System and method for customizing a multimedia interface

• US 20050076364A1
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Rowlen, Matthew, Vakili, Valla, Dukes, Derek, Behhnam-Dehkordy, Hamid-Reza
• Application Number:
  US10/752,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20050076364A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for providing and experiencing broadcast and non-broadcast content. One aspect of the invention is to provide a way for a user to customize available broadcast content, as well as available non-broadcast content and services. In one embodiment, an online user interface is used to set a plurality of user preferences and settings which tailors and formats the non-broadcast content and services available via a client-side device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a user computer, coupled to a data network, to display a user interface usable to access a user account to enter a plurality of user customization preferences that are associated with said user account; and

a client-side device, coupled to the data network, to receive non-broadcast data from the data network and broadcast programming content from a broadcast source, said client-side device to,

access said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account via the data network;

display a plurality of media presentation options based on said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account,

access selected broadcast programming content from the broadcast source based on a user selection from said plurality of media presentation options.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said data network is the Internet, said broadcast source is a television programming source, and said client-side device includes a set top box that is coupled to the Internet and to said broadcast source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of user customization preferences are stored in the user account and are accessible by providing at least one of a user ID and a password to said user interface.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said client-side device accesses said plurality of user customization preferences by performing a logon operation to said user account.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of user customization preferences includes at least one of selected movies to record, selected video content to download, selected music to download, content categories to list, content information to display, content purchase options, popular available content, and newly released available content.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of media presentation options includes at least one of recorded available content, downloaded available content, clips of available content, trailers of available content, and movie theater information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein when the selected broadcast programming content is available from the broadcast source, said client-side device records a broadcast of said selected broadcast programming content to a local memory of the client-side device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein until the selected broadcast programming content is available from the broadcast source, said client-side device identifies the selected broadcast programming content as being in queue for future recording.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the client-side device is further to display content purchase options based on said plurality of user customization preferences.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the client-side device, content purchase options based on said plurality of user customization preferences.

10. A method comprising:

entering a plurality of user customization preferences using a user interface displayed on a user computer that is coupled to a data network, wherein said plurality of user customization preferences are associated with a user account;

receiving, by a client-side device coupled to the data network, non-broadcast content from the data network and broadcast programming content from a broadcast source;

accessing, by the client-side device, said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account via the data network;

displaying, by the client-side device, a plurality of media presentation options based on said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account; and

accessing, by the client-side device, selected broadcast programming content from the broadcast source based on a user selection from said plurality of media presentation options.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising coupling said client-side device to the data network and to the broadcast source, wherein said data network is the Internet, said broadcast source is a television programming source and said client-side device is a set top box.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing said plurality of user customization preferences in said user account; and

accessing said user account by providing at least one of a user ID and a password to said user interface.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising accessing, by the client-side device, said plurality of user customization preferences by performing a logon operation to said user account.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said entering the plurality of user customization preferences includes entering the plurality of user customization preferences using the user interface where said plurality of user customization preferences includes at least one of selected movies to record, selected video content to download, selected music to download, content categories to list, content information to display, content purchase options, popular available content, and newly released available content.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said displaying comprises displaying, by the client-side device, the plurality of media presentation options based on said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account, where said plurality of media presentation options includes at least one of recorded available content, downloaded available content, clips of available content, trailers of available content, and movie theater information.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording a broadcast of said selected broadcast programming content to a local memory of the client-side device when said selected broadcast programming content is available from the broadcast source.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising identifying, by the client-side device, the selected broadcast programming content as being in queue for future recording until the selected broadcast programming content is available from the broadcast source.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein to display information, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code to enter a plurality of user customization preferences using a user interface displayed on a user computer that is coupled to a data network, wherein said plurality of user customization preferences are associated with a user account;

computer readable program code to receive, by a client-side device coupled to the data network, non-broadcast content from the data network and broadcast programming content from a broadcast source;

computer readable program code to access, by the client-side device, said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account via the data network;

computer readable program code to display, by the client-side device, a plurality of media presentation options based on said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account; and

computer readable program code to access, by the client-side device, selected broadcast programming content from the broadcast source based on a user selection from said plurality of media presentation options.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising computer readable program code to enable said client-side device to communicate with the data network and the broadcast source, wherein said data network is the Internet, said broadcast source is a television programming source and said client-side device is a set top box.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable program code to store said plurality of user customization preferences in said user account; and

computer readable program code to access said user account by providing at least one of a user ID and a password to said user interface.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising computer readable program code to access, by the client-side device, said plurality of user customization preferences by performing a logon operation to said user account.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said computer readable program code to enter the plurality of user customization preferences includes computer readable program code to enter the plurality of user customization preferences using the user interface where said plurality of user customization preferences includes at least one of selected movies to record, selected video content to download, selected music to download, content categories to list, content information to display, content purchase options, popular available content, and newly released available content.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said computer readable program code to display comprises computer readable program code to display, by the client-side device, the plurality of media presentation options based on said plurality of user customization preferences from the user account, where said plurality of media presentation options includes at least one of recorded available content, downloaded available content, clips of available content, trailers of available content, and movie theater information.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code to record a broadcast of said selected broadcast programming content to a local memory of the client-side device when said selected broadcast programming content is available from the broadcast source.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising computer readable program code to identify, by the client-side device, the selected broadcast programming content as being in queue for future recording until the selected broadcast programming content is available from the broadcast source.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising computer readable program code to display, by the client-side device, content purchase options based on said plurality of user customization preferences.