HNY-P14
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`BBiTV-P1
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`SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING, CONVERTING AND DISPLAYING
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`ADVERTISING CONTENT ON A VIDEO-ON-DEMAND PLATFORM, AND
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`5 PARTICULARLY CONSUMER-GENERATED CONTENT FOR CLASSIFIED ADS
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`SPECIFICATION
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`TECHNICAL FIELD
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`[0001]
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`This invention generally relates to the provision of interactive television services
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`through cable TV infrastructure, and more particularly, to a system and method for managing,
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`converting and displaying advertising content on a video-on-demand platform, and particularly
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`consumer-generated content for classified ads.
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`BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
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`[0002]
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`Cable television (CATV) systems are used to deliver television services to a vast
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`majority of TV-viewing homes in the U.S. and other technologically advanced countries. The
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`typical CATV system has a head end equipped with video servers to transmit CATV program
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`signals through distribution lines to local nodes and from there to TV subscriber homes. Within the
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`subscriber homes, the CATV program signals are routed to one or more customer-premises TVs
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`which are coupled to CATV-supplied set top boxes or which are equipped with cable channel
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`tuners.
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`[0003]
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`Current CATV set-top boxes provide channel switching access between subscribers
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`and the CATV head end. The more advanced digital set-top boxes are individually addressable
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`from the CATV head end and allow subscribers to communicate selection inputs on a back channel
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`to the head end, thereby enabling subscribers to access interactive television services and other
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`5 types of premium CATV services, such as video-on-demand (VOD). VOD service allows a viewer
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`to use the remote control to cursor through an on-screen menu and select from a variety of pre-
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`recorded video programs or segments for individual viewing at any time. Advanced remote
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`controls include button controls with VCR-like functions that enable the viewer to start, stop, pause,
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`rewind, or replay a selected video program or segment. In the future, the functionality offered in
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`CATV set-top boxes is expected to expand further to offer Internet browsing capabilities, e-mail, e-
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`commerce transactions, advanced communications functions such as voice calls over Internet
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`(VoIP) and videoconferencing, and other forms of multimedia delivery.
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`[0004]
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`With the increasing interactive functionality and customer reach of CATV systems,
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`advertisers and content providers will increasingly view the cable TV delivery platform as the
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`platform of choice for delivering advertising, content, and transaction services to home TV viewers.
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`Cable TV delivery infrastructures are therefore being designed to seamlessly and conveniently
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`deliver a wide range of types of advertising, content, and transaction services to home TV viewers.
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`A particular CATV platform delivery system of high interest is the delivery of advertising and
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`promotional video content on the VOD platform. For example, the advanced N-Band (TM) system
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`of Navic Systems, Inc., d/b/a Navic Networks, of Needham, MA, provides an application
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`development platform wherein third party application developers can develop new viewer menu
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`interfaces and advertising/promotions delivery applications for deployment on VOD channels of
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`CATV operators in cable service areas throughout the U.S. A detailed description of the Navic N-
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`Band system, as an example of an advanced VOD application development platform, is provided in
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`U.S. Patent Application 2002/066,106, filed on May 30, 2002, which is incorporated herein by
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`reference.
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`[0005]
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`The advanced digital set-top box also provides the ability to collect data such as a log
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`of the channels watched by or video-on-demand selections made by the viewer over time. The set
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`top box can thus be designed to report this information to the cable head end. At the head end
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`location, this viewer data can be aggregated over many users and coupled with other information,
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`5 such as viewer demographics, and provided in reportage back to advertisers and program sponsors
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`so that they can design and target new ads and programs for the indicated viewer preferences,
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`thereby resulting in increased viewership, higher viewer impressions per ad or program, and
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`ultimately increased revenues for advertisers in relation to advertising costs.
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`[0006]
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`However, current VOD delivery and feedback to advertisers are only provided in
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`aggregate, and VOD ads and programs are generally produced for mass audiences. It would be
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`particularly desirable to use a VOD delivery platform to deliver ads, promotions, programs, or
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`informational content targeted to or requested by individual viewers. Such one-on-one content
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`delivery has a much higher likelihood of satisfying individual viewer interest, and also motivating
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`the individual viewer to engage in transactions involving the subject matter advertised or promoted
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`(referred to herein as "Drill-Down Ads"). Conversely, it would be highly desirable to enable the
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`individual user to upload advertising or informational content to a CATV system which other
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`viewers may find of interest to engage in transactions involving the subject matter advertised or
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`promoted (referred to herein as "Classified Ads").
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`[0007]
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`It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a system for
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`controlling, managing and administering the distribution of pre-recorded video ads, promotions,
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`programs, or informational content targeted to or requested by individual viewers. A related
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`objective is to create a User Interface system that executes within the digital set-top box supplied by
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`the cable television operator and enables the individual viewer to drill-down in the selection of
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`specific ad, program, or informational content from a mass-market presentation or "page" to a
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`"local page" and down to an "individual page" selected by the viewer (referred to herein as "Drill-
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`Down Ads").
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`5 [0008]
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`It is another primary objective of the present invention to enable the individual user
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`to upload advertising or informational content to a CATV system. A related objective is to convert
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`the uploaded user-content to VOD content that can be searched and viewed by other viewers who
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`may find it of interest to engage in transactions involving the individual user-content (referred to
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`herein as "Classified Ads").
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`[0009]
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`In accordance with the first objective of the present invention, a video-on-demand
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`(VOD) content delivery system comprises:
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`(a) a VOD Application Server located at a Cable Head End which manages a
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`database of templates for generating templatized VOD content requested in accordance with a
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`viewer request signal transmitted from the TV equipment of a viewer through the CATV system to
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`the Cable Head End;
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`(b) a Video Server for storing video content segments encoded as video feeds to be
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`used as video content in the templatized VOD content, and for supplying a requested video content
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`segment to the VOD Application Server to be framed within a selected template and delivered as
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`templatized VOD content through the CATV system to the TV equipment of the viewer;
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`(c) an Application Data Center for creating templates for presentation of selected
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`advertising types, wherein a template includes a link to a given video content segment which is to
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`be framed within the template as templatized VOD content, and for downloading the templates for
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`storage in the database managed by the VOD Application Server;
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`(d) a Video Content Encoder for encoding video content segments as video feeds and
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`supplying the encoded video content segments to the Video Server,
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`wherein said VOD Application Server, in response to a viewer request for VOD
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`content indicated by the viewer request signal, retrieves the advertising template from its database
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`corresponding to the requested VOD content, and the linked video content segment from the Video
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`Server, in order to generate the corresponding templatized VOD content of the linked video content
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`segment framed in the template and deliver the templatized VOD content to be displayed on the TV
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`equipment of the viewer.
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`[0010]
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`In a preferred embodiment of the VOD content delivery system, the viewer's TV
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`equipment includes a digital set top box which presents a User Interface on the viewer's TV display.
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`The User Interface can display as a first page a menu of topical areas for viewer selection using the
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`remote control for the viewer's set top box. Upon selection of a topical area, the digital set-top box
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`sends a viewer request signal to the VOD Application Server for a generalized video ad which
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`includes links or buttons to drill-down further to related subtopical areas. Upon selection of a
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`subtopical area, the digital set-top box sends a subsequent viewer request signal to the VOD
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`Application Server for a subtopical video ad which may include links or buttons to drill-down
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`further to specific information options. In this manner, the VOD content delivery system allows the
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`viewer to navigate to specific information content of high interest to the viewer using the drill-down
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`ads as a navigation tool. User profiling and aggregate data reporting and tracking systems can be
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`used to gather viewing data for feedback to advertisers.
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`[0011]
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`In accordance with the second objective of the invention, a TV classified ad system
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`for managing, converting and displaying individual consumer-generated advertising content on a
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`video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system comprises:
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`(a) a web-based Content Management System for enabling an individual user to
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`upload content via a web browser for a consumer-generated video ad, said uploaded content
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`including meta data for classifying the video ad by topical and subtopical areas;
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`(b) a Content Screening System for screening the content input by the individual user
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`to the Content Management System by performing an automatic search for objectionable text and/or
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`images in the content and rejecting the content if objectionable text and/or images are found;
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`(c) a Content Feed System for performing automatic transfer of consumer-generated
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`content screened through the Content Screening System and supplying it to a Content Conversion
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`System;
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`(d) a Content Conversion System for automatically converting the consumer-
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`generated content supplied by the Content Feed System into a video ad format compatible with the
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`5 VOD content delivery system, and for indexing the consumer-generated video ad into classified
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`topical and subtopical areas in accordance with the corresponding content meta data supplied from
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`the Content Management System; and
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`(e) the VOD content delivery system being configured for presenting a menu to
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`classified ads on the TV displays of TV equipment of viewers linked to the indexing of consumer-
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`generated video ads maintained by the Content Conversion System, and for delivering a video ad to
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`a viewer's TV equipment in accordance with the viewer's selection of the video ad from the
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`displayed menu to classified ads.
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`[0012]
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`In a preferred embodiment of the TV classified ad system, the individual user can
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`input content data via the web browser as well as upload text, graphics, and/or video files in
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`standardized file formats to the Content Management System. The Content Screening System has
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`components for parsing objectionable text words in the text files and for optical recognition of
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`objectionable images in the graphics or video files. The Content Conversion System links viewer
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`selections via the remote control from topical and subtopical options displayed on the TV menu to
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`the indexed video ad and supplies the selected video ad to the VOD delivery system. The Content
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`Management System also includes: (a) Account Management for the management of user accounts
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`on the web-based content management system; (b) Classified Content Management for organizing
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`consumer-generated content as individual list items within topical categories; (c) Bulletin Board
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`Content Management for the creation and management of consumer-generated content related to
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`announcements and other items of general interest and organized by groups, organizations or topics;
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`and (d) Transaction Processing for the processing of fees for use of the system.
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`[0018]
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`The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention are
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`described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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`HNY-P14
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`5
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`[0019]
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`FIG. 1 is a diagram of an overall system architecture for a VOD content delivery
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`system according to the present invention.
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`[0020]
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`FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram illustrating the component steps and processes of
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`the Content Screening System of a TV classified ad system according to the present invention.
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`[0021]
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`FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram illustrating the component steps and processes of
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`the Content Conversion System of the TV classified ad system.
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
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`[0022]
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`Referring to FIG. 1, an overall system architecture for a VOD content delivery
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`system includes a VOD Application Server 10 located at a Cable Head End which manages a
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`database 11 of templates for generating templatized VOD content requested in accordance with a
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`viewer request signal transmitted from the TV equipment 20 of a viewer through the CATV system
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`to the Cable Head End. The VOD Application Server may be of the type which enables developed
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`VOD applications to be loaded on and operated on the server. An example of such a VOD
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`Application Server is the Navic N-Band server as previously described. The VOD Application
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`Server 10 is connected to a Video Server 12 for storing video content segments encoded as video
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`feeds. The VOD Application Server is also connected to receive downloads of ad templates
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`created at an Application Data Center 30 for presentation of video ads of selected advertising types.
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`A template can include a link to a given video content segment which is to be framed within the
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`template as templatized VOD content. The downloaded templates are stored in the database 11
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`5 managed by the VOD Application Server 10. A Video Content Encoder 31 receives video content
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`segments to be used in the video ads and encodes them as video feeds supplied to the Video Server.
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`[0023]
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`In operation, the VOD Application Server 10 receives a viewer request for a given
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`VOD content as indicated by the viewer request signal transmitted from the viewer's use of the
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`remote control to the set top box for a menu selection through the back channel to the Cable Head
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`End. The VOD Application Server 10 retrieves the ad template from its database 11 corresponding
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`to the requested VOD content, and also retrieves any linked video content segment from the Video
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`Server, in order to generate the corresponding templatized VOD content. In the typical templatized
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`video content, the video content segment is displayed within a template frame that may include the
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`channel name or logo, the name or logo of the advertiser, and/or any topical information associated
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`with the requested ad. The template frame can also include one or more buttons that presents the
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`user with further menu options to "drill-down" further with the ad.
`
`[0024]
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`In the preferred embodiment of the VOD content delivery system, the viewer's TV
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`equipment includes a digital set top box 21 which presents a User Interface on the viewer's TV
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`display. The User Interface displays on a first page an overall menu of topical areas for viewer
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`selection using the remote control for the set top box. Upon selection of a topical area, the digital
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`set-top box sends a viewer request signal to the VOD Application Server for a generalized or
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`"mass-market" video ad which includes links or buttons to drill-down to related subcategory or
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`"local" topical areas. Upon selection of a local topical area, the digital set-top box sends a
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`subsequent viewer request signal to the VOD Application Server for a local templatized video ad
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`which may include links or buttons to drill-down further to specific information options. In this
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`manner, the VOD content delivery system allows the viewer to navigate to local content or specific
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`information content of high interest to the viewer using the drill-down ads as a navigation tool. For
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`example, a viewer can select "Cars" then "Mercedes" form the overall menu, then drill down to an
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`ad for a local dealer of Mercedes cars, then drill down further to information as to what cars the
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`local dealer has in stock or offered for sale.
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`[0025]
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`A Reporting and Tracking System can be used to aggregate data on which video ads
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`were watched, how frequently, for how long, and at what time. A Profiling System can be used to
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`gather data on viewer navigation paths and other indicated preferences, for feedback to advertisers.
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`[0026]
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`The VOD content delivery system can be developed to support the video
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`advertisements for both national and local market ad campaigns. Advertisers, both national and
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`local, can pay for placement of their video advertisement on the system. The system can also
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`support "traffic building" videos such as music videos that may not generate direct revenue. Once a
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`video is encoded and registered into the system, the management and distribution of the video is
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`conducted through software systems and automated controls. The User Interface provides the user
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`with the ability to navigate and select categories of video content. Selection of a category presents
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`the user with a list of video titles available for playback. Categories and title lists can be generated
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`using real-time database queries, allowing for database-driven management of content within the
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`User Interface. The User Interface can also support a search interface which allows the user to
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`search the video content database to generate a list of video titles with specific characteristics.
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`[0027]
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`The core services and functions of the VOD content delivery system can include:
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`Encoding — converts videos to proper digital format for playback on cable video-on-demand
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`systems, currently MPEG2 format
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`Metadata Input — allows for the input of descriptive data regarding each video
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`Packaging — Prepares a data package for transport consisting of the encoded video file and the
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`metadata
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`Scheduling — Establishes the schedule when packages are to be delivered to cable video-on-demand
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`systems via the transport system
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`Transport — Digital broadcast medium through which the packages are migrated from the central
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`processing facility to the cable video-on-demand systems
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`5 [0028]
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`The core services and functions of the User Interface system can include:
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`Development of UT "pages" — An Internet-based system is used for the composition, coding and
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`quality assurance of the User Interface images ("pages") that are presented to the user on an
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`interactive basis.
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`Category and List Presentation — The category lists and title lists presented to the user for
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`navigation and selection can be generated and rendered real-time using database queries against the
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`video metadata database. These lists can also be incorporated in the fully rendered graphics if real-
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`time queries are not required or desired.
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`Distribution — The UI system supports a scheduling and transport subsystem separate from the
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`video distribution system for the distribution of the UI assets and related set-top box software
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`components to local UI servers installed at the cable head end.
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`User Input Device — The UI system receives user input and commands from the IR remote control
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`used with the digital set-top box.
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`User Database — The UI system maintains a database of set-top box addresses that is used to
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`identify the users of the system. This database is the seed for the Profiling Database system
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`described below.
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`Targeting — The UI system is capable of changing the UI presentation to a specific user based on
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`the information contained in the User Database and the Profiling Database.
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`[0029]
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`The core services and functions of the Reporting and Tracking system can include:
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`Consolidation of Video-On-Demand Data — The Reporting and Tracking system is capable of
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`ingesting and consolidating usage data provided by the cable video-on-demand systems. This may
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`be performed through automated interfaces or "feeds", or it may be performed through the batch
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`processing of data files delivered by the cable operators.
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`Consolidation of UT Data - The Reporting and Tracking system is capable on an automated basis of
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`gathering and consolidating data from the UI system. The UI system can provide data describing
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`the user commands, behaviors, responses and requests generated by each user while using the User
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`Interface system.
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`5 Reporting — The Reporting and Tracking system is capable of generating reports and analysis
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`against the Video-On-Demand data and the UI data.
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`Web Interface — The Reporting and Tracking system supports an Internet-based system for
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`providing authorized users such as advertisers with access to specific reports.
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`[0030]
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`The core services and functions of the Profiling system can include:
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`Consolidation of Profiling Data - The Profiling system is capable of consolidating on a continuing,
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`automated basis all user-related data requested by advertisers or by the system operator.
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`Interface to Targeting System — The Profiling system is capable of providing pertinent data as
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`required by the Targeting system within the UI system. This data is used to reformat UI
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`presentations based on the data values.
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`Interface to Reporting and Tracking System — The Profiling system data can be accessed and
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`incorporated into the Reporting and Tracking system.
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`Support of Private and Public Data — The Profiling system is capable of segregating and
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`maintaining private any data that gathered specifically for an advertiser that is gathered only for the
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`use of that advertisers.
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`[0031]
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`As another aspect of the present invention, the VOD content delivery system may be
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`integrated to offer TV classified ad services. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a system for managing,
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`converting and displaying individual consumer-generated ads on the VOD content delivery system
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`has a web-based Content Management System 40 for enabling an individual user to upload content
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`via a web browser for a consumer-generated video ad. The uploaded content includes meta data for
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`classifying the video ad by topical and subtopical areas. A Content Screening System 41 for
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`screening the content input by the individual user to the Content Management System performs
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`automatic searching for objectionable text and/or images in the content and rejecting the content if
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`objectionable text and/or images are found. A Content Feed System 42 for performing automatic
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`transfer of consumer-generated content screened through the Content Screening System and
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`supplying it to a Content Conversion System 43, which automatically converts the consumer-
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`generated content supplied by the Content Feed System into a video ad format compatible with the
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`VOD content delivery system. The consumer-generated video ad is indexed into classified topical
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`and subtopical areas according to the content meta data supplied by the user to or automatically
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`generated by the Content Management System. The VOD content delivery system presents a menu
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`to the classified ads to viewers linked to the indexing of the video ads maintained by the Content
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`Conversion System.
`
`[0032]
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`The web-based Content Management System allows consumers to create and
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`manage their own classified ads as interactive television content, as well as pay for the distribution
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`of their content within the digital cable television system. The automated Screening System scans
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`the consumer-generated content for objectionable material and alerts system administration
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`personnel of possible objectionable material. The automated Feed System delivers the consumer-
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`generated content into the Content Conversion System. The automated Conversion System
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`converts the consumer-generated content into formats compatible with the VOD delivery system, so
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`that it can deliver the properly formatted classified ad content to the digital set-top box for display
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`as video ads on television.
`
`[0033]
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`The automated Reporting System can collect the viewing data regarding the
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`classified ads from the interactive television system. The reporting data is made available in
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`summary form to the authors of the classified ad content. Also included in the Content
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`Management system is an Account Management for the management of user accounts on the web-
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`based content management system. Classified Content Management enables creation and
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`management of consumer-generated content related to the promotion of goods and services and
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`organized as individual list items within categories. Bulletin Board Content Management enables
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`for the creation and management of consumer-generated content related to announcements and
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`other items of general interest and organized by groups, organizations or topics. Transaction
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`Processing has the capability to log, process, and send billings for fees for use of the system.
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`5 [0034]
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`The Account Management system controls the access by persons to the web-based
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`Content Management system. The Account Management system identifies persons accessing the
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`system for the first time and allows these persons to register and create an account by providing an
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`account name, password, credit card information and other information required for the payment of
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`fees. The Account Management system controls the access by registered users to their accounts and
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`manages the privileges and security associated to all accounts. Persons may create accounts for the
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`creation and management of Classified Content. Accounts capable of accessing the Bulletin Board
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`Content Management system may be assigned by a system administrator in the Account
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`Management system. Any account capable of accessing the Bulletin Board Management system is
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`able to create and manage bulletin board content for specific, assigned bulletin boards.
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`15
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`[0035]
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`The Classified Content Management system provides the users of the web-based
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`Content Management system with content creation and content management tools for the creation
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`and maintenance of consumer-generated content related to the promotion of goods and services.
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`Classified content is displayed on the interactive television system as list items organized within
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`20
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`categories; selection of a list item results in the display of an interactive television screen containing
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`or providing access to the descriptive data, text, images, video and audio regarding the item.
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`Authors of classified content will pay fees determined by the operator of the system for the
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`distribution of the classified content to the interactive television system for display on the digital
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`cable television system.
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`25
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`[0036]
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`Significant features of the Classified Content Management system consist of: (a) the
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`ability to enter descriptive data and text regarding the item; (b) upload digital images of the item to
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`the content management system; (c) upload digital video of the item to the content management
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`BBITV184288
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`PROTECTIVE ORDER MATERIAL
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`HNY-P14
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`system; (d) upload digital audio regarding the item to the content management system; (e)
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`automated size and resolution processing of digital images uploaded to the system; (f) automated
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`digital format conversion of digital video uploaded to the system; (g) automated digital format
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`conversion of digital audio uploaded to the system; (h) ability for users to select an interactive
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`5 television screen design (template) from a catalog of available templates; (i) ability to view on a
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`web browser the interactive television template containing the consumer-provided content; (j)
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`ability to save classified content in persistent memory or storage for subsequent modification; (k)
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`ability to mark classified content as completed and ready for submission to the interactive television
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`system; (1) ability to specify the date and time when a classified content item is to become
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`10
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`accessible by users of the interactive television system and the data and time when a classified
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`content item is to be removed from display on the interactive television system; (m) ability to notify
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`the user through email or other communication system that a specific content item is scheduled to
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`be removed from the interactive television system; (n) ability to modify and resubmit previously
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`created classified content for display on the interactive television system; (o) ability to access
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`15
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`viewing data generated by the Reporting system regarding access and use of specific consumer-
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`generated content by users of the interactive television system; and, (p) ability to calculate fees for
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`classified content and submit payment of the fees in conjunction with the Transaction Processing
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`system. As noted in (i) above, the Classified Content Management system allows the user to view
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`the content they have composed using the templates. The templates are designed specifically for
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`20
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`use on interactive television systems and the user is able to view on the web-interface their content
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`as composed for presentation on television. As noted in (j) above, the Classified Content
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`Management system allows the persistent storage of classified content; although the user is
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`composing interactive television pages using a template system, the content is persistently stored as
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`individual elements to simplify changes by the user and to allow the conversion of the content to
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`25
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`different formats as required by different interactive television systems.
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`[0037]
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`The Bulletin Board Content Management system provides the users of the web-based
`
`Content Management system with content creation and content management tools for the creation
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`BBITV184289
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`PROTECTIVE ORDER MATERIAL
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`

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`HNY-P14
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`and maintenance of consumer-generated content related to announcements and other informational
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`items of general interest. Bulletin Board content is displayed on the interactive television system as
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`dedicated interactive television screens (bulletin boards), where approved groups, organizations or
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`topics are each assigned a bulletin board for the display of their information. Bulletin Board content
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`5 is displayed as list items organized within a bulletin board; selection of a list item results in the
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`display of an interactive television screen containing or providing access to the descriptive data,
`
`text, images, video and audio regarding the item.
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`[0038]
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`An alternative implementation of a bulletin board will display the content as
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`10
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`scrolling text, where the user scrolls through the text, or the text scrolls automatically. Bulletin
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`Boards accounts will pay fees determined by the operator of the system for the distribution of the
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`bulletin board content on the interactive television system for display on the digital cable television
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`system. Significant features of the Bulletin Board Content Management system consist of: (a) the
`
`ability to enter descriptive data and text regardi