Patent · US Expired

Interactive entertainment network system and method for customizing operation thereof according to viewer preferences

US6571390B1 · kind B1 · utility

165Cited by
43References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 26, 1998
Grant dateMay 27, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 26, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/47
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An interactive entertainment network system has a video-on-demand (VOD) application which allows viewers to create their own customized lists of preferred video content programs, such as movies, games, TV shows, and so forth. Viewers are permitted to select criteria for grouping various video content programs into manageable sets. Lists of programs are provided in one or more scrollable lists, the scrolling rates of which are programmable. Once grouped, previews for the set of programs are displayed. The VOD application allows the viewers to browse the previews at their own rate, skipping forward to the next preview or backward to the previous preview. During this automated browsing, the VOD application enables the viewer to add any of the programs of interest to a customized list. The viewer can retrieve the customized list at any time. If the viewer orders a program from the customized list, the program remains available to the viewer for a rental period (which is adjustable). Upon expiration of the rental period, however, the program is no longer readily accessible until ordered again.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.