Interactive learning

• US 8,516,521 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Dasgupta, Mousumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tilahun, Alazar
• Application Number:
  US12/013,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/352, 434/347, 434/349, 434/462, 434/365, 434/428, 725 25- 28, 725/38, 725/39, 725/40, 725/44, 725/45, 725/46, 725/47, 725/51, 725/52, 725/56, 725/57, 725/61, 725 86- 87
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method may include providing a live, interactive program or information associated with the live, interactive program on a video display device; and providing a live interactive content icon on the video display device when a current time is before an end time of the live, interactive program, the live interactive content icon indicating that live interactive content is available for the live, interactive program.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing information associated with a live program for display on a video display device;

providing a live interactive content icon, for display on the video display device, when a current time is before an end time of the live program, the live interactive content icon indicating a capability of a user viewing the live program on the video display device to participate and interact remotely with other participants of the live program;

providing, when the current time is after the end time of the live program, information to the video display device to remove the display of the live interactive content icon and to display an on-demand content icon on the video display device, the on-demand content icon indicating that the live program was recorded and available on demand;

comparing prerequisite information with information indicative of the user, wherein the prerequisite information is associated with the live program and includes a required minimum achievement level in an academic class in which the user is a student; and

based on the comparison, providing the live program for display on the video display device when an actual achievement level of the user in the academic class meets or exceeds the minimum achievement level and denying providing the live program for display on the video display device when the actual achievement level of the user does not meet the minimum achievement level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection, from the user, of the live program; and

providing the live program or denying providing the program, based on the comparison, for display on the video display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prerequisite information includes a minimum grade average of the user in the academic class, the method further comprising:

comparing the minimum grade average with an actual grade average of the user in the class; and

providing the live program for display on the video display device based on the comparison of the minimum grade average with the actual grade average.

4. The method of claim 1, where providing the live program or the information associated with the live program includes providing one of a program guide, a program information page, or a program status bar.

5. The method of claim 4, where providing the live interactive content icon includes providing the live interactive content icon on the program guide, the program information page, or the program status bar in connection with the live program.

6. The method of claim 1, where providing the live program or the information associated with the live program includes providing a program guide that presents a list of programs;

and where the method further comprises filtering the list of programs based on whether live interactive content is available for the programs.

7. A system, comprising:

a database to store a list of programs, information indicating that one of the programs is associated with a capability of a user viewing the program on a video display device to participate and interact remotely with other participants of the program, an end time of the one of the programs, and prerequisite information associated with the one of the programs; and

a processor, connected to the database, to;

determine a current time, and when the current time is after the end time of the one of the programs, removing the information from the database indicating that the one of the programs is associated with the capability of the user to participate and interact remotely and adding information to the database indicating that the one of the programs includes on-demand content,

compare the prerequisite information with information indicative of the user, wherein the prerequisite information includes a required minimum achievement level in an academic class in which the user is a student, and

provide the one of the programs for display to the user on the video display device when an actual achievement level of the user in the academic class meets or exceeds the minimum achievement level.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the prerequisite information includes a minimum grade average in the academic class, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare the minimum grade average with an actual grade average of the user in the academic class; and

provide the one of the programs for display to the user on the video display device based on the comparison of the minimum grade average with the actual grade average.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for providing information associated with a live program on a video display device; and

one or more instructions for providing a live interactive content icon for display on the video display device when a current time is before an end time of the live program, the live interactive content icon indicating a capability of a user viewing the live program on the video display device to participate and interact remotely with other participants of the live program;

one or more instructions for providing, when the current time is after the end time of the live program, information to the video display device to remove the display of the live interactive content icon and to display an on-demand content icon on the video display device, the on-demand content icon indicating that the live program was recorded and available on demand;

one or more instructions for comparing prerequisite information with information indicative of the user, wherein the prerequisite information is associated with the live program and includes a required minimum achievement level in an academic class in which the user is a student; and

one or more instructions for providing the live program for display on the video display device when the an actual achievement level of the user in the academic class meets or exceeds the minimum achievement level.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a selection, from the user, of the live program; and

one or more instructions for providing the live program to the video display device when the an actual achievement level of the user meets or exceeds the minimum achievement level and denying providing the live program for display on the video display device when the an actual achievement level of the user does not meet or exceed the minimum achievement level.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the prerequisite information includes a minimum grade average of the user in the academic class, the medium further comprising:

one or more instructions for comparing the minimum grade average with an actual grade average of the user in the academic class; and

one or more instructions for providing the live program to the video display device based on the comparison of the minimum grade average with the actual grade average.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising one or more instructions for providing a program information page, or a program status bar.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising one or more instructions for providing the interactive content icon on the program guide, the program information page, or the program status bar in connection with the live program.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for providing a program guide that presents a list of programs; and

one or more instructions for filtering the list of programs based on whether live interactive content is available for the list programs.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing information associated with a live program on a video display device; and

means for providing a live interactive content icon for display on the video display device when a current time is before an end time of the live program, the live interactive content icon indicating a capability of a user viewing the live program on the video display device to participate and interact remotely with other participants of the live program;

means for providing, when the current time is after the end time of the live program, information to the video display device to remove the display of the live interactive content icon and to display an on-demand content icon on the video display device, the on-demand content icon indicating that the live program was recorded and available on demand;

means for comparing the prerequisite information with information indicative of the user, wherein the prerequisite information includes a required minimum achievement level in an academic class in which the user is a student; and

means for providing the live program on the video display device when an actual achievement level of the user in the academic class meets or exceeds the minimum achievement level.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving a selection, from the user, of the live program; and

means for providing the live program on the video display device when an actual achievement level of the student meets or exceeds the minimum achievement level and denying providing the live program for display on the video display device when the actual achievement level of the student does not meet or exceed the minimum achievement level.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the prerequisite information includes a minimum grade average of the user in the academic class, the apparatus further comprising:

means for comparing the minimum grade average with an actual grade average of the in the academic class; and

means for providing the live program on the video display device based on the comparison of the minimum grade average with the actual grade level.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, where when the current time is after the end time of the live program, the apparatus further comprising:

means for removing information indicating the live interactive content icon from the information associated with the program and adding information indicating an on-demand icon to the information associated with the program.