# US 2019/0174152 A1 · System for addressing on-demand tv program content on tv services platform of a digital tv services provider

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- Number: US 2019/0174152 A1
- Document ID: US20190174152A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/269,721
- Filed: 2019-02-07
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2004-07-30
- Assignees: Broadband iTV, Inc.
- Applicants: Broadband iTV, Inc.
- Inventors: Milton Diaz Perez
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174152A1

## CPC

- H04N 21/239: Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client {content} requests (hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for upstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in data networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60)
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- H04N 7/17318: {Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests}
- H04N 21/222: Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end {(provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56)}
- H04N 21/2393: {involving handling client requests (scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60)}
- H04N 21/2547: Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
- H04N 21/25875: {involving end-user authentication (restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/26291: {for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client (deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25)}
- H04N 21/2665: Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
- H04N 21/41407: {embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop (constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57)}
- H04N 21/4312: {involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations}
- H04N 21/4345: {Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/47202: {for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content
- H04N 21/4753: {for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password (cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08)}
- H04N 21/4758: {for providing answers, e.g. voting}
- H04N 21/4786: e-mailing {(message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00)}
- H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection
- H04N 21/4821: {using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time}
- H04N 21/4823: {using a channel name}
- H04N 21/4825: {using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists}
- H04N 21/6125: {involving transmission via Internet (transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82)}
- H04N 21/6175: {involving transmission via Internet (broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82)}
- H04N 21/6379: directed to encoder {, e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate}
- H04N 21/64322: {IP}
- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- H04N 21/8186: {specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/85406: {involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format}
- H04N 21/8545: for generating interactive applications
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Video content is uploaded via the Internet to a video-on-demand (VOD) server identified by a title and a hierarchical address of categories and subcategories for categorizing the title. The VOD server converts and stores the video content at a storage address in a video content database linked to the title. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as in its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. This can enable many new blogging or podcasting-like programs by popular “Hosts” to be self-published on the Internet and readily navigated for display on TV. The EPG can also store TV program addresses as bookmarks and allow them to be shared with other subscribers or with friends and contacts online by sending to their email addresses.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A subscriber device for providing via a closed system video content to be viewed by a subscriber of a video-on-demand system using a hierarchically arranged electronic program guide, stored on non-volatile computer readable memory operatively connected to the subscriber device, the subscriber device comprising:
a tuner; and
an interactive video-on-demand application being configured to obtain from a digital television service provider system and present to the subscriber, via the subscriber device, an electronic program guide including a templatized video-on-demand display, which uses at least one display template to which the subscriber device has access, to enable the subscriber using the subscriber device to navigate in a drill-down manner, from a first level of a hierarchical structure of the electronic program guide based on category information to a second level of the hierarchical structure of the electronic program guide based on subcategory information in order to locate a particular one of a plurality of titles whose associated video content is desired for viewing on demand via the subscriber device;
wherein the templatized video-on-demand display has been generated in a plurality of layers, comprising:
(a) a first layer comprising a background screen to provide at least one of a basic color, logo, or graphical theme to display;
(b) a second layer comprising a particular display template from the plurality of different display templates layered on the background screen, wherein the particular display template comprises one or more reserved areas that are reserved for displaying content provided by a different layer of the plurality of layers; and
(c) a third layer comprising reserved area content generated using program guide content information received by the subscriber device in real time from the digital television service provider system comprising at least one of text, image, video content, a navigation link, and a button to be displayed in the one or more reserved areas in the particular display, and
wherein the program guide content information was uploaded to a Web-based content management system by a content provider device associated with the video content provider via the Internet, as part of a video content file in a digital video format, along with associated metadata including title information and category information and subcategory information, along with an associated plurality of images designated by the video content provider, the associated metadata specifying a respective hierarchical location of a respective title of the video content within the electronic program guide to be displayed on the subscriber device using the respective hierarchically-arranged category information and respective subcategory information associated with the respective title.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the interactive video-on-demand application is further configured to receive at the subscriber's device a first video content from the video-on-demand system in response to a subscriber's selection of a first title of the first video content within the electronic program guide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the interactive video-on-demand application is further configured to obtain login credentials from the subscriber device and verify with the digital television service provider that the login credentials are associated with a subscriber account.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the uploaded associated plurality of images designated by the video content provider is displayed with the associated respective title in the templatized video-on-demand display.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the associated plurality of images that are received includes at least one of graphic, video, and audio elements.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the at least one display template is used to locate the particular one of the titles in a drill-down manner from a first level of a hierarchical structure of the electronic program guide to a second level of the hierarchical structure of the electronic program guide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the at least one display template is associated with at least the video content provider.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the associated metadata includes descriptive data about the video content.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the one or more subcategory terms associated with the first video-on-demand program content correspond to one or more topics that pertain to video-on-demand program content from more than one content provider.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the one or more category terms associated with the first video-on-demand program content correspond to one or more content providers and wherein the hierarchically arranged electronic program guide is organized according to the content provider.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the category information comprises at least Movies and TV Shows.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the subscriber device is a set-top box.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The subscriber device of claim 1, wherein the subscriber device is a TV.