System and Method for Enhanced Hot Key Delivery

• US 20120331503A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, James Harold, Brothers, Thomas Jefferson, Matz, William Randolph
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at a head-end, content to be provided to a particular subscriber. The method includes creating an indicator configured to provide to a subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternated content based on the content. The method further includes sending the indicator and the content separately to the subscriber side system over different networks.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a head-end, content to be provided to a particular subscriber;

creating an indicator configured to provide to a subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternate content based on the content; and

sending the indicator and the content separately over different networks to the subscriber side system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes information that enables the subscriber side system to determine a relevance of the alternate content to the particular subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicator further includes information that enables the subscriber side system to determine whether to present a selectable option that enables access by the particular subscriber to the alternate content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is sent over a first network to the subscriber side system and the content is concurrently sent to the subscriber side system over a second network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first network includes a digital subscriber line and wherein the second network includes a coaxial cable.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first network is a data network and wherein the second network is a video network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the video network is a one-way cable network.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor in a head-end that supports a subscriber side system; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving content; and

sending an indicator and the content separately over different networks to the subscriber side system, wherein the indicator is to provide to the subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternate content based on the content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indicator includes information that enables the subscriber side system to determine a relevance of the alternate content to the particular subscriber.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the indicator further includes information that enables the subscriber side system to determine whether to present a selectable option that enables access by the particular subscriber to the alternate content.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indicator is sent over a first network to the subscriber side system and the content is concurrently sent to the subscriber side system over a second network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first network includes a digital subscriber line and wherein the second network includes a coaxial cable.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first network is a data network and wherein the second network is a video network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the video network is a one-way cable network.

15. A computer-readable storage device including computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive content; and

send an indicator and the content separately over different networks to the subscriber side system, wherein the indicator is to provide to the subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternate content based on the content.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the indicator includes information that enables the subscriber side system to determine a relevance of the alternate content to the particular subscriber.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the indicator further includes information that enables the subscriber side system to determine whether to present a selectable option that enables access by the particular subscriber to the alternate content.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the indicator is sent over a first network to the subscriber side system and the content is concurrently sent to the subscriber side system over a second network.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the first network includes a digital subscriber line and wherein the second network includes a coaxial cable.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the first network is a data network and wherein the second network is a video network.