Systems and methods for multimedia messaging in a cable or satellite subscriber system

• US 7,308,697 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jerding, Dean F., Banker, Robert O., Manson, Azita M., Addington, Timothy H., Rodriguez, Arturo A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau, Scott E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHELEHEDA, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US09/480,011
• Time in Patent Office: 2,892 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/33, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 725/116
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

The present invention comprises customizable, multimedia messaging over a subscriber television system, such as a cable or satellite system, utilizing a service independent framework. The present invention comprises a multimedia messaging (MMM) server generally located at a headend of a cable or satellite system, and an MMM client at a communications terminal located remotely with respect to the MMM server. A service provider or operator defines a message configuration that is utilized to present the message content to one or more subscribers. The message configuration includes parameters that control the presentation of the message content. The MMM server receives an MMM request from a service application, and in response thereto, generates an MMM request which is sent to the communications terminal, and more particularly, to the MMM client. The MMM client processes the MMM request, including the retrieval of any message content or the message configuration. The MMM client then presents the message to the subscriber. Since the MMM server and MMM client are platform independent, any number of different services may send uniquely generated and uniquely designed messages for presentation to a subscriber(s).

Claims

1. A system for providing customizable multimedia messages over a television system to a communications terminal for presentation to a user, comprising:

a plurality of application servers that each generate a message configuration that defines a presentation format for an associated message content, the presentation format unique to each of the plurality of application servers, each of the plurality of application servers being capable of providing interactive services that enable a communications terminal to communicate over the television system;

a carousel file server system;

a multimedia messaging client application located in the communications terminal; and

a multimedia messaging server coupled to the carousel file server system, the multimedia messaging server configured to receive the message configuration from each of the plurality of application servers and associate the associated message content for presentation to a user according to the message configuration, the multimedia messaging server configured to generate a request on behalf of each of the plurality of application servers according to the message configuration, the request including a reference to a location of the message content located on the carousel file server system and a reference to a location of the message configuration on the carousel file server system, wherein the plurality of application servers, the carousel file server system, and the multimedia messaging server are located in a headend, the multimedia messaging server being capable of managing the delivery of the request over the television system to the communications terminal, thereby conserving system bandwidth,

wherein, upon receiving the request, the multimedia messaging client application retrieves the message content and the message configuration at the referenced locations of the carousel file server system and associates the message content and the message configuration for presentation of the message content according to the message configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of application servers comprises an emergency alert system server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of application servers comprises one or more of a virtual channel system server, a messaging service server, and a business application support service server.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising an additional application server communicatively coupled to the multimedia messaging client, the additional application server comprising an email server located remotely from the headend.