System and method for presenting media services

• US 8,627,373 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grover, Nancy, Amoroso, Edward G., O'Hern, William
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US13/873,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20130239139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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

A system and method for presenting media services is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media system having a controller element that contextually associates a plurality of portals with a corresponding plurality of multimedia broadcast channels as an aggregated service offering. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting at a media system a first media program supplied by a first multimedia broadcast channel;

selecting as a background process an aggregated service of selectable media services of a portal contextually associated with the first media program supplied in the first multimedia broadcast channel;

presenting at the media system the selectable media services of the portal upon detecting a first request to change the first multimedia broadcast channel to a second multimedia broadcast channel in order to retain viewership of the first multimedia broadcast channel;

transitioning from the first multimedia broadcast channel to the second multimedia broadcast channel upon detecting a second request to depart from the presentation of the selectable media services of the portal; and

upon transitioning to the second multimedia broadcast channel, causing the portal to adapt in whole or in part the selectable media services offered at the portal responsive to a second media program supplied by the second multimedia broadcast channel, wherein the portal adapts to the second media program based on metadata supplied by the second multimedia broadcast channel to modify the selectable media services, wherein the metadata is associated with the second media program,

wherein the media system comprises a media device and a media controller that manages operations of the media device, and

wherein the portal further adapts in whole or in part the selectable media services according to monitored demographic or psychographic patterns of usage at the media system.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the o selectable media services are presented concurrently with the first media program supplied by the first multimedia broadcast channel responsive to receiving a signal initiated by the media controller responsive to a selection of a portal button at the media controller.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting at a display of the media controller the selectable media services of the portal.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise presenting at the media device the first media program supplied by the first multimedia broadcast channel uninterrupted by the selectable media services presented at the display of the media controller.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the usage is determined at least in part from media programming selections.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media device is a set-top box.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first multimedia broadcast channel is supplied by one of a digital media programming system or an analog media programming system.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the selectable media services comprise one of a contest, a polling service, a game, media services contextually associated with the first multimedia broadcast channel, or combinations thereof.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first multimedia broadcast channel distributes media programs according to one of a multicast transmission or a unicast data transmission.

10. A media system, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a controller element coupled to the memory, wherein upon executing the instructions, the controller element performs operations comprising;

contextually associating a plurality of portals with a corresponding plurality of multimedia broadcast channels as an aggregated service offering;

presenting a first media program of a first multimedia broadcast channel;

selecting as a background process a first portal of the plurality of portals contextually associated with the first media program of the first multimedia broadcast channel, wherein the first portal is selected according to first metadata supplied by the first multimedia broadcast channel, and wherein the first metadata comprises a first uniform resource locator and first authentication information for securely accessing the first portal;

presenting selectable media services of the first portal upon detecting a first request to transition from the first multimedia broadcast channel to a second multimedia broadcast channel in order to retain viewership of the first multimedia broadcast channel;

transitioning from the first multimedia broadcast channel to the second multimedia broadcast channel upon detecting a second request to depart from the first portal; and

selecting as the background process a second portal of the plurality of portals contextually associated with a second media program of the second multimedia broadcast channel, wherein the second portal is selected according to second metadata supplied by the second multimedia broadcast channel, and wherein the second metadata comprises a second uniform resource locator and second authentication information for securely accessing the second portal

wherein each of the plurality of portals supply the media system selectable media services contextually associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of multimedia broadcast channels, and

wherein the selectable media services of the first portal comprise one of a contest, a polling service, a game, media services contextually associated with the first multimedia broadcast channel, or combinations thereof.

11. The media system of claim 10, wherein the media system comprises a set top box.

12. The media system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving information for contextually associating the plurality of portals with the plurality of multimedia broadcast channels.

13. The media system of claim 12, wherein the information comprises one of a list that identifies an association between the plurality of portals and the plurality of multimedia broadcast channels, subscriber information, or access information for each of said plurality of portals.

14. The media system of claim 12, wherein the information is incrementally collected as portal information from a select one of the plurality of multimedia broadcast channels.

15. A server, comprising:

a memory to store instructions;

a controller coupled to the memory, wherein upon executing the instructions the controller performs operations comprising;

presenting at a media system services of a portal contextually associated with a first multimedia broadcast channel upon detecting a first request to transition from the first multimedia broadcast channel to a second multimedia broadcast channel to retain viewership of the first multimedia broadcast channel;

transitioning from the first multimedia broadcast channel to the second multimedia broadcast channel upon detecting a second request to depart from the presentation of the services of the portal; and

upon transitioning to the second multimedia broadcast channel,

contextually adapting the services of the portal to the second multimedia broadcast channel, and

adapting the services according to monitored demographic or psychographic patterns of usage at the media system,

wherein the media system comprises a media device and a media controller that manages operations of the media device.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise adding services to the portal that are contextually associated with the second multimedia broadcast channel.

17. The server of claim 15, wherein the first multimedia broadcast channel is supplied by one of a digital media programming system or an analog media programming system.

18. The server of claim 15, wherein the services comprise one of a contest, a polling service, a game, or media services contextually associated with the first multimedia broadcast channel.

19. The server of claim 15, wherein the media device is a set-top box.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the media controller is a remote controller of the set-top box.