Presenting programs

• US 20070113259A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Peter Hookham-Miller
• Original Assignee: Peter Hookham-Miller
• Inventors: Hookham-Miller, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/651,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113259A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/132
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 21/41265 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• 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 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 Control of the passage of the selected programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The invention relates to provision of improved services in connection with presenting a program for a user. Information of the user is stored in a remote management unit, preferably in a database thereof. A broadcasting system provides a terminal with a program signal and the program is presented to the user. Upon detection of a predefined event data is transported between the remote management unit and a user device that is operable by the user while he/she is experiencing the program. The transportation occurs over a packet data network and a wireless data communication link arranged between the packet data network and the user device. The data that associates with the program is personalised based on said stored information.

Claims

1. A system for presenting a program, comprising:

a program representation terminal configured to represent the program to a user;

a broadcasting system configured to provide the program to the program representation terminal;

a packet data communication network;

a remote management unit that is connected to the packet data communication network, said remote management unit comprising a processor configured to process data that associates with the program; and

a user device operable by the user while experiencing the program, the user device being adapted for communication over the packet data network by means of a wireless data communication link between the data communication network and the user device and to present information to the user based on data that is received via the wireless data communication link from the remote management unit while the user is experiencing the program.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data transportation between the user device and the remote management unit provides interaction between a viewer of a television program provided by the broadcasting system and the television program.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, which is further configured to monitor for a predefined event.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the system is adapted to transport data between the management unit and the user device in response to detection of the predefined event by the monitoring means.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predefined event is detected based on a time-code associated with the program.

6. A method for presenting a program for a user, comprising:

storing information that associates with the user in a remote management unit;

providing a program representation device with a program signal by means of a program signal broadcasting system;

presenting the program to the user based on the program signal; and

in response to a predefined event, transporting data between the remote management unit and a user device operable by the user while experiencing the program, the transportation occurring over a packet data network and a wireless data communication link between the packet data network and the user device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein data is transported from the remote management unit.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein data is transported from the user device.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the data transported between the management unit and the user device comprises further content that associates with the program.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the data transportation between the user device and the remote management unit provides interaction between a viewer of a television program provided by a television system and the television system.

11. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a packet data message is generated at the user device in response to an input by the user, the generated message is subsequently transported from the user device to the remote management unit, and in response to receiving the packet data message, the remote management unit generates a further packet data message to be transported to the user device.

12. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the program includes at least one event to which the user may react by inputting a response into the user device.

13. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein one or more questions or tasks are presented to the user by the user device based on data transported from the remote management unit, and wherein the user inputs response to said one or more questions or tasks, data based on the response is transported to the management unit, and the management unit generates ands transmits a feedback message regarding the response to the user device.

14. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the data transportation is triggered by a predefined event that associates with the program.

15. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the data transportation is triggered based on monitoring of a time-code

16. A system for presenting a program, comprising:

a program representation terminal for representing the program to a user;

program replaying apparatus for providing the program to the program representation terminal;

a packet data communication network;

a remote management unit that is connected to the packet data communication network, said remote management unit comprising a processor configured to process data that associates with the program and a storage unit configured to store information that associates with the user; and

a user device operate e by the user while experiencing the program, the user device being adapted for communication over the packet data network by means of a wireless data communication link between the data communication network and the user device and to present information to the user based on data that is received via the wireless data communication link from the remote management unit while the user is experiencing the program.

17. A method for presenting a program for a user, comprising:

storing information that associates with the user in a remote management unit;

generating a program signal by means of replaying apparatus;

providing a program representation device with the program signal;

presenting the program to the user based on the program signal; and

in response to a predefined event, transporting data between the remote management unit and a user device operable by the user while experiencing the program, the transportation occurring over a packet data network and a wireless data communication link between the packet data network and the user device, and said data associating with the program.

18. A method for providing interactivity for a viewer of a television program provided by a television system, comprising:

displaying the television program to the viewer based on a signal from the television system;

generating a packet data message that is to be transmitted between a remote management unit and a handheld controller operable by the viewer while viewing the program, wherein the management unit is connected to a packet switched data communication system and is configured to process and store information that associates with the program, and wherein the handheld controller is associated with a wireless module enabling a wireless data communication link between the controller and the packet switched communication network; and

transmitting the packet data message between the wireless module and the packet switched telecommunication system via the wireless data communication link, wherein the packet data message and the signal from the television system are transported via separate communication systems.

19. A portable user device operable by a viewer of a television program while viewing the program presented by a television terminal adapted to receive a television signal from a television system, comprising:

a communication module enabling data communication over a wireless interface between the portable user device and a packet data communication system, said packet data communication system being an independent system from the television system; and

a controller adapted to process data received from or to be transported to a remote management unit that is connected to the packet data communication system;

whereby the portable user device is adapted communicate data that associates with the television program over said wireless interface at the same time when the television program is presented to the viewer.