116 results about "Pay-per-view" patented technology

A method and system for providing flexible subscriber VCR control of an interactive media system that limits the consumption of bandwidth capacity, the method comprising establishing a viewing time window during which a subscriber can watch an ordered program, enabling the subscriber to freely pause, rewind, and fast-forward the program so long as the end of the program does not exceed the end of the window, automatically tracking the remaining program running time against the time remaining in the window, deactivating the pause and rewind features if the remaining program running time equals the time remaining in the window, and reactivating the pause and rewind features if the program is fast-forwarded such that the time remaining in the window exceeds the remaining program running time. The system of the present invention is any interactive media system that delivers video streams such as an interactive television system that supports services such as pay-per-view and video-on-demand, or an internet-based interactive media system that downloads video streams through the internet to be played on a subscriber's personal computer or other viewing device.

A television message system is provided that allows users at user television equipment devices that are connected to a television distribution facility to transmit messages to each other relating to a television program or other suitable subject. The television message system permits users to participate in evaluations, contests, promotions, and surveys related to a television program while watching that television program. The television message system also permits users to compose and send a message to a television program entity. Users can send messages through the television message system to users at personal computers who are connected to the user's television distribution facility through a communications network. The television message system also allows a user to purchase a gift related to television programming for a recipient. The gift may be an electronic gift certificate for pay-per-view programming. The television message system may be based on an interactive television program guide or a set-top box application implemented on a set-top box.

A full service cable television system and method are provided. The system comprises a cable headend, at least one fiber transport, at least one distribution hub, at least one hybrid fiber coax plant, and a plurality of set-top terminals. The system delivers television programs, advanced cable services, and online services. Programs and services are transmitted to the set-top terminals in both digital and analog formats to maintain downward compatibility with existing systems. The set-top terminal includes a central processing unit, a unified memory architecture, a memory management unit, communications circuitry, I / O control circuitry, and audio and video output circuitry. Through these components, the set-top terminal provides advanced cable services such as a comprehensive channel navigator, an interactive program guide, impulse Pay-Per-View, Near-Video-On-Demand and Video-On-Demand programming, and advanced configuration controls. The set-top terminal also provides online services such as World Wide Web browsing, Internet e-mail, and home shopping.

A system for providing interactive television program guide features and other features and information related to a specific user interest or programming category in niche hubs is provided. All of the television programming features provided by user television equipment that relate to a specific user interest or programming category may be accessed from the niche hub. For example, a movie lovers niche hub may provide programming features such as television program listings for movies, video-on-demand listings for movies, pay-per-view listings for movies, web site links related to movies, movie-related merchandise, movie news groups, movie chat groups, movie e-mail clubs, movie contests, movie trivia questions, movie actor interviews, movie reviews, movie channel package ordering, etc. The programming features of the niche hubs may be transmitted from a server, database, or other storage facility via a television distribution facility. User television equipment may be connected via two-way communications paths to transmit messages to each other.

Methods and systems that provide enhanced personal video recorder (“PVR”) and interactive television program guide (“IPG”) functionality are provided. An interactive television application (“application”) may be implemented to provide such functionality. The application may be used to display a list of PVR recordings, to schedule recordings to a PVR, to configure recordings, to view a list of scheduled recordings, to configure recording settings, or to select delete priority settings for recordings. The application may integrate pay-per-view and PVR functionality. The application may send user notifications for changes that are to be made to the recording content of a PVR. Live programming may be buffered by the application using a straight buffers that are created for each new program. Parallel buffers for concurrent programs may be implemented using multiple tuners. Straight buffers may be used in managing or controlling the flow of programming. Television content may be automatically paused when a user is engaged in using the application. Multiple IPGs for different users of a PVR may be implemented. Other PVR related features are also provided.

A system and method for storing and retrieving program material for subsequent replay is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the access control information including the first encryption key and control data; further encrypting the access control information and the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key; encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and storing the encrypted access control information and encrypted program material and the fourth encryption key.

A method and system for a multi-attribute and advertisement recipient behavior-based advertising process is disclosed. The advertisement recipient behavior-based advertising process enables advertising pricing schedules to apply to a great variety of advertising recipient behaviors beyond “pay per view or impression” and “pay per click”. The advertisement recipient behavior-based advertising process may be used in conjunction with a multi-attribute advertising pricing and delivery model, and can apply to advertising delivered in conjunction with search, sponsored recommendations, or any other on-line or digital advertising approach.

An interactive television program guide for supporting programming blackouts is provided. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may unschedule the reminding and recording of blacked-out programs that have been scheduled by a user for reminding or recording. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may prevent a user from scheduling blacked-out programs for reminding and recording. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may prevent a user from ordering blacked-out pay-per-view programs. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may provide blackout information in information displays. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may provide replacement media for blacked-out programs.

A system and method for capturing and presenting immersive video presentations is described. A variety of different implementations are disclosed including multiple stream pay-per-view, sporting event coverage and 3D image modeling from the immersive video presentations.

A system and method for providing target groups of customers with a plurality of promotions for a plurality of goods. Active customers are tracked for each target group. Active customers can include customers with portable devices, customers with hand-held devices, customers who are viewers of a pay-per-view system and customers who are viewers of a web site. The promotions for each target group are calculated based on the promotional objectives for each target group and the conditions in the operating environment. Selected promotions are sent the active customers for each target group.

In accordance with the present invention, commercials are provided to a subscriber at the start of or during their use of an interactive television application. Further in accordance with the invention, a subscriber may select to pay for use of the interactive television application by watching a specified amount of commercials in connection with use of the application. The subscriber can thereby reduce or avoid any additional payment for such services. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the subscriber is prompted to determine the payment method preferred by the subscriber payment method includes receiving commercials as an option in lieu of or in addition to traditional payment methods such as pay-per-view, pay-per-use pay-per-play and subscription based.

An Internet television program guide electronic-mail (e-mail) reminder system is provided. The system allows a user at a multimedia system to order and receive e-mail message reminders of scheduled television events over the Internet. The user can order e-mail reminders after selecting a program from the program listings or by supplying [a program title directly] specific user program preferences without having to consult the program listings. The user can specify when and how often the reminders will be generated and received. If desired, the user can view a list of all currently requested e-mail reminders. Entries can be added to the list or the user can cancel a previously ordered reminder. The user can order e-mail reminders for scheduled pay-per-view programs using the system. The user can also have reminder information periodically updated and available directly on the user's multimedia system.

A system measures viewership of multimedia programs such as television programs, pay-per-view sporting events, and video-on-demand movies. Viewership data from a plurality of multimedia programs may be compared to determine ratings for the multimedia programs. Multimedia streams en route to set top boxes may be monitored using packet inspection to identify the multimedia program or programs included in the multimedia streams. An electronic table or array may be stored and updated with viewership statistics of monitored multimedia programs. Some embodiments track the total number of households or televisions that are powered on in a viewing area. Ratings are available substantially in real time by accessing a stored table with viewership information or by frequently polling a plurality of stored values to determine which multimedia program is being viewed by all or substantially all viewers in an area.

A method and apparatus for enabling background caching of encrypted programming data on a storage medium for later playback in a digital video recorder (DVR) system. A set-top box (STB) equipped with a DVR searches a program guide for upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) events. When the PPV event begins, the STB tunes an appropriate transponder and begins receiving programming data packets containing audio, video, system time and conditional access data packets associated with the event, which are stored for playback on a storage medium. When the user turns the STB on and selects an option to playback a previously-recorded PPV event, the appropriate programming data is retrieved from the storage medium, and the STB recreates the original transmission timing of the data, to be displayed on a display device of the user.

An interactive television program guide for supporting programming blackouts is provided. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may unschedule the reminding and recording of blacked-out programs that have been scheduled by a user for reminding or recording. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may prevent a user from scheduling blacked-out programs for reminding and recording. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may prevent a user from ordering blacked-out pay-per-view programs. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may provide blackout information in information displays. In some embodiments, the interactive television program guide may provide replacement media for blacked-out programs.

A system and method are provided for providing both static and dynamic IP multicasting. The concept of a multicast Static-Range is introduced which allows the coexistence of static and dynamic IP multicast. The multicast Static-Range is a set of Class D IP addresses which is reserved for static multicasting, and is configured at all routers. When a router receives a PIM message or an IGMP message, the router determines whether the group specified in the message is within the multicast Static-Range. If the group pertains to a static multicasting group, the router does not propagate the message to upstream routers using PIM-SM or PIM-SSM protocols, and only connects or disconnects interfaces internal to the router. If the multicast group address in the message is not within the multicast Static-Range, the router recognizes that the message pertains to a dynamic multicasting group and implements PIM or IGMP protocols as usual. If the invention is used for broadcasting TV, the low end of TB channels or commonly used channels can be created as static IP multicast. This way, a user can access or leave such channels without an entire shortest path tree being created or torn down, improving access time and channel surfing for a user. Also, pay-per-view, digital or less frequently used channels can be created using dynamic IP multicast with traditional PIM-SSM protocol, in order to make efficient use of router resources.

A system for the efficient distribution of live and stored audio / video streams to multiple subscribers without degrading normal data delivery services. The system segments one or more frequency bands into sub-bands, or channels, each of which is capable of carrying encoded audio, video, and other data streams, to a plurality of subscribers. Each channel transmitted in the system provides full-duplex operation so that each subscriber may indicate what specific services are desired, such as audio / video broadcast, two-way data transfer, video library access, pay-per-view video, interactive video, and audio file transfer. A transmission headend facility (‘hub’) broadcasts multiple channels of video / audio data (e.g., Internet data) in unicast mode via a shared media transmission facility to multiple subscribers. Simultaneously, selected video / audio / data is transmitted in Internet Protocol multicast mode over one or more channels of the segmented frequency band. The subscriber is provided a device which simultaneously and dynamically demodulates 2 or more channels and interleaves the information over a single ethernet interface connected to one or more IP enabled devices. Each subscriber thus has the capability of, for example, receiving a video stream concurrent with many other subscribers while simultaneously interacting uniquely with the Internet or other data network.

Disclosed is a method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device that records television program segments selected by on-screen graphics. In the method, an on-screen graphic associated with selecting a television program segment is intercepted. The selected television program segment is recognized using the intercepted on-screen graphic, and record usage information associated with the selected television program segment is generated. The record usage information may be included in a database for analysis. Other similar television usage may be monitored such as recorded program playback, game play, pay-per-view, and video-on-demand viewing.

An audio / video processing system combines a locally generated audio signal with pre-recorded audio / video programming to produce combined audio / video output. The audio / video system allows users to generate sound locally, mix them with the audio content of a pre-recorded audio / video program, and allows combined output to be presented by home audio / video system video displays and the speakers. The audio / video system provides independent sound characteristic control capability, such as volume control settings and voice and tone alterations settings and the equalization settings, for the various sound components produced in the process of mixing locally generated sounds. The sound components produced in the process of mixing include locally generated sound components, such as the voice sound component, the musical instrument sound components, and the sound components of the pre-recorded audio program such as voice, musical instrument and the background sound components. The pre-recorded audio / video programs may be obtained on the pay-per-view basis.

System, methods and apparatus are applicable to enable owners and vendors of software to protect their intellectual property and other rights in that software. The system also enables vendors or distributors of software to charge per-use for an instance of software. The system produces a unique, unforgeable, tag for every vendor supplied instance (copy) of specific software. Each user device is equipped with a supervising program that ensures, by use of the tag and other information, that no software instance will be used on the device in a manner infringing on the vendor, distributor, or software owner's rights. When installing or using a vendor-supplied software instance, the supervising program verifies the associated tag and stores the tag. When installing or using untagged software, the supervising program fingerprints selected portions of the software and stores the fingerprints. Software is used on a user's device through the supervising program which ensures proper use of the software. A vendor can submit a copy of infringing software to a guardian center which fingerprints appropriate portions of the infringing software. A user device's (104) supervising program periodically calls up, or can be called up, by the guardian center. During call-up, the supervising program can securely sends to the guardian center information about the use of the software instances associated with tags and fingerprints. The guardian center detects unauthorized use of software by comparison of current call-up data with records of past call-ups involving the same tags, and / or by comparing call-up supplied fingerprints with fingerprints of infringing software stored by the guardian center. The guardian center completes the call-up by enabling continued use of properly used software instances and generating appropriate punitive actions upon detection of improperly used software instances on the calling user's device. The data supplied by a supervising program during call-up is also employed by the guardian center to prepare data on usage by a user's device of vendor or distributor supplied software instances, for pay-per-use or pay-per-view billing.

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for authorizing activity in an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) environment. A requested activity can be a request to view a pay-per-view program or purchase an item. An account server receives a request from a viewer to view or purchase the IPTV activity. The account server checks the cost of the request against a spending limit of the viewer. If the cost of the requested item exceeds the amount available in a viewer's account, the viewer receives a message and is offered an option to request an exception to exceed the spending limit. A request for an exception to exceed the spending limit is received at the account server, and an account administrator is notified of the receipt of the request for the exception. A response is received from the account administrator to grant authorization. If no response is received within a selected time limit, the request can be implicitly rejected.

A method and apparatus for group billing purchasers of transmitted programming events is provided. In one embodiment, a subscriber group includes two or more individual subscribers who receive programming from a programming provider. The individual subscribers periodically elect to view a program provided via the program provider. The program is provided on a pay-per-view basis, meaning that the program provider requires a sum of money to be paid in order to view the program. The sum of money is determined according to the number of viewers in a single subscriber group. In one embodiment, the subscribers interact during a program via a network connection.

An expanded function set for advertising campaigns and social network driven sales environments, unified across presenting sites and maintained at the presenting site. A banner ad can include a live streaming product presentation, such as an infomercial where users can expand the presentation, purchase the product, and share with networked friends. Video on demand and pay per view / download content can be provided via the integrated system and user experience.

A lodging entertainment system provides a variety of products and services, including free television, pay-per-view movies, video games, guest services, and guest-selected recording of television programs for time-shifted viewing. Through the use of an interactive program guide, the guest may select programs being aired during the guest's stay at the hotel for later viewing, or may elect to record a television program while watching the same or another program.

The present invention is directed to a television schedule system with a user interface which allows a user to control access to television programs by time, rating, content, and / or channel. Furthermore, the user may set a limit on pay-per-view (PPV) spending to limit the purchase of PPV programs.