Methods and systems for providing demand based services

• US 8,789,079 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Beyabani, Syed Zafar
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBO, NICHOLAS T
• Application Number:
  US11/860,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,493 Days
• Field of Search: 725 44- 47, 725 86-103, 725/9, 725/14
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method may include monitoring content being displayed at a display device to generate monitoring data that includes a program identifier, communicating the monitoring data to a server, the server determining which programs to include in an on-demand lineup based on the monitoring data and generating an on-demand lineup message to identify on-demand programs included in the on-demand lineup, and receiving the on-demand lineup message from the server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring content being displayed at a display device to generate monitoring data that includes a program identifier, wherein the monitoring data comprises the amount of time each of one or more programs was displayed;

communicating the monitoring data to a server, the server;

analyzing the monitoring data to generate popularity data, the popularity data being based on a number of set top boxes causing display of each program and the amount of time each program was displayed on each set top box causing display of the respective program,

analyzing the monitoring data to generate trend data that identifies a percentage change in an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each program as compared with a previous time period,

determining which programs to include in an on-demand lineup based on the monitoring data, and

generating an on-demand lineup message to identify on-demand programs included in the on-demand lineup, wherein the on-demand lineup message further identifies on-demand programs based on the trend data; and

receiving the on-demand lineup message from the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing display of an on-demand graphical user interface that includes a program field associated with at least one of the on-demand programs.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a selection message selecting the program field, the program field being associated with an on-demand program identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising communicating an on-demand request message to the server, the on-demand request message including the on-demand program identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a content signal including the on-demand program associated with the on-demand program identifier from the server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising causing display of the selected on-demand program at the display device.

7. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising code to perform the acts of the method of claim 1.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a monitoring message from one or more set top boxes, the one or more set top boxes causing display of one or more programs, the monitoring message including monitoring data, wherein the monitoring data for each of the one or more set top boxes comprises the amount of time each of the one or more programs was displayed on the respective set top box;

analyzing the monitoring data to generate popularity data, the popularity data being based on a number of set top boxes causing display of each program and the amount of time each program was displayed on each set top box causing display of the respective program;

analyzing the monitoring data to generate trend data that identifies a percentage change in an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each program as compared with a previous time period;

updating an on-demand program lineup based on the popularity data;

generating an on-demand program lineup message based on the updated on-demand program lineup, wherein the on-demand lineup message further identifies on-demand programs based on the trend data; and

communicating the on-demand program lineup message to the one or more set top boxes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the popularity data is a ranking of each program relative to one another based on an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each program.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the monitoring data to generate popularity data ranks the number of set top boxes causing display of each program based on demographic information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the demographic information comprises at least one of ethnicity information, location information, age information, and viewer interests information.

12. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising code to perform the acts of the method of claim 8.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a monitoring message from one or more set top boxes, the one or more set top boxes causing display of one or more channels, the monitoring message including monitoring data, wherein the monitoring data for each of the one or more set top boxes comprises the amount of time each of the one or more channels was displayed on the respective set top box;

analyzing the monitoring data to generate popularity data, the popularity data being based on a number of set top boxes causing display of each channel;

analyzing the monitoring data to generate trend data that identifies a percentage change in an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each channel as compared with a previous time period;

creating one or more channel packages based on the popularity data, wherein the one or more channel packages further includes channels based on the trend data;

generating a package message, the package message identifying the channel packages and one or more channels available individually; and

communicating the package message to the one or more set top boxes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the popularity data is a ranking of each channel relative to one another based on an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each channel.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein analyzing the monitoring data to generate popularity data ranks the number of set top boxes causing display of each channel based on demographic information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the demographic information comprises at least one of ethnicity information, geographic information, age information, and viewer interests information.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the popularity data is based on trend data that identifies a change in an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each channel as compared with an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each channel in a previous time period.

18. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising code to perform the acts of the method of claim 13.

19. A system comprising:

a processor configured to execute one or more modules;

a monitoring module to monitor content being displayed at a display device to generate monitoring data, the monitoring data including a program identifier, wherein the monitoring data comprises the amount of time each of one or more programs was displayed; and

a communication module to communicate the monitoring data to a server and to receive an updated on-demand lineup message from the server, the updated on-demand lineup message identifying on-demand programs included in the on-demand lineup, wherein the server;

analyzes the monitoring data to generate popularity data, the popularity data being based on a number of set top boxes causing display of each program and the amount of time each program was displayed on each set top box causing display of the respective program,

analyzes the monitoring data to generate trend data that identifies a percentage change in an aggregate number of set top boxes causing display of each program as compared with a previous time period,

determines which programs to include in an on-demand lineup based on the monitoring data, and

generates an on-demand lineup message to identify on-demand programs included in the on-demand lineup, wherein the on-demand lineup message further identifies on-demand programs based on the trend data.