VOD offerings based on popular demand

• US 8,839,316 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hariharan, Ramprasath, Bolyukh, Yuriy, Beyabani, Syed Zafar, Solleti, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Alata, Yassin
• Application Number:
  US12/330,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 39, 725 86-104, 725/46
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data

Abstract

A system includes a set-top box and a server for a subscription television service. The set-top box includes a processor to receive a video-on-demand (VOD) programming suggestion from a user and send, to the server, the VOD programming suggestion. The server includes a processor to receive the VOD programming suggestion, compile the VOD programming suggestion with other VOD programming suggestions from other set-top boxes, and send a notification to the set-top box that the VOD programming suggestion has been added to the list of available VOD programming for the subscription television service.

Claims

1. A method performed by a set-top box, the method comprising:

receiving, by the set-top box and from a user of a subscription television service, a video-on-demand (VOD) programming suggestion;

automatically sending, by the set-top box and to a server, the VOD programming suggestion;

receiving, by the set-top box and from the server, a notification that a program corresponding to the VOD programming suggestion is available for purchase,

the availability of the VOD programming suggestion being based on a compiled VOD programming suggestion that includes the VOD programming suggestion and other VOD programming suggestions from other set-top boxes,

the compiled VOD programming suggestion being created by ranking the VOD programming suggestion with the other VOD programming suggestions, and

the other VOD programming suggestions from the other set-top boxes including corresponding ranking weights based on a number of previous VOD programs purchased by the other set-top boxes within a predetermined period of time,

a first ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a first set-top box of the other set-top boxes, the first set-top box being associated with a first plurality of purchased VOD programs,

a second ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a second set-top box of the other set-top boxes, the second set-top box being associated with a second plurality of purchased VOD programs,

the first ranking weight being based only on a number of the first plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the first set-top box within the predetermined period of time,

the second ranking weight being based only on a number of the second plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the second set-top box within the predetermined period of time, and

the first ranking weight being greater than the second ranking weight when the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the first set-top box, is greater than the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the second set-top box; and

providing, by the set-top box, the availability of the program corresponding to the VOD programming suggestion to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the set-top box, the VOD programming suggestion in a memory; and

providing, for presentation and by the set-top box and to the user, the VOD programming suggestion along with other suggested VOD programming input by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing, for presentation and by the set-top box, a menu-based display to accept the input from the user.

4. The method of claim 3, where the menu-based display accepts free-form text entry and allows the user to select from previous VOD programming suggestions.

5. The method of claim 4, where the previous VOD programming suggestions includes the other VOD programming suggestions from other set-top boxes.

6. The method of claim 1, where the automatically sending comprises:

associating the VOD programming suggestion with an identifier for the set-top box and a date of entry; and

sending the VOD programming suggestion, the identifier, and the date of entry as a single message.

7. The method of claim 1, where the VOD programming suggestion is submitted to the set-top box via a remote control.

8. The method of claim 1, where the presenting the availability of the program corresponding to the VOD programming suggestion comprises:

causing, by the set-top box, the program corresponding to the VOD programming suggestion to be displayed with a list of other suggested VOD programming items that have been made available in the subscription television service.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a video-on-demand (VOD) programming suggestion from a set-top box associated with a subscription television service;

receiving, by the device, one or more other VOD programming suggestions from two or more other set-top boxes;

ranking, by the device, the VOD programming suggestion with the one or more other VOD programming suggestions, the one or more other VOD programming suggestions including corresponding ranking weights based on a number of previous VOD programs purchased by the two or more other set-top boxes within a predetermined period of time,

a first ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a first set-top box of the two or more other set-top boxes, the first set-top box being associated with a first plurality of purchased VOD programs,

a second ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a second set-top box of the two or more other set-top boxes, the second set-top box being associated with a second plurality of purchased VOD programs,

the first ranking weight being based only on a number of the first plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the first set-top box within the predetermined period of time,

the second ranking weight being based only on a number of the second plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the second set-top box within the predetermined period of time, and

the first ranking weight being greater than the second ranking weight when the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the first set-top box, is greater than the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the second set-top box;

compiling, by the device and based on the ranking, the VOD programming suggestion with the one or more other VOD programming suggestions; and

receiving, by the device, a notification that the VOD programming suggestion has been added to a list of available VOD programming for the subscription television service.

10. The method of claim 9, where the ranking is further based on a viewing history of each of the two or more other set-top boxes.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending a notification to the set-top box that the VOD programming suggestion has been added to the list of available VOD programming for the subscription television service.

12. The method of claim 11, where the sending the notification to the set-top box includes one of:

sending an updated list of all available VOD titles;

or

sending a notice that the VOD programming suggestion has been made available.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending, to the set-top box, a list of the compiled VOD programming suggestion and other VOD programming suggestions.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

normalizing the VOD programming suggestion and other VOD programming suggestions to account for typographical errors and spelling variations.

15. The method of claim 9, where the receiving the notification that the VOD programming suggestion has been added to the list of available VOD programming for the subscription television service includes:

receiving an updated list of all available VOD titles.

16. A system comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a device to execute the instructions to;

receive video-on-demand (VOD) programming suggestions from multiple set-top boxes associated with a subscription television service;

rank the VOD programming suggestions using ranking weights based on a number of previous VOD programs purchased by each of the set-top boxes within a predetermined period of time,

a first ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a first set-top box of the multiple set-top boxes, the first set-top box being associated with a first plurality of purchased VOD programs,

a second ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a second set-top box of the multiple set-top boxes, the second set-top box being associated with second a plurality of purchased VOD programs,

the first ranking weight being based only on a number of the first plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the first set-top box within the predetermined period of time,

the second ranking weight being based only on a number of the second plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the second set-top box within the predetermined period of time, and

the first ranking weight being greater than the second ranking weight when the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the first set-top box, is greater than the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the second set-top box;

compile, based on the ranking, one or more VOD programming suggestions;

transmit, based on the compiling, one or more VOD programs to a set-top box;

provide, for presentation, a menu with a plurality of categories, each category including at least one of the one or more VOD programs;

receive information indicating a selection of one of the plurality of categories; and

provide, for presentation, a sub-menu that includes the at least one of the one or more VOD programs.

17. The system of claim 16, where the device is further to:

provide, to a set-top box, an indication that one of the VOD programming suggestions submitted by one of the multiple set-top boxes has been made available for purchasing.

18. A system comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a server including a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive a VOD programming suggestion from a set-top box;

receive one or more other VOD programming suggestions from two or more other set-top boxes;

rank the VOD programming suggestion with the one or more other VOD programming suggestions, the one or more other VOD programming suggestions including corresponding ranking weights based on a number of previous VOD programs purchased by the two or more other set-top boxes within a predetermined period of time,

a first ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a first set-top box of the two or more other set-top boxes, the first set-top box being associated with a first plurality of purchased VOD programs,

a second ranking weight, of the corresponding ranking weights, being associated with a second set-top box of the two or more other set-top boxes, the second set-top box being associated with a second plurality of purchased VOD programs,

the first ranking weight being based only on a number of the first plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the first set-top box within the predetermined period of time,

the second ranking weight being based only on a number of the second plurality of purchased VOD programs associated with the second set-top box within the predetermined period of time, and

the first ranking weight being greater than the second ranking weight when the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the first set-top box, is greater than the number of the plurality of purchased VOD programs, associated with the second set-top box;

compile, based on the ranking, the VOD programming suggestion with the one or more other VOD programming suggestions;

send, based on the compiling, a notification to the set-top box that the VOD programming suggestion has been added to a list of available VOD programs for the subscription television service;

provide, for presentation, a menu with a plurality of categories, each category including at least one VOD program, of the available VOD programs;

receive information indicating a selection of one of the plurality of categories; and

provide, for presentation, a sub-menu that includes the at least one VOD program.

19. The system of claim 18, where the server further comprises:

a memory to store the VOD programming suggestion.

20. The system of claim 18, where the ranking is further based on a viewing history of each of the two or more other set-top boxes.