Systems and methods for communications between client devices of a broadcast system

• US 9,270,945 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: St. John-Larkin, David Christopher, Kummer, David A., Card, John Anthony II
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/239,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,706 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725/46, 725/80, 725/81, 725/45, 725/25, 348/460
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

Systems and methods may provide for communication between a plurality of client devices of a broadcast system. The communication may be, for example, a recommendation of a program that is communicated from one subscriber to another subscriber or subscribers via their client devices. The communication also may be a comment regarding a program, for example, recently viewed at the client device of the one subscriber. In general, the communication may be a message from one subscriber to another subscriber or subscribers. Further, the communication may be configured to perform a function on one or more other client devices. Such a function may include, but is not limited to, setting a timer to record a program, ordering or purchasing a program or service, cancelling an ordered/purchased program or service, setting or altering user preferences, controlling access to channels, etc.

Claims

1. A method for communications between television receiver devices of a television broadcast system, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a first television receiver device of the television broadcast system;

evaluating a user profile associated with a second television receiver device to determine if the second television receiver device will accept the communication, the user profile including user defined settings to accept or not accept each of;

a message from the first television receiver device, and

a functional instruction from the first television receiver device, the functional instruction executable by the second television receiver device to cause the second television receiver device to record program content based on a preset limit of storage space allotted to recordings of programs by timers set by the first television receiver device;

transmitting the communication to the second television receiver device of the television broadcast system if it is determined that the second television receiver device will accept the communication; and

wherein the communication is configured to cause the second television receiver device to take at least one of the following actions;

cause the message to display on a display device associated with the second television receiver device;

or

execute the functional instruction to cause the second television receiver device to record program content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the second television receiver device to record program content comprises setting a timer to record a program on the second television receiver device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein user profile further comprises user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction to purchase a program for viewing via the second television receiver device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile further comprises user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction to alter a user preference for the second television receiver device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile further comprises user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction controlling access to channels by the second television receiver device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message displayed on the display device associated with the second television receiver device comprises a request for permission to execute the functional instruction, and wherein the functional instruction is executed when permission is granted by the second television receiver device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the message to display on the display device associated with the second television receiver device comprises causing a notification to be displayed on the display device associated with the second television receiver device which requests permission to display the message on the display device associated with the second television receiver device, and wherein the message is displayed on the display device associated with the second television receiver device when permission is granted by the second television receiver device.

8. A system for communications between television receiver devices of a television broadcast system, the system comprising:

a transmission system of the television broadcast system configured to;

receive a communication initiated by a first television receiver device;

evaluate a user profile associated with a second television receiver device to determine if the second television receiver device will accept the communication, the user profile including user defined settings to accept or not accept each of;

a message from the first television receiver device that when output for display by a display device associated with the second television receiver device provides a tutorial for a particular function selected from setting a program recording timer, setting a user preference, and navigating menus, and

a functional instruction from the first television receiver device, the functional instruction executable by the second television receiver device to cause the second television receiver device to record program content based on a preset limit of storage space allotted to recordings of programs by timers set by the first television receiver device;

transmit the communication to a second television receiver device if it is determined that the second television receiver device will accept the communication;

wherein the communication is configured to cause the second television receiver device to take at least one of the following actions;

cause the message to display on the display device associated with the second television receiver device;

or

execute the functional instruction to cause the second television receiver device to record program content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user profile further including user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction to purchase a program for viewing via the second television receiver device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user profile further includes user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction to alter a user preference for the second television receiver device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the user profile further includes user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction controlling access to channels by the second television receiver device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the message displayed on the display device associated with the second television receiver device comprises a request for permission to execute the functional instruction, and wherein the functional instruction is executed when permission is granted by the second television receiver device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein causing the message to display on the display device associated with the second television receiver device comprises causing a notification to be displayed on the display device associated with the second television receiver device which requests permission to display the message on the display device associated with the second television receiver device, and wherein the message is displayed on the display device associated with the second television receiver device when permission is granted by the second television receiver device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the second client device to record program content comprises setting a timer to record a program on the second client device.

14. A method for communicating between multiple client devices of a television broadcast system, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a first client device configured to receive video signals from a television broadcast system;

evaluating a user profile associated with a second client device to determine if the second client device will accept the communication, the user profile including user defined settings to accept or not accept each of;

a message from the first client device, and

a functional instruction from the first client device, the functional instruction executable by the second client device to cause the second client device to record program content based on a preset limit of storage space allotted to recordings of programs by timers set by the first client device;

transmitting the communication to the second client device if it is determined that the second client device will accept the communication;

wherein the communication is configured to cause the second client device to take at least one of the following actions;

cause the message to display on a display device associated with the second client device;

or

execute the functional instruction to cause the second client device to record program content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein causing the message to display comprises displaying a notification that a message has been received prior to display of the message on display device associated with the second client device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification displayed on the display device associated with the second client device comprises a request for permission to display the communication on the display device associated with the second client device, and wherein the communication is displayed on the display device associated with the second client device when permission is granted by the second client device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the user profile further comprises user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction to purchase a program for viewing via the second client device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the user profile further comprises user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction to alter a user preference for the second client device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the user profile further comprises user defined settings to accept or not accept:

a direction controlling access to channels by the second client device.