System and method for managing, converting and displaying video content on a video-on-demand platform, including ads used for drill-down navigation and consumer-generated classified ads

• US 20060026655A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Inventors: Perez, Milton Diaz
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• 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 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The templates include those for higher-order displays which have one or more links to lower-order displays of specific content. The VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request, displays a high-order templatized display, and in response to viewer selection of a link, displays the lower-order display of specific content. The hierarchical templatized displays enable viewers to navigate to an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving through a series of displays to the end subject of interest. For example, the higher-order display may be a product ad and the lower-order display may be an ad for a local retailer of the product. Similarly, a viewer can navigate from national product to local product ad, or classified ad category to specific classified ad, or bulletin board topic category to specific posting. In another embodiment, the VOD content delivery system is used to deliver consumer-generated classified ads on TV. A web-based Content Management System receives consumer-generated content uploaded online in industry-standard file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer'"'"'s TV indexed by title and topical area, and displays a requested classified ad in response to viewer selection.

Claims

1. A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system for delivery templatized VOD content comprising:

(a) a VOD Application Server located at a Cable Head End which manages a Database of templates for generating templatized VOD content in response to requests for specific video content elements by viewer request signals transmitted from the TV equipment of a viewer to the Cable Head End;

(b) a Video Server for storing video content encoded as video content elements and for supplying a requested video content element in response to the VOD Application Server for delivery to the TV equipment of the viewer; and

(c) an Application Data Center for creating and storing a plurality of different templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order, wherein a template for display of a video content element in a higher level of the hierarchy includes a link to one or more templates and video content elements in a lower level of the hierarchy, said plurality of hierarchically-ordered templates and links being stored in the Database managed by the VOD Application Server, and

wherein said VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request for a selected video content element of a higher order in the hierarchy, retrieves the corresponding template from said Database and corresponding video content element from said Video Server to provide a templatized VOD content display on the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment which includes one or more links to video content elements in a lower order of hierarchy, and upon viewer request selecting a link displayed in the templatized VOD content to a video content element in the lower order of hierarchy, retrieves the corresponding template and video content element of lower order hierarchy for display on the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment, thereby enabling the viewer to use drill-down navigation through TV displays of templatized VOD content.

2. A VOD content delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said templates include a plurality of different advertising templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of advertising elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order, and a templatized ad display of higher order in the hierarchy includes one or more links to templatized ad displays of lower order in the hierarchy, whereby viewers can navigate to an ad display of an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving visually through a series of ads mirroring the viewer'"'"'s path to the end subject of interest.

3. A VOD content delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the higher-order templatized ad display is a product ad, and the lower-order templatized ad display is an ad for a local retailer of the product.

4. A VOD content delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the higher-order templatized ad display is a product ad at a national level, and the lower-order templatized ad display is an ad for the product at a local level.

5. A VOD content delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the higher-order templatized ad display is a classified ad category, and the lower-order templatized ad display is a specific classified ad within that category.

6. A VOD content delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the higher-order templatized ad display is a bulletin board topic category, and the lower-order templatized ad display is a specific posting within that category.

7. A VOD content delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said system provides a viewer with a menu display of selections for general topics of interest, and upon viewer selection of a general topic of interest, said system opens a gateway to displays of templatized VOD content having links to other video content elements of lower order in the hierarchy, whereby the viewer can enter into drill down navigation through the templatized VOD content from the gateway selected from the menu display.

8. A VOD content delivery system according to claim 7, wherein the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment includes TV display connected to a digital set top box responsive to remote control unit, and said system presents a User Interface on the viewer'"'"'s TV display wherein:

(i) said User Interface displays as a first display a menu of topical areas for viewer selection using the remote control for the viewer'"'"'s set top box;

(ii) upon viewer selection of a topical area by the remote control unit, said User Interface displays video content relating to the topical area with links for viewer selection to drill-down to related subtopical areas;

(iii) upon viewer selection of a subtopical area by the remote control unit, said User Interface displays video content relating to the subtopical area with links for viewer selection to drill-down to more specific topics.

9. A method of delivering templatized VOD content to a viewer'"'"'s TV display comprising:

(a) maintaining a Database of templates and video content elements for generating templatized VOD content in response to a request for a specific video content element requested by the viewer, wherein said templates are ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order, wherein a template for display of a video content element in a higher level of the hierarchy includes a link to one or more templates and video content elements in a lower level of the hierarchy,

(b) delivering, in response to viewer request for a selected video content element of a higher order in the hierarchy, a templatized VOD content display on the viewer'"'"'s TV display which includes one or more links to video content elements in a lower order of hierarchy, and

(c) delivering, in response to viewer request selecting a link to a video content element in the lower order of hierarchy, a templatized VOD content display on the viewer'"'"'s TV display corresponding to the selected video content element in the lower order of hierarchy, thereby enabling the viewer to use drill-down navigation through TV displays of templatized VOD content.

10. A method of delivering templatized VOD content according to claim 9, wherein said templates include a plurality of different advertising templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of advertising elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order, and a templatized ad display of higher order in the hierarchy includes one or more links to templatized ad displays of lower order in the hierarchy, whereby viewers can navigate to an ad display of an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving visually through a series of ads mirroring the viewer'"'"'s path to the end subject of interest.

11. A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system for managing, converting and displaying consumer-generated classified ads on TV comprising:

(a) a Content Management Website for enabling individual users to upload classified ad content on an online network connection from their remote computers, said uploaded classified ad content including associated meta data for identifying the ad content by title and topical area;

(b) a Content Screening Component for receiving the classified ad content uploaded to the Content Management Website and screening the content for objectionable text, audio, video and/or images in the content, and for rejecting said content if objectionable text, audio, video and/or images are found;

(c) a Content Feed Component for automatically transferring the classified ad content screened by the Content Screening Component with the associated meta data and supplying them to a Content Conversion Component;

(d) a Content Conversion Component for automatically converting the transferred classified ad content supplied from the Content Feed Component into a video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system, and for automatically indexing the converted classified ad content in a Video Server database according to title and topical area as specified in the content meta data; and

(e) a VOD Application Server, operatively connected between said Content Conversion Component and a Cable Head End connected via cable connection to the TV equipment of viewers, for delivering from the Cable Head End classified ad title and topical area listings data generated from the meta data for the classified ad content to be displayed on the TV equipment of viewers to enable their searching for classified ads of interest and, in response to a viewer request signal requesting a specific classified ad of interest transmitted via the TV equipment to the Cable Head End, for retrieving the requested classified ad from the Video Server database and transmitting it to be displayed to the viewer on their TV equipment.

12. A VOD content delivery system for consumer-generated classified ads on TV according to claim 11, wherein the Content Screening Component is configured to detect in the consumer-generated input objectionable text words in text files, detect objectionable audio words in audio files, and optically recognize objectionable images in graphics or video files.

13. A VOD content delivery system for consumer-generated classified ads on TV according to claim 11, wherein the Content Feed Component automatically transmits classified ad content within an active display period contracted by a user to the Content Conversion Component.

14. A VOD content delivery system for consumer-generated classified ads on TV according to claim 11, wherein the Content Conversion Component converts classified ad content uploaded by individual users into a video content format compatible with the VOD Application Server.

15. A VOD content delivery system for consumer-generated classified ads on TV according to claim 11, wherein the Web-based Content Management System includes one or more of the following group of components:

(a) Account Management for the management of user accounts on the web-based content management system;

(b) Classified Content Management for organizing consumer-generated content as individual list items within topical categories;

(c) Bulletin Board Content Management for the creation and management of consumer-generated content related to announcements and other items of general interest and organized by groups, organizations or topics; and

(d) Transaction Processing for the processing of fees for use of the system.

16. A VOD content delivery system for consumer-generated classified ads on TV according to claim 11, wherein the VOD Application Server manages a Database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of classified ads of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order, wherein a template for display of a classified ad category on a higher level of the hierarchy includes a link to one or more classified ads on a lower level of the hierarchy, and wherein said VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request for a selected classified ad category on a higher order in the hierarchy, retrieves the corresponding template to provide a templatized VOD content display on the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment which includes one or more links to classified ads on a lower order of hierarchy, and upon viewer request selecting a link displayed in the templatized VOD content to a classified ad in the lower order of hierarchy, retrieves the corresponding classified ad for display on the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment, thereby enabling the viewer to use drill-down navigation through the classified ad displays on TV.

17. A method of delivering consumer-generated classified ads on TV comprising:

(a) enabling individual users to upload classified ad content in industry-standard file format on an online network connection from their remote computers to a Content Management Website, said uploaded classified ad content including associated meta data for identifying the ad content by title and topical area;

(b) screening the classified ad content automatically for objectionable text, audio, video and/or images in the content;

(c) transferring the screened classified ad content automatically to a database for conversion to video data format;

(d) converting the transferred classified ad content automatically from the file format of the consumer-generated input to a video data format compatible with a VOD content delivery system, and automatically indexing the converted classified ad content in a VOD content database according to title and topical area as specified in the content meta data; and

(e) delivering classified ad title and topical area listings data generated from the meta data for the classified ad content to be displayed on the TV equipment of viewers to enable their searching for classified ads of interest and, in response to a viewer request signal requesting a specific classified ad of interest, transmitting the requested classified ad to be displayed on the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment.

18. A method of delivering consumer-generated classified ads on TV according to claim 17 further comprising:

(a) maintaining a database of templates and classified ads for generating templatized VOD content in response to a request by the viewer, wherein said templates are ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of classified ad displays of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order, wherein a template for classified ad display on a higher level of the hierarchy includes a link to one or more templates for classified ad displays on a lower level of the hierarchy,

(b) delivering, in response to viewer request for a selected classified ad category on a higher order in the hierarchy, the corresponding template to provide a templatized VOD content display on the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment which includes one or more links to classified ads on a lower order of hierarchy, and upon viewer request selecting a link displayed in the templatized VOD content to a classified ad on the lower order of hierarchy, delivering the corresponding classified ad for display on the viewer'"'"'s TV equipment, thereby enabling the viewer to use drill-down navigation through the classified ad displays on TV.