Method and apparatus to provide supplemental media content

• US 8,584,186 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howcroft, Jerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Chenea
• Application Number:
  US12/273,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Method and apparatus to provide supplemental media content are presented. In a particular embodiment, a method of providing supplemental content in a Video-On-Demand (VOD) system is provided. The method includes receiving a selection of a first supplemental content title selected from a plurality of supplemental content titles provided by a selectable menu, where each of the plurality of supplemental content titles is associated with a particular VOD offering. The selectable menu provided is to be displayed upon detection of discontinued transmission of the particular VOD offering. The method also includes providing first supplemental content associated with the first supplemental content title. The first supplemental content is accessible by a subscriber when the particular VOD offering is not being presented and wherein the first supplemental content is not accessible by the subscriber when the particular VOD offering is being presented.

Claims

1. A method of providing supplemental content in a video-on-demand system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a set-top box from a server, a transmission of video content of a selected video-on-demand offering for display on a display device coupled to the set-top box;

sending, to the display device from the set-top box, a selectable menu of supplemental content titles associated with the selected video-on-demand offering in response to receipt of a notification from the server of discontinuation of the transmission of the video content to the set-top box;

receiving, at the set-top box, a selection of a first supplemental content title selected from the supplemental content titles of the selectable menu;

retrieving encrypted supplemental content associated with the first supplemental content title at the set-top box;

decrypting, via the set-top box, the encrypted supplemental content to produce first supplemental content;

receiving, at the set-top box, a selection of a second display device other than the display device for display of the first supplemental content; and

sending the first supplemental content from the set-top box to the second display device,

wherein a subscriber'"'"'s profile is checked to determine if the supplemental content selected is to be provided without charge or is to be accompanied by a charge, based at least in part on the subscriber'"'"'s particular subscription plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is received by the set-top box before an end of the video content is displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering a selection of a video-on-demand content title into a wish list, wherein the video-on-demand title is associated with a video-on-demand content offering.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering a selection of a video-on-demand content title received from a user into a favorites list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the first supplemental content via a cable network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a second selectable menu of the supplemental content titles to the display device after selection of the selected video-on-demand offering and before receiving the video content at the set-top box.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is provided without charging an additional fee.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a subset of the supplemental content titles in a secondary menu, wherein each supplemental content title of the subset is associated with a first movie actor that has been selected by a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display device comprises a mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display device comprises a laptop computer.

11. A set-top box to provide supplemental content in a video-on-demand system, the set-top box comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations including;

receiving a transmission of video content of a selected video-on-demand offering;

sending a selectable menu comprising a plurality of selectable supplemental content titles that are associated with the selected video-on-demand offering in response to receipt of a notification from a server of discontinuation of the transmission of the video content;

receiving a subscriber selection of a first supplemental content title selected from the selectable menu; and

retrieving retrieve first supplemental content associated with the first supplemental content title, wherein the first supplemental content is accessible via the set-top box when the selected video-on-demand offering is not being presented via the set-top box and wherein the first supplemental content is not accessible via the set-top box when the selected video-on-demand offering is being presented via the set-top box,

wherein a subscriber'"'"'s profile is checked to determine if the supplemental content selected is to be provided without charge or is to be accompanied by a charge, based at least in part on the subscriber'"'"'s particular subscription plan.

12. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein a second selectable menu comprising the plurality of supplemental content titles is sent to a display device after selection of the selected video-on-demand offering and before the set-top box receives the video content corresponding to the selected video-on-demand offering.

13. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein the first supplemental content is provided without charging an additional fee.

14. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein the first supplemental content includes an interactive game.

15. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein the first supplemental content includes an interview with a director of the selected video-on-demand offering.

16. A video distribution network server comprising:

a processor to execute instructions to perform operations including;

receiving selection of a particular video-on-demand offering from a set-top box;

transmitting video content of the particular video-on-demand offering to the set-top box;

detecting discontinuation of transmission of the video content to the set-top box;

sending a notification to the set-top box that the video distribution network server discontinued transmission of the video content to the set-top box;

receiving input indicating a selection of a first supplemental content title associated with the particular video-on-demand offering, wherein the first supplemental content title is selected from a menu sent to a display device by the set-top box in response to the notification, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of selectable supplemental content titles associated with the particular video-on-demand offering;

retrieving first supplemental content associated with the first supplemental content title; and

providing the first supplemental content via a network, wherein the first supplemental content is accessible via the set-top box when the particular video-on-demand offering is not being presented via the set-top box, and wherein the first supplemental content is not accessible via the set-top box when the particular video-on-demand offering is being presented via the set-top box, and

wherein a subscriber'"'"'s profile is checked to determine if the supplemental content selected is to be provided without charge or is to be accompanied by a charge, based at least in part on the subscriber'"'"'s particular subscription plan.

17. The video distribution network server of claim 16, wherein the first supplemental content includes an alternate ending associated with the particular video-on-demand offering.

18. The video distribution network server of claim 16, wherein the first supplemental content is made available during a predetermined time period after the particular video-on-demand content has been presented.

19. The video distribution network server of claim 16, wherein the operations further include encrypting the first supplemental content.

20. The video distribution network server of claim 16, wherein the operations further include providing a license associated with the first supplemental content to the set-top box.

21. A computer-readable storage device comprising processor-executable instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

transmitting video content of a selected video-on-demand offering to a set-top box;

detecting discontinuation of transmission of the video content to the set-top box;

sending a notification to the set-top box of discontinuation of the transmission to the set-top box;

receiving a subscriber selection of a first supplemental content title selected from a plurality of supplemental content titles provided by a selectable menu sent to a display device by the set-top box in response to the notification; and

providing first supplemental content associated with the first supplemental content title, wherein the first supplemental content is accessible via the set-top box when the selected video-on-demand offering is not being presented via the set-top box, and wherein the first supplemental content is not accessible when the selected video-on-demand offering is being presented via the set-top box,

wherein a subscriber'"'"'s profile is checked to determine if the supplemental content selected is to be provided without charge or is to be accompanied by a charge, based at least in part on the subscriber'"'"'s particular subscription plan.

22. The computer-readable storage device of claim 21, wherein the first supplemental content includes a recommendation form enabling entry of a recommendation associated with the selected video-on-demand offering.

23. The computer-readable storage device of claim 21, wherein the first supplemental content is provided to a mobile device.

24. The computer-readable storage device of claim 21, wherein the first supplemental content is provided to a personal computer.

25. The computer-readable storage device of claim 21, wherein the first supplemental content includes a parental permission control, and wherein user access to the first supplemental content is controlled at least in part by the parental permission control.