited in claim 13, wherein the top-level menu display further comprises a viewing parameters area to display current viewing parameters derived from the local purchased content information.

20. The client device as recited in claim 13, further comprising an application configured to detect a situation wherein access privileges for a purchased content program will expire before the purchased content program can be played to conclusion and top provide a notification of the situation.

21. A top-level menu display, comprising:

a purchased content display configured to identify one or more purchased content programs that have been purchased from a content provider and to display one or more viewing parameters for each purchased content program on a top-level menu display associated with the content provider; and

wherein the top-level menu display is updated with information retrieved from a content server when a client accesses the content server.

22. The top-level menu display as recited in claim 21, wherein the viewing parameters include one or more parameters from the following list of viewing parameters:

a program identifier;

a program title;

a program expiration time;

a program expiration date;

a program description;

a program run time;

a program rating;

one or more program actors;

one or more program producers;

one or more program directors;

a maximum number of time a program may be viewed;

a program on-demand identifier.

23. The top-level menu display as recited in claim 21, wherein:

a limited number or purchased content programs can be displayed at one time; and

the top-level menu display further comprises means to view all available purchased content programs.

24. The top-level menu display as recited in claim 23, wherein the means to view all available purchased content programs further comprises one or more scroll actuators.

25. The top-level menu display as recited in claim 23, wherein the means to view all available purchased content programs further comprises a scroll bar.

26. The top-level menu display as recited in claim 21, wherein the one or more viewing parameters further comprises an “

on-demand”

indicator to identify a video-on-demand purchased content program.

27. The top-level menu display as recited in claim 21, wherein the one or more viewing parameters further comprises a start date and a start time associated with a pay-per-view purchased content program.

28. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the following steps:

storing, on a client device, one or more program viewing parameters about one or more purchased content programs available in a content broadcasting system;

displaying one or more of the program viewing parameters on a top-level menu display associated with the content broadcasting system; and

updating the one or more program viewing parameters when the client device accesses a content server in the content broadcasting system.

29. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

detecting one or more local changes in the client; and

updating the viewing parameters on the client device with information related to the local changes.

30. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 28, wherein the viewing parameters further comprise one or more viewing parameters from the following list of viewing parameters:

a program identifier;

a program title;

a program expiration time;

a program expiration date;

a program description;

a program run time;

a program rating;

one or more program actors;

one or more program producers;

one or more program directors;

a maximum number of time a program may be viewed;

a program on-demand identifier.

31. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 28, further comprising providing a user notification in the event that a user is watching a purchased content program that will not conclude prior to an expiration time associated with the purchased content program.