Russia Warns of Chaos from Nato Attack
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US 200500.44568A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2005/0044568 A1 White et al. (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 24, 2005 (54) VIDEO ON DEMAND METHODS AND 09/201495, filed on Nov. 30, 1998, now Pat. No. SYSTEMS 6,804.825. (75) Inventors: Christopher M. White, San Francisco, Publication Classification CA (US); Timo Bruck, Mountain View, CA (US); Lee S. Mighdoll, Seattle, WA (51) Int. Cl. ............................ H04N 7/16; A63F 13/00; (US); Phillip Y. Goldman, Los Altos, A63F 9/24; G06F 13/00; H04N 5/445; CA (US) G06F 3/00; H04N 7/173 (52) U.S. Cl. .............................. 725/39; 72.5/52; 72.5/135; Correspondence Address: 725/133; 725/141; 725/23; KLARQUIST SPARKMAN LLP 463/40 121 S.W. SALMON STREET SUTE 1600 PORTLAND, OR 97204 (US) (57) ABSTRACT (73) Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA An entertainment head-end provides broadcast program (21) Appl. No.: 10/952,004 ming, Video-on-demand Services, and HTML-based interac tive programming through a distribution network to client (22) Filed: Sep. 27, 2004 terminals in Subscribers homes. A number of different features are provided, including novel user interfaces, Related U.S. Application Data enhanced Video-on-demand controls, a variety of interactive Services (personalized news, jukebox, games, celebrity (60) Continuation of application No. 09/870,267, filed on chat), and techniques that combine to provide user experi May 29, 2001, which is a division of application No. ences evocative of conventional television. - 80 HEADLINES SPORTS WEATHER STOCKS SUNDAY OCTOBER 11 1998 RUSSIA WARNS OF CHAOS FROM NATO ATTACK MOSCOW (REUTERS) - RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER GOR IVAMOV PLAYED DOWN SUGGESTION THAT ANATO ATTACK ONYUGOSLAVA COULD RENEW THE COLD WAR. Patent Application Publication Feb. 24, 2005 Sheet 1 of 3 US 2005/0044568 A1 ENTERTAINMENT HEAD-END N MI AM SATELLITEEECEIVE PMODULATOR R& 2. 34 X GS SATELLITE 26 34 TO 28N video DISK MODULATOR 30 ARRAYS 34 INTERACTIVESERVICES MODULATORMODULATORH 36 SERVER 34 CONTROL .............: CGPUfÉai-MODULATOR: - - - - - - - as--- 34 FIG.2 32 Patent Application Publication Feb. 24, 2005 Sheet 2 of 3 US 2005/0044568A1 14 Y 42-NNON-volatiLE 40 STORE 56 48 5 O USER SPEAKER STAGEAUDIO as INTERFACE 52 54 58 CONTROLINTERFACEBRM95 --NEE-cPU INTERFACEDAL-UP PHONETO LINE 44 DISPLAY BSRA MPEG SCREEN CIRCUITRY DECODER CABLE TO INTERFACENETWORK ROBERT DE NIRO 2.st VIDEOS -(RONOIN la O COMEDY ONEW RONIN (R) O DRAMA OFOREIGN O MYSTERY O SC-F O HORROR O KIDS TITLES Patent Application Publication Feb. 24, 2005 Sheet 3 of 3 US 2005/0044568A1 74 76C 76E 76B 76A 76D Y 44. Z2 2ZZZZZZZ 1. SUNDAY OCTOBER 11 1998 RUSSIA WARNS OF CHAOS FROM NATO ATTACK MOSCOW (REUTERS) - RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER GOR IVAMOV PLAYED DOWN SUGGESTION THAT ANATO ATTACK ON YUGOSLAVA COULD RENEW THE COLD WAR. FIG. 6 82 MADONNA : DOUG B. : MADONNA : THE INTERVIEWER. MATERAL GRL TALKS JOHN H. : BACK ASK OUESTION US 2005/0044568 A1 Feb. 24, 2005 VIDEO ON DEMAND METHODS AND SYSTEMS 0012. The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the RELATED APPLICATION DATA following detailed description, which proceeds with refer ence to the accompanying drawings. 0001. This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/870,267 filed May 29, 2001, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/201, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 495, filed Nov. 30, 1998. 0013 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an interactive video 0002 The subject matter of this application is generally System that can be used in accordance with the present related to that disclosed in the following applications: invention. 0003 U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/201484, 0014 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the entertainment filed Nov. 30, 1998, “Proxy for Video on Demand head-end of FIG. 1. Server Control', (Bruck et al); 0.015 FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a client terminal of FIG. 1. 0004 U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/201,696, filed Nov. 30, 1998, “Method and System for Pre 0016 FIG. 4 is an illustration of a video-on-demand Senting Television Programming and Interactive Selection Screen. Entertainment”, (White et al); and 0017 FIG. 5 is an illustration of a user interface permit 0005 U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/201,699, ting a user to control playback of an on-demand Video. filed Nov.30, 1998, “Interactive Video Programming 0018 FIG. 6 is an illustration of a screen display on a Methods”, (White et al). NEWS viewer channel. 0006 The subject matter of this application is also gen 0019 FIG. 7 is an illustration of a screen display on a erally related to the subject matter of application Ser. No. CELEBRITY CHAT viewer channel. 09/153,577, filed Sep. 15, 1998, “Television/Internet Termi nal User Interface', (Zigmond et al.). DETAILED DESCRIPTION 0007. The disclosures of all these related applications are 0020 Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary interactive incorporated by reference. video system 10 includes a entertainment head-end 12 and one or more client terminals 14 intercoupled through a BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE network 16. INVENTION 0021. The network 16 typically comprises coaxial cable 0008 Interactive video promises to be a major compo or optical fiber 18, extending from the head-end 12 to nent of future home entertainment Systems. One anteced distribution nodes 20 within various neighborhoods. From ent-hotel Video-on-demand Systems-illustrates Some of the distribution nodes, further cables 22 couple to individual the failings of the prior art. Subscriber premises. 0009. In an exemplary hotel video-on-demand system, a 0022. As detailed in the companion application entitled user with a remote control tunes a television to a predeter Proxy for Video on Demand Server Control, filed herewith, mined channel on which a menu of on-demand Video the network can include one or more proxy Servers 24. These Services is presented. The menu typically Solicits entry of a are computers interposed between the head-end 12 and the two-digit code, Such as 30 for comedy movies, 40 for action client terminals 14 to perform various System control and movies, 50 for children's movies, etc. In response to user user interface (UI) functions. entry of a two-digit code, a further menu is presented 0023 The proxy server 24 is interposed in a logical detailing movies available under the Selected category. The TCP/IP control channel 27 between the head-end and cli user is then prompted to enter a code corresponding to the ents. While the control Signals and the entertainment are desired movie (e.g. 51 for Anastasia, 52 for Antz, 53 for physically conveyed on the same cable 18, they are shown Snow White, etc.). separately in FIG. 1 for conceptual clarity. 0010. After entry of a movie selection code (and after 0024. As shown in FIG. 2, the entertainment head-end 12 confirmation of the Video charge that will appear on the hotel includes the components typically associated with a cable bill at checkout), the movie begins playing. The movie television head-end installation, e.g. Satellite receivers 26 for thereafter playS continuously. If the viewer receives a tele receiving Satellite broadcasts and producing corresponding phone call, or wishes to tune the television briefly to another baseband analog video Signals. Additionally, head-end 12 channel, there is no provision for interrupting the on includes fast digital disk arrays and/or optical Storage 28 for demand Video delivery-the Viewer simply misses part of storage of MPEG-encoded digital video for on-demand the Video. In most Systems, if the television is tuned to delivery. Head-end 12 also includes one or more interactive another channel for more than a brief interval, the on services servers 30, which output HTML-based program demand video is terminated. If the viewer wishes to continue ming (e.g. customized news, celebrity chat, interactive juke Viewing the Video, it must be started again at the beginning, box, and interactive games), as further detailed below. In typically incurring another charge. Systems not employing proxy serverS 24, the head-end 0.011 Various embodiments of the present invention additionally includes a control computer 32 that receives and redress these, and related failings of prior art on-demand transmits control data relating to System administration (e.g. Video Systems. channel assignment data, billing information, etc.). US 2005/0044568 A1 Feb. 24, 2005 0.025 The transmission of these various forms of data 0033. The dial-up interface 58 in the illustrated embodi from the head-end over the network 16 is straightforward. ment is a modem, coupled to a telephone line. Various AS is familiar to those skilled in the Video arts, the analog different modems and communication links can be used. video is commonly distributed on 6 MHZ channels, begin ning at 52 MHZ and extending upwardly. The digital video 0034. The cable interface 60 receives composite data can be encoded on a carrier for transmission within one of Signals from the network 16 and Separates them into three these conventional broadcast channels, or can be modulated general signal types: analog video (typically corresponding at one or more other un-used frequencies. Statistical multi to broadcast television programming), digital video (typi plexing is desirably employed to transmit plural channels of cally corresponding to on-demand video programming), and digitized video with reduced bandwidth. The HTML-based HTML/control instructions (the former typically corre interactive Services and the control data can be transmitted sponding to other interactive Services, the latter being using a conventional protocol (e.g.