Generating an alert signal for use with digital video recorders

• US 20070079335A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FMR LLC
• Original Assignee: FMR LLC
• Inventors: McDonough, John
• Application Number:
  US11/241,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20070079335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/25891 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47805 Electronic banking banking in general G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The description herein describes generating an alert signal for use with digital video recorders. In a described implementation, a method for generating an alert includes receiving a first information from a services provider and generating an alert signal. In the implementation, the first information is associated with a customer and is unrelated to television programming. Also in the implementation, the alert signal is generated on a digital video recorder associated with the customer, the alert being based on the first information.

Claims

1. A method for generating an alert signal comprising:

receiving a first information from a services provider, the first information associated with a customer and being unrelated to television programming; and

generating an alert signal based on the first information on a digital video recorder associated with the customer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the services provider is a digital video recorder services provider.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the services provider is a financial services provider.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first information comprises financial information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the financial information comprises a news story about a company wherein the customer owns a share of stock of the company, a price for a stock owned by the customer, stocks selected to be monitored, a stream of financial data, a list of stock quotes selected by the services provider, or any combination thereof.

6. A method for generating an alert signal comprising:

performing a calculation based on a first information associated with a customer and being unrelated to television programming; and

generating an alert signal for use with a digital video recorder when the calculation meets a first criterion.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising displaying an indicator on a display device in communication with the digital video recorder.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first criterion comprises a change in the value of a financial asset.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising sending the alert signal from a services provider.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the services provider is a digital video recorder services provider.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the services provider is a financial services provider.

12. A system for providing financial information from a financial services provider comprising:

a server adapted to associate a first customer information associated with a digital video recorder services provider and a second customer information associated with the financial services provider; and

to provide the financial information from the financial services provider to a digital video recorder based on the first and second customer information.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the server is adapted to associate the first customer information and the second customer information by providing an identifier from the digital video recorder services provider to the financial services provider.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the identifier is associated with a digital video recorder.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising the digital video recorder adapted to render the financial information.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the digital video recorder is further adapted to render the financial information including a visual component that describes the financial information in more detail.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the digital video recorder is further adapted to render the financial information including an audio component that describes the financial information in more detail.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the digital video recorder is further adapted to render the financial information including a textual component that describes the financial information in more detail.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the digital video recorder services provider provides digital content downloads to the digital video recorder.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the financial services provider manages a financial asset.

21. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for generating an alert signal, the computer program product including instructions being operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a first information from a services provider, the first information associated with a customer and being unrelated to television programming; and

generate an alert signal based on the first information on a digital video recorder associated with the customer.