PURCHASABLE AUDIOVISUAL AND PERSONAL BI-DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION SERVICES

• US 20090282440A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• 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:
  US12/389,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282440A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/60
• 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 method, comprising:

providing first information corresponding to plural bi-directional communication services, wherein at least one of the plural bi-directional communication services corresponds to a bi-directional audiovisual service (BDAVS), the plural bi-directional communication services comprising live, bi-directional audiovisual communication between a subscriber and a person located a destination remote from the subscriber;

providing a visual presentation to the subscriber, wherein the visual presentation includes second information corresponding to purchasing information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information includes time slots when the plural bi-directional communication services are rendered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information includes an indication of period of duration of a session between the person and the subscriber.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second information includes an indication of impending expiration of the session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information includes an indication of quantity of instantiations of one of the plural bi-directional communication services.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information includes an indication of pricing for each of the plural bi-directional communication services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information includes an indication of whether one of the plural bi-directional communication services is recordable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second information includes a price for recording.