Messaging method and apparatus for use in digital distribution systems

• US 20060282390A1
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aniruddha Gupte
• Original Assignee: Aniruddha Gupte
• Inventors: Gupte, Aniruddha
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• 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 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method of subsidizing the presentation of media content by including informative messages as part of the presentation. The presentation of the media content is paused while the informative message is presented. The cost of the media content is credited to the owner and the payment associated with the informative message is debited from the sponsor of the informative message. Some content is segmented into sections and the informative messages are presented before or after each section. Other content is not segmented, but informative messages are presented at intervals determined by an e-PVR.

Claims

1. A method of subsidizing the presentation of media content by including informative messages as part of the presentation including the steps of:

a) associating the presentation of media content to a user with a cost payable to owner, and storing the cost information including owner identification in media information;

b) segmenting the media content into sections and storing section delineation information also in the media information;

c) transferring the media content and the media information as part of a media package to an e-PVR and storing the media package as stored media package on a storage device on the e-PVR;

d) associating an informative message with a payment payable by sponsor of informative message for presentation of that informative message to user and storing the payment information including sponsor identification in message information;

e) transferring the informative message and message information as part of an informative message package to the e-PVR and storing the informative message package as stored informative message package on a storage device on the e-PVR;

f) determining that the media content from the stored media package is to be presented and selecting a plurality of informative messages where the sum of the payments of the plurality of informative messages is at least equal to the cost; and

g) presenting the media content from the stored media package and presenting at least an informative message selected from the plurality of informative messages selected above, after each section.

2. The method of claim 1 including repeating the steps of obtaining informative messages multiple times I order to obtain a plurality of informative messages.

3. The method of claim 1 including crediting the user with the payment from the sponsor and debiting the user with the cost of the media content.

4. The method of claim 1 where the informative message package and the media package are transferred to the e-PVR independently and any of the informative message packages and media packages are obtained separately from the other.

5. The method of claim 1 where the cost associated with the media content is negative or zero and informative messages are presented during presentation of the media content, the credit being assigned to the users account.

6. The method of claim 1 where the informative message played after a specific section is chosen based on matching at least a code, key or identifier placed in section information of specific section and at least a code, key or identifier placed in message information of informative message.

7. The method of claim 1 where the informative message contains multiple codes, keys or identifiers so as to match a plurality of media content and the section information contains multiple codes, keys or identifiers so as to match a plurality of informative messages.

8. The method of claim 1 where the informative messages are automatically obtained by the e-PVR or selected for presentation based in part on at least one parameter selected from the list of time (or portion or derivation thereof), date (or portion or derivation thereof), at least a portion of user preferences/profiles saved in e-PVR information, at least a portion of media information from at least a media package present on e-PVR, and at least an additional portion of e-PVR information.

9. The method of claim 1 where the user can manually obtain informative messages or delete informative messages and all informative messages, whether manually obtained by the user or automatically obtained by the e-PVR are used in an identical manner.

10. The method of claim 1 where the informative message is one among a list of commercial messages in text, audio or video format, a message requiring at least an input from the user, an action performed by the e-PVR without any presentation to the user and an action performed by the e-PVR with a corresponding presentation to the user.

11. The method of claim 1 further including the user of the e-PVR paying for at least a portion of the cost and the presentation program presenting informative messages related to the unpaid cost.

12. The method of claim 1 where, when the sum of the payments is greater than the cost of the media content, the excess payments are credited to the user account.

13. The method of claim 1 where, when the sum of the payments is greater than the cost of the media content, the excess payments are credited to the distribution service.

14. The method of claim 1 further including the step of receiving as each informative message is presented an indication that the corresponding payment for the informative message has been paid to a financial account of the user and debited from the financial account of the sponsor.

15. The method of claim 1 where the user uses input devices to skip at least one informative message and the corresponding payment is not paid to the financial account of the user and the sponsor is not debited for the payment.

16. The method of claim 1 where the informative messages are selected based on identifying the user and selecting the relevant preferences in the user profile stored on the e-PVR.

17. The method of claim 1 where the e-PVR determines that at least an input has been received from the user representing a change of user preferences or profile and the e-PVR reselects informative messages based on the newly selected user profile.

18. The method of claim 1 where, when not enough informative messages are available, the e-PVR obtains additional informative messages from an informative message server, and when obtained, includes the additional informative messages in the list of informative messages to be presented.

19. The method of claim 1 where, when not enough informative messages are available, the e-PVR attempts to obtain additional informative messages from an informative message server, fails to obtain additional informative messages, and displays a message to the user to pay the portion of the cost not paid by informative messages.

20. The method of claim 1 where the e-PVR determines that at least an enhanced action is associated with the informative message and at least an input has been received from the user related to the enhanced action and the e-PVR executes instructions associated with that enhanced action, and the e-PVR credits the user and debits the sponsor only when the at least an input is within the expected bounds of input defined in message information in the informative message package.

21. The method of claim 1 where the e-PVR determines that at least an external action is associated with the current informative message and the e-PVR executes instructions associated with that external action and the e-PVR credits the user and debits the sponsor only when the instructions are successfully executed.

22. The method of claim 1 further including the step of allowing a user of the e-PVR to indicate they do not want to see additional informative messages after at least one informative message has been presented and the user agreeing to pay the difference between the cost and the sum of payments related to each informative message already presented in order for the remaining portion of the media content to be presented without informative messages.

23. The method of claim 1 further including the step of allowing a user of the e-PVR to terminate the presentation of the media content and the payments for any informative messages in the group of informative messages that have not been presented are not paid.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein any informative message can be presented multiple times in a single presentation of a media content, can be presented in presentations of a plurality of media content and can be presented to a plurality of users.

25. The method of claim 1 where any informative message can be presented multiple times in a single presentation of a media content, can be presented in presentations of a plurality of media content and can be presented to a plurality of users.

26. The method of claim 1 where the credit to the user can be to a common account shared by several users.

28. The method of claim 1 where the informative message is presented at intervals determined by the e-PVR based on at least one criteria selected from the list of random time intervals, regular time intervals, regular time intervals randomized to start anywhere with the interval, and time intervals based on scene changes automatically or manually determined separately.

27. A method of presenting media content and including informative messages including the steps of:

a) associating the presentation of media content to a user with a cost payable to owner, and storing the cost information including owner identification in media information;

b) transferring the media content and the media information as part of a media package to an e-PVR and storing the media package as stored media package on a storage device on the e-PVR;

c) associating an informative message with a payment payable by sponsor of informative message for presentation of that informative message to user and storing the payment information including sponsor identification in message information;

d) transferring the informative message and message information as part of an informative message package to the e-PVR and storing the informative message package as stored informative message package on a storage device on the e-PVR;

e) determining that the media content from the stored media package is to be presented and selecting a plurality of informative messages where the sum of the payments of the plurality of informative messages is at least equal to the cost; and

f) presenting the media content from the stored media package and presenting at least an informative message selected from the plurality of informative messages selected above.

29. The method of claim 27 where any informative message can be presented multiple times in a single presentation of a media content, can be presented in presentations of a plurality of media content and can be presented to a plurality of users.

30. The method of claim 27 where the credit to the user can be to a common account shared by several users.