Video-on-demand content delivery method for providing video-on-demand services to TV service subscribers

• US 9,578,376 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Inventors: Perez, Milton Diaz
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MUSHFIKH I
• Application Number:
  US15/148,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 725 74-104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• 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 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. A web-based Content Management System receives content uploaded online in file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer'"'"'s TV indexed by title and topical area specified by the uploaded metadata.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving, at a web-based content management system comprising one or more computers, from one of a plurality of content provider devices via the Internet, at least the following digital content;

(i) video content, along with

(ii) respective content classifying data comprising;

(1) respective title information comprising a respective title,

(2) respective content provider designated hierarchically arranged category information and subcategory information to specify a location of the respective title information for the received video content in an interactive user interface of a video-on-demand application offered by a digital content provider system, the content provider designated hierarchically arranged category and subcategory information associated with the respective title information of the received video content using a same hierarchical structure of categories and subcategories for placement of the respective title information of the received video content as is to be used in the interactive user interface of the video-on-demand application; and

(3) respective time information for availability of the received video content through the video-on-demand application;

(b) encoding, at the one or more computers of the web-based content management system, the received video content to an encoded video-on-demand content file in a format capable of playback on the video-on-demand application;

(c) generating, at the one or more computers of the web-based content management system, video-on-demand application-readable metadata for the encoded video-on-demand content file by converting at least a portion of the content classifying data into a format readable by the video-on-demand application so that the application-readable metadata can be used with the encoded video-on-demand content file to specify the location of the respective title information in the interactive user interface of the video-on-demand application presenting the respective title information based at least in part on the respective content provider designated hierarchically arranged category information and subcategory information so that the received video content is locatable by a subscriber when using the video-on-demand application;

(d) storing the encoded video-on-demand content file on at least one video server that is operably connected to the video-on-demand application and that is configured to supply the encoded video-on-demand content file to respective subscriber equipment of a respective service subscriber upon request, wherein the at least one video server comprises computer-readable memory operatively connected to one or more computers of the at least one video server;

(e) providing the respective subscriber equipment of the respective service subscriber with access to the interactive user interface to navigate through titles, at least some of which, including the respective title of the received video content, are located in the interactive user interface based on the content provider designated hierarchically arranged category information and subcategory information in order to locate a particular one of the titles whose associated video content is desired for viewing on the respective subscriber equipment;

(f) determining, at the video-on-demand application, which titles are available for selection from the interactive user interface of the video-on-demand application at a respective time based at least in part on respective time information during which respective video content can be accessed through the video-on-demand application; and

(g) in response to the respective service subscriber selecting, via a control unit in communication with the respective subscriber equipment, the respective title associated with the received video content from the interactive user interface of the video-on-demand application, retrieving the encoded video-on-demand content file associated with the respective title from the at least one video server, and transmitting the encoded video-on-demand content file to the respective subscriber equipment for display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit is a TV remote control unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking and collecting, at the video-on-demand application, data indicative of selections for viewing the video content associated with the respective title by respective service subscribers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking and collecting, at the video-on-demand application, data indicative of drill down navigation paths used by respective service subscribers to select respective titles associated with respective video content.