Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
725004000 | Data stored at intermediate point (i.e., at location between headend or server and receiver) | 11 |
20080209462 | Method and service for providing access to premium content and dispersing payment therefore - A method and system for providing premium content and dispersing payment therefore. The method includes entering into an agreement with at least one partner that provides premium content and entering into an agreement with at least one customer that grants the customer access to premium content provided by at least one partner. The method further includes collecting defined parameter data of at least one customer accessing the premium content and dispersing payment to at least one partner where the payment is determined from the defined parameter data. The defined parameter data can be approximate time spent. | 08-28-2008 |
20090158306 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING USAGE OF PURCHASABLE ENHANCEMENTS OF TELEVISION SERVICES - A method for providing a television service enhancement includes receiving a first user input requesting a television service, providing the user with an option to receive an enhancement to the television service for a charge, and receiving a second user input selecting the option to receive the enhancement to the television service. | 06-18-2009 |
20090178070 | Content Rental System - A content rental system includes one data store for storing rental content. The content rental system also includes a content server for transferring content to one viewing device based upon a received request. The content server is further configured to authorize the transfer of the content from the viewing device to another viewing device. | 07-09-2009 |
20100131968 | Account-Specific Encryption Key - One embodiment takes the form of a method and apparatus for creating a customer-specific encryption key for encrypting digital information. The encryption key may be based on a customer number and may be associated with several devices such that the devices may encrypt and decrypt the digital information. Because each device may have the same encryption key, the encrypted data may be encrypted by a first device, transferred from the first device to a second device and decrypted and read by the second device. Thus, encrypted digital information may be shared between devices that generate a customer-specific encryption key from a common customer number. In one embodiment, the customer-specific encryption key may be utilized by a set-top box of a television system to encrypt and decrypt a digitally recorded television program. | 05-27-2010 |
20120079512 | CATALOG AND USER APPLICATION FOR A VIDEO PROVISIONING SYSTEM - A method performed by a video provisioning system may include receiving metadata associated with a video asset; storing the metadata in a catalog of video assets available through the video provisioning system; publishing information from the stored metadata to a first device associated with a video assets store front for set top boxes; and publishing information from the stored metadata to a second device associated with a video assets store front for devices other than set top boxes. A method may further include registering a user device with a user profile; identifying a media manager application for the user device that is configured to play video assets available via the video provisioning system on the user device; providing the media manager application to the user device; and synchronizing settings associated with the media manager application with settings associated with another user device registered with the user profile. | 03-29-2012 |
20130019257 | System and Method for Selling or Licensing Image FilesAANM Tschernutter; FrederickAACI MerateAACO ITAAGP Tschernutter; Frederick Merate ITAANM Boucard; OlivierAACI MouginsAACO FRAAGP Boucard; Olivier Mougins FR - According to one embodiment, a method for selling or licensing digital video clips includes receiving a first catalog image file representing first digital video in a raw image format and receiving a second catalog image file representing second digital video in a raw image format. The method further includes receiving a selection of the first catalog image file, a selection of one or more first parameters, and payment information for a purchase or a license of a first image file that is a version of the first catalog image file. At least one of the first parameters specifies a second format, and the first image file has the second format. The method further includes generating the first image file, where generating the first image file includes processing the first catalog image file based on the first parameters. The method further includes transmitting the first image file. | 01-17-2013 |
20140033236 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ON-DEMAND AND PAY-PER-VIEW CONTENT THROUGH A HOSPITALITY SYSTEM - A method and system for providing content to a receiving device from a local headend is set forth. The local headend communicates channel data for content stored at a video server to a receiving device, receives a selection of the channel data to form selected content from the receiving device and communicates content corresponding to the selection to the receiving device. The local headend stores a purchase record corresponding to the selection at the local headend, associates the purchase record with the receiving device within the local headend and communicates a request for a callback from the local headend to the receiving device. The receiving device communicates a callback signal from the receiving device to an external headend comprising purchase data corresponding to the purchase record. | 01-30-2014 |
20140082644 | System and Method for Selling or Licensing Image Files - According to one embodiment, a method for selling or licensing digital video clips includes receiving a first catalog image file representing first digital video in a raw image format and receiving a second catalog image file representing second digital video in a raw image format. The method further includes receiving a selection of the first catalog image file, a selection of one or more first parameters, and payment information for a purchase or a license of a first image file that is a version of the first catalog image file. At least one of the first parameters specifies a second format, and the first image file has the second format. The method further includes generating the first image file, where generating the first image file includes processing the first catalog image file based on the first parameters. The method further includes transmitting the first image file. | 03-20-2014 |
20140165082 | VIDEO PLAYBACK SYSTEM SUPPORTING GROUP-BASED BILLING MECHANISM AND RELATED COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS - A video playback system includes a content provider server, first and second video decoders, a playback control server, and first and second mobile communication devices. The first and the second mobile communication devices belong to the same accessing group. The first mobile communication device transmits a first selection message to the playback control server to request the first video decoder to playback a target video provided by the content provider server. The second mobile communication device transmits a second selection message to the playback control server to request the second video decoder to playback the same target video. The content provider server performs a billing process on the basis of the accessing group, so that the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device would not be repeatedly charged for the target video. | 06-12-2014 |
20140325537 | CONTENT PRICE & REVENUE DISTRIBUTION MODEL - A method is performed by one or more devices in a provider network. The method includes providing, to a user device, selected media content (such as television content) from a group of content options available from different content providers. A user device tracks viewer selections and provides the viewer selections as device tracking data that includes a viewing history for the user device. The method includes receiving, from the user device, the device tracking data and generating a billing record, for a user account associated with the user device, that includes a billing amount calculated using the device tracking data. The method includes compiling tracking data from multiple user accounts, including the device tracking data associated with the billing record and calculating, based on the compiled tracking data, proportional revenue shares for the different content providers. | 10-30-2014 |
20150135201 | PERIODICALLY INCREASING PAY-PER-USE CREDIT ASSOCIATED WITH ROOM AS LONG AS USER REMAINS UTILIZING ROOM - A hospitality establishment includes guest rooms having media devices installed therein. Each guest room has one or more in-room media devices for providing a pay-per-use media function. A media system controller dynamically associates a credit corresponding to a monetary value with a particular guest room in response to an occurrence of a first event, configures an in-room media device of the particular guest room to indicate the credit associated with the particular guest room and allow a guest of the particular guest room to utilize at least an amount of the credit toward an order of the pay-per-use media function, activates the pay-per-use media function on at least one of the in-room media devices of the particular guest room in response to a received order, and decreases the credit associated with the particular guest room according to the amount of the credit utilized toward the received order. | 05-14-2015 |