Method and system for confirming the download of content at a user device

• US 9,824,389 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2007
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeffs, Alistair E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GEORGALAS, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/871,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,692 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26, 705 27, 705 261, 705 271
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/20 Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25 Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system and method includes a first device having an ordering interactive interface having available content. The first device forms a content selection corresponding to the on-demand content from the interactive interface and communicates the content selection to a content processing system. The content processing system communicates a control word to the user device. A user device receives the content corresponding to the selection in response to the control word. The content processing system or the user device generates an email indicative of a completion of storing the content in the user device.

Claims

1. A method of ordering content comprising:

accessing an ordering interactive interface from a first device;

selecting a content selection from the interactive interface at the first device;

electronically communicating a customer identifier and a material identification corresponding to the content selection from the first device to a content processing system;

electronically communicating a control word from the content processing system having tuning data therein to a user device disposed remotely from the first device, said tuning data comprising data to enable the user device to tune to and store content corresponding to the content selection including a user device identifier;

controlling the user device to receive and store the content corresponding to the content selection in response to the tuning data in the control word;

storing the content in the user device; and

generating an email at the content processing system or user device indicative of a completion of storing the content in the user device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating an email comprises generating a completion signal at the user device, communicating the completion signal to the content processing system and generating the email at the content processing system.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating an email comprises generating a completion signal at the user device, communicating the completion signal to a content delivery network at the content processing system and generating the email at a web interface at the content processing system.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising in response to communicating the control word, sending a second email indicating the control word was sent to the user device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein accessing an ordering interactive interface comprises entering the customer identifier and password.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein selecting a content selection comprises selecting linear content.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein selecting a content selection comprises selecting on-demand content.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein selecting a content selection comprises selecting the content selection from a menu on the first device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein selecting a content selection comprises selecting the content from a search result.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to selecting the content from a search result, performing a title search and generating the search result from the title search.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to selecting the content from a search result, performing a channel name search and generating the search result from the channel name search.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to selecting the content from a search result, performing a channel number search and generating the search result from the channel number search.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the control word comprises communicating the control word through a satellite.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the control word comprises communicating the control word through a broadband communication system.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the control word comprises communicating the control word through a terrestrial system.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content through a satellite.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content through a broadband communication system.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content through a terrestrial system.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the control word comprises communicating the control word through a satellite and wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content through a satellite.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a control word comprises communicating the control word through a satellite and wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content through a broadband communication system.

21. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device comprises a satellite television set top box and the first device comprises a mobile device.

22. A system comprising:

a first device;

a user device;

a content processing system in communication with the first device and the user device; and

said first device having an ordering interactive interface having available content, said first device forming a content selection corresponding to on-demand content from the ordering interactive interface and communicating the content selection to the content processing system;

said content processing system communicating a control word to the user device, said control word comprising tuning data that comprises said tuning data comprising data to enable the user device to tune to and store content corresponding to the content selection including a user device identifier;

said user device receiving and storing the content corresponding to the selection in response to the control word; and

said content processing system or the user device generating an email indicative of a completion of storing the content in the user device.

23. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the user device generates a completion signal and communicates the completion signal to the content processing system, said content processing system generating the email.

24. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the user device generates the email.