Method and system for providing a content notification for a set-top box

• US 9,866,917 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goergen, Michael, LaFreniere, Gary W., Emerson, David, Rondeau, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hance, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tien M
• Application Number:
  US15/040,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• 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 21/25808 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 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system for providing a content notification for a set-top box is disclosed. An embodiment is disclosed that receives security information at a web portal and the security information has identification information for a user assigned to a set-top box, services a request to create a content notification preference for the set-top box at the web portal in response to successful entry of security information, determines media content received by the set-top box and the media content selected for display, determines the content notification preference associated with the set-top box, the content notification preference has a content notification rule to monitor media content received by the set-top box, and sends a content notification to a recipient based on the content notification preference.

Claims

1. A method for providing a content notification, comprising:

receiving security information at a computer, the security information comprising identification information for a user assigned to a set-top box;

servicing, with the computer, a request to create a content notification rule for the set-top box, in response to successful entry of security information, wherein the request to create a content notification rule includes user-selected settings for sending a content notification, and wherein the content notification rule comprises a descriptor that relies on usage information for a plurality of set-top boxes, such that the content notification indicating that content is capable of being accessed will not be sent for content associated with the descriptor that already has been selected to be displayed in the future or stored in the future by any of the plurality of set-top boxes; and

sending the content notification to the user based on the content notification rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting usage information from the set-top box; and

automatically providing content notifications to the user based on the usage information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content notification rule includes a user-selected method for sending the content notification to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instant message request from a user device to create a second content notification rule; and

creating the second content notification rule in accordance with the instant message request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change of media content received at the set-top box; and

storing usage information on the change of media content in a database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content notification comprises a message sent to a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a web portal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer is incorporated within the set-top box.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content notification comprises a user-inputted personalized message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third party usage information for a third party associated with the user on a social network; and

creating a second content notification based on the third party usage information.

11. A system for providing a content notification, comprising:

a processor that executes a set of instructions for providing a content notification; and

a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable medium comprising the set of instructions for providing the content notification, wherein the set of instructions when executed using the processor causes the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving security information at a computer, the security information comprising identification information for a user assigned to a set-top box;

servicing, with the computer, a request to create a content notification rule for the set-top box, in response to successful entry of security information, wherein the request to create a content notification rule includes user-selected settings for sending a content notification, and wherein the content notification rule comprises a descriptor that relies on usage information for a plurality of set-top boxes, such that the content notification indicating that content is capable of being accessed will not be sent for content associated with the descriptor that already has been selected to be displayed in the future or stored in the future by any of the plurality of set-top boxes; and

sending the content notification to the user based on the content notification rule.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

requesting usage information from the set-top box; and

automatically providing content notifications to the user based on the usage information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the content notification rule includes a user-selected method for sending the content notification to the user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an instant message request from a user device to create a second content notification rule; and

creating the second content notification rule in accordance with the instant message request.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a change of media content received at the set-top box; and

storing usage information on the change of media content in a database.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the content notification comprises a message sent to a mobile device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the system comprises a web portal.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is incorporated within the set-top box.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the content notification comprises a user-inputted personalized message.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving third party usage information for a third party associated with the user on a social network; and

creating a second content notification based on the third party usage information.