PORTAL FOR FUTURE EPISODE INFORMATION

• US 20100064313A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: BEYABANI, Syed Zafar
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224

Abstract

A device receives, from a set-top box (STB) and/or a user device, usage information associated with video content, and determines a content portal for a particular video content based on the received usage information. The device also provides, to the STB and/or the user device, the content portal for display, and receives, from the STB and/or the user device, selection of an option associated with the content portal. The device further provides information associated with the selected option to the STB and/or the user device for display and/or storage.

Claims

1. A computing device-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from one or more of a set-top box (STB) or a user device, usage information associated with video content;

determining a content portal for a particular video content based on the received usage information;

providing, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal for display;

receiving, from one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, selection of an option associated with the content portal; and

providing information associated with the selected option to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display.

2. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the information associated with the selected option to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for storage.

3. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the video content comprises television programming.

4. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where determining a content portal for a particular video content comprises one or more of:

determining the content portal based on a favorite television program of a user associated with one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device;

determining the content portal based on a most-viewed television program by the user;

or

determining the content portal based on a user-defined content portal.

5. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the computing device comprises a server.

6. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where providing, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal for display comprises one or more of:

providing a name of an episode associated with the particular video content to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display;

providing an episode show time to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display;

providing episode information to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display;

providing an episode preview to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display;

providing an episode recording option to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display;

or

providing related content associated with the particular video content to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display.

7. The computing device-implemented method of claim 6, where the episode information comprises one or more of:

a description associated with the episode;

a story line associated with the episode;

or

a plot associated with the episode.

8. The computing device-implemented method of claim 6, where the episode preview comprises one or more of:

a video clip associated with the episode;

a trailer associated with the episode;

or

scenes associated with the episode.

9. The computing device-implemented method of claim 6, where the related content comprises one or more of:

a web site associated with the particular video content;

or

merchandise associated with the particular video content.

10. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where providing, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal for display comprises one or more of:

providing, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal when an episode associated with the particular video content is complete;

or

providing, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, an option to receive the content portal when the episode is complete.

11. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the particular video content comprises one or more of:

a favorite television program of a user associated with one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device;

a most-viewed television program by the user;

or

a television program defined by the user.

12. The computing device-implemented method of claim 1, where the user device comprises one or more of:

a radiotelephone;

a personal communications system (PCS) terminal;

a personal digital assistant (PDA);

a laptop;

or

a personal computer.

13. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

receive, from one or more of a set-top box (STB) or a user device, usage information associated with television programming,

determine a content portal for a particular television program based on the received usage information,

provide, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal for display when an episode associated with the particular television program is airing,

receive, from one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, selection of an option associated with the content portal, and

provide information associated with the selected option to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display.

14. The device of claim 13, where the device comprises a server.

15. The device of claim 13, where the user device comprises one or more of:

a radiotelephone,

a personal communications system (PCS) terminal,

a personal digital assistant (PDA),

a laptop, or

a personal computer.

16. The device of claim 13, where the processor is further configured to:

provide the information associated with the selected option to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for storage.

17. The device of claim 13, where, when determining a content portal for a particular television program, the processor is configured to one or more of:

determine the content portal based on a favorite television program of a user associated with one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device,

determine the content portal based on a most-viewed television program by the user, or

determine the content portal based on information provided by the user.

18. The device of claim 13, where, when providing, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal for display, the processor is configured to one or more of:

provide a name of a future episode associated with the particular television program to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display,

provide a future episode show time to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display,

provide future episode information to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display,

provide a future episode preview to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display,

provide a future episode recording option to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display, or

provide related content associated with the particular television program to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device for display.

19. The device of claim 18, where the future episode information comprises one or more of:

a description associated with the future episode,

a story line associated with the future episode, or

a plot associated with the future episode.

20. The device of claim 18, where the future episode preview comprises one or more of:

a video clip associated with the future episode,

a trailer associated with the future episode, or

scenes associated with the future episode.

21. The device of claim 18, where the related content comprises one or more of:

a web site associated with the particular television program, or

merchandise associated with the particular television program.

22. The device of claim 13, where, when providing, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal for display, the processor is configured to one or more of:

provide, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, the content portal when the episode associated with the particular television program is complete, or

provide, to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, an option to receive the content portal when the episode is complete.

23. The device of claim 13, where the particular television program comprises one or more of:

a favorite television program of a user associated with one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device,

a most-viewed television program by the user, or

a television program defined by the user.

24. A system, comprising:

a server configured to;

receive, from a device, usage information associated with television programming,

determine a content portal for a particular television program based on the received usage information,

provide, to the device, the content portal when an episode associated with the particular television program is complete,

receive, from the device, selection of an option associated with the content portal, and

provide information associated with the selected option to the device; and

the device configured to;

provide the usage information to the server,

receive the content portal from the server,

display the content portal,

provide, to the server, the selected option associated with the content portal,

receive, from the server, the information associated with the selected option, and

display the information associated with the selected option.

25. The system of claim 24, where the device comprises one of a set-top box (STB) or a user device.