Ipg With Dvd Ordering Facility

• US 20070294726A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electra Entertainment Limited
• Original Assignee: Electra Entertainment Limited
• Inventors: Drazin, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US11/576,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294726A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television system for displaying on a screen or monitor at least one user selectable identifier (164) associated with an audio/visual media that is available for delivery via a non-electronic channel. Selection of one of the identified audio/visual media causes an order instruction (181) for the user to be displayed, typically including a telephone number (207) that has to be used to place the order and a code (206) for identifying the user selection.

Claims

1. An interactive program guide that is operable to display on a screen or monitor at least one identifier associated with an audio/visual media;

receive an interactive user selection of one of the identified audio/visual media; and

display an order instruction for ordering the selected audio/visual media for non-electronic delivery, the order instruction preferably including a code/identifier indicative of the user selection.

2. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 that is operable to receive audio/visual media information via a television signal broadcast prior to a user selection and use that information to display the media identifiers.

3. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 that is operable to display a currently viewed television program simultaneously with the audio/visual media identifiers.

4. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 that is operable to display a clip of a selected audio/video media simultaneously with the audio/visual media identifiers.

5. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the instructions for ordering the selected audio/visual media comprise a telephone number.

6. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 operable to display customised user order information, preferably simultaneously with the at least one identifier that is displayed for user selection.

7. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 6 wherein the user order information includes information indicative of despatched audio/visual media;

returned audio/visual media and audio/visual media available for order.

8. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 operable to display a search screen to allow a user to search for available audio/visual media and/or telecast programmes according to one or more criteria, and display the search results.

9. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 8 wherein the one or more criteria include any one or more of title;

description;

actor;

director;

genre.

10. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 8 wherein identifiers for the audio/visual media found in the search are displayed in a portion of the screen/monitor adjacent the search screen.

11. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 operable to display television schedule information.

12. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the identifier associated with the audio/visual media comprises at least one of a title;

a thumbnail.

13. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 operable to indicate audio/visual media availability based on information downloaded from a service provider.

14. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 operable to prompt a user to enter a personal identification number prior to display of the order instruction.

15. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 1 operable to highlight or mark an identifier to indicate that it belongs to a queue of requested titles in the event that it is not available for order immediately.

16. An interactive television system comprising means for displaying on a screen or monitor at least one identifier associated with an audio/visual media that is available for delivery via a non-electronic channel;

means for receiving an interactive user selection of one of the identified audio/visual media;

means for displaying on the screen or monitor an order instruction for the user including instructions for ordering the selected audio/visual media, and means for receiving an order from the user via a telephone or internet network.

17. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for receiving audio/visual media information via a television signal broadcast and using that information to display the media identifiers.

18. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for requesting audio/visual media availability information in response to a user selection.

19. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for displaying a currently viewed television program simultaneously with the audio/visual media identifiers.

20. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for displaying a clip of a selected audio/video media simultaneously with the audio/visual media identifiers.

21. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the instructions for ordering the selected audio/visual media comprise a telephone number.

22. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for displaying customised user order information.

23. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the user order information includes information indicative of despatched audio/visual media;

returned audio/visual media and audio/visual media available for order.

24. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for displaying a search screen to allow a user to search for available audio/visual media according to one or more criteria.

25. An interactive program guide as claimed in claim 24 wherein the one or more criteria include any one or more of title;

description;

actor;

director;

genre.

26. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 24 wherein identifiers for the audio/visual media found in the search are displayed in a portion of the screen/monitor adjacent the search screen.

27. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for displaying television schedule information, simultaneously with a user selectable means to enter a screen including the identifier associated with an audio/visual media.

28. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the identifier associated with the audio/visual media comprises at least one of a title;

a thumbnail.

29. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for indicating audio/visual media availability based on information downloaded or broadcasted from a service provider.

30. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 comprising means for highlighting or marking an identifier to indicate that it belongs to a queue of requested titles in the event that it is not available for order immediately.

31. An interactive television system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the means for receiving the user order comprise at least one of means for interpreting numbers entered via a telephone key pad;

means for interpreting an SMS text message;

speech recognition means for interpreting commands spoken via a telephone connection;

a call centre.