System and method for providing content over a communications network

• US 20070214103A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Manthoulis, Orestis
• Application Number:
  US11/372,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214103A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system, method, and computer programs for providing content over a communications network. The method includes providing to a device a first list of items that corresponds to content stored in a first database as a master library; storing in a second database at the network a second list of items selected from the first set of items corresponding a customer identifier in a network database as a personal library; retrieving content from the first database corresponding to an item selected from the second list of items; and providing the retrieved content to a user device over the communications network for display on a television set.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium accessible to a processor for executing instructions contained in a computer program embedded in the computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to provide to a user device a first list of items that corresponds to content stored in a first database over a communications network;

instructions to store a second list of items selected from the first list of items in a second database associated with the communications network corresponding to a user identifier;

instructions to retrieve content from the first database that corresponds to an item selected from the second list of items; and

instructions to provide the retrieved content over the communications network for display.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions to provide the retrieved content further comprise instructions to provide the content in response to an input from a set-top-box for display on a television set.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user device is one of a:

a set-top-box;

a computer; and

a wireless device.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to provide attributes corresponding to the first or second list of items to the user device;

instructions to receive selection of an attribute from the provided attributes; and

instructions to search the first database for other content having the selected attribute.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to provide a third list of items that corresponds to the other content to the user device; and

instructions to update the second list in response to a selection made from the third list.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the attributes include at least one of:

title;

artist, producer, director, author, language, subject, file, and document type.

7. A computer-readable medium accessible to a processor for executing instructions contained in a computer program embedded in the computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to receive a first command from a user corresponding to a user identifier, the command identifying content within a content database;

instructions to create a list corresponding to the identified content corresponding to the user identifier;

instructions to store the list in a second database at a communications network; and

instructions to provide content corresponding to an item selected from the list in response to a second command from the user for display on a user device.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the content includes at least one of:

video, voice and data.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first command is received from a remote device that is one of:

a computer;

a set-top-box; and

a wireless device.

10. A method for providing television services, comprising:

providing a first list of items that corresponds to content stored in a first database over a communications network in response to a first input;

storing in a second database at the network a second list of items selected from the first list of items in response to a second input;

retrieving content from the first database corresponding to an item selected from the second list of items in response to a third input; and

providing the retrieved content over the communications network for display on a user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third input is received from a set-top-box associated with the user device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the first, second and third input is received from any one of:

a set-top-box;

a computer; and

a wireless device.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing attributes corresponding to the first list or second list of items;

receiving a selection of an attribute from the provided attributes; and

searching the first database for other content having the selected attribute.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

updating the second list to include an item that corresponds to the other content; and

providing the other content to the user device in response to a fourth input.

15. A system for use in providing content over a communications network, comprising:

a database within the communications network that stores a separate identifier corresponding to each of a plurality of customers and a first list of items that corresponds to content of a main library;

a server having access to a computer program, the server utilizing the database and executing instructions contained in the computer program that includes;

instructions to provide the first list corresponding to each of the plurality of identifiers;

instructions to store in the database a separate list selected from the first list as a separate personal library corresponding to each of the separate identifiers; and

instructions to provide content relating to an item selected from any of the separate lists over the communications network for display on a user device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to provide attributes corresponding to an item in the first list;

instructions to search for other content that corresponds to a selected attribute from the provided attributes; and

instructions to provide the other content in response to a selection made for the other content.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to verify the separate identifiers prior to providing any one of the first list and second list.

18. A communications network for providing content, comprising:

a backbone network that provides content to a user device over a communication line for display;

a database in the backbone network that stores content corresponding to a library;

at least one server associated with the backbone network that has access to the database; and

a computer program containing instructions that are executed by the at least one server to;

provide a first list of items corresponding to the library to the user device;

store a second list of items selected from the first list of items in response to a selection made from the user device; and

store the second list of items in the database corresponding to a user identifier.

19. The network of claim 18, wherein the server further executes instructions contained in the computer program to:

receive a selection from the second list; and

provide content corresponding to the selection to the user device.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the backbone network includes servers and communication links that provide the content via one of using internet television protocol, over a wireless network, and over a cable network.

21. The communications network of claim 20, wherein the user device is one of a computer, wireless device, and set-top-box.