CONFIGURABLE OPTIONS FOR ACCESSIBLE ON-DEMAND INFORMATION

• US 20090158339A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jerding, Dean F., Rodriguez, Arturo A.
• Application Number:
  US12/372,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158339A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• 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 21/42204 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method for providing a television service enhancement includes receiving a first user input requesting a television service, providing the user with an option to receive an enhancement to the television service for a charge, and receiving a second user input selecting the option to receive the enhancement to the television service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a user with one or more video-on-demand (VOD) service enhancement configuration screens, the screens comprising plural selectable options corresponding to respective service enhancements to be implemented in association with a VOD service, the screens further comprising plural fields, each field corresponding to a charge for each of the service enhancements;

receiving input by the user corresponding to selection of one or more of the options; and

storing the one or more selections in memory for later retrieval for use in conjunction with the requested VOD service.

2. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of an audio language.

3. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of trick mode functionality.

4. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of a rental extension.

5. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of recording of a VOD presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of enhanced resolution of video images corresponding to a VOD presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of pop-up comments.

8. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of bookmarking functionality.

9. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of multiple levels of video quality, audio quality, or a combination of both.

10. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of a list of VOD titles for reminder.

11. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of a mechanism to block certain VOD channels or VOD programs from being presented to unauthorized viewers.

12. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of a mechanism to enable searching of VOD titles.

13. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of a mechanism to enable browsing of sub-categories of VOD titles corresponding to a user selected indexing parameter.

14. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of a mechanism to receive user-selected VOD previews.

15. The method of claim 1, where the options correspond to configuration of a mechanism to receive VOD rental recommendations based on a user profile or ordering history.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an initial screen immediately before one of the VOD service enhancement configuration screens that suggests to the user that enhancement to the VOD service is available, the initial screen further enabling access to the one of the VOD service enhancement configuration screens.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling access to the VOD service with the selected options, wherein enabling access comprises retrieving the one or more selections from memory, and presenting a VOD rental screen, wherein the VOD rental screen comprises at least one of the service enhancement options corresponding to a choice of rental period among plural rental periods.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising enabling access to the VOD service with the selected options, wherein enabling access comprises retrieving the one or more selections from memory, and presenting a VOD stop screen that is presented during an interruption in a VOD presentation, the stop screen populated with the selected options.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising enabling access to the VOD service with the selected options, wherein enabling access comprises retrieving the one or more selections from memory, and presenting a VOD category screen populated with the selected options.

20. A system, comprising:

a client device comprising;

a memory having executable instructions stored thereon; and

a processor configured by the instructions to;

provide a user with one or more video-on-demand (VOD) service enhancement configuration screens, the screens comprising plural selectable options corresponding to respective service enhancements to be implemented in association with a VOD service, the screens further comprising plural fields, each field corresponding to a charge for each of the service enhancements;

receive input by the user corresponding to selection of one or more of the options;

store the one or more selections in memory for later retrieval for use in conjunction with the requested VOD service; and

provide for display a service screen corresponding to the VOD service, the service screen populated with one or more of the selections.