CONFIGURATION OF ENHANCEMENT OPTIONS PROVIDED WITH A TELEVISION SERVICE

• US 20090158329A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jerding, Dean F., Rodriguez, Arturo A.
• Application Number:
  US12/372,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158329A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• 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

A method for providing a television service enhancement includes receiving a first user input requesting a television service, providing the user with an option to receive an enhancement to the television service for a charge, and receiving a second user input selecting the option to receive the enhancement to the television service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a system operator screen, the system operator screen comprising plural fields corresponding to respective enhancement options and a corresponding charge;

receiving input corresponding to selection of one or more of the enhancement options and the corresponding charge by a system operator, the enhancement options pertaining to at least one type of television service; and

communicating the selected enhancement options and the corresponding charge to a client premise over a network for display to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing multiple system operator screens to configure enhancement options for a plurality of television service types.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system operator screen is used by the system operator to configure enhancement options for a plurality of television service types.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the system operator screen is used by the system operator to configure enhancement options for a first type of television service, and further comprising providing a second system operator screen to configure enhancement options for a second type of television service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of a visual quality of the at least one type of service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of an audio quality of the at least one type of service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of a manner of video stream manipulation corresponding to the at least one type of service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of purchasing options, pre-purchasing options, or a combination of both, of the at least one type of service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of a rental period of the at least one type of service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of recording, bookmarking a scene, or a combination of both, of the at least one type of service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of a visual format, an audio format, on-screen graphics supplements, or a combination of two or more, of the at least one type of service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the selected enhancement options comprises communicating from a headend.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to the received input, the server is further configured to provide feedback to the user confirming the selection.

13. A system, comprising:

a server device configured to;

provide a system operator screen, the system operator screen comprising plural fields corresponding to respective enhancement options and a corresponding charge;

receive input corresponding to selection of one or more of the enhancement options and the corresponding charge by a system operator, the enhancement options pertaining to at least one type of television service; and

communicate the selected enhancement options and the corresponding charge to a client premise over a network for display to a user.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising providing multiple system operator screens to configure enhancement options for a plurality of television service types.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the system operator screen is used by the system operator to configure enhancement options for a plurality of television service types.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the system operator screen is used by the system operator to configure enhancement options for a first type of television service, and further comprising providing a second system operator screen to configure enhancement options for a second type of television service.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of a visual quality, an audio quality, a visual format, an audio format, provision of on-screen graphic supplements, or a combination of two or more, of the at least one type of service.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of a manner of video stream manipulation corresponding to the at least one type of service.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the enhancement options corresponds to configuration of purchasing options, pre-purchasing options, a rental period, storage, bookmarking of a scene, or a combination of two or more, of the at least one type of service.