Scripted Interactivity for Non-Real-Time Services

• US 20110302611A1
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eyer, Mark Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US13/038,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302611A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A method consistent with certain implementations involves receiving a triggered declarative object (TDO) at a digital television receiver device, the TDO including a scripted executable routine; the scripted executable routine having a script that defines a user interface (UI) for manipulation of non-real-time (NRT) content; initiating the operation of the TDO; and the digital television receiver, executing scripted operations to present the user with the user interface. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a triggered declarative object (TDO) at a digital television receiver device, the TDO including a scripted executable routine;

the scripted executable routine comprising a script that generates a user interface that presents a viewer with options for selection of items of non-real-time (NRT) television service for viewing or downloading;

initiating the execution of the TDO by the digital television receiver device to start the NRT service; and

where the television receiver device processes a plurality of scripted control objects and functions including but not limited to;

a control object that when selected causes the receiver to schedule a particular NRT download to occur at a future time;

a control object that when selected causes playback of an indicated item of NRT content when that content is available in local storage;

a function that returns an indication of whether or not a specified item of NRT content is available in local storage;

a function that returns an indication of whether or not a specified item of NRT content is already scheduled for download;

a function that returns an amount of available local storage; and

a function that deletes a specified item of NRT television service from storage.

2. A method, comprising:

receiving a triggered declarative object (TDO) at a digital television receiver device, the TDO including a scripted executable routine;

the scripted executable routine comprising a script that defines a user interface (UI) for manipulation of non-real-time (NRT) content;

initiating the operation of the TDO; and

the digital television receiver, executing operations to present the user with the user interface.

3. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device processes a control object that when activated causes the receiver to schedule a particular NRT download to occur at a future time.

4. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device processes a control object that causes playback of an indicated item of NRT content when that content is available in local storage.

5. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device processes a script that includes function that returns an indication of whether or not an item of NRT content is available in local storage.

6. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device processes a script that includes a function that returns an indication of whether or not an item of NRT content is already scheduled for download.

7. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device processes a script which includes a function that returns the amount of available local storage.

8. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device processes a script which includes a function that deletes an item of NRT content from storage.

9. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device processes a script which includes a function that accesses Preference, Demographic, and Interests (PDI) questionnaire responses, and that renders attributes of the user interface based on the responses.

10. The method according to claim 2, further comprising downloading, scheduling a download or playing a selected NRT content upon receipt of a command via the user interface.

11. The method according to claim 2, where the user interface provides a selection for rendering NRT content that has not been stored in non-volatile memory, where the item of NRT content is available for streaming at low-latency.

12. The method according to claim 11, where the NRT content is received via the Internet.

13. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver operates to identify event times and actions related to NRT content items.

14. The method according to claim 2, where said television receiver device carries out a process related to NRT services available via the user interface, further including initial access to NRT services, selections of NRT content for download, completion of a full playback of NRT content, completion of a partial playback of NRT content and exiting NRT services.

15. The method according to claim 2, where the TDO is self-triggered upon completion of receipt of the TDO.

16. The method according to claim 2, where the TDO is executed upon user initiation of NRT services.

17. The method according to claim 2, where the TDO is executed upon user selection of a predetermined television channel.

18. The method according to claim 2, further comprising retrieving the TDO as a file within a broadcast transport.

19. The method according to claim 2, where the TDO is fetched from the Internet via a URL provided within metadata defining NRT services.

20. A computer readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method according to claim 2.

21. A device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a digital television receiver device that receives and stores to the memory a triggered declarative object (TDO), the TDO including a scripted executable routine that is executable by a processor of the digital television receiver device;

upon occurrence of a triggering action, the processor executing the operations of the scripted executable routine to define a user interface (UI) for manipulation of non-real-time (NRT) television content; and

the processor further executing scripted operations to present the user with the user interface.

22. The device according to claim 21, where upon receipt of a command via the user interface, the processor downloading, scheduling a download or playing a selected item of NRT content based upon the command via the user interface.

23. The device according to claim 21, where the TDO is self-triggered upon completion of receipt of the TDO.

24. The device according to claim 21, where the TDO is executed upon user initiation of NRT services.

25. The device according to claim 21, where the TDO is executed upon user selection of a predetermined television channel.

26. The device according to claim 21, where said processor processes a plurality of scripted control elements and functions including:

a control element that when activated causes the receiver to schedule a particular NRT download to occur at a future time;

a control element that when activated causes playback of an indicated item of NRT content when that content is available in local storage;

a function that returns an indication of whether or not an item of NRT content is available in local storage;

a function that returns an indication of whether or not an item of NRT content is already scheduled for download;

a function that returns an amount of available local storage; and

a function that deletes an item of NRT content from storage.

27. A device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a digital television receiver device configured to receive and store to the memory a triggered declarative object (TDO), the TDO comprising a scripted executable routine that is executable by a processor of the digital television receiver device;

the processor being programmed to execute the operations of the scripted executable routine to define a user interface (UI) for manipulation of non-real-time (NRT) television content upon occurrence of a triggering action; and

the processor further being programmed to executing scripted operations to present the user with the user interface.

28. The device according to claim 27, where upon receipt of a command via the user interface, the processor downloading, scheduling a download or playing a selected item of NRT content based upon the command via the user interface.

29. The device according to claim 27, where the TDO is self-triggered upon completion of receipt of the TDO.

30. The device according to claim 27, where the TDO is executed upon user initiation of NRT services.

31. The device according to claim 27, where the TDO is executed upon user selection of a predetermined television channel.