Television viewer selection of programs to be subsequently delivered
First Claim
1. A method for allowing a TV user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising the steps of:
- accepting from said user information pertaining to a program desired to be viewed by said user;
matching by other than said user, said accepted information against a list of known programs currently scheduled to be delivered; and
informing said user as to when said programs will be delivered.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Television users may record abstracts of programs that they desire and program providers may access the recorded program abstracts from time to time so as to provide the program content that matches the requested program. In one embodiment, the user may select a TV program (or movie) that is not currently available and then at a time subsequent thereto that program is made available to the user, either privately, or over the public network. In another embodiment, users of the system may record program requests. Program providers may then access these requests from time to time and provide the requested program, even if the program had not been available at the time the request was initially posted. Prior to delivery of the program content the parties, if desired, may negotiate when and how delivery will occur, how much of the program will be provided, the cost of the program and the responsibilities of each of the parties pertaining to that program. The information abstract of the program may be stored local to the user or at one or more central sites.
27 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method for allowing a TV user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising the steps of:
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accepting from said user information pertaining to a program desired to be viewed by said user;
matching by other than said user, said accepted information against a list of known programs currently scheduled to be delivered; and
informing said user as to when said programs will be delivered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for delivering entertainment programs to a user, said system comprising:
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means for allowing said user to input and store desired programs;
means independent from said user'"'"'s content for determining which, if any, of said stored desired programs are currently available to said user; and
means controlled in part by said determining means for informing said user that one or more of said stored desired programs are currently available and for subsequently informing said viewer that desired programs which were determined not to have been currently available to said user have become available. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for allowing a TV user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising:
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recording, under control of said user, requests pertaining to a program desired to be viewed by said user;
said desired programs not necessarily currently scheduled, either as stand-alone programs or programs which are part of a series, for availability to said user;
accessing recorded ones of said requests by other than said user;
determining, at least in part independent of control by said user, whether or not a program corresponding to an accessed request is currently scheduled so as to be available for delivery to said user; and
informing said user as to the availability of an accessed request. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35)
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32. A system for delivery of TV programs to a viewer, said system comprising:
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memory for storing from a desiring viewer information pertaining to the delivery by a provider of one or more programs corresponding to desired programs, said desired programs not necessarily being scheduled, either as stand-alone or as part of a series, for availability to said desiring viewer at the time said information is received from said desiring viewer; and
a processor for comparing stored ones of said viewer information against program content information as said program content information becomes available to determine matches therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for delivery of TV programs to a viewer, said system comprising:
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a communication link from a desiring viewer;
memory accessible over said communication link by a plurality of desiring viewers for storing from any one or more said desiring viewers information pertaining to the delivery of one or more desired programs, said delivery to a location specified by each said desiring viewer;
a processor for comparing stored ones of said viewer information against program content information as said program content information becomes available to determine matches therebetween on a viewer by viewer basis; and
wherein said processor is further operable in response to a determined match for individually informing each said viewer as to matches relevant to said viewer. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for controlling TV program recording by a viewer, said method comprising:
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storing programs desired by said viewer;
matching, under control independent of said viewer, program content being delivered to said viewer; and
adjusting a time span of a recorder enabled to record said program content, said adjusting being in accordance with an actual program time span. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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Specification