Infrastructure for interactive television applications

• US 20070294734A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zaldivar, Gilbert, Kahn, Raynold, Arsenault, Robert, Purpura, Richard, Allen, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for selectively displaying a video program are disclosed. A system for selectively displaying a video program in accordance with the present invention comprises a transmission station, including a server for attaching information to the video program, a plurality of satellites receiving at least an uplink signal which includes the information and the video program from the transmission station and producing a downlink signal based on the uplink signal, an antenna, the antenna receiving the downlink signal, and at least one receiver, coupled to the antenna, for receiving the downlink signal and interpreting the information in the downlink signal, wherein the at least one receiver selectively displays the video program based on at least the interpreted information.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method for selectively displaying a satellite-based television signal in a communication system, comprising;

querying an API with an application, the query comprising at least an authorization status including a geographical area query;

determining the authorization status of at least one video program based on a result of the query; and

selectively displaying the at least one video program based on the authorization status of the at least one video program.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising setting a flag in the at least one video program.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the flag indicates that the at least one video program is to be displayed only after the authorization status is determined.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one video program is a mosaic channel comprising a plurality of viewer channels.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein each viewer channel in the plurality of video channels has a separate authorization status and each viewer channel in the plurality of video channels is selectively displayed based on the separate authorization status.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the separate authorization status is based on a geographical location of a receiver station.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the separate authorization status is based on a service authorization of a receiver station.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining at least one interactive function of the at least one video program based on the authorization status of the at least one video program.

31. A system for selectively displaying a video program, comprising:

a transmission station, including a server for attaching information to the video program, the information including at least geographical area data;

a plurality of satellites receiving at least an uplink signal which includes the information and the video program from the transmission station and producing a downlink signal based on the uplink signal;

an antenna, the antenna receiving the downlink signal;

at least one receiver, coupled to the antenna, for receiving the downlink signal and interpreting the information in the downlink signal, wherein the at least one receiver selectively displays the video program based on at least the interpreted information.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the information attached to the video program indicates that the video program is to be displayed only after an authorization status of the video program is determined.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the video program is a mosaic channel comprising a plurality of viewer channels.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein each viewer channel in the plurality of video channels has a separate authorization status and each viewer channel in the plurality of video channels is selectively displayed based on the separate authorization status.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the separate authorization status is based on a geographical location of a receiver station and the geographical area data.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the separate authorization status is based on a service authorization of a receiver station.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising the receiver station determining at least one interactive function of the at least one video program based on the authorization status of the at least one video program.