Tv broadcasting

• US 20070136486A1
• Filed: 11/02/2004
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Moosa Al Amri
• Original Assignee: Moosa Al Amri
• Inventors: Al Amri, Moosa
• Application Number:
  US10/595,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136486A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• 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 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system and method enable video contents to be selected by a user via the Internet (140) and distributed via a multichannel video broadcasting system, for the selected video content to be displayed at the user'"'"'s location on a TV monitor (150) or on a PC (160) provided with a TV display card, immediately or with a delay in correspondence with a user command. The system comprises a main video server (200) storing selectable video contents (210,220,230); an authorization server (300) accessible via the Internet for a user to transmit user commands to select video contents that are to be displayed immediately or with a delay; a multichannel cable or satellite broadcasting apparatus (250; 280,285); and a distribution server (350) that supplies selected video contents from the main video server (200) to the broadcasting apparatus (250;280,285), for them to be broadcast by the broadcasting apparatus. The system is arranged to provide an indication of a channel that is available to broadcast a selected video content immediately or with a delay in correspondence with a user command. This indication is available to the user via the authorization server (300) and the Internet (140). The broadcast of a selected video content on the indicated available channel is initiated immediately or with a delay in correspondence with the user command.

Claims

1. A system for enabling video content to be selected by a user via the Internet (140) and for distributing selected video content via a multichannel video broadcasting system, for the selected video content to be received on a multichannel receiver and displayed at the user'"'"'s location on a TV monitor (150) or on a PC (160) provided with a TV display card, the system comprising:

a main video server (200) storing a plurality of selectable video contents (210,220,230);

an authorization server (300) accessible via the Internet for a user to transmit user commands to select video contents that are to be displayed immediately or with a delay;

a multichannel video broadcasting apparatus (250;

280,285); and

a distribution server (350) for supplying, from the main video server (200) to the broadcasting apparatus (250;

280,285), selected video contents to be broadcast on channels of the broadcasting apparatus;

the system being arranged to provide an indication of a channel that is available to broadcast a selected video content immediately or with a delay in correspondence with a user command, said indication being available to the user via the authorization server (300) and the Internet (140); and

the system being arranged to initiate the broadcast of a selected video content on the indicated available channel immediately or with a delay in correspondence with said user command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the main video server (200) stores live broadcasts (210), recorded videos (220) and video-on-demand (230).

3. The sys tern of claim 1 or 2, wherein the multichannel video broadcasting apparatus (250;

280,285) is a digital broadcasting apparatus having a broad bandwidth with several hundreds of channels.

4. The system of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the multichannel video broadcasting apparatus comprises a cable TV network (250).

5. The system of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the multichannel video broadcasting apparatus comprises a ground transmission station (280) arranged to transmit to a communications satellite (285).

6. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the distribution server (350) is arranged to provide automated selection of a channel available to broadcast immediately or with a delay in correspondence with a user command, or a partly automated selection assisted by a user command.

7. The system of any preceding claim, comprising a processing system (320), connected with main authorization server (300) to operate the main video server (200).

8. A method for enabling a user to select a video content via the Internet (140) and for distributing selected video content via a multichannel video broadcasting system for the selected video content to be received on a multichannel receiver and displayed at the user'"'"'s location on a TV monitor (150) or on a PC (160) provided with a TV display card, the method comprising:

selecting, from a plurality of selectable video contents (210,220,230) that are stored on a main video server (200), video contents that are to be displayed immediately or with a delay, in response to user commands transmitted via the Internet (140);

supplying selected video contents from the main video server (200) to a multichannel video broadcasting apparatus (250;

280,285), for the selected video content to be broadcast on an available channel of the broadcasting apparatus;

providing an indication of a channel that is available to broadcast a selected video content immediately or with a delay in correspondence with a user command, said indication being available to the user via the authorization server (300) and the Internet (140); and

initiating the broadcast of a selected video content on the indicated channel immediately or with a delay in correspondence with said user command.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the video contents are selected from live broadcasts (210), recorded videos (220) and video-on-demand (230).

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the selected video contents are broadcast on a channel selected from a broad bandwidth with several hundreds of channels.

11. The method of claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the selected video contents are broadcast on a channel of a cable TV network (250).

12. The method of claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the selected video contents are broadcast via a ground transmission station (280) that transmits to a communications satellite (285).

13. The method of any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the selection of a channel available to broadcast immediately or with a delay in correspondence with a user command is automated, or is partly automated and assisted by a user command.