SYSTEM FOR ADDRESSING ON-DEMAND TV PROGRAM CONTENT ON TV SERVICES PLATFORM OF A DIGITAL TV SERVICES PROVIDER
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Abstract
Video content is uploaded via the Internet to a video-on-demand (VOD) server identified by a title and a hierarchical address of categories and subcategories for categorizing the title. The VOD server converts and stores the video content at a storage address in a video content database linked to the title. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as in its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. This can enable many, new blogging or podcasting-like programs by popular “Hosts” to be self-published on the Internet and readily navigated for display on TV. The EPG can also store TV program addresses as bookmarks and allow them to be shared with other subscribers or with friends and contacts online by sending to their email addresses.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A video-on-demand system for providing video-on-demand services to a plurality of subscriber devices, the system comprising:
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a video-on-demand services platform, comprising one or more computers and computer-readable memory operatively connected to the one or more computers of the video-on-demand services platform, that is programmed to perform the steps of; (a) receiving first digital video-on-demand program content for a video-on-demand program and hierarchical metadata associated with the first video-on-demand program content, the metadata comprising a title, one or more category terms, and one or more subcategory terms using a hierarchical structure for identifying an electronic program guide location where the title of the received video-on-demand program is to be located following the same hierarchical structure used in said metadata; (b) storing the first video-on-demand program content; (c) updating an electronic program guide for the video-on-demand services platform to list the title of the received video-on-demand program in the electronic program guide location according to the hierarchical structure of the category and subcategory terms of the associated hierarchical metadata, the updated electronic program guide being accessible by subscribers of the video-on-demand services platform both via subscriber devices connected to the video-on-demand services platform via a closed delivery system through a TV services platform and via subscriber devices connected via an open delivery system through the Internet allowing the subscribers to navigate and select hierarchically-arranged titles of video-on-demand program content listed by category and subcategory terms from the updated electronic program guide; (d) receiving, via the closed delivery system, a selection by a subscriber of a title from the updated electronic program guide, including information associated with the location of the title of the received video-on-demand program, from a first subscriber device; (e) transmitting, to the first subscriber device via the closed delivery system, the first video-on-demand program content for playback on the first subscriber device; (f) receiving, via the open delivery system, a selection by the subscriber of the title from the updated electronic program guide, including information associated with the location of the title of the received video-on-demand program, from a second subscriber device; and (g) transmitting, to the second subscriber device via the open delivery system, the first video-on-demand program content for playback on the second subscriber device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A video-on-demand system for providing video-on-demand services to a plurality of subscriber devices, the system comprising:
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a video-on-demand services platform, comprising one or more computers and computer-readable memory operatively connected to the one or more computers of the video-on-demand services platform, that is programmed to perform the steps of; (a) receiving first digital video-on-demand program content for a video-on-demand program and hierarchical metadata associated with the first video-on-demand program content, the metadata comprising a title, one or more category terms, and one or more subcategory terms using a hierarchical structure for identifying an electronic program guide location where the title of the received video-on-demand program is to be located following the same hierarchical structure used in said metadata; (b) storing the first video-on-demand program content; (c) updating an electronic program guide for the video-on-demand services platform to list the title of the received video-on-demand program in the electronic program guide location according to the hierarchical structure of the category and subcategory terms of the associated hierarchical metadata, the updated electronic program guide being accessible by subscribers of the video-on-demand services platform both via subscriber devices connected to the video-on-demand services platform via a closed delivery system through a TV services platform and via subscriber devices connected via an open delivery system through the Internet allowing the subscribers to navigate and select hierarchically-arranged titles of video-on-demand program content listed by category and subcategory terms from the updated electronic program guide; (d) receiving, via the closed delivery system, a selection by a subscriber of a first title from the updated electronic program guide, including information associated with the location of the first title of the received video-on-demand program, from a first subscriber device; (e) transmitting, to the first subscriber device via the closed delivery system, the first video-on-demand program content for playback of the first video-on-demand program content on the first subscriber device; (f) receiving, via the open delivery system, a selection by the subscriber of a second title from the updated electronic program guide, including information associated with the location of the second title, from a second subscriber device; and (g) transmitting, to the second subscriber device via the open delivery system, a second video-on-demand program content for playback on the second subscriber device.
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Specification