System for accessing content by virtual remote control through mapping channel codes to network addresses

• US 6,874,152 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nowavision, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nowavision, LLC
• Inventors: Kurfist, Lewis Andrew, Sasso, Jim, Vermeire, Brian Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/820,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/228, 709/229, 709310-330, 719/329, 719/330
• US Class Current: 719/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system for accessing content over a network of computers. The system includes a database system, a content provider interface, a viewer interface, and a virtual remote control. The database system maps channels codes to network addresses as well as to content descriptions. The network address identifies a unit of information or entertainment content. The channel codes include a genre code and a numerical code. The content provider interface assists content providers in entering the network addresses and the content descriptions for their information and entertainment content into the database system. The viewer interface includes a guide (which may be printed or electronic) and a network browser. The viewer interface displays the content descriptions and allows the user to select and view the unit of content on a channel. The virtual remote control is software implemented and allows the viewer to access the channels or to surf through the channels for a given genre. In different embodiments, the viewer can use a microphone, game pad, infra red controller, mouse, keyboard or other computer peripheral, a speech recognition module and speech synthesizer module to control the virtual remote control or the viewer interface.

Claims

1. A system for organizing and accessing content over a network of computers, the system comprising:

a database system connected to the network that contains a mapping of a plurality of channel codes to a plurality of network addresses and a plurality of content descriptions, where each channel code comprises a textual genre code and a number, and where each network address identifies a unit of content;

a content provider interface to the database system that is connected to the network, for allowing content providers to enter the network addresses and the content descriptions into the database system for the units of content;

a personal computer connected to the network, for use by a computer user to view the units of content over the network; and

a viewer interface software that is loaded on the personal computer, the viewer interface comprising a guide and a browser-independent virtual remote control;

wherein the guide shows the content descriptions for units of content and allows a viewer to select one of the channels for viewing in a network browser application running on the personal computer;

wherein the personal computer displays the guide to the computer user independently from the network browser application; and

wherein the virtual remote control allows the computer user to display the units of content through the network browser application by inputting a textual genre code and a number or by selecting a textual genre code and then scanning channels by browsing through the channel codes for that genre code;

wherein scanning channels by browsing through the channel codes for a genre code comprises cycling only through the channel codes for which units of content are accessible;

wherein the channel code is not a URL.

2. The system for organizing and accessing content from claim 1, wherein channel scan function of the virtual remote control only cycles through the channels codes which have been identified as one of the user'"'"'s favorite channels.

3. The system for organizing and accessing content from claim 1, wherein the Internet Domain Name System is not accessed in providing the computer user with units of content.

4. The system for organizing and accessing content from claim 1, wherein the computer user can access units of content with the virtual remote control via a peripheral device, where the peripheral device is one of:

a microphone, an infra-red controller for accepting commands from a physical remote control, or a game pad.

5. The system for organizing and accessing content from claim 1, wherein one of the textual genre codes represents units of content chosen by the user.