Interactive content with enhanced network operator control

• US 20040268418A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, James, Matz, William, Brothers, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,418,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described that provide enhanced network operator control. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method comprises determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content, the one or more users connected with head-end and data center via a network. Responsive to determining to inform the one or more users of the available content, generating a hot key signal indicating availability and a location of the alternate content. The hot key signal is inserted into a content signal transmitted to the one or more users from the head-end and data center via the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content, the one or more users connected with head-end and data center via a network;

responsive to determining to inform the one or more users of the available content, generating a hot key signal indicating availability and a location of the alternate content; and

inserting the hot key signal into a content signal transmitted to the one or more users from the head-end and data center via the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content is based on results of a search of programming information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content further comprising performing a search of one or more Internet web sites.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein performing a search of one or more web sites comprises using the results of the search of programming information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content is based on information received during generation of programming information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hot key signal comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet, the IP data packet having a header portion and a body portion, the body portion having a data field indicating a location of the alternate content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the IP data packet is transmitted from the head-end and data center as an IP multicast to the one or more users via the network.

8. A head-end and data center system comprising:

a hot key generation portion to determine whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content, the one or more users connected with the head-end and data center via a network and responsive to determining to inform the one or more users of the available content, generating a hot key signal indicating availability and a location of the alternate content;

a multiplexor system to insert the hot key signal into a content signal; and

a transport system to transmit to the one or more users from the head-end and data center via the network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the hot key generation portion determines whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content based on results of a search of programming information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the hot key generation portion determines whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content by performing a search of one or more Internet web sites.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein performing a search of one or more web sites comprises using the results of the search of programming information.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the hot key generation portion determines whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content based on information received during generation of programming information.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the hot key signal comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet, the IP data packet having a header portion and a body portion, the body portion having a data field indicating a location of the alternate content.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the IP data packet is transmitted from the head-end and data center as an IP multicast to the one or more users via the network.

15. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content, the one or more users connected with head-end and data center via a network;

responsive to determining to inform the one or more users of the available content, generate a hot key signal indicating availability and a location of the alternate content; and

insert the hot key signal into a content signal transmitted to the one or more users from the head-end and data center via the network.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content is based on results of a search of programming information.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content further comprising performing a search of one or more Internet web sites.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein performing a search of one or more web sites comprises using the results of the search of programming information.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining at a head-end and data center whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content is based on information received during generation of programming information.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the hot key signal comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet, the IP data packet having a header portion and a body portion, the body portion having a data field indicating a location of the alternate content.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the IP data packet is transmitted from the head-end and data center as an IP multicast to the one or more users via the network.