Method for transmitting audi-visual programs proposed by users, terminal and server

• US 7,676,825 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Cosmao, Michel, Vigouroux, Jean-Ronan, Chevallier, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks; Charles N
• Application Number:
  US10/485,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,839 Days
• Field of Search: 725/5, 725/8, 725 86-104
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method of receiving audiovisual programs transmitted to terminals. The users of the terminals choose a program from a catalogue and make a proposition to a server to download it to their terminals. The proposition is accompanied by a price and/or deadline. The server analyzes the propositions it receives and, taking account of its profitability constraints, decides whether or not it will transmit the program. Depending on the case, it sends the acceptance to each user who has made a proposition with profitable parameters for the transmission of the program and gives the users the means of receiving the program for viewing. The decision to transmit the program is determined according to various strategies the common criterion of which is profitability. The invention also concerns a terminal and a server for the implementation of the method.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting audiovisual programs from a server to at least one terminal comprising a first step of viewing a catalogue of downloadable audiovisual programs on the terminal, comprising the following chronological steps:

at the terminal;

a step of selecting at least one audiovisual program;

a step of generating a proposition conditioning the reception of the selected program, the proposition comprising a price whose value is determined and introduced by the terminal'"'"'s user;

a step of transmitting the proposition to the server containing the price introduced by the user;

and at the server;

a step of calculating a total price of the propositions for each audiovisual program sent by the terminals and of determining a decision to transmit the transmission taking account of the prices introduced in each terminal;

if the decision to transmit the program is taken;

a step of transmitting the selected program over a broadcast network,

a step of transmitting a code enabling each terminal that has sent a proposition to view the received program, viewing occurring after payment of a minimum price.

2. The method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 1, wherein at the server, the calculating step is activated after a determined time from the moment when the program is placed in the catalogue.

3. The method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 1, wherein at the server, the calculating step is activated after a determined number of propositions is received.

4. The method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 1, additionally comprising a step of transmission by the server to at least one terminal of a notification indicating that the server has decided not to transmit the program.

5. The method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said notification comprises an indication of the reason for the server'"'"'s refusal to transmit the program.

6. Method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said notification comprises a parameter value such as the price or a deadline which, incorporated in a proposition, would enable the user to view the program.

7. The method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proposition sent by the terminal comprises an indication determining a subset of programs in the catalogue and in that, in the course of the calculation and determination step, the server selects from the subset a program from the catalogue the transmission of which to the terminals satisfies the server'"'"'s own criteria.

8. The method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decision to transmit a program is taken preferably when many users have proposed that program.

9. The method of transmitting programs as claimed in claim 1, additionally comprising a step of recording the program within the terminal.

10. An audiovisual terminal comprising a central processor unit, a means of receiving audiovisual programs from a broadcast network, a means of two-way communication with a second network, a means of displaying a catalogue of available programs and a means of selecting an audiovisual program, comprising a means of introducing of a price whose the value is determined and introduced by the terminal'"'"'s user, the price being associated with the downloading of at least one selected program, a first means for transmitting to the second network a proposition comprising at least one program identifier and the introduced price, and a means of receiving a decision concerning the proposition, to download the program from the broadcast network according to the previously introduced price.

11. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 10, additionally comprising a means of receiving a notification of refusal to download, the refusal being displayed on the display means.

12. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 11, additionally comprising a means of receiving a second parameter such as the deadline incorporated in the notification of refusal to download, the second parameter being displayed on the display means.

13. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 10, wherein only the price is incorporated in the proposition, the agreement to download received from the network is accompanied by a value of the deadline, and in that it comprises a second means of transmission over the network of a second proposition comprising the two parameters.

14. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 10, wherein the proposition comprises an identifier (TOPIC) of a subset of programs presented in the catalogue, and in that it comprises a means of receiving an identifier of a program likely to be received according to the parameters defined in the proposition.

15. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 10, additionally comprising a means of receiving a channel and network reference to receive the selected program.

16. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 10, additionally comprising a means of storing the programs received.

17. A server comprising a database containing audiovisual programs, the server having a communication interface for establishing a link with a plurality of terminals, said server additionally comprising:

a means of downloading to the terminals the catalog of available audiovisual programs without transmitting the price of each audiovisual programs;

a means of receiving propositions to transmit at least one program contained in the database, said propositions coming from at least one terminal and comprising at least a price introduced by a user relating to the transmission of the program from the server to the terminals;

a means of calculating the total price of the propositions received for each audiovisual program;

a means of determining a decision to transmit the program taking account of the total price; and

a means of transmitting to the terminal a code for viewing at least one selected program.

18. The server as claimed in claim 17, wherein the means of calculating and determining is activated after a determined time from the moment when the program is accessible to the users of the terminals.

19. The server as claimed in claim 17, wherein the means of calculating and determining is activated after receipt of a determined number of propositions from the terminals.

20. The server as claimed in claim 17, wherein a proposition received from a terminal comprises only one of the parameters from the set:

price, deadline; and

in that the acceptance sent to that terminal comprises a value of the other parameter in the set.

21. The server as claimed in claim 17, wherein a proposition received from a terminal comprises only one indication determining a subset of programs, the means of calculating and determining-also comprises a means of determining a program belonging to that subset, for which the parameters sent in the proposition enable a transmission to that terminal.

22. The server as claimed in claim 17, additionally comprising a means of determining the means of transmission of the program, the notification of acceptance of the transmission to the terminals comprising an identifier of the means of transmission.

23. A method for delivering an audiovisual program comprising the steps of:

receiving a first proposition comprising a first price whose value is determined and introduced in a terminal'"'"'s user and a first time of delivery for a program;

receiving a second proposition comprising a second price whose value is determined and introduced in a terminal'"'"'s user and a second time of delivery for said program;

transmitting over a network by a server said program to a first user, corresponding to said first proposition, at a time before or equal to said first time of delivery if said first proposition is greater than or equal to a price parameter corresponding to said program and said first proposition is before or equal to a time of delivery parameter corresponding to said program; and

rejecting said second proposition, corresponding to a second user, which results in said program not being transmitted to said second user, said second proposition is rejected because said second proposition is less than said price parameter or said second proposition is after said time of delivery parameter.

24. The method for delivering an audiovisual program, as claimed in claim 23, comprising the additional step of:

transmitting a message to said second user indicating said second proposition is rejected, where said second user is offered the option of altering said second price and said second time of delivery for said program.