Method and system for changing communication parameters of a content delivery system based on feedback from user devices

• US 9,456,247 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pontual, Romulo, Norin, John L., Arsenault, Robert G., Kahn, Raynold M., Ling, Sui-Ky Ringo, Crook, Luke J., Choi, John D., Vagnati, Michelle L., Dulac, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chokshi, Pinkal R
• Application Number:
  US13/111,221
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for communicating content to a user device includes a head end that communicates a plurality of upcoming content metadata that includes a content title to the user device. The user device displays the upcoming content metadata and selects at least one upcoming content metadata from the plurality of upcoming content metadata to form selected data. The user device communicates the selected data to the head end. The head end adjusts head end communication parameters for the content associated with the selected data based on the selected data and communicates the content to a user device based on the head end communication parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating a plurality of upcoming content metadata that includes a content title;

displaying the upcoming content metadata;

selecting at least one upcoming content metadata from the plurality of upcoming content metadata to form selected data;

communicating selected data from a plurality of user devices to a head end;

aggregating selected data from the plurality of user devices to form aggregated data;

adjusting a head end communication parameters based on the aggregated data; and

communicating the content to a user device based on the head end communication parameters.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the upcoming content comprises displaying the content title in a homepage on a display associated with the user device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of upcoming content metadata comprises communicating prior to a content availability time.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising displaying an availability indicator after a content availability time when the content is stored within the user device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of upcoming content metadata comprises communicating a plurality of upcoming content trailers.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a plurality of upcoming content metadata comprises communicating a plurality of upcoming content posters.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the upcoming content metadata comprises displaying the upcoming content metadata on a display associated with the user device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the upcoming content metadata comprises displaying the upcoming content metadata on a display associated with an external device in communication with a web interface.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising forming a wanted list at the user device from selected data.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein adjusting the head end communication parameters comprises adjusting a carousel parameter of the head end.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the carousel parameter comprises a repeat time.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the carousel parameter comprises a frequency time.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content prior to a content availability time.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising storing the content in a storage device associated with the user device and generating an indicator on the first screen display associated with the user device after storing and after a content availability time.

15. A system comprising:

a plurality of user devices;

a head end that communicates a plurality of upcoming content metadata that includes a content title to the plurality of user devices;

wherein the plurality of user devices display the upcoming content metadata and form selected data from at least one upcoming content metadata from the plurality of upcoming content metadata, and the plurality of user devices communicate the selected data to the head end;

wherein the head end aggregates selected data from the plurality of user devices to form aggregated data; and

wherein the head end adjusts head end communication parameters based on the aggregated data and communicates the content to the plurality of user devices based on the head end communication parameters.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of user devices displays the upcoming content metadata in a homepage on a display.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the head end communicates a plurality of upcoming content metadata prior to a content availability time.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of user devices displays an availability indicator after a content availability time after the content is stored within the plurality of user devices.

19. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of upcoming content metadata comprises a plurality of upcoming content trailers.

20. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of upcoming content metadata comprises a plurality of upcoming content posters.

21. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of user devices forms a wanted list from selected data.

22. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the head end communication parameters comprises a carousel parameter.

23. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the head end communication parameters comprises a repeat time.

24. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the head end communication parameters comprises a frequency time.

25. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the head end communicates the content prior to a content availability time.

26. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the plurality of user devices comprises a content storage device and stores the content in a storage device, the plurality of user devices generates an indicator after a content availability time for content stored within the storage device.