Digital video services system with optional interactive advertisement capabilities
First Claim
1. A method for interactive presentation of video programming choices and payment options on a television, the method comprising:
- storing a plurality of video programs for presentation on said television, said video programs being accessed for said presentation via a video server;
offering a menu of said video program choices on said television;
offering a menu of said payment options for said video programs on said television, wherein one of said payment options comprises viewing by the viewer of an advertisement program in lieu of direct payment by the viewer;
accessing a control computer, said control computer accessing a data base and using data stored in said data base to select an advertisement program to be presented to the viewer;
confirming validity of a selected one of said payment options for said selected video program;
authorizing presentation of said selected video program upon said confirmation;
presenting said selected video program on said television upon said authorization.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive video services system for enabling store and forward distribution of digitized video programming is disclosed. In accordance with a feature of the present invention, encoded and compressed digital video signals are transmitted via satellite link from a centrally located uplink site to a plurality of hospitality establishments, where the digitized video programming is stored in the memory of a video server computer or is transmitted "real-time" to the hospitality establishment'"'"'s customers. The establishment either has its own downlink facilities or shares downlink facilities with other hospitality establishments. The uplink facility and satellite can transmit a variety of video signals--including video signals for real-time viewing by customers, compressed video signals for storage and subsequent retrieval and viewing by customers, and other types of digitized data, such as advertisements and barker screens. Various signal types, including operating system updates and digitized menus and advertisement graphics for the video programming, are separated and appropriately processed and routed at the hospitality facility.
630 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for interactive presentation of video programming choices and payment options on a television, the method comprising:
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storing a plurality of video programs for presentation on said television, said video programs being accessed for said presentation via a video server; offering a menu of said video program choices on said television; offering a menu of said payment options for said video programs on said television, wherein one of said payment options comprises viewing by the viewer of an advertisement program in lieu of direct payment by the viewer; accessing a control computer, said control computer accessing a data base and using data stored in said data base to select an advertisement program to be presented to the viewer; confirming validity of a selected one of said payment options for said selected video program; authorizing presentation of said selected video program upon said confirmation; presenting said selected video program on said television upon said authorization. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19, 20)
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10. Apparatus for interactive presentation of video programming choices and payment options on a television, the apparatus comprising:
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a data storage means for storing a plurality of video programs for presentation on said television; a video server for accessing said video programs from said data storage means for presentation on said television; a data base for storing data indicative of a viewing and purchasing history of said viewer; a control computer connected to said video server for; offering a menu of said video program choices on said television; offering a menu of said payment options for said video programs on said television, wherein one of said payment options comprises selection of an advertisement program to be viewed in lieu of direct payment by the viewer; confirming validity of a selected one of said payment options for a selected one of said video programs; connecting to said data base; using data stored in said data base to select an advertisement program to be viewed by the viewer in lieu of direct payment by the viewer; authorizing presentation of said selected video program upon said confirmation; instructing said video server to present said selected video program on said television upon said authorization. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification