System and method for enhanced hot key delivery

• US 9,544,646 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, James Harold, Brothers, Thomas Jefferson, Matz, William Randolph
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US13/608,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36, 725/51, 725/112, 725/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at a head-end, content to be provided to a particular subscriber. The method includes creating an indicator configured to provide to a subscriber side system an indication of an availability of alternated content based on the content. The method further includes sending the indicator and the content separately to the subscriber side system over different networks.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a head-end, content to be provided to a subscriber device;

creating an indicator of an availability of alternate content, the indicator created based on the content;

sending the indicator from the head-end over a first network to the subscriber device;

sending the content from the head-end over a second network to the subscriber device, the second network distinct from the first network; and

in response to receiving a signal indicating selection of the indicator by the subscriber device, sending the alternate content to the subscriber device, wherein the alternate content is sent at a different time than the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes information that enables the subscriber device to determine a relevance of the alternate content to a subscriber associated with the subscriber device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicator further includes information that enables the subscriber device to determine whether to present a selectable option that enables access by the subscriber to the alternate content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is sent over the first network to the subscriber device and the content is concurrently sent over the second network to the subscriber device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate content is hosted on a web site accessible to the head-end.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the alternate content is sent to the subscriber device over the second network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after sending the alternate content, determining whether the subscriber device has finished consuming the alternate content; and

in response to a determination that the subscriber device finished consuming the alternate content, sending the content to the subscriber device.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor in a head-end that supports a subscriber device; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving content;

sending an indicator from the head-end over a first network to the subscriber device, wherein the indicator provides to the subscriber device an indication of an availability of alternate content based on the content;

sending the content from the head-end over a second network to the subscriber device, the second network distinct from the first network; and

in response to receiving a signal indicating selection of the indicator by the subscriber device, sending the alternate content to the subscriber device, wherein the alternate content is sent at a different time than the content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indicator includes information that enables the subscriber device to determine a relevance of the alternate content to a subscriber associated with the subscriber device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the indicator further includes information that enables the subscriber device to determine whether to present a selectable option that enables access to the alternate content.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indicator is sent over the first network to the subscriber device and the content is concurrently sent over the second network to the subscriber device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first network includes a digital subscriber line connection and wherein the second network includes a cable network.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first network comprises a data network and wherein the second network comprises a video network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the video network is a one-way cable network.

15. A computer-readable storage device storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving content;

sending an indicator from a head-end over a first network to a subscriber device, wherein the indicator provides to the subscriber device an indication of an availability of alternate content based on the content;

sending the content from the head-end over a second network to the subscriber device, the second network distinct from the first network; and

in response to receiving a signal indicating selection of the indicator by the subscriber device, sending the alternate content to the subscriber device, wherein the alternate content is sent at a different time than the content.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the indicator includes information that enables the subscriber device to determine a relevance of the alternate content to a subscriber associated with the subscriber device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the indicator further includes information that enables the subscriber device to determine whether to present a selectable option that enables access by the subscriber to the alternate content.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the indicator is sent over the first network to the subscriber device and the content is concurrently sent over the second network to the subscriber device.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the first network includes a digital subscriber line connection and wherein the second network includes a cable network.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the first network comprises a data network and wherein the second network comprises a video network.