Broadcast content delivery systems and methods

• US 20060085829A1
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Peechara, Arvind K., Dhodapkar, Amit A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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

Abstract

In an implementation of broadcast content delivery, content is broadcast to television-based client devices via a broadcast communication link. The content can be generated for display to include a user-selectable control to initiate a request for additional content that includes broadcast content and/or on-demand content. A content provider receives the request for the on-demand content from a client device via a two-way communication link, and broadcasts the on-demand content to the television-based client devices via a channel of the broadcast communication link. The content provider also communicates an identifier via the two-way communication link to the client device such that the client device can identify the channel of the broadcast communication link and receive the on-demand content via the broadcast communication link.

Claims

1. A broadcast content delivery system, comprising:

a content provider configured to broadcast content to one or more client devices, the content including a selectable control to initiate a request for selectable content which includes at least one of broadcast content and on-demand content;

a broadcast communication link configured to communicate the broadcast content from the content provider to the one or more client devices;

a client device configured to generate the request for the on-demand content from the content provider;

a two-way communication link configured to communicate the request for the on-demand content from the client device to the content provider;

the content provider further configured to;

broadcast the on-demand content to the one or more client devices as transient in-band data via a channel of the broadcast communication link; and

communicate an identifier to the client device via the two-way communication link such that the client device can identify the channel of the broadcast communication link and receive the on-demand content.

2. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the selectable content is cached on-demand content, and wherein the content provider is further configured to broadcast the cached on-demand content to the one or more client devices as the transient in-band data.

3. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to generate the selectable control for display as a user-selectable link to the selectable content.

4. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to:

generate the broadcast content for display as a first Web page;

generate the selectable control for display on the first Web page as a user-selectable link to the selectable content; and

generate the selectable content for display as a second Web page.

5. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the broadcast communication link is an out-of-band communication link.

6. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the broadcast communication link is an in-band communication link, and wherein the in-band communication link is configured to broadcast the transient in-band data.

7. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to generate the request for the on-demand content to include:

a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content; and

a client identifier to identify the client device to the content provider.

8. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to generate the request for the on-demand content to include:

a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content;

a client identifier to identify the client device to the content provider; and

a cached content indicator to indicate that the on-demand content is cached at the content provider.

9. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to generate the request for the on-demand content to include:

a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content;

a client identifier to identify the client device to the content provider; and

a content variable indicator to indicate a delivery format of the on-demand content.

10. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the on-demand content that is broadcast via the broadcast communication link can only be received by the client device that receives the identifier.

11. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the content provider is further configured to:

receive the request for the on-demand content from the client device; and

request the on-demand content from a content server.

12. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the content provider is further configured to:

receive the request for the on-demand content from the client device;

request a resource from a Web server; and

broadcast the resource as the on-demand content to the one or more client devices.

13. A broadcast content delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the content provider is further configured to:

receive the request for the on-demand content from the client device;

request a Web page from a Web server; and

broadcast the Web page as the on-demand content to the one or more client devices.

14. A content provider, comprising:

a broadcast system configured to;

broadcast content to one or more client devices via a broadcast communication link, the content including a selectable control for display at the one or more client devices to initiate a request for selectable content;

broadcast the selectable content to the one or more client devices via a channel of the broadcast communication link when the selectable content is requested as on-demand content; and

a two-way communication system configured to;

receive the request for the on-demand content from the client device via a two-way communication link; and

communicate an identifier to the client device via the two-way communication link such that the client device can identify the channel of the broadcast communication link and receive the on-demand content.

15. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the selectable content includes additional broadcast content.

16. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the selectable content is cached on-demand content, and wherein the broadcast system is further configured to broadcast the cached on-demand content to the one or more client devices as transient in-band data.

17. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the broadcast communication link is an out-of-band communication link.

18. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the broadcast communication link is an in-band communication link, and wherein the in-band communication link is configured to broadcast the on-demand content as transient in-band data.

19. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the two-way communication system is further configured to receive the request as a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content, and wherein the request includes a client identifier to identify the client device to the content provider.

20. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the two-way communication system is further configured to receive the request as a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content, and wherein the request includes a client identifier to identify the client device to the content provider and includes a cached content indicator to indicate that the on-demand content is cached at the content provider.

21. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the two-way communication system is further configured to receive the request as a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content, and wherein the request includes a client identifier to identify the client device to the content provider and includes a content variable indicator to indicate a delivery format of the on-demand content.

22. A content provider as recited in claim 14, wherein the on-demand content broadcast via the broadcast communication link can only be received by the client device that receives the identifier.

23. A method, comprising:

broadcasting content to one or more client devices via a broadcast communication link, the content including a displayable selectable control to initiate a request for additional content that includes additional broadcast content and on-demand content;

receiving the request for the on-demand content from a client device via a two-way communication link;

broadcasting the on-demand content to the one or more client devices via a channel of the broadcast communication link; and

communicating an identifier via the two-way communication link to the client device such that the client device can identify the channel of the broadcast communication link and receive the on-demand content.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a second request for the on-demand content from a second client device via the two-way communication link; and

communicating the identifier via the two-way communication link to the second client device such that the second client device can identify the channel of the broadcast communication link and receive the on-demand content.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein receiving the request for the additional content from the client device includes receiving the request for cached on-demand content.

26. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein receiving the request includes receiving the request as a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content, and wherein the request includes a client identifier to identify the client device.

27. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising caching the on-demand content, wherein:

receiving the request includes receiving the request as a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content; and

the request includes a client identifier to identify the client device and includes a cached content indicator to indicate that the on-demand content is cached.

28. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein receiving the request includes receiving the request as a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content, and wherein the request includes a client identifier to identify the client device and includes a content variable indicator to indicate a delivery format of the on-demand content.

29. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein communicating the identifier includes addressing the identifier to the client device such that only the client device can receive the on-demand content broadcast via the broadcast communication link.

30. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a content provider to perform the method of claim 23.

31. A method, comprising:

receiving broadcast content for display which includes a selectable control to initiate a request for additional content, the broadcast content being received via a broadcast communication link;

receiving a user-selectable input to initiate the request for the additional content;

communicating the request for the additional content to a content provider via a two-way communication link when the request is for on-demand content; and

receiving an identifier via the two-way communication link to identify a channel of the broadcast communication link and to receive the on-demand content via the broadcast communication link.

32. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein receiving the user-selectable input includes the request being initiated for additional broadcast content.

33. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein receiving the user-selectable input includes the request being initiated for the on-demand content.

34. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein receiving the user-selectable input includes the request being initiated for cached on-demand content.

35. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising generating the selectable control for display as a user-selectable link to the additional content.

36. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising:

generating the broadcast content for display as a first Web page;

generating the selectable control for display on the first Web page as a user-selectable link to the on-demand content; and

generating the on-demand content for display as a second Web page.

37. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising generating the request for the on-demand content to include a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content, and to include a client device identifier.

38. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising generating the request for the on-demand content to include:

a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content;

a client device identifier; and

a cached content indicator to indicate that the on-demand content is cached at the content provider.

39. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising generating the request for the on-demand content to include:

a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content;

a client device identifier; and

a content variable indicator to indicate a delivery format of the on-demand content.

40. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a television-based client device to perform the method of claim 31.

41. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a content provider to:

broadcast content to one or more client devices via a broadcast communication link, the content including a displayable selectable control to initiate a request for additional content;

broadcast the additional content to the one or more client devices via a channel of the broadcast communication link when the additional content is requested as on-demand content from a client device; and

communicate an identifier via a two-way communication link to the client device that requests the on-demand content such that the client device can identify the channel of the broadcast communication link and receive the on-demand content.

42. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content provider to receive the request for the additional content as a request for additional broadcast content.

43. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content provider to receive the request for the additional content as a request for the on-demand content.

44. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content provider to receive the request for the additional content as a request for cached on-demand content that is cached at the content provider.

45. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content provider to communicate the identifier via the two-way communication link to a second client device such that the second client device can identify the channel of the broadcast communication link and receive the on-demand content.

46. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 41, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content provider to address the identifier to the client device such that only the client device can receive the on-demand content broadcast via the broadcast communication link.

47. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a television-based client device to:

receive broadcast content for display which includes a selectable control to initiate a request for additional content, the broadcast content being received via a broadcast communication link;

communicate a user-selectable input as the request for the additional content to a content provider via a two-way communication link when the request is for on-demand content; and

receive an identifier via the two-way communication link to identify a channel of the broadcast communication link and to receive the on-demand content via the broadcast communication link.

48. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 47, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the television-based client device to generate the selectable control for display as a user-selectable link to the additional content.

49. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 47, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the television-based client device to:

generate the broadcast content for display as a first Web page;

generate the selectable control for display on the first Web page as a user-selectable link to the on-demand content; and

generate the on-demand content for display as a second Web page.

50. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 47, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the television-based client device to generate the request for the on-demand content to include a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content, and to include a client identifier to identify the television-based client device to the content provider.

51. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 47, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the television-based client device to generate the request for the on-demand content to include:

a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content;

a client identifier to identify the television-based client device to the content provider; and

a cached content indicator to indicate that the on-demand content is cached at the content provider.

52. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 47, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the television-based client to generate the request for the on-demand content to include:

a tokenized uniform resource locator to identify the on-demand content;

a client identifier to identify the television-based client device to the content provider; and

a content variable indicator to indicate a delivery format of the on-demand content.