Electronic mail reminder for an internet television program guide

• US 8,762,492 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Demers, Timothy B, Boyer, Frankin E, Blackwell, Bruce A
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US10/933,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,581 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709206-207
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4622 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An Internet television program guide electronic-mail (e-mail) reminder system is provided. The system allows a user at a multimedia system to order and receive e-mail message reminders of scheduled television events over the Internet. The user can order e-mail reminders after selecting a program from the program listings or by supplying [a program title directly] specific user program preferences without having to consult the program listings. The user can specify when and how often the reminders will be generated and received. If desired, the user can view a list of all currently requested e-mail reminders. Entries can be added to the list or the user can cancel a previously ordered reminder. The user can order e-mail reminders for scheduled pay-per-view programs using the system. The user can also have reminder information periodically updated and available directly on the user'"'"'s multimedia system.

Claims

1. An Internet e-mail reminder system for transmitting e-mail reminder messages of media events over the Internet comprising:

a web server for transmitting web pages of media asset identifiers over the Internet, wherein the web server is configured to;

receive a user selection of a media asset from the web pages of media asset identifiers;

receive an order of at least one e-mail reminder message for the media asset;

receive a user selection of a selectable e-mail reminder management option;

generate for display an identifier associated with the at least one e-mail reminder message, wherein the identifier associated with the at least one e-mail reminder message is displayed in an e-mail reminder management web page in response to receipt of the user selection of the selectable e-mail reminder management option, and wherein the e-mail reminder management web page includes at least one selectable option comprising at least one of;

a how soon option for determining how soon to send the at least one e-mail reminder message to a user equipment device relative to the time that the media asset is to begin, and

a how often option for determining how often the at least one e-mail reminder message is to be generated and sent to the user equipment device;

in response to user input, modify an attribute of the at least one e-mail reminder message without modifying when the media asset is to begin; and

automatically generate and transmit over the Internet the at least one e-mail reminder message to the user equipment device according to the modified attribute of the at least one e-mail reminder message to remind a user when the media asset is to begin.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the web pages of media asset identifiers include at least one of:

a selectable view current e-mail reminders option for receiving a list of current e-mail reminder orders; and

a selectable new e-mail reminders option for ordering another e-mail reminder message by entering a media asset title.

3. The system defined in claim 2 wherein, when the new e-mail reminders option is selected, a new e-mail reminders web page is transmitted, and wherein the web server receives e-mail address designations for a plurality of destinations to which the at least one e-mail reminder message is to be sent via the new e-mail reminders web page.

4. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the web server is further configured to transmit a pay-per-view order web page which includes an e-mail reminder option for ordering another e-mail reminder message.

5. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the web pages include a user preference profile option for ordering another e-mail reminder message by selecting from various e-mail reminder preferences.

6. The system defined in claim 5, wherein the user preference profile option includes at least one selectable option.

7. The system defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one selectable option comprises a genre option for ordering the another e-mail reminder message by entering at least one of a media asset genre, an actor'"'"'s name, a complete media asset title, or a partial media asset title.

8. The system defined in claim 1, wherein, when the selectable e-mail reminder option is selected, the e-mail reminder web page is transmitted, and wherein the web server receives e-mail address designations for a plurality of destinations to which the at least one e-mail reminder message is to be sent via the e-mail reminder web page.

9. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the web server is further configured to:

receive a user selection of a selectable attribute option;

receive a user input of a keyword related to the selected attribute option;

automatically search for a searchable media asset relating to both the keyword and the selected attribute option;

automatically generate an order of at least one e-mail reminder message for the searchable media asset when a matching media asset is found as a result of the search; and

automatically generate and transmit the at least one e-mail reminder message for the searchable media asset to the user via e-mail over the Internet to remind the user when the matching media asset is to begin.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the search is automatically repeated at a predetermined time.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the search is performed periodically.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the selectable attribute option corresponds to at least one of a media asset genre, an actor'"'"'s name, a complete media asset title, or a partial media asset title.

13. A method for transmitting e-mail reminder messages of media events over the Internet, the method comprising:

transmitting web pages of media asset identifiers over the Internet;

receiving a user selection of a media asset from the web pages of media asset identifiers;

receiving an order of at least one e-mail reminder message for the media asset;

receiving a user selection of a selectable e-mail reminder management option;

generating for display an identifier associated with the at least one e-mail reminder message, wherein the identifier associated with the at least one e-mail reminder message is displayed in an e-mail reminder management web page in response to receipt of the user selection of the selectable e-mail reminder management option, and wherein the e-mail reminder management web page includes at least one selectable option comprising at least one of;

a how soon option for determining how soon to send the at least one e-mail reminder message to a user equipment device relative to the time that the media asset is to begin, and

a how often option for determining how often the at least one e-mail reminder message is to be generated and sent to the user equipment device;

in response to user input, modifying an attribute of the at least one e-mail reminder message without modifying when the media asset is to begin; and

automatically generating and transmitting the at least one e-mail reminder message over the Internet to the user equipment device according to the modified attribute of the at least one e-mail reminder message to remind a user when the media asset is to begin.

14. The method defined in claim 13, further comprising at least one of:

a selectable view current e-mail reminders option for receiving a list of current e-mail reminder orders; and

a selectable new e-mail reminders option for ordering an e-mail reminder message by entering a media asset title.

15. The method defined in claim 14 further comprising receiving, through a new e-mail reminders web page associated with the new e-mail reminders option, e-mail address designations of a plurality of destinations to which the at least one e-mail reminder message is to be sent.

16. The method defined in claim 13, further comprising transmitting a pay-per-view order web page which includes an e-mail reminder option for ordering an associated e-mail reminder message.

17. The method defined in claim 13, wherein the web pages further comprise a user preference profile option for ordering another e-mail reminder message by selecting from various e-mail reminder preferences.

18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the user preference profile option further comprises at least one selectable option.

19. The method defined in claim 18, wherein the at least one selectable option comprises a genre option which the user selects to order the another e-mail reminder message by entering a media asset genre, an actor'"'"'s name, an exact media asset title, or a partial media asset title.

20. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising receiving, through the e-mail reminder web page associated with the selectable e-mail reminder option, e-mail address designations of a plurality of destinations to which the at least one e-mail reminder message is to be sent.

21. The method defined in claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a selectable attribute option;

receiving a user input of a keyword related to the selected attribute option;

automatically searching for a searchable media asset relating to both the keyword and the selected attribute option;

automatically generating an order of at least one e-mail reminder message for the searchable media asset when a matching media asset is found as a result of the search; and

automatically generating and transmitting the at least one e-mail reminder message for the searchable media asset to the user via e-mail over the Internet to remind the user when the matching media asset is to begin.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the searching is automatically repeated at a predetermined time.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the searching is performed periodically.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the selectable attribute option corresponds to at least one of a media asset genre, an actor'"'"'s name, a complete media asset title, or a partial media asset title.