Abstract: A TV music broadcasting program is distributed from a distribution apparatus through a ground station and a satellite, and a musical-piece program is also distributed through a plurality of audio channels. A subscriber looks for the desired musical piece from a musical-piece list displayed on the screen of a TV receiver and downloads it into a storage device. A pay-per-view method is employed in which accounting is performed in units of musical pieces. At downloading, a purchase record is stored in an IC card placed in a receiving apparatus and it is periodically sent to a customer management center. The customer management center calculates the viewing fee and issues a bill to the subscriber. A copyright management apparatus in the distribution apparatus obtains the purchase record of a musical piece from the customer management center to calculate a copyright fee to be paid to the copyright holder.

Abstract: A TV music broadcasting program is distributed from a distribution apparatus through a ground station and a satellite, and a musical-piece program is also distributed through a plurality of audio channels. A subscriber looks for the desired musical piece from a musical-piece list displayed on the screen of a TV receiver and downloads it into a storage device. A pay-per-view method is employed in which accounting is performed in units of musical pieces. At downloading, a purchase record is stored in an IC card placed in a receiving apparatus and it is periodically sent to a customer management center. The customer management center calculates the viewing fee and issues a bill to the subscriber. A copyright management apparatus in the distribution apparatus obtains the purchase record of a musical piece from the customer management center to calculate a copyright fee to be paid to the copyright holder.

Abstract: A method for a PPV referral that provides to a subscriber the time, date, and channel of the next showing of a PPV event if the subscriber tries to purchase the PPV event after the purchase window is closed for the current showing. The subscriber is provided information on the next showing of the PPV event regardless of when or on which channel the next showing occurs. In addition, a method and system for providing a single multipurpose PPV channel that a subscriber tunes for all PPV services. There can be a single multipurpose PPV channel for all PPV services or single PPV channels for groups of similar services, such as a Family PPV channel. Each represents a single multipurpose channel of similar programming. Once a subscriber purchases a PPV event, the HCT tunes to the MPEG transport stream and program information for the selected PPV event and displays the PPV event on the single multipurpose PPV channel at its associated start time. The subscriber does not have to select another channel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method thereof for communicating a scramble key (for descrambling scrambled digital signals) and service information (used in an electronic programming guide) to an intelligent transceiver (e.g., a set-top box) using a bi-directional digital broadcast system. The intelligent transceiver includes an in-band tuner adapted to receive from the digital broadcast system in-band digital signals comprising audio content and video content. The intelligent transceiver also includes a second tuner adapted to send and receive a scramble key over the World Wide Web via a cable modem. In one embodiment, the in-band digital signals received by the in-band tuner also contain service information. In another embodiment, the digital signals received by the second tuner via the cable modem also contain service information. Thus, the scramble key is sent over the World Wide Web and is received by the intelligent transceiver using a cable modem.

Abstract: A stored program pay-per-play system includes a high-capacity storage medium facilitating compilation of video, audio or other programs at a subscriber's site. While the recording of such programs may take place at any time preceding playback, billing occurs only when, and if, the subscriber chooses to select a program for replay or actually enjoys the program substantially in its entirety. The program provider may automatically download programs, either based upon actual or surmised viewer preferences, or at the provider's discretion, for example, using newly-available selections. Display generation circuitry is preferably implemented, enabling the viewer to review selections to be downloaded, those selections available for immediate replay, remaining account balance, and other features, including “parental lockout” and so forth.

Abstract: A user's set top box (STB), or other client, executes a shell and has an application programming interface (API) by which certain features of the client can be controlled. The client is in communication with a walled garden proxy server (WGPS), which controls access to a walled garden. The walled garden contains links to one or more servers providing network-based services. The client sends a request to the WGPS to access a service provided by a site in the garden. To provide the service, the site sends the client a message containing code calling a function in the API. The WGPS traps the message from the site and looks up the site in a table to determine the access control list (ACL) for the site. The ACL is a bit-map that specifies which functions of the client's API can be invoked by code from the site. The WGPS includes the ACL in the header of the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) message to the client. The shell receives the message and extracts the ACL.

Abstract: A recording of a televised content stream that has been recorded by a digital recorder is periodically refreshed with updated commercials by pushing the updates down to the viewer's device or pulling the updates from the source, so that when the viewer plays back the recording, he may view, if desired, commercials that are more timely than those that were originally recorded.

Abstract: A system and method for a secure cached subscription system is described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a content provider and a caching device connected to the content provider. The content provider speculatively downloads information into the caching device based upon a user's data. A processing device is connected via a high-bandwidth connection to the caching device for processing the information.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media are disclosed for enabling a user of data services over a network to automatically register for such services by plugging in a set-top box, such as an advanced set-top box, or other IP clients such as a Web pad, and entering certain information through a member services screen. The invention also allows a user to have several accounts distributed over several set-top boxes or IP clients and have all accounts map to a single network identity. That is, it allows a user to have multiple viewer identities for different purposes yet have all of them map back to a single network identity for that user.

Abstract: A smart card for providing a software upgrade to host device, which has a smart card interface, includes a memory that stores the software upgrade for delivery to the host device. The smart card includes a card information structure (CIS) for identifying the smart card as providing a software upgrade so that the host device can access the software upgrade of the smart card to upgrade the software and/or firmware of the host device. The host device is an open-cable compliant set-top-box.

Abstract: Two-way digital media devices typically store digital identifying data that identify the user to providers of content and interactive data. In the case of a Web browser of a personal computer, the digital identity is stored in the form of a plurality of cookies that are used by respective web sites to personalize the web site experience for each particular user. When a user is at a different computer, the digital identifying data is not available. In addition, other types of interactive devices, such as CATV settop boxes, cell phones, PDAs and the like, may not have enough non-volatile memory (persistent storage) to store the digital identifying data. In order to provide users with a portable digital identity, a digital identity server is provided as a server node on the Internet, which retrieves digital identifying data and downloads such digital identifying data to any device upon request.

Abstract: For each of the customers of a broadcast service, server software can predict the content that the customer's client software is expected to acquire from the servers on behalf of the customer. This is based on (1) billing information for the customer received from the customer's client software and that describes previously broadcast content acquired by the client software on behalf of the customer, and (2) a description of available content that will be available for broadcast by the service and that can be acquired by the customer's client software. One application includes deriving a broadcast schedule for the service based on such predicted content for the customers.

Abstract: Method and system for server side insertion of rich content into a media stream uses an insertion plugin to redirect users' requests for streaming media through a server, and operates on either live broadcasts or on demand playlists. The live broadcast identifies impending local interrupt breaks and seamlessly inserts content chosen to match user attributes. The on demand implementation broadcasts a playlist of encoded content including predetermined file content and additional rich content inserted based on user attributes as selected by a decision engine. The insertion of content can be performed on already encoded media. In one embodiment, time matching is performed to avoid rebuffering.

Abstract: An information network, such as an interactive set-top box, is provided to a subscriber. Through interaction with the set-top box, a subscriber may indicate his or her interest in a specific television or video program to be offered by a service provider and the price he or she would be willing to pay for it. This information is communicated to the service provider over a communications link, such as the Internet. The service provider uses the information to determine the offer price of the television or video program.

Abstract: Systems and methods that divide the billing function of a billing system from the provisioning function of a service in digital cable systems. Because the billing system is only responsible for billing, rather than the provisioning of services, new services may be quickly added to cable systems without the time consuming and expensive task of configuring the billing system specifically for new services added to the system. The services are implemented using an offering package created by the service, where the offering package contains billing related information forwarded to the billing system to bill for the service.

Abstract: An apparatus and method thereof for interactively browsing and buying products shown in television programs. The apparatus displays a program to be interactively viewed on a video display. The viewer can select various products shown within the program for further information or to purchase a product. When a product is selected, a window containing hypertext links corresponding to that selection is superimposed onto the video display. The viewer can then select the links to receive additional information or order the product. The apparatus can be used to select a single product, all currently displayed products, or products within a general area on the display.

Abstract: In distribution of digital content data via communications between an order terminal and a main server, it is decided whether digital content data be downloaded when a user places an order or later in accordance with a user request and/or capacity of a user memory for storing the digital content data. The ordered digital content data is transmitted from the main server to the order terminal when the user places an order or later in accordance with the decision. The transmitted digital content is then downloaded to the order terminal. The N (an integer of two or more) number of digital content data having the same contents but different from each other on compression ratio and/or data format are stored in a memory. When an order placement for the digital content data is accepted, the N number of digital content data are retrieved from the memory to form a set of the N number of digital content data or a set of the N number of digital content data are retrieved from the memory.

Abstract: A receiver comprises a program acceptor for accepting program contents, and a program identifier to identify the program contents; a display unit for displaying the program contents; an input acceptor for accepting an input from a user; a display attribute acquisition unit for obtaining a display attribute by which the program contents are displayed; and a viewing information recorder for recording viewing information including the program identifier and the display attribute, on a removable recording medium, when the input acceptor accepts a predetermined user input. Therefore, the receiver can record the viewing information indicating that the user has viewed a specific program, on the removable recording medium.

Abstract: An image transmission apparatus for processing hierarchically encoded image information includes an accounting unit for performing accounting processing in correspondence with the resolution of the image information.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking and processing transactions for such purposes as creating billing record and detecting possible fraudulent activities. The system and method relates to processing transactions associated with viewing movies, e.g. a video content distributed digitally on a digital video disc (DVD) in an scrambled format, where the video content is only viewable in conjunction with the use of a specially designed and enabled player. This method of distributing and billing movie content provides an alternative to current methods such as viewing via video tapes, open format DVDs, pay-per-view, or cable service. The system and method permits a user to establish, via a single authorization, multiple access to a service during a period of time, where each event of access is not individually billed. The system and method does not create a billable charge for a user authorization if the user does not actually access the service.