Method and system for controlling and auditing content/service systems

• US 8,301,758 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Allibhoy, Nizar, Elliott, L. Dane, Fernandez-Silva, Joaquin, Johnson, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hasan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/189,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/224, 705/16, 725/40, 725/134
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

An improved interactive network system is provided that allows the Network Operator to control the transfer of information to and from the network end users, the system preferably using triggers or markers embedded within the programming broadcast to users via the network. As a consequence of this system, the Network Operator is able to efficiently garner revenues from third parties transacting business over the network and to control the look and feel of programming offered to network users. Additionally the system can be used as a means of limiting network access, filtering programming, providing on-screen graphics or audible signals for particular programming types or providers, bookmarking programming, profiling network users, targeting advertising, and simplifying network transactions.

Claims

1. A method having a network offering a plurality of programming options to a user via a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first trigger embedded from one of said plurality of programming options;

when said first trigger is detected, replacing said one of said plurality of programming options with at least one enhanced content program, wherein said at least one enhanced content program is provided by at least one content provider;

restoring said one of said plurality of programming options after detecting a second trigger embedded within said one of said plurality of programming options; and

automatically storing linking information from said first trigger corresponding to said at least one enhanced content program where such linking information is used for the subsequent retrieval of said at least one enhanced content program;

said linking information is grouped with second linking information that comes from a third trigger, embedded within said one of said plurality of program options, where the second linking information corresponds to a second at least one enhanced content program where such second linking information is used for the subsequent retrieval of said second at least one enhanced content program; and

using user defined filtering criteria for automatically grouping of said first and second linking information together is two or more;

the first and second linking information were automatically stored for a given time period, were part of a predetermined number of automatically last stored linking information, and automatically stored links which are associated with a particular broadcast channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said restoring step is performed after conclusion of a predefined time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first trigger indicates commencement of a programming interruption.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second trigger indicates a conclusion of a programming interruption.

5. The method of claim 1 where a network operator that operates said network obtains revenues from said at least one content provider in response to said replacing step.