UPGRADING ACCESS OF TELEVISION PROGRAM INFORMATION WITH OPTIONAL FEATURES

• US 20090158332A1
• 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:
  US12/388,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 user with an interactive program guide (IPG) service enhancement configuration screen, the screen comprising one or more selectable options corresponding to respective service enhancements to be implemented in association with providing an IPG, the screen further comprising plural fields, each field corresponding to a charge for each of the service enhancements;

receiving input by the user corresponding to selection of the one or more selectable options; and

storing the one or more selections in memory for later retrieval for use in conjunction with providing the IPG.

2. The method of claim 1, where one of the options corresponds to provision of an initial IPG screen that provides a channel listing corresponding to a currently tuned channel and a time listing that covers the current time.

3. The method of claim 1, where one of the options corresponds to provision of functionality enabling the user to search for a television program listing.

4. The method of claim 1, where one of the options corresponds to provision of functionality enabling the user to view portions of television programs.

5. The method of claim 1, where one of the options corresponds to provision of functionality enabling the user to configure the appearance of an interactive program guide.

6. The method of claim 1, where one of the options corresponds to provision of enabling the user to view more detailed information about programs listed in the IPG.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an initial screen that suggests to the user that service enhancements are available, the initial screen enabling access to the IPG service enhancement configuration screen to configure the service enhancements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein responsive to receiving the input, a total price field presented on the IPG service enhancement configuration screen is updated to reflect a total price for the one or more selections.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing visual feedback of the one or more selections.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second input corresponding to a confirmation of the one or more selections.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a purchase of the IPG service enhancements each time the user invokes an IPG application from a non-visual displayed state.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling a purchase of the IPG service enhancements for a displayed IPG grid, including a current time interval, inclusive of a channel currently tuned or tuned immediately prior to the invocation of the IPG application, wherein a highlighted program title in the displayed IPG grid corresponds to the current time program on the currently tuned channel.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling access to the IPG with the accompanying selected service enhancements, wherein enabling access comprises retrieving the one or more selections from memory, and presenting the IPG with access to the one or more selections.

14. A system, comprising:

a client device comprising;

a memory having executable instructions stored thereon; and

a processor configured by the instructions to;

provide a user with an interactive program guide (IPG) service enhancement configuration screen, the screen comprising one or more selectable options corresponding to respective service enhancements to be implemented in association with providing an IPG, the screen further comprising plural fields, each field corresponding to a charge for each of the service enhancements;

receive input by the user corresponding to selection of the one or more selectable options;

store the one or more selections in memory for later retrieval for use in conjunction with providing the IPG; and

enable access to the IPG with the accompanying selected service enhancements.

15. The system of claim 14, where the options correspond to one or more of the following:

provision of an initial IPG screen that provides a channel listing corresponding to a currently tuned channel and a time listing that covers the current time, and provision of functionality enabling the user to search for a television program listing.

16. The system of claim 14, where the options correspond to one or more of the following:

provision of functionality enabling the user to view a portion of a television program, and provision of functionality enabling the user to configure the appearance of an interactive program guide.

17. The system of claim 14, where the options correspond to provision of enabling the user to view more detailed information about programs listed in the IPG.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured by the instructions to provide an initial screen that suggests to the user that service enhancements are available, the initial screen enabling access to the IPG service enhancement configuration screen to configure the service enhancements.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein responsive to receiving the input, the processor is further configured by the instructions to update a total price field on the IPG service enhancement configuration screen to reflect a total price for the one or more selections.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured by the instructions to:

provide visual feedback of the one or more selections; and

receive a second input corresponding to a confirmation of the one or more selections.