METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING DISPLAYABLE APPLICATIONS

• US 20090217320A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: ALDREY, Raul
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

An approach is provided for presenting, via a set-top box, a displayable application providing content (e.g., community content) that is generated based on information corresponding to a user of the set-top box. The displayable application is overlay on video content of the set-top box.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, via a set-top box, a displayable application providing content that is generated based on information corresponding to a user of the set-top box,

wherein the displayable application is overlaid on video content of the set-top box.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

correlating the displayable application with the user information to determine the content of the displayable application.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the correlation is performed at the set-top box or within a network of a service provider corresponding to the set-top box.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user information includes geographic information or demographic information.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the displayable application provides content relating to weather or traffic.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from a user to activate the displayable application.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the displayable application provides community service information, the method further comprising:

receiving input from the user to control, within the displayable application, display of the community service information or retrieval of additional information.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the user to permit the user to specify metadata for content of the displayable application that is to be presented to a plurality of set-top boxes.

9. A set-top box apparatus comprising:

a presentation module configured to output to a display and to present a displayable application providing content that is generated based on information corresponding to a user,

wherein the displayable application is overlaid on video content that is output to the display.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the displayable application is correlated with the user information to determine the content of the displayable application.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the correlation is performed within a network of a service provider.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the user information includes geographic information or demographic information.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the displayable application provides content relating to weather or traffic.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an input interface configured to receive input from a user to activate the displayable application.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the displayable application provides community service information, the apparatus further comprising:

an input interface configured to receive input from the user to control, within the displayable application, display of the community service information or retrieval of additional information.

16. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the user is authenticated to permit the user to specify metadata for content of the displayable application that is to be presented to a plurality of set-top boxes.

17. A method comprising:

transmitting community content received from a source to a user of a set-top box based on correlated information, the community content including public information, educational information, or governmental information,

wherein the set-top box is configured to present a displayable application including the community content overlaid on video content of the set-top box.

18. A method of claim 17, further comprising:

authenticating the source to permit the source to specify a category of users to receive the community content.

19. A method of claim 18, wherein the category of users is based on a geographic or demographic policy.

20. A method of claim 18, wherein the source is a public, educational, or governmental organization or another user of an another set-top box.

21. A method of claim 17, further comprising:

authenticating the user to permit the user to specify metadata for the community content to be presented via the displayable application to one or more set-top boxes including the set-top box of the user.

22. A method of claim 21, further comprising:

retrieving a user profile of the user including the metadata specified by the user,

wherein the correlated information corresponds to the metadata specified by the user, or to a policy within the user profile of the user.

23. A method of claim 17, wherein the correlated information corresponds to metadata of the source or the community content, and to information within a user profile of the user.

24. A method of claim 17, wherein the community content is received from a first source and the video content is received from a second source.

25. A system comprising:

a video processor configured to transmit community content received from a source to a user of a set-top box based on correlated information, the community content including public information, educational information, or governmental information,

wherein the set-top box is configured to present a displayable application including the community content overlaid on video content of the set-top box.

26. A system of claim 25, further comprising:

an interface for authenticating the source to permit the source to specify a category of users to receive the community content,

wherein the category of users is based on a geographic or demographic policy.

27. A system of claim 26, wherein the community content is generated based on the correlated information.

28. A system of claim 25, further comprising:

an interface for authenticating the user to permit the user to specify metadata for community content to be presented via the displayable application to a plurality of set-top boxes.

29. A system of claim 25, further comprising:

a database configured to store a user profile of the user including metadata specified by the user and a user defined policy; and

a module configured to generate the correlated information based on the community content received from the source and the metadata, the policy, or the metadata and the policy.

30. A system of claim 25, wherein the video processor is further configured to generate the correlated information, the correlated information corresponding to metadata of the source or the community content, and to information within a user profile of the user.

31. A system of claim 25, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive the community content from a first source and the video content from a second source,

wherein the first source is a public, educational, or governmental organization or another user of a set-top box.

32. A system of claim 31, wherein the second source is a third-party content provider.