Viewer selection of programs to be subsequently delivered
First Claim
1. A method for allowing a user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising the steps of:
- accepting from said user information pertaining to a program desired to be viewed by said user;
matching by a first content provider other than said user, said accepted information against a list of known programs currently scheduled to be delivered by said first content provider;
upon a non-match condition making said accepted information available to at least one second content provider, said second content provider being a source separate from said first content provider; and
informing said user as to when matching programs will be delivered by any said second content provider.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Television users may record abstracts of programs that they desire and program providers may access the recorded program abstracts from time to time so as to provide the program content that matches the requested program. In one embodiment, the user may select a TV program (or movie) that is not currently available and then at a time subsequent thereto that program is made available to the user, either privately, or over the public network. In another embodiment, users of the system may record program requests. Program providers may then access these requests from time to time and provide the requested program, even if the program had not been available at the time the request was initially posted.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for allowing a user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising the steps of:
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accepting from said user information pertaining to a program desired to be viewed by said user;
matching by a first content provider other than said user, said accepted information against a list of known programs currently scheduled to be delivered by said first content provider;
upon a non-match condition making said accepted information available to at least one second content provider, said second content provider being a source separate from said first content provider; and
informing said user as to when matching programs will be delivered by any said second content provider. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for allowing a user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising:
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accepting from said user information pertaining to a program desired to be obtained by said user;
matching, by other than said user, said accepted information against programs that become available for delivery to said user said programs having a start and stop time pertaining to a particular time zone; and
sending program recording instructions from a program transmission source to equipment at said user'"'"'s premises, said recording instructions operative for establishing a start and stop transmission time for recording said program when said program is transmitted to said user, said established start and stop time dependant upon said user'"'"'s time zone. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method for allowing users to electronically receive programs, said method comprising:
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accepting by a program transmission source from requesting users information pertaining to a program desired to be received by at least one of said requesting users; and
scheduling by said accepting program transmission source for electronic delivery to said requesting users a specific program matching said accepted information from said users, said specific program only being scheduled and available for electronic delivery by said transmission source to requesting users based upon accepted ones of said information. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for providing entertainment programs to a user, said entertainment programs provided from a service provider and communicated electronically to requesting ones of said users, said system comprising:
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recording user requests for specific information;
matching recorded ones of said requests with entertainment programs scheduled for electronic communication to users served by said provider;
upon a non-match condition, making at least some of said recorded ones of said user requests available to a plurality of entertainment providers;
determining under control of any one of said entertainment providers if said entertainment provider has programs containing specific information that matches a recorded request from a particular user; and
scheduling a specific program to be delivered to a particular user in response to a determination that an entertainment provider has available for delivery to said user said program containing specific information as requested by said particular user. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for allowing a user to receive desired entertainment programs;
- said method comprising;
under control of any of a number of potential content providers, reviewing flags set buy users, said flags identifying information pertaining to a programs desired to be viewed by said users; and
upon a particular content provider determining that said content provider controls content that matches a flag of a particular user, delivering to said particular user said determined content from said particular content provider. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
- said method comprising;
Specification