METHOD AND SYSTEM OF BUILDING A WANTED LIST QUEUE FOR A USER IN A CONTENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20110289522A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pontual, Romulo, Choi, John D., Chen, Kenny C., Ling, Sui-Ky Ringo, Vagnati, Michelle L., Norin, John L., Shanks, David Eric, Arsenault, Robert G., Bennett, Eric J., Kahn, Raynold M., Kasakitis, Steven, Crook, Luke J., Dulac, Stephen P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23895 involving multiplex stream encryption
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A system and method for communicating content to a user device includes a head end that communicates metadata for a plurality of content including the content titles. The system also includes the user device that generates a screen display comprising the plurality of content titles from the metadata and generates a selection corresponding to a first content title from a user interface, the user device adds metadata for the first content title to a queue and displays the queue in a priority order on the screen display. The user device is tuned to receive content corresponding to the first content title and stores the content in a storage device.

Claims

1. A method of communicating content comprising:

communicating metadata for a plurality of content from a head end including the content titles;

generating a screen display comprising the plurality of content titles from the metadata;

generating a selection corresponding to a first content title from a user interface;

adding metadata for the first content title to a queue;

displaying the queue on the screen display associated with a user device;

prioritizing the queue;

tuning the user device to receive the first content title;

receiving the first content title corresponding to the metadata at the user device; and

storing the content in a storage device of the user device after receiving.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising displaying the content on a display associated with the user device after storing.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the selection to the head end.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating tuning data to the user device from the head end and wherein receiving the first content comprises receiving the first content in response to the tuning data.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising unlocking the content by communicating an unlock signal to the head end.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein communicating the unlock signal comprises communicating the unlock signal through one of a phone line, voice response system, mobile phone and a website.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein communicating the unlock signal comprises communicating the unlock signal through a broadband connection.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising billing the user device for the content in response to the unlock signal.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tuning the user device comprises tuning the user device to receive the first content through a broadband content distribution system.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tuning the user device comprises tuning the user device to receive content through a satellite content distribution system.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tuning the user device comprises tuning the user device to a satellite transponder and channel at a predetermined time based on tuning data received from the head end.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing comprises storing the content in a network partition of the user device.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steps of tuning, receiving and storing are performed when a memory slot is available in a network partition.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a selection comprising generating a selection from a computer disposed remotely from the user device.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising updating the metadata in the queue.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating metadata comprises communicating upcoming metadata.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising associating the location availability data with the upcoming metadata.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first content comprises communicating the first content to the user device prior to an availability time.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the queue comprises a first content and a second content.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prioritizing the queue comprises selecting a first content to have higher priority than a second content.

21. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tuning the user device to receive the first content comprises resolving a tuning conflict between a first content and a second content by determining a priority therebetween.

22. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tuning the user device to receive the first content comprises tuning the user receiver to receive a first content prior to a second content in response to the first content having higher priority than the second content.

23. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tuning the user device to receive the first content comprises tuning the user receiver to receive a first content prior to a second content in response to the first content having lower priority than the second content when the first content has an earlier transmission time than the second content.

24. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing the content in a storage device of the user device after receiving comprises deleting a recording of a second content and storing a recording of a first content, the first content having higher priority than the second content.

25. A system for communicating content comprising:

a head end that communicates metadata for a plurality of content including the content titles; and

a user device that generates a screen display comprising the plurality of content titles from the metadata and generates a selection corresponding to a first content title from a user interface, the user device adds metadata for the first content title to a queue and displays the queue in a priority order on the screen display,

wherein the user device is tuned to receive content corresponding to the first content title from the head end and storing the content in a storage device.

26. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein said head end generating an authorization signal for the selection and communicating the authorization signal to the user device and wherein the user device tunes the user device in response to the authorization signal.

27. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the user device comprises a display that displays the content after storing.

28. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein said user device communicates an unlocking signal to the head end.

29. A system as recited in claim 28 further comprising at least one of a phone line, voice response system, mobile phone, a broadband connection and a website for communicating the unlocking signal to the head end.

30. A system as recited in claim 28 wherein communicating the unlock signal comprises communicating the unlocking signal through a broadband connection.

31. A system as recited in claim 28 further comprising a billing system that bills an account associated with the user device in response to the unlocking signal.

32. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the user device receives the first content through a broadband content distribution system.

33. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the user device receives content through a satellite content distribution system.

34. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the user device receives content through a satellite transponder and channel at a predetermined time based on tuning data received from the head end.

35. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the user device stores content in a network partition.

36. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the head end updates the metadata in the queue.

37. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the metadata comprises upcoming metadata.

38. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the first content title has a higher priority than the second content title.

39. A system as recited in claim 38 wherein the user device resolves a tuning conflict between the first content and the second content in response to the priority.

40. A system as recited in claim 38 wherein the user device tunes a tuner to receive the first content before the second content in response to the priority.

41. A system as recited in claim 38 wherein the user device tunes a tuner to receive the first content before the second content in response to the priority unless the second content is transmitted before the first content.