System and method of scheduling an event related to an advertisement

• US 8,079,048 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howcroft, Jerald Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dubasky, Gigi L
• Application Number:
  US11/640,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725/33, 715/710, 715/747, 715/810, 715828-829
• US Class Current: 725/61
• 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 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

A method of scheduling an event related to an advertisement includes transmitting media content to a set-top box. The media content includes an advertisement having a selectable reminder indicator related to the advertisement. The method further includes receiving an input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator and scheduling a reminder related to the advertisement for transmission to one or more selected devices based on the input selection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting media content to a set-top box (STB), the media content including an advertisement, the advertisement comprising a pop-up triggered by a transmitter of the media content and including a selectable reminder indicator related to an event;

receiving an input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator from the STB to set a reminder for the event;

sending a first menu to the STB, the first menu including;

a first option to schedule a first reminder for the event;

when the event is a recurring event, a second option to schedule a second reminder, wherein the second reminder is a recurring reminder; and

when the event is promoted by an advertiser, a third option to schedule a notification related to the advertiser, wherein the notification is sent when the advertiser promotes another event; and

sending a second menu to the STB when a selection of at least one of the first option, the second option, and the third option is received, wherein the second menu includes a device menu to select a plurality of devices associated with a user to receive a notice, to select one or more times to receive the notice, to select a data format associated with each of the plurality of devices, and to specify a device order to send the notice to the plurality of devices, wherein the notice is at least one of the first reminder, the second reminder, and the notification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator from the STB to record the event when the event is a television program;

recording the television program at a network digital video recorder; and

downloading the recorded television program to the STB.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises a commercial related to an upcoming scheduled television program and wherein the selectable reminder indicator includes an option to record the upcoming scheduled television program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises a commercial related to an upcoming community event and wherein at least one of the first reminder and the second reminder includes a location of the upcoming community event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises a commercial related to an upcoming sale event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator from the STB to record the event when the event is a television program; and

sending a second menu to the STB including a fourth option to record the television program and a fifth option to record the television program on a recurring basis when the television program is a recurring television program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second menu includes a sixth option to record the television program each time the television program is shown.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data format is selected from a group consisting of an email message, a text message, an audio announcement, and a pop-up visual indicator.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the STB a selection of the plurality of devices, wherein, when the selection of the plurality of devices includes selection of a phone, the method further comprises;

converting the notice into speech;

calling the phone; and

providing the speech to the phone.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one device of the plurality of devices is a portable digital assistant (PDA).

11. The method claim 1, wherein at least one device of the plurality of devices is a personal computer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable reminder indicator does not include a record option when the event is an upcoming sale event.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pop-up is embedded in the advertisement by an advertising content source prior to acquisition of the advertisement by the transmitter of the media content.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving media content from a content source at a set-top box coupled to a display device, the media content including an advertisement comprising a pop-up triggered by a transmitter of the media content and including one or more selectable indicators related to a first event;

providing the media content to the display device;

providing a device menu to enable selection of a plurality of communication devices associated with a user to receive a notification associated with a second event, to enable selection of a corresponding data format associated with each of the plurality of communication devices, and to specify a device order of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the notification is sent to the plurality of communication devices in the selected data format based on the device order; and

receiving an input selection related to the one or more selectable indicators to designate a first time to send the notification to a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the second event comprises another event that is promoted by an advertiser associated with the first event.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing an option menu to the display device in response to receiving a second input selection to schedule a future action.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the option menu comprises a reminder option menu when a second input selection comprises a reminder indicator selection.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the option menu comprises:

transmitting the second input selection to the content source;

receiving the option menu from the content source; and

providing the option menu to the display device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the option menu comprises:

identifying a function related to the second input selection;

retrieving the option menu related to the identified function from a memory of the set-top box; and

providing the option menu to the display device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the media content includes a cue tone to trigger display of the one or more selectable indicators related to the first event.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein display of the one or more selectable indicators is triggered at a particular time after the advertisement is provided to the display device.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a second input selection related to the one or more selectable indicators to designate a second time to send a reminder of the first event to a second communication device designated by the user.

22. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

an input coupled to the processor and to the memory, the input responsive to a network to receive an input selection related to a selectable indicator embedded within an advertisement of an event in a media stream;

wherein the memory includes;

a record module to schedule a record operation of a program associated with the advertisement via a network digital video recorder at a head-end system when the input selection comprises a record input;

a device module to enable selection of a plurality of communication devices associated with a user to receive a reminder associated with the event, to enable selection of a corresponding data format associated with each of the plurality of communication devices, and to specify a device order of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the reminder is sent to the plurality of communication devices in the selected data format based on the device order; and

a reminder module to schedule transmission of the reminder to a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices at one or more selected times when the input selection comprises a reminder input, wherein the first communication device comprises one of a computer, a personal data assistant (PDA), and a mobile phone.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a text-to-speech converter module to generate an audio reminder for transmission to the first communication device.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a reminder generator to generate the reminder in one or more formats for transmission to the first communication device and to at least one other communication device.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the advertisement comprises a commercial related to an upcoming event, and wherein the reminder is related to the upcoming event.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the reminder module is adapted to determine the corresponding data format that is associated with the first communication device and with at least one second communication device to which the reminder is to be sent.

27. The system of claim 22, further comprising a search engine, wherein results from the search engine enable the record module to record segments of the program that are related to particular subject matter.

28. The system of claim 22, further comprising a server to download the program associated with the advertisement recorded by the network digital video recorder to a set top box that provided the input selection.

29. A non-transitory processor readable storage medium embodying processor readable instructions, the instructions operable to cause a processor to:

transmit media content to a set-top box, the media content including an advertisement having a selectable reminder indicator related to an event;

receive an input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator;

receive first data identifying a plurality of devices;

receive second data associating a data format with each of the plurality of devices;

receive a device order for transmitting to the plurality of devices; and

schedule a first reminder related to the event for transmission to a first device of the plurality of devices at a first time based on the input selection and to schedule a second reminder related to the event for transmission to a second device of the plurality of devices at a second time based on the input selection, wherein the first time is different than the second time, and wherein the event comprises one or more of a sale event and a community event.

30. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the first reminder in a first particular data format for transmission to the first device and to generate the second reminder in a second particular data format for transmission to the second device.

31. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the selectable reminder indicator includes an option to set a weekly recurring reminder when the event comprises a recurring event.