System and method for managing, converting and displaying video content on a video-on-demand platform, including ads used for drill-down navigation and consumer-generated classified ads

• US 7,590,997 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Inventors: DIAZ PEREZ, Milton
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, MUSHFIKH I
• Application Number:
  US10/909,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system for a digital television service provider manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The hierarchical templatized displays enable viewers to navigate through a series of displays to the end subject of interest. For example, a viewer can navigate from national product to local product ad, or classified ad category to specific classified ad, or bulletin board topic category to specific posting. In another embodiment, a web-based Content Management System converts video content uploaded online with metadata for title and topical area into digital TV program format compatible with the VOD content delivery system and indexed on a TV program menu by title and topical area.

Claims

1. A video content delivery method for automatically enabling the uploading of video content segments on an open online network to a cable TV service provider network which is a closed system of pre-screened and pre-programmed video content selectable for viewing by viewers inputting key presses on their TV remote control units to set-top boxes connected to their TV equipment, that the uploaded video content with metadata is automatically converted to linked templated displays based on the metadata representing their location in a hierarchical ordering, and that cable TV viewers can thereby navigate through the linked templated displays of video content using their TV remote controls, for viewing on their respective TV equipment by immersive drill-down navigation through the video content segments with their TV remote control units, comprising:

enabling the uploading of a plurality of video content segments from a video content provider on an open online network, wherein the uploading of each video content segment is required to be accompanied by the associated metadata representing a specified location of said video content segment in a hierarchical ordering of video content segments;

receiving the uploading of the plurality of video content segments and the associated metadata from the open online network to a video-on-demand (VOD) Application Server located at a head end of the cable TV service provider network which is connected to the open online network, and storing the video content segments and metadata in a Video Server associated with said VOD Application Server;

providing the VOD Application Server with a hierarchical ordering of video display templates for displaying the video content segments in a drill-down manner by viewing a templated, higher-order video content segment having one or more link(s) to templated, lower-order video content segment(s) to enable drill-down viewing of a viewer-selected lower-order video content segment;

automatically establishing at the Video Server operative with the VOD Application Server a specific location of a templated display for each video content segment in the hierarchical ordering by assigning each said video content segment to a corresponding video display template and providing drill-down links for the video display template in the hierarchical ordering as designated by the associated metadata for each said video content segment, said drill-down links including at least a link from a higher-order template containing a higher-order video content segment to a lower-order template containing a lower-order video content segment;

operating said VOD Application Server with said Video Server to transmit a templated display of at least a higher-order video content segment to TV service subscribers for display on their TV equipment, and enabling each TV service subscriber to drill down to a linked lower-order video content segment by a keypress on their associated TV remote control unit corresponding to the drill-down link on the higher-order templated display to a linked lower-order template display of a selected lower-order video content segment, whereupon said VOD Application Server, in response to the cable TV service subscriber'"'"'s selection of a lower-order video content segment, is operated to transmit the lower-order templated display containing the selected lower-order video content segment to said TV service subscriber for display on their TV equipment,

whereby the TV service subscribers of the cable TV service provider network are enabled to view immersive video content uploaded by a video content provider on the open online network by drill-down navigation through the hierarchical ordering of higher to lower-order video content segments transmitted to their TV equipment.

2. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, further comprising creating and storing at an Application Data Center a plurality of different video display templates for presentation of video content segments in the hierarchical ordering, said Application Data Center being connected to the VOD Application Server for transmitting said video display templates thereto, wherein said Application Data Center enables a pre-determined hierarchical ordering for the video display templates by categories and subcategories to be established for use by a video content provider in assigning in associated metadata a path of drill-down links through categories and subcategories of templates for each video content segment.

3. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein a higher-order templated video content segment is a product ad, and a lower-order templated video content segment is an ad for a local retailer of the product.

4. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein the higher-order templated video content segment is a product ad at a national level, and the lower-order templated video content segment is an ad for a product at a local level.

5. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein the higher-order templated video content segment is a classified ad category, and the lower-order templated video content segment is a specific classified ad within that category.

6. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein the higher-order templated video content segment is a bulletin board topic category, and the lower-order templated video content segment is a specific posting within that category.

7. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein cable TV service subscribers are provided with a menu display for selections of general topics of interest, and upon selection of a general topic of interest, a TV gateway is opened to display a higher-order templated video content segment having links to lower-order templated video content segments, whereby the cable TV service subscribers can enter into drill-down navigation of immersive, drill-down displays through the TV gateway selected from the menu display.

8. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein a User Interface for drill-down navigation is provided on the cable TV service subscribers equipment:

said User Interface displaying as a first menu display of topical areas for viewer selection using the remote control unit;

upon viewer selection of a topical area, said User Interface displays a higher-order video content segment relating to the selected topical area with links for viewer selection to drill-down to related subtopical areas; and

upon viewer selection of a subtopical area by the remote control unit, said User Interface displays a video content segment relating to the subtopical area with further links for viewer selection to drill-down to more specific topics.

9. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a Content Management Website connected to the open online network for enabling video content producers to upload video content segments to the VOD Application Server, said Content Management Website comprising:

a Content Screening Component for receiving video content segments and screening them for objectionable text, audio, video and/or images and for rejecting said content if objectionable text, audio, video and/or images are found;

a Content Feed Component for automatically transferring the screened video content segments to a Content Conversion Component;

a Content Conversion Component for automatically converting the transferred video content segments into a video data format compatible with the VOD Application Server and Video Server of the cable TV service provider network.

10. A video content delivery method according to claim 1, wherein the video content segments are viewed as immersive drill-down displays for one or more of the group consisting of:

product ads, retailer ads, classified ads, topical subjects, and bulletin board listings.