Daypart guide workflow

• US 7,716,703 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sheldon, Andrew K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Randy
• Application Number:
  US10/653,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,443 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 725/39, 725/40, 725/42, 725/44, 725 34- 35, 725/59, 725/86, 725/91, 725/98, 725/109, 725/144
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Advertising templates, and request for corresponding multimedia programs that are available for distribution to third parties during a time period, are transmitted to content providers who respond by sending ad elements corresponding to the advertising templates. Daypart guides showing particular ad elements are designed for a particular headend and daypart. Each daypart guide is available to viewers serviced by the particular headend only during the time of day corresponding to the daypart. Viewers of the daypart guide select one of the ad elements each of which is navigationally linked to a display request page for the corresponding multimedia program from which the viewer can request to initiate a real time distribution thereof.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computing device by a processor configured to execute instructions that, when executed by the processor, direct the computing device to perform acts comprising:

searching a multimedia program database for one or more multimedia programs based on;

(1) an indicated viewing period, and (2) a licensing agreement of the multimedia program;

requesting a multimedia program of the one or more multimedia programs and a corresponding ad element based on the searching of the multimedia program database, wherein the requested ad element specifies a desired format of the ad element based on a technology capability of a broadcast carousel of a multisystem operator;

receiving the requested multimedia program and the corresponding ad element for a real time distribution to a third party, wherein the received ad element complies with the desired format;

forming a plurality of daypart guides each comprising;

a template page including advertising space;

the ad element assembled into the template page;

a first navigational link from the ad element to a video storefront for a corresponding multimedia program, the video storefront including a second navigational link selectable by the third party to initiate a real time distribution of the corresponding multimedia program;

indication of a time of day; and

indication of one or more headends;

transmitting each formed daypart guide to the indicated one or more headends before the indicated time of day of any day during the viewing period;

receiving a daypart guide request from the third party;

determining which of the plurality of formed daypart guides corresponds to the daypart guide request by comparing the time of day of the daypart guide request with the indicated time of day;

polling a video delivery server for the corresponding multimedia program; and

when the polling determines that the corresponding multimedia program is resident on the video delivery server, initiating a real time distribution of the determined daypart guide to the third party from the indicated one or more headends that is associated with the third party;

wherein, a content provider indicates the indicated one or more headends, the indicated time of day, and the indicated viewing period, wherein the content provider has ownership rights in the multimedia program and the owner of the indicated one or more headends receives distribution rights in the multimedia program from the content provider.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the multimedia program corresponding to the selected ad element to the indicated headend prior to the viewing period, wherein the viewing period is a plurality of days.

3. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the third party for a real time distribution of the multimedia program, wherein the request is initiated by;

a first input selecting the ad element in the determined daypart guide;

a transmission to the third party of the video storefront linked to the selected ad element; and

a second input making the request from the video storefront;

initiating the real time distribution of the requested multimedia program to the third party from the indicated headend.

4. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving transmissions from a plurality of content providers each including information regarding a plurality of multimedia programs available for real time distribution to third parties during respective viewing periods; and

receiving input to make requests for, and corresponding to, the multimedia programs.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving is performed through the internet.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the multimedia program is selected from the group consisting of a pay per view, a video on demand, and a multimedia advertisement.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the video storefront contains an information regarding the corresponding multimedia program, the information selected from the group consisting of:

a title of the multimedia program;

the viewing period;

a genre;

a name of a corresponding content provider;

a studio corresponding to the multimedia program;

a preview availability for the multimedia program;

a run time for the multimedia program;

a type of the multimedia program;

a value for box office revenue for the multimedia program;

a rating value for the multimedia program; and

a combination of the foregoing.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the multimedia program further comprises a preview of the multimedia program.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the video storefront is a storefront web page; and

the daypart guide is a storefront web page.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the video storefront is a markup language page; and

the daypart guide is a markup language page.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the ad element contains objects selected from the group consisting of a title, a textual description, an image associated with the multimedia program corresponding thereto, and a combination thereof.

12. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the transmitting each formed daypart guide to the indicated one or more headends before the indicated time of day of any day during the viewing period further comprises an interactive scheduling routine for each indicated headend, the interactive scheduling routine corresponding to the indicated time of day.

13. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the forming a plurality of daypart guides comprises an interactive scheduling routine for each indicated headend, the interactive scheduling routine corresponding to the indicated time of day.

14. A method as described in claim 1, wherein an interactive scheduling routine comprises selecting from among the ads, for arrangement into a template for each daypart guide, those having a corresponding multimedia program likely to be desirable for viewing by the third party at the indicated time of day.

15. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the forming the plurality of daypart guides includes designing, via an multimedia delivery service provider, the plurality of daypart guides using one or more daypart guide templates.

16. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the indicated time of day is a daypart selected from the group consisting of morning, daytime, early fringe, primetime, late news, late fringe, weekend access, and weekend late night.

17. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time of day is a continuous block of time that is not less than fifteen minutes and that is not more than a daypart.

18. A method as described in claim 17, wherein the daypart is selected from the group consisting of morning, daytime, early fringe, primetime, late news, late fringe, weekend access, and weekend late night.

19. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of claim 1.

20. A method implemented on a computing device by a processor configured to execute instructions that, when executed by the processor, direct the computing device to perform acts comprising:

transmitting from a multimedia delivery service provider to content providers;

requests for multimedia programs that are available for distribution to third parties during a license period; and

an ad element template that correspond to a template for a daypart guide, the ad element template specifying a desired ad element format associated with a technology capability of a broadcast carousel at a headend of a multisystem operator;

receiving ad elements from the content providers;

queuing the received ad elements for approval at the multisystem operator;

disapproving the ad elements at the queue of the multisystem operator when a format of the ad elements is incompatible with the desired ad element format;

receiving input from the content providers, the input selecting the network resource, the license period of availability, and the corresponding multimedia programs;

transmitting to the selected network resource, prior to the corresponding license period of availability, data encoding the selected multimedia programs;

receiving input from the content providers to form the daypart guide, the input comprising selections of;

one or more ad elements assembled into the template for the daypart guide;

a navigational link from each of the one or more selected ad element to a storefront web page for a corresponding selected multimedia program; and

a predetermined time of day for distributing the formed daypart guide to the third parties;

transmitting the formed daypart guide to the selected network resource in advance of the predetermined time of day of any day during the corresponding license period of availability of the selected multimedia programs;

receiving a request for the formed daypart guide from one of the third parties during;

the predetermined time of day; and

the corresponding license period of availability of the selected multimedia programs;

polling a video delivery server for the corresponding selected multimedia program;

when the polling determines that the corresponding selected multimedia program is resident on the video delivery server, initiating a real time distribution of the formed daypart guide to the one of the third parties from the selected network resource,

wherein the content providers have ownership rights in the multimedia programs and the license period is a plurality of days during which the content providers grants a distribution right to an owner of the network resource.

21. A method as described in claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, and the network resource, a request from one of the third parties to the network resource for a real time distribution of one of the multimedia programs, wherein the request is initiated by;

a first input selecting one of the ad elements in the formed daypart guide;

responsive to the first input, a transmission to the third party of the storefront web page linked to the selected ad element; and

a second input making the request from the storefront web page;

initiating the real time distribution of the requested multimedia program to the one of the third parties from the selected network resource.

22. A method as described in claim 20, further comprising:

receiving transmissions from a plurality of content providers each including information regarding a plurality of multimedia programs available for real time distribution to third parties during respective license periods; and

receiving input from one of the third parties to make a request for real time distribution of one of the multimedia programs.

23. A method as described in claim 20, wherein each transmission is performed through the internet.

24. A method as described in claim 20, wherein each multimedia program is selected from the group consisting of a pay per view, a video on demand, and a multimedia advertisement.

25. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the storefront web page contains information regarding the multimedia program, the information selected from the group consisting of:

a title of the multimedia program;

the license period;

a genre;

a name of the corresponding content provider;

a studio corresponding to the multimedia program;

a preview availability for the multimedia program;

a run time for the multimedia program;

a type of the multimedia program;

a value for a box office revenue for the multimedia program;

a rating value for the multimedia program; and

a combination of the foregoing.

26. A method as described in claim 20, wherein each multimedia program further comprises a preview of the multimedia program.

27. A method as described in claim 20, wherein:

the daypart guide is a storefront web page.

28. A method as described in claim 20, wherein:

the storefront web page is a markup language page; and

the daypart guide is a markup language page.

29. A method as described in claim 20, wherein each ad element contains objects associated with the multimedia program corresponding thereto, the objects selected from the group consisting of a title, a textual description, an image, and a combination thereof.

30. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the transmitting the formed daypart guide to the selected network resource further comprises transmitting an interactive scheduling routine for the selected network resource that corresponds to the predetermined time of day.

31. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the receiving input to form the daypart guide further comprises receiving an interactive scheduling routine for the selected network resource that corresponds to the predetermined time of day.

32. A method as described in claim 31, wherein the interactive scheduling routine comprises selecting from among the ad elements, for arrangement into the ad elements template for the daypart guide, those ad elements having a corresponding multimedia program likely to be desirable for viewing by the third parties at the predetermined time of day.

33. A method as described in claim 20, wherein:

the selected network resource is selected from the group consisting of;

a carousel;

a headend;

a plurality of headends;

a server;

a production server;

a staging and preview server; and

a combination of the foregoing; and

third parties are selected from the group consisting of;

a client device;

a set top box for cable TV;

a set top box for satellite TV; and

a personal computer.

34. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the predetermined time of day is a daypart.

35. A method as described in claim 34, wherein the daypart is selected from the group consisting of morning, daytime, early fringe, primetime, late news, late fringe, weekend access, and weekend late night.

36. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the predetermined time of day is a continuous block of time that is not less than fifteen minutes and that is not more than a daypart.

37. A method as described in claim 36, wherein the daypart is selected from the group consisting of morning, daytime, early fringe, primetime, late news, late fringe, weekend access, and weekend late night.

38. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of claim 20.