System and method providing remote video-on-demand (VOD)
First Claim
1. A method of providing Video On Demand (VOD) content to a subscriber through a Guest Set Top Box (STB) different from the subscribers Home STB registered with the subscriber'"'"'s Home VOD System, wherein the subscriber has access to a computing device for communicating with a VOD Back Office, the method comprising the steps of:
- associating the computing device with the Guest STB, wherein the VOD Back Office stores an association of a computing device identifier (ID) and a Guest STB equipment ID, and wherein the associating step includes;
the computing device prompting the subscriber to press a designated key on the Guest STB or a Guest STB Remote Control,the Guest STB sending the Guest STB equipment ID to the VOD Back Office in response to the designated key being pressed,the VOD Back Office sending a code toward the Guest STB for display on a Guest television; and
inputting the code into the computing device, wherein the code is utilized as the computing device ID in the association;
sending from the VOD Back Office to the computing device, a catalog of VOD content for display on the computing device, wherein the catalog contains VOD content available to the subscriber for viewing through the Guest STB;
receiving by the VOD Back Office, a request from the computing device indicating the subscriber has entered a selection to view a selected piece of VOD content, the request including the computing device ID;
sending an instruction from the VOD Back Office to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB and force tune the Guest STB to a selected frequency, the Guest STB being identified through the stored association; and
streaming the selected piece of VOD content on the selected frequency from the Guest Headend Hub to the Guest STB for display on the Guest television.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method enabling a user to view on a computing device, a catalog of Video On Demand (VOD) content available on a remote (guest) VOD system, to purchase an available piece of VOD content on the user'"'"'s account in his Home VOD System, and to play the purchased piece of VOD content through a Guest Set Top Box (STB). A pairing process associates the computing device with the Guest STB, and a VOD Back Office stores this pairing. The VOD Back Office then builds a custom catalog of VOD content available to the user through the Guest STB and sends the catalog to the computing device. When the VOD Back Office receives a request from the computing device to view selected VOD content, the VOD Back Office sends an instruction to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB. The Hub force tunes the Guest STB and streams the selected VOD content to the Guest STB for display on a Guest television.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of providing Video On Demand (VOD) content to a subscriber through a Guest Set Top Box (STB) different from the subscribers Home STB registered with the subscriber'"'"'s Home VOD System, wherein the subscriber has access to a computing device for communicating with a VOD Back Office, the method comprising the steps of:
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associating the computing device with the Guest STB, wherein the VOD Back Office stores an association of a computing device identifier (ID) and a Guest STB equipment ID, and wherein the associating step includes; the computing device prompting the subscriber to press a designated key on the Guest STB or a Guest STB Remote Control, the Guest STB sending the Guest STB equipment ID to the VOD Back Office in response to the designated key being pressed, the VOD Back Office sending a code toward the Guest STB for display on a Guest television; and inputting the code into the computing device, wherein the code is utilized as the computing device ID in the association; sending from the VOD Back Office to the computing device, a catalog of VOD content for display on the computing device, wherein the catalog contains VOD content available to the subscriber for viewing through the Guest STB; receiving by the VOD Back Office, a request from the computing device indicating the subscriber has entered a selection to view a selected piece of VOD content, the request including the computing device ID; sending an instruction from the VOD Back Office to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB and force tune the Guest STB to a selected frequency, the Guest STB being identified through the stored association; and streaming the selected piece of VOD content on the selected frequency from the Guest Headend Hub to the Guest STB for display on the Guest television. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A remote-delivery system for providing Video On Demand (VOD) content to a subscriber through a Guest Set Top Box (STB) different from the subscriber'"'"'s Home STB registered with the subscriber'"'"'s Home VOD System, the remote-delivery system comprising:
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a computing device having connectivity to a mobile wireless or Internet Protocol (IP) network, wherein a Remote VOD application is stored on and is executed by a processor in the computing device; a Guest Headend Hub serving the Guest STB; and a VOD Back Office having connectivity to the mobile wireless or IP network for communicating with the computing device, and having connectivity to the Guest Headend Hub; wherein when the computing device executes the Remote VOD application, the computing device performs steps to cause the VOD Back Office to store an association between a computing device identifier (ID) and a Guest STB equipment ID by performing the steps of; the mobile computing device prompting the subscriber to press a designated key on the Guest STB or a Guest STB Remote Control; the Guest STB sending the Guest STB equipment ID to the VOD Back Office in response to the designated key being pressed; the VOD Back Office sending a code toward the Guest STB for display on the Guest television; and inputtng the code into the subscriber'"'"'s mobile computing device, wherein the code is utilized as the mobile computing device ID in the association; wherein, the VOD Back Office is adapted to send to the computing device, a catalog of VOD content for display on the computing device, wherein the catalog contains VOD content available to the subscriber for viewing through the Guest STB; wherein when the computing device receives a subscriber input selecting a piece of VOD content, the computing device is adapted to send a request for the selected VOD content to the VOD Back Office, the request including the computing device ID; wherein, the VOD Back Office is adapted to send an instruction to the Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB associated with the computing device ID; and wherein the Guest Headend Hub is adapted to force tune the Guest STB to a selected frequency and to stream the selected piece of VOD content on the selected frequency to the Guest STB for display on the Guest television. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A Video On Demand (VOD) Back Office for controlling remote-delivery of VOD content to a subscriber through a Guest Set Top Box (STB) different from the subscriber'"'"'s Home STB registered with the subscriber'"'"'s Home VOD System, wherein the VOD Back Office has connectivity to a mobile wireless or IP network for communicating with a computing device located with the subscriber, and has connectivity to a Guest Headend Hub serving the Guest STB, wherein the VOD Back Office comprises:
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a processor; and a non-transitory memory for storing computer program instructions; wherein when the processor executes the computer program instructions, the processor causes the VOD Back Office to perform the steps of; associating the computing device with the Guest STB, wherein the VOD Back Office stores an association of a computing device identifier (ID) and a Guest STB equipment ID, and wherein the associating step includes; receiving from the Guest STB, the Guest STB equipment ID in response to the subscriber pressing a designated key on the Guest STB or a Guest STB Remote Control; and sending a code toward the Guest STB for display on a Guest television, wherein when the code is input into the computing device, the code is utilized as the computing device ID in the association; sending to the computing device, a catalog of VOD content for display on the computing device, wherein the catalog contains VOD content available to the subscriber for viewing through the Guest STB; receiving a request from the computing device indicating the subscriber has entered a selection to view a selected piece of VOD content, the request including the computing device ID; and sending an instruction to the Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB and to force tune the Guest STB to a selected frequency for streaming the selected piece of VOD content to the Guest STB, the Guest STB being identified through the stored association. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification