Method and system for controlling and auditing content/service systems

• US 7,386,512 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Allibhoy, Nizar, Johnson, Stephen M., Fernandez-Silva, Joaquin, Elliott, L. Dane
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh; Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US09/635,735
• Time in Patent Office: 2,862 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/27, 705/26, 705 50- 59, 705/10, 707/501.01
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

An improved interactive network system is provided that allows the Network Operator to control the transfer of information to and from the network end users, the system preferably using triggers or markers embedded within the programming broadcast to users via the network. As a consequence of this system, the Network Operator is able to efficiently garner revenues from third parties transacting business over the network and to control the look and feel of programming offered to network users. Additionally the system can be used as a means of limiting network access, filtering programming, providing on-screen graphics or audible signals for particular programming types or providers, bookmarking programming, profiling network users, targeting advertising, and simplifying network transactions.

Claims

1. A method of augmenting a network transaction between a user receiver and a content provider, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a user profile in a data base controlled by a third party;

monitoring enhanced content programming from the content provider which is communicated to the user receiver;

detecting a trigger within said enhanced content programming, said detection step is performed by said third party;

intercepting a user request directed at the content provider generated by the user receiver, said intercepting step performed by said third party;

appending additional parameters to said user request;

directing said appended user request to the content provider;

having said third party intercept a user request response directed at the user receiver by the content provider, wherein said user request response comprises at least a portion of the network transaction;

forwarding said user request response to the user receiver;

intercepting a user purchase request directed at the content provider by the user receiver, said intercepting step performed by said third party;

extracting user purchasing information from said user profile stored in said third party controlled data base;

providing said extracted user purchasing information to said content provider by said third party;

extracting transaction information from said intercepted user request response; and

transmitting to said user receiver information used for displaying at least one advertisement with said portion of extracted information, wherein said advertisement contains linking information to a specific content provider.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining if said user request is authorized by said stored user profile; and

directing said appended user request to the content provider if said user request is authorized by said user profile, and not directing said appended user request if said user request is not authorized by said user profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of intercepting said user request further comprises the steps of:

appending an address to a third party controller to said intercepted user request; and

directing said intercepted user request to said third party controller,

wherein said third party controller performs said step of appending additional parameters to said user request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of appending a marker to said user request response by the content provider, wherein said third party uses said marker to intercept said user request response.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said user profile is comprised of information selected from the group consisting of shipping information and billing information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user profile is comprised of a user budget, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

extracting said user budget from said user profile stored in said third party controlled data base;

determining if said user budget permits said user purchase request; and

providing said extracting user purchasing information to the content provider only if permitted by said user budget, otherwise said extracted user purchasing information is not provided to said content provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if the content provider is authorized by a network operator to provider enhanced content programming to the user receiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said determining step is performed prior to said first intercepting step.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said determining step is performed prior to forwarding said user request response to the user receiver.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of terminating the network transaction between the user receiver and the content provider if the content provider is unauthorized.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of forwarding said appended user request to a substitute content provider if the content provider is unauthorized.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of entering said user purchase request into said third party controlled data base.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

directing a request for updating information pertaining to said user request to the content provider, wherein said directing step is performed by said third party;

receiving said updated information from said content provider by said third party; and

storing said updated information in said third party controlled data base.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining supplemental information from the user receiver by said third party in order to complete said user purchase request.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said additional parameters appended to said intercepted user request is comprising of a set of user receiver capabilities.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said additional parameters appended to said intercepted user request is comprised of a network specification.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said additional parameters appended to said intercepted user request is comprised of a user receiver specification.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said additional parameters appended to said intercepted user request is comprised of network operator business rules.