TRACKING AND PROVIDING AVAILABILITY STATUS OF PERSONAL BI-DIRECTIONAL SERVICES
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- enabling access by a first digital home communication terminal (DHCT) to a first bi-directional audiovisual service (BDAVS), the DHCT residing in a cable television network (CTN), the first BDAVS comprising a live, personalized communication session between a user associated with the first DHCT and a person located remote from the first DHCT; and
providing first information and second information to the first DHCT, the first information of a first type and the second information of a second type different than the first type, the first and second information corresponding to the first BDVAS.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides methods and systems for accessing services in a television system. In one embodiment, a DHCT presents a subscriber an EPG presentation containing a plurality of selectable bi-directional services that are purchasable for a period of time and rendered to a buying subscriber on an individualized basis as offered by the cable television system. The subscriber navigates an EPG menu presentation with an input device such as a remote control device and selects a purchasable service by choosing the visual representation that corresponds to the desired service. The DHCT receives the user input, translates the selected command into an executable program call that queries service availability and, if the service is available, initiates the selected bi-directional audiovisual service on a personalized session.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A method, comprising:
-
enabling access by a first digital home communication terminal (DHCT) to a first bi-directional audiovisual service (BDAVS), the DHCT residing in a cable television network (CTN), the first BDAVS comprising a live, personalized communication session between a user associated with the first DHCT and a person located remote from the first DHCT; and providing first information and second information to the first DHCT, the first information of a first type and the second information of a second type different than the first type, the first and second information corresponding to the first BDVAS. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
Specification