Interactive television network and method including content searching

• US 8,881,214 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Durkee, James R., Gibbon, David Crawford, Shahraray, Behzad
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US13/313,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/51, 725/53, 725/93, 725/109
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

The present invention is directed to content searching of various databases in an interactive television network; caching programming for rebroadcasting to interactive television network subscribers; and interactively offering goods and services referred to in broadcast programming to interactive television network subscribers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from a network via an interface of the network to a terminal of a plurality of terminals disposed at different locations, content including a network address associated with one or more storage devices in the network, wherein the network is in communication with an internet via at least one additional interface of the network;

receiving, in the network via the interface from the terminal, a request for data based on the network address;

communicating with the one or more storage devices in the network to retrieve one or more of at least three different types of data responsive to the request; and

forwarding, to the terminal via the interface, the one or more of the at least three different types of data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least three different types of data are selected from:

listing data containing content scheduling information relating to past, current, and future scheduled interactive content;

content data containing audio and video content of previously transmitted content on the network;

email data containing email for users; and

voice mail data containing voice mail information for users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding the one or more of at least three different types of data to the terminal comprises forwarding, from a data locator, the one or more of at least three different types of data to the terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises previously-transmitted audiovisual content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises broadcast content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transcoding at least one of the at least three different types of data,

wherein forwarding the one or more of at least three different types of data to the terminal comprises forwarding the transcoded at least one of the at least three different types of data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an interactive television network.

8. A method comprising:

associating a network address with one or more storage devices in a network providing broadband services to a plurality of locations;

transmitting, within the network, a request for data based on the network address included in content sent from the network via an interface of the network to a terminal in one of the plurality of locations, wherein the network is in communication with an internet via at least one additional interface of the network; and

receiving at least three different types of data responsive to the transmitted request.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising:

receiving a search request comprising a search term;

transmitting the search request; and

responsive to the transmitted search request, receiving the content based at least in part on the search term.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

receiving an indication of one or more sources of the at least three different types of data to search; and

transmitting the indication with the search request.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the network is an interactive television network.

12. A method comprising:

transmitting to a terminal via an interface of a network providing services to a plurality of locations a stream comprising a network address associated with a database located in the network, wherein the network is in communication with an internet via at least one additional interface of the network;

transmitting instructions for configuring a first picture comprising at least one graphic associated with the network address to be rendered for display;

receiving a signal from the terminal relating to the at least one graphic;

transmitting the signal to the database located in the network associated with the network address; and

responsive to the transmitted signal, receiving data from the database located in the network associated with the network address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one graphic comprises a bug.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one graphic is associated with an offering of at least one of a good and a service.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the at least one graphic,

wherein the signal is transmitted from the terminal responsive to the user selection of the at least one graphic.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the received data comprises a form, the method further comprising:

populating the form with information stored at the terminal that is associated with a user of the terminal; and

transmitting the populated form.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the network address comprises a universal resource locator (URL).

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the stream comprises audiovisual content.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the terminal comprises a set-top terminal, and wherein the at least one graphic comprises a graphical overlay on the stream.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the network is an interactive television network.