Viewer selection of programs to be subsequently delivered

• US 20060230418A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DigiMedia Tech, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Union Beach Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Tannenbaum, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,681,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Television users may record abstracts of programs that they desire and program providers may access the recorded program abstracts from time to time so as to provide the program content that matches the requested program. In one embodiment, the user may select a TV program (or movie) that is not currently available and then at a time subsequent thereto that program is made available to the user, either privately, or over the public network. In another embodiment, users of the system may record program requests. Program providers may then access these requests from time to time and provide the requested program, even if the program had not been available at the time the request was initially posted.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting from said user information pertaining to a program desired to be viewed by said user;

matching by a first content provider other than said user, said accepted information against a list of known programs currently scheduled to be delivered by said first content provider;

upon a non-match condition making said accepted information available to at least one second content provider, said second content provider being a source separate from said first content provider; and

informing said user as to when matching programs will be delivered by any said second content provider.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

allowing said user to receive said programs at the informed time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said program information is selected from the list including future programs, past programs, past events, program concepts, biographies, actors, travelogues, subject matter, movies, concerts, performers, time frames, sitcoms, sports, affinity programs, historical figures, news events, programs not yet scheduled.

4. A method for allowing a user to receive programs desired by said user, said method comprising:

accepting from said user information pertaining to a program desired to be obtained by said user;

matching, by other than said user, said accepted information against programs that become available for delivery to said user said programs having a start and stop time pertaining to a particular time zone; and

sending program recording instructions from a program transmission source to equipment at said user'"'"'s premises, said recording instructions operative for establishing a start and stop transmission time for recording said program when said program is transmitted to said user, said established start and stop time dependant upon said user'"'"'s time zone.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

transmitting for recording on said user'"'"'s equipment matched ones of said programs in accordance with sent ones of said recording instructions.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said scheduling further comprises:

interactive communication with at least one of said users to determine if said one user desires said specific program.

7. A method for allowing users to electronically receive programs, said method comprising:

accepting by a program transmission source from requesting users information pertaining to a program desired to be received by at least one of said requesting users; and

scheduling by said accepting program transmission source for electronic delivery to said requesting users a specific program matching said accepted information from said users, said specific program only being scheduled and available for electronic delivery by said transmission source to requesting users based upon accepted ones of said information.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

making available by said transmission source to at least one party other than said transmission source at least some of said accepted information pertaining to programs desired to be viewed by said users; and

determining by each of said other parties whether to provide programs to said transmission source that match said made available information.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

transmitting program recording instructions from said program transmission source to equipment at said users'"'"' premises, said recording instructions operable for establishing start and stop times for recording said scheduled ones of said specific programs.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

informing each said user as to the time when said program will be electronically delivered to said user.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

adjusting the electronic delivery time to each said user dependant upon that user'"'"'s time zone.

12. A method for providing entertainment programs to a user, said entertainment programs provided from a service provider and communicated electronically to requesting ones of said users, said system comprising:

recording user requests for specific information;

matching recorded ones of said requests with entertainment programs scheduled for electronic communication to users served by said provider;

upon a non-match condition, making at least some of said recorded ones of said user requests available to a plurality of entertainment providers;

determining under control of any one of said entertainment providers if said entertainment provider has programs containing specific information that matches a recorded request from a particular user; and

scheduling a specific program to be delivered to a particular user in response to a determination that an entertainment provider has available for delivery to said user said program containing specific information as requested by said particular user.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

negotiating between said particular user and said last-mentioned entertainment provider to determine whether or not to schedule said specific program.

14. A method for allowing a user to receive desired entertainment programs;

said method comprising;

under control of any of a number of potential content providers, reviewing flags set buy users, said flags identifying information pertaining to a programs desired to be viewed by said users; and

upon a particular content provider determining that said content provider controls content that matches a flag of a particular user, delivering to said particular user said determined content from said particular content provider.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said delivering is at a time mutually agreed upon by said particular content provider and said particular user without regard to the time of delivery of said content to any other user.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said delivering is by setting recording times at a recorder under the physical control of said particular user, said recorder being remote from said particular content provider.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said delivered content is created by one or more of said potential content providers based, at least in part on said flag information of said particular user.