Consumer access systems and methods for providing same

• US 9,420,342 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panwin Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lazaros Bountour
• Inventors: Bountour, Lazaros
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US14/182,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/59
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• 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 21/6125 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 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing enhanced consumer access to information sources and controllable entities. An Access device can be a stand alone device such as a DVD player in which the DVD disk contains the back-end information network. Other Access devices obtain the back-end information network from remote sources. By way of a specific example, the consumer can then view a game and interactively select every television camera located at the game venue.

Claims

1. A user interface system for allowing a user to access and control the presentation of multiple digital assets from asset providers, the assets comprising at least one of video, audio, graphics, script, information, functionality, and controls, using a user interface on a user-controllable access device, within an access environment, the system comprising:

a network device, storing computer program code, the network device being spaced apart from the access device;

wherein the user interface is other than a dynamically loaded web page and is defined by software that is at least partially located on the network device and is dynamically loaded onto an access device in response to the access device connecting to the network device;

the user interface being configured to selectively be at least one of loaded and updated, in the access device;

the user interface including characteristics selected based on the capabilities of the access device;

the user interface allowing for the display and user interaction with a plurality of display areas including at least two types selected from the following types;

a secondary area, for display access to digital assets;

a primary area, larger than the secondary area, for display access to digital assets; and

a companion display area, for providing video, audio, pictorial, textural, informational or commercial digital asset offerings or access to system controls;

at least one of the display areas being equipped with user controls that allow the user to;

enable and disable digital asset interaction or control; and

send a digital asset from one display area to another display area.

2. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the companion display area in operation presents a list of user-selectable digital assets.

3. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, further configured to control the availability of one or more digital assets within the access environment in response to authorization from a digital asset provider.

4. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1 where the user is prompted to pay a fee to be able to send a digital asset to a display area.

5. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, and configured to offer a full screen presentation of a display area.

6. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to be preloaded and updated in the access device.

7. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to be downloaded and updated in the access device.

8. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the digital assets comprise bundled assets which respectively comprise one or more functionalities and the secondary displays display said functionalities as pictograms.

9. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a user can access at least one display area at a time.

10. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein one type of display area is at least partially overlayed over another.

11. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one type of display area is wholly included within another.

12. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, distributed to include some of the display areas on a user access device and other of the display areas on another user access device.

13. A user interface system in accordance with claim 12, and configured to display at least one digital asset in at least one display area on at least two devices.

14. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, and configured to allow the user to transfer a digital asset from a display area on an access device to a display area on another access device.

15. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1 including auto-alignment, wherein display areas are resized and moved in response to a user'"'"'s preferences.

16. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1 including an invisible grid.

17. A user interface system in accordance with claim 16, wherein display areas include magnetic borders.

18. A user interface system in accordance with claim 16, wherein display areas are auto-aligned with margins in predetermined locations of the invisible grid in response to user interaction with one of the display areas.

19. A user interface system in accordance with claim 16, wherein display areas are auto-aligned without margins in predetermined locations of the invisible grid in response to user interaction with one of the display areas.

20. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein respective display areas have a default layout with no margins.

21. A user interface system in accordance with claim 1, wherein respective display areas have a default layout with margins.

22. A user interface system for allowing a user to access and control the presentation of multiple digital assets from asset providers, the assets comprising at least one of video, audio, graphics, script, information, functionality and controls, using a front-end human interface on a user-controllable access device, the system comprising:

an access device;

wherein the front-end human interface is other than a dynamically loaded web page and defined by computer program code that is at least partially located on the access device;

the front-end human interface including characteristics selected based on the capabilities of the access device;

the front-end human interface being configured to selectively be at least one of loaded and updated, in the access device;

the front-end human interface allowing for asset display and user interaction with a plurality of display areas including at least two types selected from the following three types;

a secondary area, for display access to digital assets;

a primary area, larger than the secondary area, for display access to digital assets; and

companion areas for providing video, audio, pictorial, textural, informational, control, or commercial asset offerings;

at least one of the primary or secondary display areas being equipped with user controls that allow the user to;

enable and disable digital asset interaction or control, and send a digital asset from one display area to another display area.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein one type of display area is at least partially overlayed over another.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein one type of display area is wholly included within another.

25. A user interface system in accordance with claim 22, distributed to include at least one of the display areas on an access device and at least one of the display areas on another access device.

26. A user interface system in accordance with claim 25, and configured to display a digital asset in at least one display area on at least two devices.

27. A user interface system in accordance with claim 22, and configured to allow the user to transfer a digital asset from a display area on an access device to a display area on another access device.

28. A user interface system in accordance with claim 22 including auto-alignment, wherein display areas are resized and moved in response to a user'"'"'s preferences.

29. A user interface system in accordance with claim 22 including an invisible grid.

30. A user interface system in accordance with claim 29, wherein display areas include magnetic borders.

31. A user interface system in accordance with claim 29, wherein display areas are auto-aligned with margins in predetermined locations of an invisible grid in response to user interaction with one of the display areas.

32. A user interface system in accordance with claim 29, wherein display areas are auto-aligned without margins in predetermined locations of an invisible grid in response to user interaction with one of the display areas.

33. A user interface system in accordance with claim 22, wherein respective display areas have a default layout with no margins.

34. A user interface system in accordance with claim 22, wherein respective display areas have a default layout with margins.

35. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is a mobile telephone.

36. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is a TV.

37. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is a TV set top box.

38. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is a computer.

39. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is a game console.

40. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is an entertainment device or system.

41. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is the information or entertainment system of a terrestrial or aerial transport vehicle.

42. The system of claim 22, wherein said access device is portable.