Cross-channel interstitial program promotion

• US 8,037,494 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Bauman, Mark G., Beyler, John C., Sie, John J., DePrez, Gregory R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US12/622,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 725 40- 47, 725/50, 725/52
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 : Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for generating a personalized menu promoting other video programs available from a video content delivery system is disclosed. The video content delivery system provides a plurality of channels of video content simultaneously. In one step, it is determined that a triggering event has occurred with a video content delivery conduit. First information about one or more users is gathered. The one or more users are associated with an account with the video content delivery system. Alternative video programs are determined and personalized for the one or more users based, at least in part, upon the first information. The context for the triggering event is analyzed to produce second information. A configuration of the personalized menu is determined based, at least in part, upon the second information. The personalized menu is formulated for presentment to the one or more users. The personalized menu comprises links to the alternative video programs.

Claims

1. A method for generating a menu promoting other video programs available from a video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes a plurality of channels of video content simultaneously, the method comprising:

determining that a triggering event has occurred with a video content delivery conduit, wherein the triggering event is that a video picture associated with the video content delivery conduit is unavailable;

analyzing context for the triggering event to produce first information, wherein the first information includes how the video picture became unavailable;

gathering second information about one or more content providers, wherein the one or more content providers provide a plurality of channels of video content;

determining alternative video programs from one or more of the content providers based, at least in part, upon the second information;

determining a configuration of the menu that is sensitive to the context of the triggering event by basing the configuration, at least in part, upon the first information; and

formulating the menu with the configuration for presentment to one or more users, wherein the menu displays a plurality of promotional information areas providing information about the alternative video programs.

2. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining alternative video programs further comprises determining alternative video programs based, at least in part, on information about one or more users associated with an account with the video content delivery system.

3. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 1, wherein the video picture became temporarily unavailable due to tuning to a new channel.

4. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 3, wherein the determining alternative video programs further comprises determining alternative video programs based, at least in part, on information about the new channel.

5. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 3, wherein the determining alternative video programs further comprises determining alternative video programs based, at least in part, on information about a previous channel.

6. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 1, wherein the video picture became unavailable because a channel that has been selected does not currently have a video content stream that is tunable.

7. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration of the menu includes at least one of:

full screen or partial screen,

transparent or opaque, and

ephemeral or persistent.

8. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration of the menu includes size and placement of the menu.

9. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternative video programs are either stored video programs or video programs playing on other channels.

10. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 1, wherein the information about the alternative video programs includes one or more promotional videos.

11. A method for generating a menu promoting other video programs available from a video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes a plurality of channels of video content simultaneously, the method comprising:

determining that a triggering event has occurred with a video content delivery conduit while a content program is selected for playback, wherein the triggering event is that a video picture is unavailable;

analyzing context for the triggering event to produce first information, wherein the first information includes how the video picture became unavailable;

determining alternatives to the content program, wherein the alternatives are at least one of;

categories of video programs, and

individual video programs provided by one or more content providers;

determining context information based on whether the alternatives allow temporal manipulation;

determining a configuration of the menu that is sensitive to the context of the triggering event by basing the configuration, at least in part, on the first information and the context information; and

formulating the menu with the configuration for presentment to one or more users, wherein the menu displays a plurality of promotional information areas providing information about the alternative video programs; and

causing display of the menu to the one or more users while the content program is selected for playback.

12. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 11, wherein determining alternatives to the content program further comprises determining alternatives based, at least in part, upon at least one of:

stated preferences of the one or more users, and

viewing habits of the one or more users.

13. The method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 11, wherein determining alternatives to the content program comprises at least one of:

determining alternatives similar to the content program, and

determining alternatives provided by a single content provider.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the content delivery system of claim 11.

15. A computer system adapted to perform the computer-implementable method for generating the menu promoting other video programs available from the content delivery system of claim 11.

16. A method for generating a personalized menu promoting other video programs available from a video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes a plurality of channels of video content simultaneously, the method comprising:

determining that a triggering event has occurred with a video content delivery conduit, wherein the triggering event is that a video picture is unavailable;

gathering first information about one or more users, wherein the one or more users are associated with an account with the video content delivery system;

determining alternative video programs from one or more content providers personalized for the one or more users based, at least in part, upon the first information;

analyzing context for the triggering event to produce second information, wherein the second information includes how the video picture became unavailable;

determining a configuration of the personalized menu that is sensitive to the context of the triggering event by basing the configuration, at least in part, upon the second information; and

formulating the personalized menu with the configuration for presentment to one or more users, wherein the menu displays a plurality of promotional information areas providing information about the alternative video programs.

17. The method for generating a personalized menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 16, wherein the determining alternative video programs further comprises determining alternative video programs based, at least in part, on video programs offered by a video content provider.

18. The method for generating the personalized menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 16, wherein the video picture became unavailable temporarily due to tuning to a new channel.

19. The method for generating the personalized menu promoting other video programs available from the video content delivery system, wherein the video content delivery system includes the plurality of channels of video content simultaneously as recited in claim 16, wherein the video picture became unavailable because a channel that has been selected does not currently have a video content stream that is tunable.