System and method of scheduling an event related to an advertisement

• US 8,839,308 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• 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: Howcroft, Jerald Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dubasky, Gigi L
• Application Number:
  US13/291,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 725/33, 725/58, 715/710, 715/747, 715/810, 715828-829
• US Class Current: 725/61
• 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 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

A method includes transmitting media content to a set-top box. The media content includes an advertisement having a selectable reminder indicator related to an event. The method further includes receiving an input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator from the set-top box, sending a first menu to the set-top box including at least one option to schedule a reminder associated with the event, and sending a second menu to the set-top box in response to receiving a selection of the at least one option. The second menu includes a device menu including an option to specify a device order in which to send the reminder to a plurality of devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting media content to a set-top box, the media content including an advertisement, the advertisement including a selectable reminder indicator related to an event;

receiving an input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator from the set-top box;

sending a first menu to the set-top box, the first menu including at least one option to schedule a reminder associated with the event; and

sending a second menu to the set-top box in response to receiving a selection of the at least one option, wherein the second menu includes a device menu, wherein the device menu includes an option to specify a device order in which to send the reminder to a plurality of devices and an option to select a data format associated with each of the plurality of devices, and wherein the option to specify the device order includes an option to select one or more times at which to send the reminder to each of the plurality of devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second input selection related to the device order, and

sending the reminder for the event to the plurality of devices based on the device order.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator from the set-top box to record the event;

recording the event at a network digital video recorder; and

downloading the recorded event to the set-top box.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the event is a television program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises a commercial related to an upcoming scheduled television program and wherein the selectable reminder indicator includes an option to record the upcoming scheduled television program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises a commercial related to a community event and wherein the reminder includes a location of the community event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is promoted by an advertiser and wherein the first menu includes a second option to a schedule a notification to be sent in response to the advertiser promoting another event.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator from the set-top box to record the event; and

sending a third menu to the set-top box including a second option to record the event and a third option to record the event on a recurring basis.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the third menu includes a fourth option to record the event each time the event is shown.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data format corresponds to an email message, a text message, an audio announcement or a pop-up visual indicator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set-top box is coupled to a display device and wherein the media content includes data to trigger display of the selectable reminder indicator at the display device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the set-top box is coupled to a display device and wherein display of the selectable reminder indicator at the display device is triggered at a particular time after the advertisement is provided to the display device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an option menu to the set-top box in response to receiving a second input selection to schedule a future action.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending the second input selection to a content source; and

receiving the option menu from the content source.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes;

a record module executable by the processor to schedule a record operation of a program associated with an advertisement via a network digital video recorder when an input selection of a selectable reminder indicator associated with an event comprises a record input;

a device module executable by the processor to enable selection of a plurality of communication devices to receive a reminder associated with the event, to specify one or more times at which to receive the reminder at each of the plurality of communication devices, and to select a data format associated with the each of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the one or more times indicate a device order of the plurality of communication devices; and

a reminder module executable by the processor to schedule transmission of the reminder to a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices based on the device order at the one or more times when the input selection comprises a reminder input.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a text-to-speech converter module executable by the processor to generate an audio reminder for transmission to the first communication device.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a reminder generator executable by the processor to generate the reminder in one or more formats for transmission to the first communication device and to at least one other communication device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement comprises a commercial related to an upcoming event, and wherein the reminder is related to the upcoming event.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a search engine executable by the processor, wherein results from the search engine enable the record module to record segments of the program that are related to particular subject matter.

20. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting media content to a set-top box, the media content including an advertisement having a selectable reminder indicator related to an event;

receiving an input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator;

receiving first data identifying a plurality of devices;

receiving one or more times at which to transmit to each of the plurality of devices, wherein the one or more times indicate a device order of transmitting to the plurality of devices;

receiving a data format associated with the each of the plurality of devices; and

scheduling a first reminder related to the event for transmission to a first device of the plurality of devices at a first time of the one or more times and scheduling a second reminder related to the event for transmission to a second device of the plurality of devices at a second time of the one or more times, wherein the first device and the second device are selected based on the device order.