System and method for enhanced hot key delivery

• US 8,286,203 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, James Harold, Brothers, Thomas Jefferson, Matz, William Randolpoh
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce, Jason
• Application Number:
  US10/742,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,217 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36, 725/112, 725/51, 725/136
• US Class Current: 725/36
• 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 21/47202 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a service provider determines whether to inform one or more users of an interactive television service of available content. Responsive to determining to inform the one or more users of the available content, a hot key signal is generated. The hot key signal is sent to the users via a side channel out-of-band with one or more channels for content. The hot key signal from the out-of band side channel is received by a terminal device. The terminal device determines whether the hot key signal is relevant to a user currently viewing content from the service provider. Responsive to determining the hot key signal is relevant to the user, an indication that the hot key signal has been received is displayed. Responsive to receiving an indication that the hot key is accepted, the user is directed to the available content indicated by the hot key signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a head-end, an event data feed, content to be provided to a particular subscriber, and trigger programming information;

creating, at the head-end, an indicator configured to provide to a subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternate content, wherein the indicator is created based on the event data feed, the content, and the trigger programming information; and

determining, at the head-end, whether to send the indicator and the content to the subscriber side system, wherein sending the indicator and the content includes sending the indicator and the content separately to the subscriber side system over different networks;

wherein the indicator includes information that enables the subscriber side system to;

determine a relevance of the alternate content to the particular subscriber; and

determine, based at least in part on the relevance, whether to present a selectable option that enables access by the particular subscriber to the alternate content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is created exclusively based on the event data feed, the content, and the trigger programming information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate content is associated with programming offered by a content provider at a particular date and a particular time via a particular channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information specifies a particular genre associated with the alternate content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a data packet and wherein the information includes channel data specifying a particular channel associated with the indicator, the channel data stored in a content association field within the data packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information specifies a particular time period during which the alternate content is available to the particular subscriber.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance is determined based at least in part on a comparison of the information to first content being provided to the particular subscriber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance is determined based at least in part on a comparison of the information to a selection of a preferred genre, the selection received from the particular subscriber.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a determination of whether to send the indicator to the subscriber side system is based at least in part on a geographical location associated with the particular subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the availability of alternate content includes an indication of an available pay-per-view event, wherein the relevance is determined based at least in part on a comparison of the information to second content being displayed to the particular subscriber via the subscriber side system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is sent when a provider associated with the alternate content purchases the indicator.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the indicator further includes information that enables the subscriber side system to present the selectable option, wherein the selectable option is presented independent of a user request, and wherein the selectable option enables access directly to the pay-per-view event.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a data packet, the data packet having a header portion and a body portion, the body portion having a plurality of fields, wherein each of the plurality of fields includes data corresponding to at least one of a content type of the alternate content and a content location of the alternate content.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data included in at least one of the plurality of fields comprises the information.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising encrypting the body portion independent of the header portion.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of fields includes an indicator type field, a content type field, a content location field, a content association field, and a message field.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the indicator over a first network to the subscriber side system; and

transmitting the content over a second network to the subscriber side system, wherein the second network is distinct from the first network, and wherein the content is transmitted concurrently with sending the indicator.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising encrypting the information included in the indicator prior to sending the indicator over the first network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first network includes a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the content is transmitted over a digital subscriber line.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second network is a one-way video network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one-way video network is a one-way cable network.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a processor in a head-end that supports a subscriber side system, the processor configured to;

receive an event data feed, content to be provided to a particular subscriber, and trigger programming information;

create an indicator based on the event data feed, the content, and the trigger programming information; and

determine whether to send the indicator and the content to the subscriber side system, wherein sending the indicator and the content includes sending the indicator and the content separately to the subscriber side system over different networks, and wherein the indicator is configured to provide to the subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternate content;

wherein the indicator includes information enabling the subscriber side system to;

determine a relevance of the alternate content to the particular subscriber, and

determine, based at least in part on the relevance, whether to present to the particular subscriber a selectable option that enables access by the particular subscriber to the alternate content.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the information is encrypted.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the indicator is sent over a first network to the subscriber side system and content is transmitted to the subscriber side system concurrently over a second network, wherein the second network is distinct from the first network.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first network includes a digital subscriber line and wherein the second network includes a coaxial cable.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, at a head-end, an event data feed, content to be provided to a particular subscriber, and trigger programming information;

determine, at the head-end, whether to send an indicator and the content to a subscriber side system, wherein sending the indicator and the content includes sending the indicator and the content separately to the subscriber side system over different networks, and wherein the indicator is configured to provide to the subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternate content; and

create, at the head-end, the indicator in response to determining to send the indicator to the subscriber side system, wherein the indicator is created based on the event data feed, the content, and the trigger programming information, and wherein the indicator includes information to;

enable a determination of a relevance of the alternate content to the particular subscriber; and

enable a determination, based at least in part on the relevance, whether to present to the particular subscriber a selectable option that enables access by the particular subscriber to the alternate content.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to send the indicator to the subscriber side system via a side channel, wherein the side channel is out-of-band with respect to a channel used to send particular content to the subscriber side system.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein a determination of whether to send the indicator to the subscriber side system is based in part on the trigger programming information, wherein the trigger programming information is provided by a content provider.