METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ASSOCIATING CONTENT AND CONTENT INFORMATION IN A MENU STRUCTURE

• US 20090031347A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kidd, Deanna R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,856,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A system and method includes a user device and a content processing system receiving content from a content provider, assigning a material identification to the content, receiving content information different than the content, associating the content information and the content and communicating the content information and material identification to the user device. The user device forms a menu from the content information and associated material identification, generates a menu selection from the menu, and communicates the material identification associated with the menu selection to the content processing system. The content processing system communicates the content corresponding to the menu selection to the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving content from a content provider;

assigning a material identification to the content;

receiving content information different than the content;

associating the content information and the content;

communicating the content information and material identification to a user device;

forming a menu from the content information and associated material identification;

generating a menu selection from the menu;

communicating the material identification associated with the menu selection to a content processing system; and

communicating the content corresponding to the menu selection to the user device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving content comprises receiving content through a first communication means and receiving content information comprises receiving the content through a second communication means different than the first communication means.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the first communication means comprises a satellite or optical fiber and the second means comprises a digital file.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the content information comprises metadata.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content information comprises communicating the content information through a satellite.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content information comprises communicating the content information through a broadband communication system.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content information comprises communicating the content information through a terrestrial system.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a satellite.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a broadband communication system.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a terrestrial system.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content information comprises communicating the content information through a satellite and wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a satellite.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content information comprises communicating the content information through a satellite and wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a broadband communication system.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the content information comprises communicating the content information through a satellite and wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a terrestrial system.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the content information comprises a start time and an end time.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the content information comprises an asset identification.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device comprises a mobile user device.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device comprises a fixed user device.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device comprises a satellite television set top box.

19. A system comprising:

a user device;

a content processing system receiving content from a content provider, assigning a material identification to the content, receiving content information different than the content, associating the content information and the content, communicating the content information and material identification to the user device;

said user device forming a menu from the content information and associated material identification, generating a menu selection from the menu, and communicating the material identification associated with the menu selection to the content processing system; and

said content processing system communicating the content corresponding to the menu selection to the user device.

20. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a first communication means and a second communication means, wherein said content processing system receiving content through the first communication means and wherein the content processing system receiving content information through the second communication means different than the first communication means.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first communication means comprises a satellite or optical fiber and the second means comprises a digital file.

22. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the content information comprises metadata.

23. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a satellite communicating the content information.

24. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a broadband communication system communicating the content information.

25. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a terrestrial system communicating the content information.

26. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a satellite communicating the content.

27. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a broadband communication system communicating the content.

28. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a terrestrial system communicating the content.

29. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a satellite communicating the content information and the content.

30. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a satellite communicating the content information and a broadband communication system communicating the content.

31. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a satellite communicating the content information and a terrestrial system communicating the content.

32. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the content information comprises a start time and an end time.

33. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the content information comprises an asset identification.

34. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device comprises a mobile user device.

35. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device comprises a fixed user device.

36. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device comprises a satellite television set top box.