Method and apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand services for an interactive information distribution system

In an interactive information distribution system containing service provider equipment and subscriber equipment that is interconnected by a communications network, a method of providing a subscription-on-demand service for video-on-demand programs in an interactive information distribution system comprising the steps of:

• sending from said service provider equipment to said subscriber equipment a first menu applet;
• decoding and executing said first menu applet within said subscriber equipment to display a first interactive graphical user interface;
• selecting, through manipulation of the first interactive graphical user interface, a video-on-demand subscription option;
• sending a selection signal indicative of said selected video-on-demand subscription option from said subscriber equipment to said service provider equipment;
• determining, within said service provider equipment, if the subscriber is a current subscriber to said video-on-demand subscription option identified by said selection signal;
• if the subscriber is said current subscriber, sending a second menu applet from said service provider equipment to said subscriber equipment;
• decoding and executing said second menu applet within said subscriber equipment to display a second interactive user interface through which the subscriber can select a video-on-demand program for viewing;
• if said subscriber is not said current subscriber, sending a third menu applet from said subscriber equipment to said service provider equipment;
• and
• decoding and executing said third menu applet within said subscriber equipment to display a third interactive user interface through which the subscriber can become a current subscriber to the selected video-on-demand subscription option, wherein said menu applets are sent from said service provider equipment in response to a selection by said subscriber.

Apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand services for video-on-demand within an interactive information distribution system comprising:

• service provider equipment containing an information server and a video session manager;
• subscriber equipment containing a subscriber terminal and a display unit, where the service provider equipment is connected to the subscriber equipment by a communications network;
• and
• said video session manager sends a plurality of executable menu applets to said subscriber terminal, said terminal executes each of said menu applets to generate interactive graphical user interface displays through which a subscriber selects a video-on-demand service;
• the subscriber terminal sends a service request to said session manager for processing;
• if the subscriber is said current subscriber of the selected service, the subscriber can select a video-on-demand subscription program for viewing;
• if said subscriber is not said current subscriber, the subscriber can become a subscriber to the selected video-on-demand service.