Television program database architecture

• US 8,151,290 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banbury Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Corporate Media Partners
• Inventors: Ujihara, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): ORTIZ DITREN, BELIX M
• Application Number:
  US10/124,761
• Time in Patent Office: 3,640 Days
• Field of Search: 345/769, 345/733, 345/744, 345/810, 345/835, 345/716, 345/717, 345745-747, 386/83, 725/58
• US Class Current: 725/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]

Abstract

The present invention provides a data structure for selection of products containing presentable programming as well as a computerized user-interactive system for facilitating allowing a user to select and be provided with deliverable entities including one or more presentable programs. The system and data structure of the invention allow effective, organized, and convenient browsing, selection, conceptual packaging of presentable program-containing products. The system and data structure of the invention further allow efficient structuring and storage of information associated therewith and useful in facilitating effective computerized representation, storage, and delivery of such products. Each product may include multiple deliverable entities, such as multiple programs and merchandize.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a set-top box including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor;

a computerized application deployed in the memory and executable by the processor; and

a data structure deployed in the memory comprising

a video programming product selectable through the computerized application;

a link from the video programming product to a video program identifier, the video program identifier identifying a video program for presentation;

an additional link from the video programming product to a discount; and

a poster for displaying a product signage to facilitate selection of the video programming product,

wherein the computerized application selects the video programming product after presentation of the poster, selects the discount after selection of the video program, and presents the video program after the selection of the video programming product.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises

an additional link from the video programming product to an additional video program identifier, the additional video program identifier identifying an additional video program for presentation;

wherein the computerized application selects the additional video program in response to selection of the video program.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computerized application traverses the data structure to read the video programming identifier and the additional programming identifier when the video programming product is selected.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the discount is associated with a video programming content, other programming, general programming service, or combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the video programming product is an on-demand video programming product.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises programming scheduling data associated with the video program to indicate availability of the video program.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises product sector data associated with the video program to indicate a category of the video program.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises a poster name associated with the poster, and the computerized application selects the video programming product after presentation of the poster and the poster name.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the video programming product, the link, the additional link from the video programming product to the discount, and the poster are stored in a relational database record in the data structure.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a head end to provide product information and programming information for the data structure to the set-top box.

11. A method comprising:

presenting, utilizing a set-top box, a poster associated with a video programming product;

receiving, utilizing the set-top box, a selection of the video programming product through a computerized application executing on the processor, the video programming product associated with a video program;

accessing, utilizing the set-top box, a link from the video programming product to a video program identifier, the video program identifier identifying the video program for presentation;

accessing, utilizing the set-top box, an additional link from the video programming product to a discount; and

presenting, utilizing the set-top box, availability of the discount based on selection of the video program and at least a portion of the video program based on receipt of the selection and accessing the link.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

enabling selection of an additional video program associated with the video programming product based on selection of the video programming product.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

traversing a data structure to read a video program identifier and an additional programming identifier based on selection of the video programming product; and

presenting availability of the video program associated with the video program identifier and an additional video program associated with the additional program identifier based on traversing the data structure.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the selection comprises:

receiving a selection of the poster associated with the video programming product through the computerized application to select the video programming product.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

accessing a poster name associated with the poster; and

generating an acknowledgement message including the poster name based on receipt of the selection of the video programming product.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

accessing a poster from a data structure stored in the set-top box, wherein the link is accessed from the data structure.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that an additional video programming is associated with the video programming product; and

presenting an additional poster associated with the additional video programming.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving product information and programming information from a head end; and

transmitting billing information to the head end based on selection of the video programming product,

wherein the product information received from the head end includes the poster.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a selection list including a plurality of times for selection of a presentation time for the video program; and

receiving a time selection of a particular time from the plurality of times;

wherein presenting the portion of the video program is based on the receipt of the selection, accessing the link, and receipt of the time selection.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

present a poster associated with a video programming product;

receive a selection of the video programming product through a computerized application executing on the processor;

access a link from the video programming product to a video program identifier, the video program identifier identifying a video program for presentation;

access an additional link from the video programming product to a discount; and

present at least a portion of the video program based on receipt of the selection and accessing the link and availability of the discount based on selection of the video program.