Methods and systems for advertising during video-on-demand suspensions

• US 20050240961A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Shashi, Jerding, Dean F., Banker, Robert O., Rodriguez, Arturo A., Gutknecht, Valerie Grew
• Application Number:
  US11/170,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Included is a method for an interactive media services system to provide a screen saver utility to a user through an interactive media services client device. The client device may be coupled to a programmable media services server device. The method may include the steps of providing a system operator with an interface to the programmable media services server; and providing control options within the interface to allow the system operator to dictate media to be presented in the screen saver utility, a plurality of parameters that result in activation of the screen saver utility, and a procedure to be followed in exiting the screen saver utility.

Claims

1. A method for an interactive media services system to provide a screen saver utility to a user through an interactive media services client device, said client device coupled to a programmable media services server device, said method comprising steps of:

providing a system operator with an interface to said programmable media services server; and

providing control options within said interface to allow said system operator to dictate media to be presented in the screen saver utility, a plurality of parameters that result in activation of the screen saver utility, and a procedure to be followed in exiting the screen saver utility.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of parameters comprise a timeout value denoting a length of time a client device will display a non-variant screen before activating said screen saver utility.

3. A method for an interactive media services system to provide a screen saver utility to a user through an interactive media services client device, said client device coupled to a programmable media services server device, said method comprising steps of:

implementing said client device to present an interactive media guide; and

implementing said client device to activate a screen saver utility if said client device has presented a non-variant screen for longer than a plurality of configured parameters allow.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said plurality of parameters comprise a timeout value denoting a length of time a client device will display a stop screen and a timeout value denoting a length of time a client device will display a non-varying screen of said interactive media guide.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein activation of said screen saver utility results in tuning said client device to a promotional channel.

6. A method implemented by a server coupled to a television set-top terminal (“

STT”

) via a bi-directional communication network, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving a request from the STT for a motion video presentation;

establishing a dedicated network session between the server and the STT;

providing the motion video presentation to the STT via the established network session;

suspending the provision of the motion video presentation responsive to a first user input; and

providing a promotional motion video presentation to the STT responsive to the first user input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the promotional motion video presentation is provided a predetermined amount of time after the first user input is received.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising suspending the promotional motion video presentation responsive to any of a plurality of user inputs corresponding to a plurality of respective user input keys.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising resuming presentation of the motion video presentation responsive to a second user input.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the promotional motion video presentation is a video-on-demand presentation.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the promotional motion video presentation comprises a portion of a different motion video presentation than the motion video presentation, the different motion video presentation being available for rent via a device that is providing the motion video presentation.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the motion video presentation is a rented video-on-demand presentation.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the STT is uniquely identified by a media access control (MAC) address.

14. A television set-top terminal (“

STT”

) coupled to a server via a bi-directional communication network, the STT comprising;

memory having program code stored therein; and

at least one processor that is programmed by the program code to enable the STT to;

request a motion video presentation;

establish a dedicated network session with the server;

provide the motion video presentation to a user via the established network session;

suspend the provision of the motion video presentation responsive to a first user input; and

provide a promotional motion video presentation to the user responsive to the first user input.

15. The STT of claim 14, wherein the promotional motion video presentation is provided a predetermined amount of time after the first user input is received by the STT.

16. The STT of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed by the program code to enable the STT to suspend the promotional motion video presentation responsive to any of a plurality of user inputs corresponding to a plurality of respective user input keys.

17. The STT of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed by the program code to enable the STT to resume presentation of the motion video presentation responsive to a second user input.

18. The STT of claim 14, wherein the dedicated network session and the promotional motion video presentation are both provided via video-on-demand (VOD) sessions.

19. The STT of claim 14, wherein the promotional motion video presentation comprises a portion of a different motion video presentation than the motion video presentation, the different motion video presentation being available for rent via the STT.

20. The STT of claim 14, wherein the promotional motion video presentation comprises a portion of the motion video presentation.