System and method for providing popular TV shows on demand

• US 20070180465A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Li, Zhi, Ou, Canhui, Gemelos, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to automatically identify popular television programs based on the viewing of broadcast television programs by at least some of the subscribers of a television distribution system. One or more of the popular television programs identified are stored and offered to one or more of the subscribers on-demand. Subscribers can obtain delivery of at least one of the stored popular television programs for viewing on a subscriber television.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically identifying popular television programs based on viewing of television programs by at least some subscribers of a distribution system delivering the television programs; and

automatically storing one or more of the identified popular television programs.

2. A method according to claim 1 including delivering at least one of the stored popular television programs to at least one of the subscribers upon request of the subscriber.

3. A method according to claim 1 including storing the popular television programs at the premises of at least one of the subscribers.

4. A method according to claim 1 including storing the popular television programs using a network-based recording device.

5. A method according to claim 1 further wherein stored television programs are automatically stored remotely from the subscribers in the distribution system or are automatically stored on at least one set top box located in a dwelling of one of the subscribers.

6. A method according to claim 1 further including organizing programs for display in an electronic program guide according to one or more parameters selected from the group of:

date of the program, type of the program, name of the program series, the language the program is offered in, or the most popular programs.

7. A method according to claim 1 further including determining the most popular programs in one or more categories selected from the group:

demographic factors, geographical location of subscribers, time of day, time of week, or type of program.

8. A method according to claim 1 further including at least one of the subscribers paying one or more providers of the television programs a subscription fee for the right to obtain one or more of the stored television shows on demand during a period of time or a pay-per-view fee for the right to obtain delivery of at least one television show on demand.

9. A method according to claim 1 further including at least one of the subscribers paying a subscription fee for the right to obtain one or more of the stored television shows on demand during a period of time or a pay-per-view fee for the right to obtain delivery of at least one television show on demand.

10. A method according to claim 1 further including stored television programs being stored, at least in part, under the control of a server system located remotely of the subscribers in the distribution system.

11. A method according to claim 1 further including monitoring the viewing of television programs at least some of the subscribers in the distribution system in order to determine the most popular television programs.

12. A method according to claim 11 further including determining the most popular television programs from information obtained by the monitoring of viewing.

13. A method according to claim 1 further including delivering television programs to subscribers using an Internet protocol television (IPTV) distribution system.

14. A method according to claim 1 further including ranking the N most popular television programs, where N is an integer and is a configurable parameter.

15. A method according to claim 1 further including recording a plurality of television programs during a time period, and later deleting at least some of the recorded television programs if they are not among the most popular television programs as determined by monitoring the viewing of the plurality of television programs.

16. A method according to claim 1 further including offering to one of the subscribers at least one of the subscriber'"'"'s favorite television programs for the subscriber to select to have delivered to the subscriber.

17. A method according to claim 1 further including notifying a subscriber of a recorded television program.

18. A method according to claim 1 further including notifying a subscriber of a popular recorded television program.

19. A method according to claim 1 further including delivering a recorded television program to one of the subscribers using a cable television system or a satellite television system.

20. An article of manufacture comprising at least one machine readable data storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of popular television programs recorded in digital form, wherein the popular television programs are identified by monitoring the viewing of the programs substantially in real time.

21. An article of manufacture comprising at least one machine readable storage medium having one or more computer programs stored thereon and operable on one or more computing systems to:

a) automatically identify popular television programs based on the viewing of television programs by at least some of the subscribers of a distribution system; and

b) cause the automatically identified popular television programs to be stored for later viewing on demand.

22. An article according to claim 21 wherein the one or more computer programs are further operable on the one or more computer system to offer at least one identified popular television program to one or more of the subscribers for the one or more subscribers to request on-demand.

23. An article according to claim 22 wherein the one or more computer programs are further operable on the one or more computer systems to at least in part cause at least one identified popular television program to be delivered to at least one of the subscribers.

24. A method comprising:

at least one subscriber of a distribution system requesting at least one television program on-demand; and

wherein the at least one television program is automatically identified as a popular television program based on the viewing of television programs by at least some of the other subscribers of the distribution system.

25. A method according to claim 24 further including displaying an electronic program guide to the at least one subscriber, wherein the electronic program guide lists the identified popular television programs according to at least one category selected from the group of:

type of the program, the name of the series for the program, or the date of the program.

26. A method comprising:

automatically identifying popular television programs based on the viewing of television programs by at least some of the subscribers of a distribution system; and

wherein the viewing of the television programs is determined from information obtained from one or more of the locations selected from the group;

the subscriber'"'"'s set top box, a residential gateway or a server used at least in part to deliver the television programs to subscribers.

27. A system comprising one or more computers programmed to:

automatically identify popular television programs based on viewing of television programs by at least some subscribers of a distribution system delivering the television programs;

automatically cause one or more of the identified popular television programs to be stored; and

deliver at least one of the stored popular television programs to at least one of the subscribers upon request of the subscriber.

28. A system according to claim 27 further including at least one mass storage device located remotely from the subscribers and further wherein the stored television programs are stored on the mass storage device.

29. A system according to claim 27 further wherein the one or more computers are programmed to organize television programs for display in an electronic program guide according to one or more parameters selected from the group of:

date of the program, type of the program, name of the program series, the language the program is offered in, or the most popular programs.

30. A system comprising one or more computers located in a distribution system used to deliver television programs to subscribers, wherein the computers are programmed to:

automatically identify popular television programs based on viewing of television programs by at least some subscribers of a distribution system delivering the television programs;

automatically cause one or more of the identified popular television programs to be stored; and

cause to be delivered at least one of the stored popular television programs to at least one of the subscribers upon request of the subscriber.

31. A system comprising one or more computers located at a premises of a first subscriber served by a distribution system used to deliver television programs to the subscriber'"'"'s premises, wherein the computers are programmed to:

identify popular television programs based on viewing of television programs by at least some subscribers of the distribution system other than the first subscriber; and

automatically cause one or more of the identified popular television programs to be stored; and

cause to be delivered at least one of the stored popular television programs to at least one of the subscribers upon request of the subscriber.

32. A system according to claim 31 including a storage device in the first subscriber'"'"'s premises, wherein the storage device stores at least one of the identified popular television programs.