Wireless support for TV pay-per-view ordering

• US 20050278766A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Benco, David S., True, Sandra Lynn, Sheen, Baoling S., Voight, Kenneth J., Overend, Kevin J.
• Application Number:
  US10/854,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/104
• 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 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method for ordering TV PPV content is provided. The method includes: displaying PPV content that is available for ordering; receiving input indicating which PPV content is being order; generating PPV order information related to the PPV content ordered; and, communicating the PPV order information to an MS (40) served by a wireless telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A method for ordering television (TV) pay-per-view (PPV) content, said method comprising:

(a) displaying PPV content that is available for ordering;

(b) receiving input indicating which PPV content is being ordered;

(c) generating PPV order information related to the PPV content ordered; and

,

(d) communicating the PPV order information to a mobile station (MS) served by a wireless telecommunications network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) placing a call with the MS over the wireless telecommunications network to a PPV order processing system; and

,

(f) communicating the PPV order information to the PPV order processing system via the placed call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating of step (d) is carried out over a wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining if the MS is engaged in another call prior to step (e); and

,

placing the call of step (e) on a different channel when the MS is engaged in another call.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the PPV order information is communicated to the PPV order processing system as a text message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the text message is a short-message-service (SMS) message.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless connection is selected from a Bluetooth connection, a Wi-Fi connection, a wireless local-area network (WLAN) connection, or an infrared connection.

8. A system that provides for ordering of television (TV) pay-per-view (PPV) content by a user, said system comprising:

means for displaying PPV content that is available for ordering;

means for receiving input indicating which PPV content is being order;

means for generating PPV order information related to the PPV content ordered; and

,

means for communicating the PPV order information to a mobile station (MS) served by a wireless telecommunications network.

9. A system that provides for ordering of television (TV) pay-per-view (PPV) content by a user, said system comprising:

a receiver box operatively connected to a TV, said receiver box selectively displaying on said TV a menu listing the PPV content that is available for ordering;

a control for the receiver box, said control operative to enter a selection from the menu of the PPV content the user desires to order, such that the receiver box generates PPV ordering information in response to the selection; and

,

a transmitter arranged to wirelessly transmit the PPV ordering information from the receiver box.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a mobile station (MS) served by a wireless telecommunications network, said MS having a receiver that receives the PPV ordering information transmitted by the transmitter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the MS places a call over the wireless telecommunications network to a PPV ordering system, and communicates the PPV ordering information to the PPV ordering system via said call such that the PPV ordering system can process the PPV order.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is an infrared transmitter and the receiver is an infrared receiver.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and the receiver is an RF receiver.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the receiver box communicates with the MS via a connection selected from a Bluetooth connection, a Wi-Fi connection, or a wireless local-area network (WLAN) connection.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the receiver box is selected from a cable box or a satellite TV receiver.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the control is a wireless remote control.