Method and apparatus for providing dynamic pricing services for an interactive information distribution system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand (SOD) services for a interactive information distribution system, where a consumer may subscribe to packages of on-demand programs for a single price and view the programs in the subscribed package at any time for no additional cost. The apparatus and method are embodied in a combination of software, which provides a so called navigator, and hardware, including a subscriber terminal that provides certain functionality for the navigator and service provider equipment that supports the functionality of the terminal. As such, graphical user interface functionality is distributed between the service provider equipment and subscriber equipment (subscriber terminal). Such distribution provides an enjoyable, real time interactive process for accessing SOD services that allows the subscriber to rapidly identify and access a subscription service. In addition, a non-subscriber of a particular service is quickly identified and provided the opportunity to, through the use of a graphical user interface, subscribe to the programming provided by the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In an interactive information distribution system containing service provider equipment and subscriber equipment that is interconnected by a communications network, a method of providing a subscription-on-demand service for an interactive information distribution system comprising the steps of:
 sending from said service provider equipment to said subscriber equipment a first menu applet;   decoding and executing said first menu applet within said subscriber equipment to display a first interactive graphical user interface;   selecting, through manipulation of the first interactive graphical user interface, a subscription option;   sending a selection signal indicative of said selected subscription option from said subscriber equipment to said service provider equipment;   determining, within said service provider equipment, if the subscriber is a current subscriber to said service identified by said selection signal;   if the subscriber is said current subscriber, sending a second menu applet from said subscriber equipment to said service provider equipment;   decoding and executing said second menu applet within said subscriber equipment to display a second interactive user interface through which the subscriber can select a subscription program for viewing;   if said subscriber is not said current subscriber, sending a third menu applet from said subscriber equipment to said service provider equipment; and   decoding and executing said third menu applet within said subscriber equipment to display a third interactive user interface through which the subscriber can become a subscriber to the selected service.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein second menu applet is connected to other menu applets that provide interactive displays of categories of services, titles of programs available in each category, and program pricing for each tile. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 if a new subscription is created, updating a subscription database within said service provider equipment to identify the subscriber as a subscriber to the selected service. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 if a subscriber requests a new subscription, sending a fourth menu applet from said service provider equipment and decoding and executing said fourth menu applet within said subscriber equipment to display a menu that requests a personal identification number for said subscriber. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said personal identification number is a master personal identification number. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subscriber selects programming for a personal subscription-on-demand service and a personal subscription-on-demand option is included in said display produced from said first menu applet. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said subscription-on-demand services are arranged in a hierarchical structure.