INTERACTIVE MASTHEAD

• US 20130042269A1
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kandanala, Venket S., Joshi, Nicky Pinakin, Sankaran, Anand N., Narayanan, Rajesh, Caputo, Lisa A., Srinivasan, Karthik, Dasgupta, Mousumi, Parambath, Jubish C., Selvakumar, Sudharsan, Jayaraman, Sumithra
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A method and system that provides a television service; receives a customer input to access a graphical user interface that includes a main menu pertaining to the television service; retrieves the graphical user interface; and displays the graphical user interface via the customer device, wherein the graphical user interface includes a main menu body and an interactive masthead having an interactive element that permits a customer to access content via the interactive element.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a television service via a customer device;

receiving a customer input to access a graphical user interface that includes a main menu pertaining to the television service;

retrieving the graphical user interface; and

displaying the graphical user interface via the customer device, wherein the graphical user interface includes a main menu body and an interactive masthead having an interactive element that permits a customer to access content via the interactive element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another customer input, via the main menu body, to access another graphical user interface;

retrieving the other graphical user interface; and

displaying the other graphical user interface via the customer device, wherein the other graphical user interface includes an interactive masthead that is contextually-related to an interactive body of the other graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the other graphical user interface pertains to one of pay-per-view, video-on-demand, widgets, games, television listings, messages, settings, or help.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive masthead includes an advertisement element or a description element pertaining to the interactive element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes a pay-per-view event, a video-on-demand event, a free preview of a channel or a television package, or information pertaining to a service included in the television service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element permits the customer to auto-tune to a particular television channel, launch a widget, order and purchase a pay-per-view event or a video-on-demand event, or obtain cast member and storyline information pertaining to the pay-per-view event or the video-on-demand event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the main menu body includes interactive graphical elements that permit the customer to access pay-per-view, video-on-demand, digital video recording (DVR), games, widgets, settings, and help, and the interactive element is an interactive graphical element of the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive masthead identifies a type of menu.

9. A device comprising:

a communication interface;

one or more memories that store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions and configure the one or more processors to;

provide a television service;

receive a customer input to access a graphical user interface that includes a main menu pertaining to the television service;

obtain the graphical user interface; and

output the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a main menu body and an interactive masthead having an interactive element that permits a customer to access content via the interactive element.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions and configure the one or more processors to:

receive another customer input, via the main menu body, to access another graphical user interface;

obtain the other graphical user interface; and

output the other graphical user interface, wherein the other graphical user interface includes an interactive masthead that is contextually-related to an interactive body of the other graphical user interface.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the other graphical user interface pertains to one of pay-per-view, video-on-demand, widgets, games, television listings, messages, settings, or help.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the interactive masthead includes an advertisement element or a description element pertaining to the interactive element.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the content includes a pay-per-view event, a video-on-demand event, a free preview of a channel or a television package, or information pertaining to a service pertaining to the television service.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the interactive element permits the customer to auto-tune to a particular television channel, launch a widget, order and purchase a pay-per-view event or a video-on-demand event, or obtain cast member and storyline information pertaining to the pay-per-view event or the video-on-demand event.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the main menu body includes interactive graphical elements that permit the customer to access pay-per-view, video-on-demand, digital video recording (DVR), games, widgets, settings, and help, and the interactive element is an interactive graphical element of the graphical user interface.

16. A method comprising:

receiving an input request to access a graphical user interface that includes a main menu pertaining to a television service;

storing the graphical user interface;

identifying the graphical user interface based on the received input request;

transmitting the graphical user interface to a customer device; and

displaying the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a main menu body and an interactive masthead having an interactive element that permits a customer to access content via the interactive element.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving another input request, via the main menu body, to access another graphical user interface;

storing the other graphical user interface;

identifying the other graphical user interface based on the received other input request;

transmitting the other graphical user interface to the customer device; and

displaying the other graphical user interface, wherein the other graphical user interface includes an interactive masthead that is contextually-related to an interactive body of the other graphical user interface.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the other graphical user interface pertains to one of pay-per-view, video-on-demand, widgets, games, television listings, messages, settings, or help.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the content includes a pay-per-view event, a video-on-demand event, a free preview of a channel or a television package, or information pertaining to a service pertaining to the television service.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the interactive element permits the customer to auto-tune to a particular television channel, launch a widget, order and purchase a pay-per-view event or a video-on-demand event, or obtain cast member and storyline information pertaining to the pay-per-view event or the video-on-demand event.