System and method for enhanced hot key delivery

• US 20050138668A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, James, Matz, William, Brothers, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a service provider determines whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content. Responsive to determining to inform the one or more users of the available content, a hot key signal is generated. The hot key signal is sent to the users via a side channel out-of-band with one or more channels for content. The hot key signal from the out-of band side channel is received by a terminal device. The terminal device determines whether the hot key signal is relevant to a user currently viewing content from the service provider. Responsive to determining the hot key signal is relevant to the user, an indication that the hot key signal has been received is displayed. Responsive to receiving an indication that the hot key is accepted, the user is directed to the available content indicated by the hot key signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content;

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

sending the hot key signal to the one or more users via a side channel with which the one or more users and the interactive television service provider are connected, wherein the side channel is out-of-band with one or more channels for content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content is based on information supplied by a content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content from is based on information generated by the interactive television service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the side channel comprises a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the side channel comprises a channel of a two-way video network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the side channel comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connenction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the side channel comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a hot key signal from a side channel out-of band with one or more channels for content indicating availability and a location of available content;

determining whether the hot key signal is relevant to a user currently viewing content from an interactive television (TV) provider;

responsive to determining the hot key signal is relevant to the user, displaying on a screen an indication that the hot key signal has been received; and

responsive to receiving an indication that the hot key is accepted, directing the user to the available content indicated by the hot key signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the side channel comprises a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) connection.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the side channel comprises a channel of a two-way video network.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the side channel comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connenction.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the side channel comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection.

13. A system comprising:

a content reception, distribution, and switching portion connected with one or more content providers to receive and redistribute interactive television (TV) content;

a head-end transport portion connected with the content reception, distribution, and switching portion to and encode, multiplex and transmitted content signals from the content reception, distribution, and switching portion over a network;

a hot key generation portion to determine whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content, and 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 send the hot key signal to one or more users via a side channel out-of-band with one or more channels for content.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the side channel comprises a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) connection.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the side channel comprises a channel of a two-way video network.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the side channel comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connenction.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the side channel comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection.

18. A system comprising:

an out-of-band interface portion to receive a hot key signal indicating availability and a location of alternate content from a side channel out-of-band with one or more channels for content;

a processor to determine whether the hot key signal is relevant to a subscriber currently viewing content from an interactive television (TV) provider, responsive to determining the hot key signal is relevant to the subscriber, displaying on a screen via a graphics processor and an input/output portion connected with the processor an indication that the hot key signal has been received, and responsive to receiving an indication via the input output portion that the hot key is accepted, displaying the alternate content indicated by the hot key signal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the side channel comprises a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) connection.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the side channel comprises a channel of a two-way video network.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the side channel comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connenction.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the side channel comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection.

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

determine whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content;

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

send the hot key signal to the one or more users via a side channel with which the one or more users and the interactive television service provider are connected, wherein the side channel is out-of-band with one or more channels for content.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein determining whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content is based on information supplied by a content provider.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein determining whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content from is based on information generated by the interactive television service provider.

26. The machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the side channel comprises a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) connection.

27. The machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the side channel comprises a channel of a two-way video network.

28. The machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the side channel comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connenction.

29. The machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the side channel comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection.

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

receive a hot key signal from a side channel out-of band with one or more channels for content indicating availability and a location of available content;

determine whether the hot key signal is relevant to a user currently viewing content from an interactive television (TV) provider;

responsive to determining the hot key signal is relevant to the user, display on a screen an indication that the hot key signal has been received; and

responsive to receiving an indication that the hot key is accepted, direct the user to the available content indicated by the hot key signal.

31. The machine readable medium of claim 30, wherein the side channel comprises a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) connection.

32. The machine readable medium of claim 30, wherein the side channel comprises a channel of a two-way video network.

33. The machine readable medium of claim 30, wherein the side channel comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connenction.

34. The machine readable medium of claim 30, wherein the side channel comprises an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection.