Digital television with subscriber conference overlay

• US 7,900,235 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dennis Fernandez
• Original Assignee: Dennis Fernandez
• Inventors: Fernandez, Dennis, Hu, Irene
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baig, Sahar A
• Application Number:
  US12/353,694
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/230, 725/52, 725/53, 725/1, 725/34, 725/37, 725/105, 725/133, 348/14.04, 348/14.07
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• 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 21/42204 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Digital television system overlays subscriber two-way communication during broadcast program delivery to create virtual audience community. Individual or group billing and advertisement is personalized per DTV receiver program viewing and/or conferencing activity. Subscriber receiver includes camera and other media I/O device for multi-way video conferencing. Participants may be added or removed dynamically during programming or conferencing.

Claims

1. Online network commercial transaction apparatus for ATSC-compliant integrated DTV and multi-user gaming subscriber units comprising:

a user transaction controller;

an ATSC-compliant integrated DTV and multi-user gaming subscriber unit; and

a subscriber unit database comprising commercial transaction data related to DTV and multi-user gaming subscription by the subscriber unit;

wherein the user transaction controller accesses the subscriber unit database and sends a billing message to the subscriber unit based on a commercial transaction by the subscriber unit before, during, or after access to a scheduled DTV or multi-user gaming program or conference, and authorizes the scheduled program or conference to the subscriber unit via an online network, wherein the subscriber unit database authenticates, bills, schedules, notifies, requests, or provides desired access to a scheduled program or conference accessible by a plurality of users via the online network;

wherein the user transaction controller comprises a broadband network server, and the subscriber unit comprises a wireless network client, such that the user transaction controller and the subscriber unit effectively create a virtual audience community via a wirelessly distributed client-server network that enables personalizable broadband services including DTV and multi-user gaming to wireless network clients, whereby each client comprises a video frame buffer that enables subscriber video-conferencing, ATSC-compliant DTV programming and multi-user gaming services that are automatically accessed, authorized or authenticated according to the subscriber unit database;

wherein the wireless network client comprises a mobile gaming and DTV receiver comprising a video-conferencing camera and integrated display enabled using the video frame buffer to overlay one or more screen elements corresponding to other mobile gaming and DTV receiver participating in video-conferencing broadband service authorized or authenticated according to the subscriber unit database, such mobile gaming and DTV receiver enabling subscriber access via the integrated display to an intelligent search agent comprising an embedded software construct to search or access a commercial or non-commercial network transaction wirelessly in real-time using the subscriber unit database and a searchable address of one or more participant mobile gaming and DTV receiver.

2. Online network commercial transaction method for ATSC-compliant integrated DTV and multi-user gaming subscriber units comprising step:

coupling a user transaction controller to an ATSC-compliant integrated DTV and multi-user gaming subscriber unit having a subscriber unit database comprising commercial transaction data related to DTV and multi-user gaming subscription by the subscriber unit;

wherein the user transaction controller accesses the subscriber unit database and sends a billing message to the subscriber unit based on a commercial transaction by the subscriber unit before, during, or after access to a scheduled DTV or multi-user gaming program or conference, and authorizes the scheduled program or conference to the subscriber unit via an online network, wherein the subscriber unit database authenticates, bills, schedules, notifies, requests, or provides desired access to a scheduled program or conference accessible by a plurality of users via the online network;

wherein the user transaction controller comprises a broadband network server, and the subscriber unit comprises a wireless network client, such that the user transaction controller and the subscriber unit effectively create a virtual audience community via a wirelessly distributed client-server network that enables personalizable broadband services including DTV and multi-user gaming to wireless network clients, whereby each client comprises a video frame buffer that enables subscriber video-conferencing, ATSC-compliant DTV programming and multi-user gaming services that are automatically accessed, authorized or authenticated according to the subscriber unit database;

wherein the wireless network client comprises a mobile gaming and DTV receiver comprising a video-conferencing camera and integrated display enabled using the video frame buffer to overlay one or more screen elements corresponding to other mobile gaming and DTV receiver participating in video-conferencing broadband service authorized or authenticated according to the subscriber unit database, such mobile gaming and DTV receiver enabling subscriber access via the integrated display to an intelligent search agent comprising an embedded software construct to search or access a commercial or non-commercial network transaction wirelessly in real-time using the subscriber unit database and a searchable address of one or more participant mobile gaming and DTV receiver.