Interactive video programming methods

• US 7,392,532 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bruck, Timo, White, Chris M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US10/409,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 725 86-104
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An entertainment head-end provides broadcast programming, video-on-demand services, and HTML-based interactive programming through a distribution network to client terminals in subscribers'"'"' homes. A number of different features are provided, including novel user interfaces, enhanced video-on-demand controls, a variety of interactive services (personalized news, jukebox, games, celebrity chat), and techniques that combine to provide user experiences evocative of conventional television.

Claims

1. A method of presenting video entertainment, comprising:

defining plural viewing channels;

on certain of said channels, presenting television programs;

on at least one of said channels, presenting an interactive jukebox, the jukebox comprising a user interface for selection of particular music by a user, comprising, in part, HTML/control instructions;

transmitting, from a head-end server, data corresponding to the particular music selected by the user, and presenting same to the user;

in response to the user pressing a menu button on a remote control associated with the interactive jukebox system;

displaying a translucent video control panel permitting the user to perceive imagery behind the panel, the panel comprising a stop button, a pause button and a play button, wherein the stop button is highlighted;

in response to the user pressing the pause button, halting transmission of the data corresponding to the particular music selected by the user, storing a data record indicating point of interruption, and highlighting the play button;

storing data related to the particular music selected by the user; and

using said stored data to pre-select said particular music when the user next visits said channel;

wherein the head-end server provides the HTML/control instructions, and digital video that is modulated and combined to create a head-end output that is transmitted onto a network, and wherein a proxy server is a computer interposed on the network between the head-end output and a client terminal and the stored data related to the particular music selected by the user is stored at the proxy server.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the particular music is selected by reference to one or more of the following categories:

musical genre, artist, and title.

3. The method of claim 1, including presenting additional data relating to a particular music selected by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, including providing a user interface through which the user can order a CD containing a requested musical selection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewing channel presenting the interactive jukebox is listed as a channel in an electronic programming guide.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewing channel presenting the interactive jukebox is presented in a seamless context with the certain channels presenting television programming.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising playing the particular music selected by the user over high fidelity speakers.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising presenting a video while playing the particular music and wherein audio is transmitted in a MPC3 format and an MPEG decoder is used for decoding audio.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein during a playback, critics review information is presented.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring music selections by the user and presenting music selections according to the user'"'"'s monitored selections.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the monitored music selections are stored at the proxy server, and upon interrupting an interactive delivery, a data record is stored at the head-end server indicating a point of interruption.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the data transmitted from the head-end server corresponding to the particular music selected by the user is transmitted in the MPC3 format and an MPEG decoder is used for decoding.

13. Computer a memory comprising digital processor executable instructions comprising instructions for:

at a client terminal, the memory comprises digital processor executable instructions for;

receiving a composite signal comprising plural channels modulated onto separate carrier frequencies;

on certain of said channels, receiving television programs;

on at least one of said channels, receiving an interactive jukebox channel;

displaying hyper-text language based music selections on the interactive jukebox channel;

altering the displayed music selections in response to receiving input via a remote control;

receiving a music selection via the remote control;

transmitting an indication of the music selection;

receiving the music selection on the composite signal;

playing the music selection; and

in response to input that a menu button on the remote control has been pressed, displaying a translucent video control panel permitting imagery behind the panel to be perceived, the panel comprising a stop button, a pause button and a play button, wherein the stop button is highlighted;

pausing the musical selection in response to receiving input that the pause button has been pressed;

at a head-end, the memory comprises digital processor executable instructions for;

encoding digital video for interactive services;

outputting hyper-text language based interactive jukebox instructions;

modulating and combining the digital video and hyper-text language based interactive jukebox instructions to create a composite signal for transmission, the composite signal comprising television programs and an interactive jukebox channel;

transmitting the composite signal on a network; and

if time of a musical selection pause exceeds a threshold value then assigning the channel that receives the interactive jukebox channel back to a pool of available transmission channels;

at a proxy server, interposed on the network between the client terminal and the head-end, the memory comprises digital processor executable instructions for;

storing music selections; and

storing a data record indicating a point of interruption for interactive content.

14. The memory of claim 13 wherein at the client terminal, the memory further comprises digital processor executable instructions for interrupting said played music selection in response to receiving a channel switching indication via the remote control, and playing said music selection where interrupted upon a return to the interactive jukebox channel.

15. The memory of claim 13 wherein at the client terminal, the memory further comprises digital processor executable instructions for monitoring music selections and altering the displayed music selections based on the monitored music selections.

16. The memory of claim 13 wherein the memory comprises digital processor executable instructions for monitoring music selections.

17. The memory of claim 13, further comprising digital processor executable instructions for listing the channels in an electronic program guide.

18. The memory of claim 17, further comprising digital processor executable instructions for receiving input via the remote control, browsing through the electronic program guide, and switching to the channel presenting the music selections.

19. The memory of claim 13, wherein the digital processor executable instructions further comprise instructions for switching categories of music selections.

20. The memory of claim 13 wherein the received music selection is a music video and the music video is displayed and played.

21. The memory of claim 13 further comprising instructions for receiving and displaying a video while the music selection is displayed.

22. The memory of claim 13 wherein at the head-end, the memory further comprises digital processor executable for transmitting audio in an MPC3 format.