Method and apparatus for ordering entertainment programs from different programming transmission sources

• US 8,539,530 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shah-Nazaroff, Anthony A., Goldschmidt Iki, Jean M., Moore, Kenneth Alan, Williams, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US09/580,305
• Time in Patent Office: 4,862 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1- 8, 725/86, 725/104, 725/61, 725/65, 725/122, 725/105, 725/101
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for ordering entertainment programs from different programming transmission sources. A selection is received from an entertainment system to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission. The purchase is automatically coordinated and the upgraded media feature is automatically provided for the programming by a server system. The server system bills a client for services performed by the server system and provides billing information about the client to at least one of a plurality of programming transmission sources that provided the programming transmission.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server system, a selection to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission from a client system via a first communication media, the selection including an identification of the client system and an identification of the upgraded media feature;

automatically coordinating purchase, by the server system, of the upgraded media feature for the programming transmission with one of a plurality of programming transmission sources via a second communication media, in response to receiving the selection, by using the received selection to select one of the plurality of programming transmission sources, place an order to the selected transmission source for the upgraded media feature, the first communication media different than the second communication media; and

automatically coordinating provision, by the server system, of the upgraded media feature for the programming transmission, in response to receiving the selection, the programming transmission and upgraded media feature to be provided in response to placing the order from the one programming transmission source to the client system via a third communication media, the third communication media different than the first and second communication media.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving comprises receiving the selection from an entertainment system, and the programming transmission is provided to the entertainment system with the upgraded media feature via the third communication media.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically coordinating the purchase of the upgraded media feature comprises:

billing, by the server system, the client system for services performed by the server system; and

providing billing information associated with the client system to at least the one programming transmission source that provided the programming transmission.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the billing is one of performed individually for each billable transaction and performed according to a billing cycle for at least one billable transaction during the billing cycle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically coordinating the purchase of the upgraded media feature comprises:

billing, by the server system, the client system for services performed by the server system and at least the one programming transmission source that provided the programming transmission; and

receiving a bill for the portion of the services performed by at least the one programming transmission source at a later time.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the billing the client and receiving the bill are one of performed individually for each billable transaction and performed according to a billing cycle for at least one transaction during the billing cycle.

7. A method comprising:

sending, by a client system, a selection to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission to a server system via a first communication media, the selection including an identification of the client system and an identification of the upgraded media feature to enable the server system to coordinate provision of the upgraded media feature with one of a plurality of programming transmission sources via a second communication media, in response to receiving the selection, by using the received selection to select one of the plurality of programming transmission sources, place an order to the selected transmission source for the upgraded media feature, the first communication media different than the second communication media; and

receiving the programming transmission with the upgraded media feature from the one programming transmission source via a third communication media, in response to the one programming transmission source receiving the placed order, the third communication media different than the first and second communication media.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a bill, said bill based at least in part on receiving the upgraded media feature.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the receiving the bill comprises a charge to a credit account at one of the end of a billing cycle and at a time when the upgraded media feature is received.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the programming transmission comprises at least one of a movie, a documentary, an audio production, an interactive media event, a situation comedy, a news program, and a televised sports event.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the upgraded media feature comprises at least one of a video upgrade, an audio upgrade, a recordable version, and an increased access rate for an interactive event.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of programming transmission sources include a least one of cable television, antenna reception, satellite reception, mini-dish satellite reception, telephone dial-up service, or Internet access.

13. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having stored thereon machine readable instructions, execution of said machine readable instructions to implement a method comprising:

receiving, by a server system, a selection to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission from a client system via a first communication media, the selection including an identification of the client system and an identification of the upgraded media feature;

automatically coordinating purchase, by the server system, of the upgraded media feature for the programming transmission with one of a plurality of programming transmission sources via a second communication media, in response to receiving the selection, by using the received selection to select one of the plurality of programming transmission sources, place an order to the selected transmission source for the upgraded media feature, the first communication media different than the second communication media; and

automatically coordinating provision, by the server system, of the upgraded media feature for the programming transmission, in response to receiving the selection, the programming transmission and upgraded media feature to be provided in response to placing the order from the one programming transmission source to the client system via a third communication media, the third communication media different than the first and second communication media.

14. The machine readable storage medium of claim 13, execution of said machine readable instructions to further implement:

billing, by the server system, the client system for services performed by the server system; and

providing billing information about the client system to at least the one programming transmission source that provided the programming transmission.

15. The machine readable storage medium of claim 13 execution of said machine readable instructions to further implement:

billing, by the server system, the client system for services performed by a server system and at least the one programming transmission source that provided the programming transmission; and

receiving a bill for the portion of the services performed by at least the one programming transmission source at a later time.

16. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having stored thereon machine readable instructions, execution of said machine readable instructions to implement a method comprising:

sending, by a client system, a selection to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission to a server system via a first communication media, the selection including an identification of the client system and an identification of the upgraded media feature to enable the server system to coordinate provision of the upgraded media feature with one of a plurality of programming transmission sources via a second communication media, in response to receiving the selection, by using the received selection to select one of the plurality of programming transmission sources, place an order to the selected transmission source for the upgraded media feature, the first communication media different than the second communication media; and

receiving the programming transmission with the upgraded media feature from the one programming transmission source via a third communication media, in response to the one programming transmission source receiving the placed order, the third communication media different than the first and second communication media.

17. The machine readable storage medium of claim 16 execution of said machine readable instructions to further implement:

receiving a bill, said bill based at least in part on receiving the upgraded media feature.

18. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the receiving the bill comprises a charge to a credit account at one of the end of a billing cycle and at a time when the upgraded media feature is received.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive, via a first communication media a selection to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission, the selection including an identification of the client system and an identification of the upgraded media feature;

a purchasing unit to automatically coordinating purchase of the upgraded media feature for the programming transmission from one of a plurality of programming transmission sources via a second communication media, in response to receiving the selection, by using the received selection to select one of the plurality of programming transmission sources, place an order to the selected transmission source for the upgraded media feature, the first communication media different than the second communication media; and

a provision unit to automatically coordinate provision of the upgraded media feature for the programming transmission, in response to receiving the selection, with the one programming transmission source, the programming transmission and upgraded media feature to be provided in response to placing the order via a third communication media, the third communication media different than the first and second communication media.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a sending unit to send a selection to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission to a server system via a first communication media, the selection including an identification of the client system and an identification of the upgraded media feature to enable the server system to coordinate provision of the upgraded media feature with one of a plurality of programming transmission sources via a second communication media, in response to receiving the selection, by using the received selection to select one of the plurality of programming transmission sources, place an order to the selected transmission source for the upgraded media feature, the first communication media different than the second communication media; and

a receiving unit to receive the programming transmission from the one programming transmission source via a third communication media, in response to the one programming transmission source receiving the placed order, the third communication media different than the first and second communication media.