BI-DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION SERVICES OVER CABLE NETWORKS

• US 20090193480A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Arturo A.
• Application Number:
  US12/389,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193480A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for accessing services in a television system. In one embodiment, a DHCT presents a subscriber an EPG presentation containing a plurality of selectable bi-directional services that are purchasable for a period of time and rendered to a buying subscriber on an individualized basis as offered by the cable television system. The subscriber navigates an EPG menu presentation with an input device such as a remote control device and selects a purchasable service by choosing the visual representation that corresponds to the desired service. The DHCT receives the user input, translates the selected command into an executable program call that queries service availability and, if the service is available, initiates the selected bi-directional audiovisual service on a personalized session.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

headend logic residing in a headend (HE), the headend logic configured to be communicatively coupled to a remote device and a digital home communication terminal (DHCT), the headend logic further configured to engage in direct, two-way bi-directional audiovisual communication with the DHCT and the remote device, the engagement enabling personalized, live bi-directional audiovisual services between a subscriber associated with the DHCT and a person associated with the remote device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the person associated with the remote device comprises a vendor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the bi-directional audiovisual services includes a diagnostic service.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the bi-directional audiovisual services includes a consulting service.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the bi-directional audiovisual services includes an educational service.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the bi-directional audiovisual services includes a shopping service.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the bi-directional audiovisual services includes a health or fitness services.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the bi-directional audiovisual services includes an adult entertainment service.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the headend logic is further configured to update the DHCT asynchronously as to availability of the bi-directional audiovisual services.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the direct, two-way bi-directional audiovisual communication corresponds to an IP connection.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the headend logic is further configured to determine whether instantiations of one or more of the bi-directional audiovisual services is available.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the headend logic is further configured to determine whether instantiations of one or more of the bi-directional audiovisual services is available responsive to a second subscriber requesting one of the bi-directional audiovisual services currently provided to a first subscriber.