Systems and methods for automatically purchasing and recording popular pay programs in an interactive media delivery system

• US 8,856,844 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamano, Royce Matsusei, Gevorgyan, Gevorg
• Primary Examiner(s): HANCE, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/889,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725/87, 386/296
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method for automatically purchasing and recording popular pay program is disclosed. The pay programs are selected based on defined criteria and popularity. The most popular pay program that meets defined criteria will be automatically recorded and purchased. Notifications and confirmations are provided before purchase of pay programs.

Claims

1. A method for automatically purchasing and recording popular pay programs in an interactive media delivery system, comprising:

selecting a time period;

identifying, using control circuitry, pay programs matching a user-defined criterion;

determining, among the identified programs, the most popular pay programs before the pay programs are recorded;

in response to the determining;

recording the most-popular pay programs;

determining whether the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period; and

purchasing, up to a defined spending limit, the most-popular pay programs responsive to determining that the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period;

receiving a user input identifying a pay program that has been recorded and purchased; and

in response to the input, playing back the identified popular pay program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein recording the most-popular programs comprises recording only the purchased most-popular pay programs.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting un-purchased, recorded most-popular pay programs.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the pay programs are pay-per-view programs or video-on-demand programs.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the selected time period is defined by a user of the interactive media delivery system.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the purchasing and the recording are performed at a user-specified time within the selected time period.

7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the user-defined criterion is a frequency at which to purchase and record the most-popular pay programs within the selected time period.

8. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input defining the criterion.

9. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising providing a notification when a pay program is purchased or about to be purchased.

10. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the purchasing and the recording comprises not purchasing and not recording a pay program in response to a user input indicating that the pay program should not be purchased.

11. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the defined spending limit is a flat rate for a defined number of most-popular pay programs.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the popularity of the pay programs is determined based on popularity of the pay programs among a plurality of user equipment devices in different geographical locations each associated with a different user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the popularity of the pay programs is determined based on popularity information received by the control circuitry from a remote source.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording and purchasing are performed without user input.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-defined criterion is a genre.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the most popular pay programs comprises determining popularity, within the selected time period, of each of the pay programs, wherein the most popular pay programs correspond to a plurality of the pay programs for which the associated popularity exceeds a threshold.

17. A system for allowing users of an interactive media guidance application to automatically purchase and record popular pay programs in an interactive media delivery system, comprising:

control circuitry and an input device, the control circuitry configured to;

select a time period;

identify pay programs matching a user-defined criterion;

determine, among the identified programs, the most popular pay programs before the pay programs are recorded;

in response to determining the popularity of pay programs;

record the most-popular pay programs;

determine whether the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period; and

purchase, up to a defined spending limit, the most-popular pay programs responsive to determining that the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period;

receive a user input from the input device identifying a pay program that has been recorded and purchased; and

in response to the input, play back the identified popular pay program.

18. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to record only the purchased most-popular pay programs.

19. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to delete un-purchased, recorded most-popular pay programs.

20. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the pay programs are pay-per-view programs or video-on-demand programs.

21. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to allow the selected time period to be defined by a user of the interactive media delivery system.

22. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is configured to purchase and record by purchasing and recording the most-popular pay programs at a user-specified time within the selected time period.

23. The system defined in claim 17, wherein the user-defined criterion is a frequency at which to purchase and record the most-popular pay programs within the time period.

24. The system defined in claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user input from the input device defining the criterion.

25. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide a notification when a pay program is purchased or about to be purchased.

26. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is configured to purchase and record by not purchasing and recording a pay program in response to a user input indicating that the pay program should not be purchased.

27. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the defined spending limit is a flat rate for a defined number of most-popular pay programs.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the user-defined criterion is a genre.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine popularity, within the selected time period, of each of the pay programs, wherein the most popular pay programs correspond to a plurality of the pay programs for which the associated popularity exceeds a threshold.

30. A method for automatically purchasing popular pay programs in an interactive media system, the method comprising:

selecting a time period;

identifying, using control circuitry, pay programs matching a user-defined criterion;

determining, among the identified programs, the most popular pay programs;

determining whether the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period;

purchasing some of the pay programs determined to be the most popular responsive to determining that the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period;

receiving an input identifying at least one of the purchased pay programs; and

in response to the input, accessing the identified at least one of the purchased pay programs.

31. A system for automatically purchasing popular pay programs in an interactive media system, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

select a time period;

identify pay programs matching a user-defined criterion;

determine, among the identified programs, the most popular pay programs;

determine whether the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period;

purchase some of the pay programs determined to be the most popular responsive to determining that the most popular pay programs correspond to the selected time period;

receive an input identifying at least one of the purchased pay programs; and

in response to the input, access the identified at least one of the purchased pay programs.