# US 8,752,090 B2 · Content syndication to set top box through IP network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,752,090 B2 - Document ID: US8752090B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/147,652 - Filed: 2008-06-27 - Published: 2009-01-01 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2005-11-30 - Assignees: Qwest Communications International Inc. - Applicants: Steven M. Casey; Kurt Campbell; Gnanasegeran Selvadurai - Inventors: Steven M. Casey; Kurt Campbell; Gnanasegeran Selvadurai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8752090B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/5681: Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics - H04L 67/56: Provisioning of proxy services (store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54) - 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)} - 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 21/6125: {involving transmission via Internet (transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82)} - H04N 21/8543: using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] {(information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80)} - H04L 67/55: Push-based network services - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Tools are provided for supporting content syndication to a set top box. The set top box requests a syndicated feed at regularly scheduled times, and receives the syndicated feed through an Internet Protocol (“IP”) network. Hence, a syndicated feed is distributed to the set top box that subscribes to the syndicated feed. Additionally, the set top box converts the syndicated feed for use by the set top box, and causes at least one image based at least in part on the syndicated feed to be displayed on a display device for a user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of supporting content syndication to a set top box, wherein a syndicated feed is distributed to the set top box that subscribes to the syndicated feed, the method comprising: requesting, at the set top box, the syndicated feed at scheduled times; receiving, at the set top box, the syndicated feed through an Internet Protocol (“IP”) network; converting, at the set top box, the syndicated feed for use by the set top box; displaying at least one image on a display device for a user, wherein the at least one image is based at least in part on the syndicated feed; wherein the syndicated feed is formatted as an XML document; wherein the set top box comprises the user's list of syndicated feeds; wherein the set top box is pre-configured to subscribe to at least one syndicated feed, the at least one syndicated feed being the syndicated feed in the user's list of syndicated feeds; wherein the user's list of syndicated feeds comprises, for at least one of the syndicated feeds, a primary location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested and an alternate location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested if the at least one syndicated feed is not available at the primary location; providing a user interface for the user to select the syndicated feed from the user's list of syndicated feeds, the user's list of syndicated feeds comprising: a first syndicated feed that comprises a billing statement; a second syndicated feed that comprises an Internet based web feed and is distributed publicly; a third syndicated feed that comprises an Electronic Programming Guide; a fourth syndicated feed that comprises a video feed; a fifth syndicated feed that comprises an audio feed; a sixth syndicated feed that comprises a video feed and an audio feed; and a seventh syndicated feed that comprises an alert; and providing an indicator, on a remote control device, indicating that the at least one syndicated feed in the user's list of syndicated feeds has been updated. ### Claim 2 A method of supporting content syndication to a set top box, wherein a syndicated feed is distributed to the set top box that subscribes to the syndicated feed, the method comprising: maintaining a list of syndicated feeds, the list comprising the syndicated feeds of a video and audio feed, a billing statement feed and an alert feed, the list of syndicated feeds comprises, for at least one of the syndicated feeds, a primary location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested and an alternate location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested if the at least one syndicated feed is not available at the primary location; requesting, at the set top box, the at least one syndicated feed at scheduled times; receiving, at the set top box, the at least one syndicated feed through an Internet Protocol (“IP”) network; providing an indicator, on a remote control device, indicating that the at least one syndicated feed has been updated; converting, at the set top box, the at least one syndicated feed for use by the set top box; and causing at least one image to be displayed on a display device for a user, wherein the at least one image is based at least in part on the at least one syndicated feed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the image comprises at least a portion of the at least one syndicated feed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: tracking, at the set top box, whether the portion of the at least one syndicated feed has been viewed by the user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to modify the user's list of syndicated feeds. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: providing a user interface for the user to specify the location from which the at least one syndicated feed could be requested. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving an input from the user, via the user interface, at the set top box; and requesting the at least one syndicated feed based on the input both immediately after receiving the input and at regularly scheduled times. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving, at the set top box, the list of syndicated feeds, the list of syndicated feeds comprising: a description of each syndicated feed in the list of syndicated feeds; and the location from which each syndicated feed in the list of syndicated feeds could be requested; providing a user interface for the user to select the at least one syndicated feed from the list of syndicated feeds; and adding the selected at least one syndicated feed to a user's list of syndicated feeds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises an Internet based web feed that is distributed publicly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises an Electronic Programming Guide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein converting the at least one syndicated feed to be used by the set top box comprises: retrieving a list of preferred programming channels and a layout that is modifiable by the user; and formatting the Electronic Programming Guide according to the list of preferred programming channels and the layout. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein: the at least one syndicated feed comprises a video feed; and a plurality of images is displayed for the video feed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises Pay-Per-View programming. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises Video-On-Demand programming. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises an audio feed, the method further comprising playing an audio stream based at least in part on the at least one syndicated feed, and wherein the image is associated with the audio stream. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises a news alert. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: sending an instant message to notify the user of the update in the at least one syndicated feed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the portion of the at least one syndicated feed that is displayed on the display device comprises a notification of the update in the at least one syndicated feed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: performing a personalized search at a master controller, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises a result of the personalized search. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one syndicated feed comprises a video recording instruction, the method further comprising transmitting the video recording instruction to a digital video recorder. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the set top box comprises the digital video recorder. ### Claim 22 A device for receiving a syndicated feed, the device comprising: a processor; and a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the device to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising: instructions for maintaining a list of syndicated feeds, the list comprising the syndicated feeds of a video and audio feed, a billing statement feed and an alert feed, the list of syndicated feeds comprises, for at least one of the syndicated feeds, a primary location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested and an alternate location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested if the at least one syndicated feed is not available at the primary location; instructions for requesting the at least one syndicated feed at scheduled times; instructions for receiving, at the device, the at least one syndicated feed through an Internet Protocol (“IP”) network; instructions for providing an indicator, on a remote control device, indicating that the at least one syndicated feed has been updated; instructions for converting, at the device, the at least one syndicated feed for use by the device; and instructions for causing at least one image to be displayed on a display device for a user, wherein the at least one image is based at least in part on the at least one syndicated feed. ### Claim 23 A system for supporting content syndication to a set top box, wherein a syndicated feed is distributed to the set top box that subscribes to the syndicated feed, the system comprising: a display device; a master controller; and the set top box configured to: maintain list of syndicated feeds, the list comprising the syndicated feeds of a video and audio feed, a billing statement feed and an alert feed, the list of syndicated feeds comprises, for at least one of the syndicated feeds, a primary location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested and an alternate location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested if the at least one syndicated feed is not available at the primary location; request the at least one syndicated feed at scheduled times; receive the at least one syndicated feed through an Internet Protocol (“IP”) network; provide an indicator, on a remote control device, indicating that the at least one syndicated feed has been updated; convert the at least one syndicated feed for use by the set top box; and cause at least one image to be displayed on a display device for a user, wherein the at least one image is based at least in part on the at least one syndicated feed. ### Claim 24 A non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded thereon a computer program comprising a set of instructions that are executable by a computer system to perform one or more operations to support content syndication to a set top box, wherein a syndicated feed is distributed to the set top box that subscribes to the syndicated feed, the set of instructions comprising: instructions for maintaining a list of syndicated feeds, the list comprising the syndicated feeds of a video and audio feed, a billing statement feed and an alert feed, the list of syndicated feeds comprises, for at least one of the syndicated feeds, a primary location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested and an alternate location from which the at least one syndicated feed can be requested if the at least one syndicated feed is not available at the primary location; instructions for requesting, at the set top box, the at least one syndicated feed at scheduled times; instructions for receiving, at the set top box, the at least one syndicated feed through an Internet Protocol (“IP”) network; instructions for providing an indicator, on a remote control device, indicating that the at least one syndicated feed has been updated; instructions for converting, at the set top box, the at least one syndicated feed for use by the set top box; and instructions for causing at least one image to be displayed on a display device for a user, wherein the at least one image is based at least in part on the at least one syndicated feed.