System for presenting media content

• US 9,942,613 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• 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: White, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US14/755,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 725 34, 725133, 725 58, 725 61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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

Abstract

A process that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, selecting a media content item and constructing a tout message based on the media content item. Information associated with the media content item is included within the tout message, which includes a selectable link. The selectable link includes instructions for directing equipment of a subscriber to access the media content item without the subscriber providing additional input. A group of communication devices associated with the subscriber is identified, and the tout message is transmitted to a communication device of the group. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

monitoring subscriber equipment for consumption of media content;

selecting a media content item based on the monitoring of the subscriber equipment;

predicting a likelihood of reaching a subscriber based on a use by the subscriber of a communication device in a group of communication devices associated with the subscriber, wherein the group of communication devices includes a mobile communication device of the subscriber;

selecting the mobile communication device based on the prediction;

constructing a tout message associated with the media content item, the tout message including information associated with the media content item, selectable links, and instructions for directing the subscriber using the mobile communication device to perform one of;

preview the media content item, purchase the media content item, and reject the media content item; and

transmitting the tout message to the mobile communication device of the subscriber, wherein the transmitting of the tout message causes the mobile communication device to display selectable buttons in a graphical user interface in which the tout message is presented, wherein the selectable buttons comprise the selectable links, and wherein a selection of a selectable button of the selectable buttons associated with the purchase of the media content item directs the subscriber equipment to record the media content item without the subscriber providing additional input.

2. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the media content item according to preferences of the subscriber.

3. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the prediction is determined from detecting a handover transition between base stations, from global positioning system coordinate information supplied by global positioning system receivers in the group of communication devices, or any combinations thereof.

4. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the use by the subscriber is determined from network activity emanating from the group of communication devices and wherein the operations further comprise:

constructing a second tout message associated with a second media content item, the second tout message including information associated with the second media content item, a selectable link, and instructions for directing the mobile communication device of a subscriber to either preview the second media content item, purchase the second media content item, or reject the second media content item; and

transmitting the second tout message to the mobile communication device of the subscriber responsive to the subscriber rejecting the tout message associated with the media content item.

5. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the tout message is transmitted using an email message.

6. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the tout message is transmitted using a wireless multimedia messaging service message or a Rich Site Summary feed.

7. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the consumption of the media content comprises a presentation of the media content at the subscriber equipment, storing of the media content, or both, and wherein a selection of a selectable button directs the subscriber equipment to preview the media content item identified by the tout message without the subscriber providing additional input.

8. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

selecting a media content item for a subscriber;

predicting a likelihood of reaching a subscriber based on a use by the subscriber of a communication device in a group of communication devices associated with the subscriber, wherein the group of communication devices includes a mobile communication device of the subscriber;

selecting a mobile communication device of the subscriber based on the prediction;

constructing a tout message associated with the media content item, wherein the tout message includes information associated with the media content item, selectable links, and instructions for the subscriber using the mobile communication device to access the media content item, including;

previewing the media content item,

purchasing the media content item, and

rejecting the media content item; and

transmitting the tout message to the mobile communication device of the subscriber, wherein the transmitting of the tout message causes the mobile communication device to present selectable buttons in a graphical user interface in which the tout message is presented, wherein the selectable buttons comprise the selectable links, wherein responsive to a selection of a selectable button of the selectable buttons, a system is directed to supply the media content to the mobile communication device and directs the mobile communication device to record the media content item without the subscriber providing additional input, and wherein the system is remote from the mobile communication device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the predicting is determined from detecting a handover transition between base stations, from global positioning system coordinate information supplied by global positioning system receivers in the group of communication devices, from network activity emanating from the group of communication devices, or any combinations thereof.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the media content item is selected according to a history of media content consumed by the subscriber.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the media content item is selected according to preferences of the subscriber.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring for consumption of media content by subscriber equipment of the subscriber, wherein the selecting of the media content item is based on the consumption.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the tout message is transmitted using an email message, a wireless multimedia messaging service message, or a Rich Site Summary feed.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the tout message does not include images associated with the media content item.

15. A method comprising:

selecting, by a processing system including a processor, a media content item;

constructing, by the processing system, a tout message based on the media content item, wherein the tout message includes information associated with the media content item, and wherein the tout message comprises selectable links including instructions for directing equipment of a subscriber to access the media content item, including;

previewing the media content item,

purchasing the media content item, and

rejecting the media content item;

identifying, by the processing system, a group of communication devices associated with the subscriber including a mobile communication device;

predicting, by the processing system, a likelihood of reaching a subscriber based on a use by the subscriber of a communication device in the group of communication devices identified;

selecting, by the processing system, a communication device in the group of communication devices identified based on the predicting; and

transmitting, by the processing system, the tout message to the communication device selected, wherein a selection of a selectable link of the selectable links by the communication device selected directs the equipment of the subscriber to supply the media content item to the communication device selected and directs the mobile communication device to record the media content item without the subscriber providing additional input, and wherein the equipment of the subscriber is remote from the communication device selected.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predicting is determined from detecting a handover transition between base stations, from global positioning system coordinate information supplied by global positioning system receivers in the group of communication devices, from network activity emanating from the group of communication devices, or any combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the tout message is transmitted using an email message, a wireless multimedia messaging service message, or a Rich Site Summary feed, and

wherein the transmitting of the tout message causes the communication device selected to present a selectable button within a graphical user interface in which the tout message is presented.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting, by the system, the media content item according to preferences of the subscriber.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the tout message includes images associated with the media content item.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the instructions include a time, duration and media channel.