Subscription-Based Access to Media Programs Distributed By Way of a Plurality of Different Media Distribution Models

• US 20140156373A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Maskatia, Imran Arif, Bowers, Paul Bradley
• Application Number:
  US14/069,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156373A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/20 Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/218 Source of audio or video content , e.g. local disk arrays details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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

Abstract

An exemplary system 1) provides, based on a subscription of a user to a media service, the user of the media service with subscription-based access to media programs distributed by way of a subscription-based media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel, 2) issues, based on the subscription of the user to the media service, a subscription credit for selective use by the user to pay for transactional-based access to a physical copy of a media program distributed by way of a transactional-based media distribution model that utilizes a media vending kiosk distribution channel, and 3) provides at least one tool configured for use by the user to indicate whether the subscription credit will be applied as payment in a transaction to access the physical copy of the media program by way of the transactional-based media distribution model. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a media service provider system based on a subscription of a user to a media service, the user of the media service with subscription-based access to media programs distributed by way of a subscription-based media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel;

issuing, by the media service provider system based on the subscription of the user to the media service, a subscription credit for selective use by the user to pay for transactional-based access to a physical copy of a media program distributed by way of a transactional-based media distribution model that utilizes a media vending kiosk distribution channel; and

providing, by the media service provider system, at least one tool configured for use by the user to indicate whether the subscription credit will be applied as payment in a transaction to access the physical copy of the media program by way of the transactional-based media distribution model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one tool comprises a credit selection tool included in a media program reservation checkout view of a media service user interface and configured for selection by the user to indicate whether to apply the subscription credit to a reservation of the media program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reservation of the media program comprises a reservation of the physical copy of the media program for pickup at a media vending kiosk.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a default setting of the credit selection tool is to apply the subscription credit to the reservation of the media program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one tool comprises a credit selection tool included in a media program rental checkout view of a kiosk user interface and configured for selection by the user to indicate whether to apply the subscription credit to a rental of the media program at a media vending kiosk.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the media service provider system, a user request to complete the transaction to access the physical copy of the media program; and

determining, by the media service provider system, that the subscription credit is available;

wherein the providing of the at least one tool configured for use by the user to indicate whether the subscription credit will be applied as payment in the transaction is performed in response to the user request to complete the transaction and the determining that the subscription credit is available.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the media service provider system, a user request to complete the transaction to access the physical copy of the media program; and

determining, by the media service provider system, that the media program is eligible for payment by the subscription credit;

wherein the providing of the at least one tool configured for use by the user to indicate whether the subscription credit will be applied as payment in the transaction is performed in response to the user request and the determining that the media program is eligible for payment by the subscription credit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscription credit is configured to expire at an end of a predefined lifetime of the subscription credit.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the media service provider system in a media service user interface, a first notification indicating a number of subscription credits currently available for use by the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing, by the media service provider system in a media service user interface, a second notification indicating at least one of an expiration date for the currently available subscription credits and a replenishment date on which the media service provider system is scheduled to issue one or more new subscription credits.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first notification is displayed in at least one of:

a subscription account management view of the media service user interface;

a subscription account summary view of the media service user interface;

a header of a view of the media service user interface; and

a checkout view of the media service user interface.

12. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:

providing, by a media service provider system based on a subscription of a user to a media service, the user of the media service with subscription-based access to media programs distributed by way of a subscription-based media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel;

issuing, by the media service provider system based on the subscription of the user to the media service, a subscription credit for selective use by the user to pay for transactional-based access to a physical copy of a media program distributed by way of a transactional-based media distribution model that utilizes a media vending kiosk distribution channel;

detecting, by the media service provider system, a user request to complete a transaction to access the physical copy of the media program;

determining, by the media service provider system, that the subscription credit is available;

determining, by the media service provider system, that the media program is eligible for payment by the subscription credit; and

providing, by the media service provider system in a checkout view of a user interface, a credit selection tool configured for use by the user to indicate whether the subscription credit will be applied as payment in the transaction to access the physical copy of the media program by way of the transactional-based media distribution model.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the transaction comprises a reservation of the physical copy of the media program for pickup at a media vending kiosk; and

the checkout view comprises a media program reservation checkout view.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the transaction comprises a rental of the physical copy of the media program from a media vending kiosk; and

the checkout view comprises a media program rental checkout view at the media vending kiosk.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein a default setting of the credit selection tool is to apply the subscription credit as payment in the transaction to access the physical copy of the media program.

17. The method of claim 13, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

18. A system comprising:

at least one physical computing device that;

provides, based on a subscription of a user to a media service, the user of the media service with subscription-based access to media programs distributed by way of a subscription-based media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel;

issues, based on the subscription of the user to the media service, a subscription credit for selective use by the user to pay for transactional-based access to a physical copy of a media program distributed by way of a transactional-based media distribution model that utilizes a media vending kiosk distribution channel; and

provides at least one tool configured for use by the user to indicate whether the subscription credit will be applied as payment in a transaction to access the physical copy of the media program by way of the transactional-based media distribution model.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one tool comprises a credit selection tool included in a media program reservation checkout view of a media service user interface and configured for selection by the user to indicate whether to apply the subscription credit to a reservation of the media program.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the reservation of the media program comprises a reservation of the physical copy of the media program for pickup at a media vending kiosk.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein a default setting of the credit selection tool is to apply the subscription credit to the reservation of the media program.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one tool comprises a credit selection tool included in a media program rental checkout view of a kiosk user interface and configured for selection by the user to indicate whether to apply the subscription credit to a rental of the media program at a media vending kiosk.