# US 11,122,330 B1 · Feature activation on occurrence of an event > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,330 B1 - Document ID: US11122330B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/173,233 - Filed: 2018-10-29 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-17 - Assignees: CSC Holdings, LLC - Applicants: CSC Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Thomas M. Rutledge - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122330B1 ## CPC - H04N 21/44218: {Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45)} - H04N 5/76: Television signal recording - H04N 21/2187: Live feed - H04N 21/4147: PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40}) - H04N 21/4333: {Processing operations in response to a pause request} - H04N 21/44204: {Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31)} - 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)} - H04N 21/6587: Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection - H04N 21/4784: receiving rewards - H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A cable provider could offer a promotional feature, such as live pause of video, above and beyond a tier of service to which the customer subscribes, limiting the feature to being activated only upon occurrence of one or more events. In a network video delivery context, a set-top box plays live video, including an ability to pause live video upon the occurrence of an event. The system can detect an event, including an event unrelated to video, and prompt a user to pause. The system can include configuration settings enabling, for example, detection of various events, prompting the user to pause live video, and/or automatically pausing the live video. The system enables the user to play a time-shifted video corresponding to resuming the paused video playback. The system can include a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) local to the user, to facilitate the time-shifted video. The system is also compatible with a RS-DVR, where DVR functionality and time-shifted video is provided remotely from a head-end of a network video system. Additionally, the system is compatible with non-DVR network video delivery systems configured to provide live pause. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for pausing a broadcast stream on an occurrence of an event, the method comprising: prompting, by a set-top box using a pause prompt instructing a user that a pause function is enabled, for a first input from the user responsive to detecting the event; enabling, by the set-top box, the pause function responsive to the prompting; pausing, by the set-top box, the broadcast stream responsive to the first input; and automatically activating, by the set-top box and without prompting for a second input from the user using the pause prompt, the pause function responsive to the user telescoping to advertising content incorporated within an interactive advertisement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the event is unrelated to the broadcast stream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the event is a prompting event. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: storing configuration information, and wherein the determining comprises: determining whether the event is the prompting event based on the configuration information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising clearing the pause prompt after a pause prompt duration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting for a third input using a resume prompt. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: clearing the resume prompt after a resume prompt duration; and playing the broadcast stream. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising playing a time-shifted broadcast stream responsive to the third input. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising playing the broadcast stream responsive to at least one of a third input and an end of the time-shifted broadcast stream. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: before the prompting, disabling, by the set-top box, the pause function. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for pausing a broadcast stream on an occurrence of an event, the apparatus comprising: a communications interface configured to receive the broadcast stream from a content provider; and a controller configured to: prompt, using a pause prompt instructing a user that a pause function is enabled, for a first input from the user responsive to detecting the event, enable the pause function responsive to the prompting, pause the broadcast stream responsive to the first input, and automatically activate, without prompting for a second input from the user using the pause prompt, the pause function responsive to the user telescoping to advertising content incorporated within an interactive advertisement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the event is unrelated to the broadcast stream. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the event is a prompting event. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to: store configuration information; and determine whether the event is the prompting event based on the configuration information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to clear the pause prompt after a pause prompt duration. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to prompt for a third input using a resume prompt. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to: clear the resume prompt after a resume prompt duration; and play the broadcast stream. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to play a time-shifted broadcast stream responsive to the third input. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to play the broadcast stream responsive to at least one of a third input and an end of the time-shifted broadcast stream. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to, before the prompting, disable the pause function. ### Claim 21 A system for pausing a broadcast stream on an occurrence of an event, the system comprising: a memory that stores instructions; a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory, the instructions, when executed by the processor, configuring the processor to: prompt, using a pause prompt instructing a user that a pause function is enabled, for a first input from the user responsive to detecting the event, enable the pause function responsive to the prompting, pause the broadcast stream responsive to the first input, and automatically activate, without prompting for a second input from the user using the pause prompt, a live television pause function responsive to the user telescoping to advertising content incorporated within an interactive advertisement. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configure the processor to determine whether the event is a prompting event. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to, before the prompting, disable the pause function.