Real-time on demand server

• US 20070124416A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Charles, Casey, Steven, Goeringer, Steve, Selvadurai, Gnanasegeran, Sprenger, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Various embodiments of the invention provide novel solutions for providing real-time content in an on-demand environment. In a novel aspect of some embodiments, a real-time on demand server may be configured to integrate real-time content with on-demand content. This can allow a subscriber to enjoy the benefits of on-demand programming without having to forego access to real-time news, sports, weather information and/or the like.

Claims

1. A method of providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one source of real-time content;

identifying a set of real-time content that should be provided to a subscriber;

obtaining the identified set of real-time content;

providing the identified set of real-time content through a content-on-demand environment, such that the identified set of real-time content is available in real-time to the subscriber.

2. A system for providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the system comprising one or more computers having instructions executable to perform the method of claim 1.

3. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, the method further comprising:

maintaining the identified set of real-time content so that the identified set of real-time content is also available on-demand to the subscriber.

4. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 3, the method further comprising:

determining that the identified set of real-time content has expired; and

based on a determination that the identified set of real-time content has expired, discontinuing the maintenance of the real-time content, such that the real-time content is no longer available on-demand to the subscriber.

5. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the set of real-time content is a first set of real-time content; and

determining that the first set of real-time content has expired comprises identifying a second set of real-time content that supersedes the first identified set of real- time content.

6. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 4, wherein determining that the set of real-time content has expired comprises determining that a relevance window associated with the set of real-time content has expired.

7. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of real-time content is a first set of real-time content, the method further comprising:

identifying a second set of real-time content that should be provided to the subscriber;

obtaining the second set of real-time content;

determining that the second set of real-time content supercedes the first set of real-time content; and

providing the second set of real-time content through the content-on-demand environment, such that the second set of real-time content replaces the first set of real-time content and is available in real-time to the subscriber.

8. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the content-on-demand environment comprises a video-on-demand distribution network.

9. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 8, wherein the video-on-demand distribution network comprises at least one of a group consisting of:

a cable television distribution network;

a satellite television distribution network; and

an xDSL video distribution network.

10. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 8, wherein providing the identified set of real-time content comprises:

displaying the identified set of real-time content on a real-time channel provided by the video-on-demand distribution network.

11. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the identified set of real-time content comprises:

notifying the subscriber that the identified set of real-time content is available.

12. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 11, wherein notifying the subscriber comprises displaying an indicator on a consumer device.

13. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 12, further comprising providing the subscriber with an option to make visible a link embedded in the indicator, wherein the link refers to other content related to the link, such that when the option is selected, the link will remain visible at all times while the indicator is displayed, while if the option is not selected, the link will be visible only when an area associated with the link is selected.

14. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 12, wherein the indicator is at least one of a group consisting of:

a picture-in-picture window

a pop-up window; and

a notification icon.

15. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 11, wherein notifying the subscriber comprises transmitting a text message for reception by at least one of a pager, a wireless telephone and an online chat application.

16. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 11, wherein notifying the subscriber comprises transmitting an e-mail message for reception by the subscriber.

17. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 11, wherein notifying the subscriber comprises initiating a telephone call to a telephone associated with the subscriber.

18. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing the identified set of real-time content.

19. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 18, wherein storing the identified set of real-time content comprises storing the identified set of real-time content on at least network storage device selected from the group consisting of:

a network media recorder; and

a network content library.

20. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 18, wherein storing the identified set of real-time content comprises storing the identified set of real-time content on a personal video recorder.

21. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the identified set of real-time content comprises inserting the identified set of real-time content into a stream of on-demand content.

22. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the identified set of real-time content comprises transmitting the identified set of real-time content for reception by a consumer device in communication with the content-on-demand environment.

23. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the consumer device is at least one device selected from the group consisting of:

a wired telephone;

a wireless telephone;

a personal digital assistant;

a television;

a personal computer;

a set-top box;

an Internet Protocol network interface device;

a personal video recorder; and

a portable media device.

24. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of real-time content comprises a video stream.

25. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 24, wherein the video stream is selected from the group consisting of:

a high-bit-rate digital video stream;

a low-bit-rate digital video stream;

an MPEG video;

a proprietary video format;

a digital video file; and

an analog video stream.

26. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of real-time content comprises an audio stream.

27. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of real-time content comprises a report selected from the group consisting of:

a traffic report;

a stock report;

a news report;

a weather report; and

urgent public information.

28. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of real-time content is selected from the group consisting of:

a voice mail message;

an email message;

a fax message;

a text message; and

an instant message.

29. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of real-time content is formatted in a first format, the method further comprising converting the set of real-time content to a second format.

30. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 29, wherein the second format is specified by a profile for the real-time content.

31. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

charging the subscriber a fee for converting the set of downloadable content.

32. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 31, wherein charging the subscriber a fee comprises charging the subscriber a monthly fee.

33. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 31, wherein charging the subscriber a fee comprises charging the subscriber a per-transaction fee.

34. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

inserting an advertisement into the set of real-time content.

35. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 34, wherein the advertisement is associated with an advertiser, the method further comprising:

billing the advertiser an advertising fee associated with the provision of the real-time content.

36. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the set of real-time content according to an option specified in a subscriber profile, such that the set of real-time content, when provided to the subscriber, does not include any material that the subscriber has indicated the subscriber does not wish to receive.

37. A method of providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the method comprising:

receiving at a server a set of real-time content;

determining that the identified set of real-time content should be provided to a subscriber; and

providing the identified set of real-time content through a content-on-demand environment, such that the real-time content is available in real-time to the subscriber.

38. A system for providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the system comprising one or more computers having instructions executable to perform the method of claim 37.

39. A system for providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the system comprising:

a real-time content monitor server configured to;

monitor at least one source of real-time content; and

identify a set of real-time content that should be provided to a subscriber;

a network update transmission server configured to;

obtain the identified set of real-time content; and

a subscriber interface configured to;

provide the identified set of real-time content through a content-on- demand environment, such that the identified set of real-time content is available in real-time to the subscriber.

40. A system for providing real-time content as recited in claim 39, the system further comprising:

a network storage device configured to store the identified set of real-time content.

41. A system for providing real-time content as recited in claim 39, wherein the network storage device comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of:

a network media recorder; and

a network content library.

42. A system for providing real-time content as recited in claim 39, wherein the subscriber interface comprises a networked personal video recorder.

43. A computer program for providing real-time content to a subscriber, the computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by one or more processors, the set of instructions comprising:

instructions to monitor at least one source of real-time content;

instructions to identify a set of real-time content that should be provided to a subscriber;

instructions to obtain the identified set of real-time content;

instructions to provide the identified set of real-time content through a content-on-demand environment, such that the identified set of real-time content is available in real-time to the subscriber.