Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for providing interactive services

• US 8,813,152 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yaussy, Ledley (Buddy), Yu, Ke, Brown, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/198,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20100058423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 725110-113, 725/135, 725/136
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for providing interactive services used with a time sensitive interactive application are provided. A request is received for interactive services that corresponds to a program. A program identification (ID) for the program is determined. An interactive application that corresponds to the program is determined based on the program ID, where the interactive application has a corresponding interactive application ID. The interactive application ID that corresponds to the interactive application for the program is provided.

Claims

1. A method of a server for providing interactive services used with a time sensitive interactive application, comprising:

receiving by the server a request for the interactive services that corresponds to a program from a set top box;

determining by the server a program identification for the program, responsive to receiving from the set top box the request for the interactive services corresponding to the program;

determining by the server an interactive software application, being stored in set top box memory on the set top box, that corresponds to the program currently displayed based on the program identification, the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory being configured with software to allow a user to interactively participate in the program currently displayed on a television to affect an outcome of the program currently displayed;

wherein the interactive software application has a corresponding interactive application identification number;

wherein the interactive software application corresponding to the program is one of a plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory on the set top box;

wherein in a first case an internet web browser with a uniform resource locator is to launch the interactive software application;

wherein in a second case the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory corresponds to a specific interactive software application based on the interactive application identification number, and the interactive application identification number is an identification to launch the specific interactive software application;

wherein in the second case the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory is distinct and separate from the internet web browser with the uniform resource locator;

wherein the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory is distinct and separate from an electronic programming guide;

transmitting by the server to the set top box the interactive application identification number that corresponds to the interactive software application for the program requested, the interactive application identification number causing the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory corresponding to the program to launch from the set top box memory on the set top box out of the plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory on the set top box;

wherein the interactive services of the interactive software application for the program are time sensitive such that when a series of music videos are displayed on the television, the interactive software application allows the user to vote for a desired one of the music videos.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is media broadcast to the user;

wherein the specific interactive software application is the one out of the plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory;

wherein the plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory include the specific interactive software application for sports, the specific interactive software application for a shopping network, the specific interactive software application for a political talk show, the specific interactive software application for news, and the specific interactive software application for children programming.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is media streamed to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a uniform resource locator is transmitted along with the interactive application identification number;

and

wherein the interactive software application corresponding to the program is a native local application for the program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive application identification number is a global unique identification used to launch the interactive software application that corresponds to the program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the interactive software application allows for selections of options that coincide with the program;

and

wherein the selections are votes for a most valuable player candidate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive software application allows for selections of options that coincide with the program;

and

wherein the selections are votes for the options.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving by the server the request for the interactive services from the set top box comprises receiving a client identification, a current time stamp, and a channel of the program.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising authenticating the client identification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the program identification for the program comprises:

performing an electronic program guide lookup to find a name of the program, the program identification, a start time for the program, and a stop time for the program.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the interactive software application that corresponds to the program based on the program identification comprises:

mapping by the server the program identification for the program to the interactive software application.

12. An apparatus for providing interactive services used with a time sensitive interactive application, comprising:

a processor;

memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request for the interactive services that corresponds to a program from a set top box;

determining a program identification for the program, responsive to receiving from the set top box the request for the interactive services corresponding to the program;

determining an interactive software application, being stored in set top box memory on the set top box, that corresponds to the program currently displayed based on the program identification, the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory being configured with software to allow a user to interactively participate in the program currently displayed on a television to affect an outcome of the program currently displayed;

wherein the interactive software application has a corresponding interactive application identification number;

wherein the interactive software application corresponding to the program is one of a plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory on the set top box;

wherein in a first case an internet web browser with a uniform resource locator is to launch the interactive software application;

wherein in a second case the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory corresponds to a specific interactive software application based on the interactive application identification number, and the interactive application identification number is an identification to launch the specific interactive software application;

wherein in the second case the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory is distinct and separate from the internet web browser with the uniform resource locator;

wherein the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory is distinct and separate from an electronic programming guide;

transmitting to the set top box the interactive application identification number that corresponds to the interactive software application for the program requested, the interactive application identification number causing the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory corresponding to the program to launch from the set top box memory on the set top box out of the plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory on the set top box;

wherein the interactive services of the interactive software application for the program are time sensitive such that when a series of music videos are displayed on the television, the interactive software application allows the user to vote for a desired one of the music videos.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interactive application identification number corresponds to a uniform resource locator for the program;

and

wherein the uniform resource locator is used to launch the interactive software application that corresponds to the program.

14. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, for providing interactive services that, when executed by a server, cause the server to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for the interactive services that corresponds to a program from a set top box;

determining a program identification for the program, responsive to receiving from the set top box the request for the interactive services corresponding to the program;

determining an interactive software application, being stored in set top box memory on the set top box, that corresponds to the program currently displayed based on the program identification, the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory being configured with software to allow a user to interactively participate in the program currently displayed on a television to affect an outcome of the program currently displayed;

wherein the interactive software application has a corresponding interactive application identification number;

wherein the interactive software application corresponding to the program is one of a plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory on the set top box;

wherein in a first case an internet web browser with a uniform resource locator is to launch the interactive software application;

wherein in a second case the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory corresponds to a specific interactive software application based on the interactive application identification number, and the interactive application identification number is an identification to launch the specific interactive software application;

wherein in the second case the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory is distinct and separate from the internet web browser with the uniform resource locator;

wherein the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory is distinct and separate from an electronic programming guide;

transmitting to the set top box the interactive application identification number that corresponds to the interactive software application for the program, the interactive application identification number causing the interactive software application stored in the set top box memory corresponding to the program to launch from the set top box memory on the set top box out of the plurality of interactive software applications stored in the set top box memory on the set top box;

wherein the interactive services of the interactive software application for the program are time sensitive such that when a series of music videos are displayed on the television, the interactive software application allows the user to vote for a desired one of the music videos.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the program is media broadcast to the user.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the program is media streamed to the user.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the interactive application identification number corresponds to a uniform resource locator for the program;

and

wherein the uniform resource locator is used to launch the interactive software application that corresponds to the program.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the interactive software application allows for selecting options that coincide with the program.