Consumer access systems and methods for providing same

• US 8,060,908 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panwin Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lazaros Bountour
• Inventors: Bountour, Lazaros, Haas, Andreas, Bauer, Werner, Voelk, Manfred, Liebert, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US11/611,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing enhanced consumer access to information sources and controllable entities. An Access device can be a stand alone device such as a DVD player in which the DVD disk contains the back-end information network. Other Access devices obtain the back-end information network from remote sources. By way of a specific example, the consumer can then view a game and interactively select every television camera located at the game venue.

Claims

1. A user front-end human interface system for allowing a user to access and control the presentation of multiple assets from asset providers, the assets comprising at least one of video, audio, graphics, script, information, and controls, using a front-end human interface on a user-controllable access device, within an access environment, the system comprising:

a network device, storing computer program code, the network device being spaced apart from the access device

wherein the front-end human interface is defined by software that is at least partially located;

on the network device and is dynamically loaded onto a user'"'"'s access device in response to the user'"'"'s access device connecting to the network device

means for loading and updating the front-end human interface

the front-end human interface allowing for the display and user interaction with a plurality of windows including at least two types of windows selected from the following three types;

monitor windows for preview-level access to assets;

onscreen windows for high-quality-level access to assets; and

companion windows for providing video, audio, pictorial, textural, informational or commercial asset offerings or access to system controls;

at least one of the monitor, onscreen and companion windows being equipped with user controls that allow the user to;

enable and disable asset interaction or control; and

send an asset from a monitor window to an onscreen window.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein assets comprise live or recorded events or movies featuring any combination of audio, video and textural information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the audio feature enabling/disabling capability spans across all windows within respective access devices, so that the enabling of audio in one window causes all other available audio features in all other windows to be disabled.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the user can select a preference to enable audio on any onscreen or monitor window of each access device or one specific access device, disabling the audio controls on other windows respectively.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the assets comprise contained assets which are video cameras.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the assets comprise bundled assets which respectively comprise one or more events and cameras available in one or more venues, and the companion window is presenting said cameras as pictograms on a two- or three dimensional representation of the event'"'"'s venue.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the companion window is presenting the bundled assets in list form.

8. The system of claim 1 further configured to control the availability of one or more assets within the access environment in response to the asset provider'"'"'s fee receipt and authorization process for users to access all or certain assets.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein assets are available for presentation in the monitor windows only, and the user will be prompted to pay a fee for every single asset that he wants to send to an onscreen window.

10. The system of claim 9 where the user will be prompted to pay a fee to be able to send any available assets to an onscreen window.

11. The system of claim 8 where the information sources are cameras in a venue providing a live feed of an event.

12. The system of claim 8 where the asset provider offers a post-event asset for free or for a fee that contains an edited version of the event.

13. The system of claim 8 where only those assets that provide close-up views of the event require the user to pay a fee.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein an asset offered in one window type is sent to another window type.

15. The system of claim 1 and configured to offer a full screen presentation of a window.

16. A user front-end human interface system for allowing a user to access and control the presentation of multiple assets from asset providers, the assets containing at least one of audio, video, and script, using a front-end human interface on a user-controllable access device, the system comprising:

an access device;

wherein the front-end human interface is defined by computer program code that is at least partially located on the access device;

means for loading and updating the front-end human interface the front-end human interface allowing for the display and user interaction with a plurality of windows including at least two types of windows selected from the following three types;

monitor windows for access to assets at a first quality level;

onscreen windows for access to assets at a second quality level higher than the first quality level; and

companion windows for providing video, audio, pictorial, textural, informational or commercial asset offerings;

at least one of the monitor, onscreen and companion windows being equipped with user controls that allow the user to;

enable and disable asset interaction or control; and

transfer an asset from one window type to another window type.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is a cellular telephone.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is a TV set top box.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is a TV.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is a monitor.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is a computer.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is a DVD player.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is a game console.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is an entertainment device or system.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein said access device is the information system of a terrestrial or aerial transport vehicle.

26. A method of defining a user front-end human interface for allowing a user to access and control the presentation of assets from asset providers using an access device, the assets containing at least one of audio, video, and text, the method comprising:

defining the front-end human interface using computer program code that is configured to be partially or entirely located on at least one of;

the access device; and

a network device;

means for loading and updating the front-end human interface the front-end human interface allowing for the display and user interaction with a plurality of windows including at least two types of windows selected from the following three types;

monitor windows for access to assets at a first quality level;

onscreen windows for access to assets at a second quality level higher than the first quality level; and

companion windows for providing video, audio, pictorial, textural, informational or commercial asset offerings; and

the front-end human interface including user controls to;

enable and disable asset interaction or control

transfer an asset from one window type to another window type.