SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING DISPLAY DEVICE FEATURE

• US 20110166968A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Digital LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Digital LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Houng, Richard Yin-Ching, Woo, Douglas Q., Araki, John, Randall, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US12/816,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166968A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A display device is initially provided with a deactivated feature that may be selectively activated as needed by an end user, with notification of the activation provided to an activation service. The activation service may provide an activation code or other activation either to the display device directly, or alternatively to the end user, for use in the activation process to activate the initially-deactivated feature. As another alternative the activation service may receive notification after the activation, or during the activation process, without necessarily providing any activation code or other key. The activation service may make use of the activation notification, such as for marketing purposes of determination of licensing fees due in connection with the initially-deactivated feature. The registration code may be used to create an activation code used for activating the initially-deactivated feature.

Claims

1. A method of controlling display device configuration, the method comprising:

providing a display device that includes an initially-deactivated feature;

providing an end user of the display device with an opportunity to activate the initially-deactivated feature; and

if the end user makes a decision to activate the feature, providing notification of the decision to activate to an activation service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing notification includes providing notification of activation of the initially-deactivated feature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing notification is part of an activation process that includes the activation service providing an activation code to the end user to allow activation of the deactivated feature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing notification is part of a notification process that is initiated by the end user interacting with the display device to select a configuration of the display device that requires activation of the initially-deactivated feature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interacting includes the end user affirmatively selecting the configuration in an interactive process with the display device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the interacting includes connecting an audio video source to the display device that requires the initially-deactivated feature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the display includes providing the display with a tuner as the initially-deactivated feature.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tuner includes an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standards tuner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing notification includes providing a registration code to the activation service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing the registration code includes providing the registration code from the display device directly to the activation service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing the registration code includes providing the registration code from the display device to the activation service using a telephone connection between the display device and the activation service.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing the registration code includes providing the registration code from the display device to the activation service using a computer network connection between the display device and the activation service.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing the registration code includes the end user communicating the registration code to the activation service.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing notification includes providing the notification from the display device directly to the activation service.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an activation code from the activation service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the activation code is received at the display device directly from the activation service.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein the activation code is received by the end user;

and

further comprising the end user inputting the activation code into the display device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the end user includes providing the end user with the opportunity to activate the initially-deactivated feature in response to a prompt displayed on the display device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the prompt queries the end user as to whether the initially-activated feature is to be activated.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the prompt queries the end user as to a signal source to be used for the display device, with activation occurring for at least some response to the prompt.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the end user includes providing the end user with the opportunity to activate the initially-deactivated feature by connecting a signal source to the display device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein activation occurs only for some possible signal sources that may be connected to the display device.

23. A method of paying licensing or other fees for display devices, the method comprising:

providing the display devices to end users, wherein the display devices each have an initially-deactivated feature;

receiving from an activation service information on the number of activation transactions for the display devices; and

paying the fees based on the number of the activation transactions.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the receiving the number of activation transactions includes receiving from the activation service a number of end users that have notified the activation service of a decision to activate the feature and have received activation instructions from the activation service.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the receiving the number of activation transactions includes receiving from the activation service a number of display devices that have had the initially-deactivated feature activated.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving notification includes direct contact between the display devices and the activation service.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving notification includes direct contact between the end users and the activation service.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving includes the activation service receiving a registration code from at least one of the end users or the display devices.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the activation code sending an activation code to at least one of the end users or the display devices, in response to the receiving the registration code.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the paying the fees includes paying the fees based also on additional information regarding the display devices.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing the additional information for the display devices.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the additional information includes screen sizes of the display devices.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the additional information includes prices of the display devices.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the prices include net selling prices of the display devices.

35. A method of controlling display device configuration, the method comprising:

providing a display device that includes a feature in a first state;

providing an end user of the display device with an opportunity to change functionality of the feature from a first state to a second state; and

if the end user changes functionality of the feature, providing notification of the change of functionality to an activation service.