Method and apparatus for content provisioning in a video on demand system

• US 20060085830A1
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAN Simeon Films, LLC
• Original Assignee: SAN Simeon Films, LLC
• Inventors: Bruck, Timo, Hammer, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US10/966,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Information regarding new programs available for viewing within a video-on-demand (VOD) service is added to a program guide used by subscribers for downloading and viewing such programs through a user interface configured for use by content providers. In one embodiment, the content itself and metadata describing it are passed to the VOD service; while in other embodiments, only the location of the content is provided with the metadata. The content and metadata may be reviewed at the discretion of the service provider before it appears in the program guide.

Claims

1. A user interface, comprising one or more Web forms configured to permit uploading of metadata describing multimedia content to a program guide distributable to remote set-top appliances configured to permit downloading of the multimedia content from Internet hosts other than that at which the program guide is available.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a provider portion and a reviewer portion, the provider portion configured to permit a provider of the multimedia content to enter a description the multimedia content according to a plurality of categories, and the reviewer portion configured to permit a human reader to review and accept or reject the description provided by the provider.

3. The user interface of claim 2, wherein the reviewer portion includes facilities for the human reviewer to review the multimedia content in addition to the description provided by the provider.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the reviewer portion includes facilities for the human reviewer to edit the description provided by the provider.

5. The user interface of claim 2, wherein the provider portion includes a mandatory field for the provider to indicate the Internet location at which the multimedia content can be downloaded.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the reviewer portion includes facilities for the human reviewer to review the multimedia content in addition to the description provided by the provider.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the reviewer portion provides read only permissions for the human reviewer.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the metadata includes one or more of:

content title, cast, director, cost for downloading, description of the multimedia content, and audience rating.

9. A method, comprising distributing metadata describing multimedia content available for download via the Internet to set-top appliances as a program guide which is composed of entries created by multimedia content providers using a Web form configured to accept information concerning the content and formatted according to a common schema for such metadata.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein prior to distributing the metadata at least some of the entries created by the multimedia content providers are reviewed using a read-only user interface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the program guide includes information regarding the cost to download the multimedia content described therein.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata is distributed via an Internet host different than one or more Internet hosts at which the multimedia content is hosted.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata is distributed via the Internet.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the metadata is distributed in exchange for a subscription fee.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the metadata includes some or all of:

audience rating for the multimedia content, cost for downloading the multimedia content, title of the multimedia content, cast members appearing in the multimedia content, director of the multimedia content, and an Internet address at which the multimedia content can be located.