Digital interactive delivery system for TV/multimedia/internet

• US 20050028206A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iMagicTV, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iMagicTV, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Furlong, Jeff L., Cameron, Allan B., Jones, Ian K., Higgins, Sean G., Alston, David J., Swansburg, Darren B.
• Application Number:
  US10/924,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20050028206A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 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 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• 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 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A computer software application for end-to-end management of the delivery of IP-configured integrated multimedia signals (e.g., TV, video, Website, etc.), on an interactive basis, to a subscriber device (being a personal computer (PC) and monitor coupled thereto or television/set-top box combination). The system manager comprises an interactive program guide (IPG) component configured for providing to the subscriber an interactive program guide (IPG) permitting selection of the multimedia signals by the subscriber and a subscriber device component associated with the subscriber device and configured for receiving instructions from the subscriber. The subscriber device includes a decoder configured for converting the selected IP multicast format signals into a format for display on PC monitor or television. A PC component is configured for displaying the converted multimedia signals on the PC monitor in the form of a player window and for displaying a remote controller GUI on the monitor, the remote controller GUI being a model of a hand-held remote controller and controllable by the subscriber for controlling the selection of signals from the IPG. The interactive program guide provides drop down box selection and scroll bar GUI features.

Claims

1-24. -24. (Cancelled)

25. A digital interactive delivery system for managing interactive access of a subscriber device to a plurality of video sources transmitted over a broadband communication network, comprising:

a user interface for;

(i) associating a plurality of video content items provided by said plurality of video sources with said subscriber device; and

(ii) enabling selection of a specified one of said plurality of video content items for viewing on said subscriber device;

an access element for;

(i) establishing a connection between said subscriber device and respective video source locations associated with each of said plurality of video content items;

(ii) transmitting said specified one of said plurality of video content items to said subscriber device; and

(iii) establishing a connection between said subscriber device and a digital television management (DTVM) component for profile management, account administration and interactive program guide (IPG) access,

wherein said access element is an Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) modem, and wherein said ADSL modem communicates with a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM).

26. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 25, wherein said user interface comprises:

an IPG component configured according to a subscriber profile associated with said subscriber device, said IPG component for communicating with said interactive program guide associated with said DTVM component, said interactive programming guide comprising a list of each of said plurality of video content items, and respective video source locations associated with each of said plurality of video content items; and

a subscriber input interface for enabling identification of said specified one of said plurality of video content items.

27. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 26 wherein said subscriber device comprises a set top box and a television coupled thereto, said set top box comprising a decoder configured for converting a specified one of said plurality of video sources into a display format for display on said television, and wherein said specified one of said plurality of video sources is in MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format.

28. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 27 wherein said set top box further comprises subscriber device components including a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) player, a browser, a networking application programming interface (API) and a windowing API.

29. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 26 wherein ADSL lines connect said DSLAM to a first ethernet interface on said ADSL modem and a 10BaseT cable connects said first ethernet interface to a second ethernet interface on said set top box.

30. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 29 wherein said subscriber input interface comprises a remote device.

31. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 30 wherein said list associated with said IPG further includes an information block associated with each of said plurality of video content items.

32. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 31 wherein said list associated with said EPG comprises program schedule cells and associated channel lineup cells.

33. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 25 wherein said subscriber device comprises a computer and a computer monitor coupled thereto, said computer comprising a decoder configured for converting a specified one of said plurality of video sources into a display format for display on said monitor, and wherein said specified one of said plurality of video sources is in MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format.

34. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 33 wherein said subscriber device further comprises a PC component and wherein said PC component comprises an IPG component, a player window component and a virtual remote control component, and wherein said player window component comprises a channel selector icon, a program guide icon and a remote control icon, and wherein when said remote control icon is engaged by said subscriber, a virtual remote controller is displayed.

35. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 34 wherein said virtual remote controller is controllable by said subscriber through a subscriber input device comprising a keyboard and a mouse.

36. The digital interactive delivery system of claim 34 wherein said IPG component is configured according to a subscriber profile associated with said subscriber device, and wherein said IPG component communicates with said interactive program guide associated with said DTVM component, and wherein said interactive programming guide comprises a list of each of said plurality of video content items, and respective video source locations associated with each of said plurality of video content items.