Method and system for on-demand delivery of personalized internet-based content to television viewers

Abstract

A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a subscription television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising: (a) converting Internet-based content from an Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a customer's television through a customer's set top box, and (b) after the conversion, delivering the converted content to a set top box associated with that customer for display on that customer's television. With such a method, the customer's set top box need not be Internet-enabled. Preferably, the customer's subscription television service is a cable television service.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a subscription television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from an Internet-based storage system, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and wherein the content comprises video mail that has been sent to the customer's email address, 
 associating the obtained content with an identifier for a set top box of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's set top box identifier, 
 converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television through a set top box, and 
 after the conversion, delivering the converted content to the set top box associated with the customer for display on the customer's television. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the subscription television service is a cable television service, the method further comprising:
 responsive to a request for Internet-based content submitted to that customer's set top box, (1) sending the content request from that customer's set top box to a cable provider video-on-demand system, (2) processing the request within said cable provider video-on-demand system; and 
 wherein the delivering step comprises, responsive to the processing by the video-on-demand system, delivering the content to that customer's set top box. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining the identifier for the customer's set top box at least partially from the request; and 
 responsive to the content request, selecting content obtained from the customer messaging address that is associated with the determined set top box identifier, the selected content for display on the customer's television through the customer's set top box. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein the request is submitted to the set top box via either a remote control or a user panel on the set top box. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3  wherein the obtaining step comprises periodically pulling new content for the customer from the storage system. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3  wherein the obtaining step comprises periodically receiving new content for the customer via a push operation from the storage system. 
     
     
       7. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a subscription television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from an Internet-based storage system, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, 
 associating the obtained content with an identifier for a set top box of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's set top box identifier, 
 converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television through a set top box, 
 after the conversion, delivering the converted content to the set top box associated with the customer for display on the customer's television, and 
 linking the customer's email address with the customer's set top box identifier in response to input received through an administrative interface to thereby create the pre-existing association. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a subscription television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from an Internet-based storage system, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, 
 associating the obtained content with an identifier for a set top box of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's set top box identifier, 
 converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television through a set top box, 
 after the conversion, delivering the converted content to the set top box associated with the customer for display on the customer's television, and 
 creating the pre-existing association in response to electronic input received from the customer. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the creating step comprises linking the customer's email address with the customer's set top box identifier in response to input received from the customer through a web page solicits the customer's email address. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein the creating step comprises linking the customer's email address with the customer's set top box identifier by (1) maintaining an activation code that is associated with the customer's set top box identifier, (2) providing the activation code to the customer that is accessible via the customer's set top box, (3) receiving input from the customer through a web page, wherein the input comprises the activation code and the customer's email address, and (4) creating the pre-existing association from the received input. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 2  wherein the storage system is external to a cable head end. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing a notification to the customer that new content is available through the customer's set top box. 
     
     
       13. A method of making personalized content available for viewing by customers of a subscription television service on their televisions, the method comprising:
 associating a customer messaging address for a storage system that is configured to store Internet-based content for the customer with an identifier for a set top box subscribed to by that customer, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and wherein the content comprises video mail that has been sent to the customer's email address, 
 obtaining from the storage system the content stored at the customer's messaging address; 
 converting the obtained content from an Internet-based format to a format suitable for playback on the customer's television through the set top box, wherein the converting step is not performed by the set top box; and 
 storing the converted content such that it is accessible to the customer via a request input from the customer to the set top box. 
 
     
     
       14. A system for making personalized content available for viewing by cable customers on their televisions, the system comprising:
 a storage system configured to store Internet-based content for a customer messaging address, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and wherein the content comprises video mail that has been sent to the customer's email address; 
 a database configured to store data that associates the customer messaging address with an identifier for a set top box subscribed to by that customer; 
 a cable head end in communication with the storage system, the database, and a set top box for the customer's television, the cable head end being configured to (1) obtain the content stored at the customer's messaging address, (2) convert the obtained content from an Internet-based format to a format suitable for playback on the customer's television through the set top box, and (3) deliver the converted content to the set top box identified by the set box identifier stored in the database in association with the customer's messaging address. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13  wherein the subscription television service is a cable television service, the method further comprising storing the converted content in a storage area of a cable head end. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 receiving a request from the customer to play stored content, the request being submitted as input to the set top box; and 
 responsive to the received play request, playing the requested content on the customer's television through the customer's set top box. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the obtaining step comprises periodically receiving new content via a push operation from the customer's messaging address to a cable head end. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16  wherein the obtaining step comprises periodically pulling new content from the customer's messaging address to a cable head end. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13  wherein the subscription television service is a satellite television service. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 14  wherein the cable head end is further configured to store the converted content and deliver said stored converted content accessible to the customer in response to a request input from the customer to the set top box. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20  wherein the head end comprises:
 a conversion and playback system configured to obtain the content and perform the content conversion; 
 a video-on-demand (VoD) system in communication with the customer's set top box and the conversion and playback system, the VoD system being configured to (1) receive a request from the customer to play stored content, the request being submitted to the VoD system by the customer as input to the set top box, (2) communicate the received play request to the conversion and playback system; and 
 wherein the conversion and playback system is further configured to, responsive to the communicated play request, cause the requested content to be communicated to the customer's set top box for playback on the customer's television. 
 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 14  further comprising a content staging module in communication with the storage system and configured to (1) retrieve content from an Internet website that matches an identified customer interest, and (2) provide the retrieved content to the storage system for subsequent conversion and playback on the customer's television. 
     
     
       23. A method of providing a cable customer with access to Internet-based content stored at a messaging address associated with the customer, the method comprising:
 interfacing a conversion and playback system with a cable company video-on-demand (VoD) system to which the customer subscribes, the conversion and playback system being configured to (1) communicate with a storage system to obtain Internet-based content stored at the customer's messaging address, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and wherein the content comprises video mail that has been sent to the customer's email address, (2) convert the obtained content from an Internet-based format to a format suitable for playback on the customer's television through a set top box for the customer's television, and (3) interact with the VoD system to effectuate communication of the converted content to the set top box for display on the customer's television, wherein the conversion and playback system is not located within the set top box. 
 
     
     
       24. A method of delivering Internet-based content to customers of a subscription television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising:
 associating an Internet-based messaging address for a customer with a set top box identifier for the customer, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and 
 delivering Internet-based content that had been sent to the customer's Internet-based messaging address to a set top box associated with that customer for display on that customer's television based on the association between the customer's Internet-based messaging address and the customer's set top box identifier, independently of whether that customer's set top box is Internet-enabled, wherein the content comprises video mail. 
 
     
     
       25. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from a plurality of Internet-based storage systems, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and wherein the content comprises video mail that has been sent to the customer's email address;   associating the obtained content with an identifier for a set top box of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's set top box identifier;   converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television through a set top box, and   after the converting, delivering the converted content to the set top box associated with the customer for display on the customer's television,   wherein the plurality of Internet-based storage systems comprises an email server.   
     
     
       26. The method of claim 25, wherein the obtaining, the associating, the converting, and the delivering are performed by a video on-demand service, and the plurality of Internet-based storage systems are external to the video on-demand service. 
     
     
       27. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a display device service for display on their display devices, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from an Internet-based storage system, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and wherein the content comprises video mail that has been sent to the customer's email address;   associating the obtained content with an identifier for a display device of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's display device identifier;   converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television, and   after the converting, delivering the converted content to the display device associated with the customer for display on the customer's television.   
     
     
       28. The method of claim 27, wherein the display device is a set top box. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 27, wherein the obtaining, the associating, the converting, and the delivering are performed by a video on-demand service, and the Internet-based storage system is external to the video on-demand service. 
     
     
       30. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from an Internet-based storage system, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format, wherein the messaging address comprises an email address for the customer, and wherein the content comprises content that has been sent to the customer's email address;   associating the obtained content with an identifier for a set top box of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's set top box identifier;   converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television through a set top box, and   after the converting, delivering the converted content to the set top box associated with the customer for display on the customer's television.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30, wherein the content is location information to obtain other content. 
     
     
       32. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a television service for display on their televisions, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from an Internet-based storage system, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format;   associating the obtained content with an identifier for a set top box of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's set top box identifier;   converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television through a set top box, and   after the converting, delivering the converted content to the set top box associated with the customer for display on the customer's television,   wherein the messaging address of the customer is distinct from an address of the set top box.   
     
     
       33. A method of delivering personalized content to customers of a display device service for display on their display devices, the method comprising:
 obtaining Internet-based content from an Internet-based storage system, the content being associated with a messaging address of a customer and having an Internet-based format, wherein the content comprises content that has been sent to the customer's messaging address;   associating the obtained content with an identifier for a display device of a customer based on a pre-existing association between the customer's messaging address and the customer's display device identifier;   converting the obtained Internet-based content from the Internet based format to a format suitable for display on a television, and   after the converting, delivering the converted content to the display device associated with the customer for display on the customer's television,   wherein the messaging address of the customer is distinct from an address of the display device.   
     
     
       34. A method of receiving personalized content from a content providing service for display, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a display device associated with a user, a list of Internet-based content from the content providing service, based on an association between an Internet-based messaging address for the user and an identifier of the display device;   displaying the received list;   receiving, from the user, a selection of a desired content from the list;   transmitting, to the content providing service, a request for the desired content according to the received selection; and   receiving, from the content providing service, and displaying the desired content,   wherein the messaging address for the user is distinct from an address of the display device.   
     
     
       35. The method of claim 34, wherein the Internet-based content is content that has been transmitted to the messaging address of the user. 
     
     
       36. The method of claim 34, wherein the display device is a set top box. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim 34, further comprising:
 displaying, by the display device, an interface to associate the Internet-based messaging address for the user and an identifier of the display device,   wherein the association between the Internet-based messaging address for the user and the identifier of the display device is according to the displayed interface.   
     
     
       38. The method of claim 34, wherein the list of Internet-based content is a list of Internet-based content that has been converted, by the content providing service, to a format used by the content providing service. 
     
     
       39. The method of claim 34, wherein the list of Internet-based content is a list of Internet-based content that has been converted, by the content providing service, to a format suitable for display by the display device. 
     
     
       40. The method of claim 34, wherein the Internet-based content comprises at least one of multimedia content and location information for content. 
     
     
       41. The method of claim 34, further comprising receiving, by the display device, a notification indicating that the Internet-based content is available from the content providing service. 
     
     
       42. A method of receiving personalized content from a content providing service for display, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a display device associated with a user, a notification that Internet-based content is available from the content providing service, based on an association between an Internet-based messaging address for the user and an identifier of the display device;   receiving, from the user, a request for the Internet-based content;   transmitting, to the content providing service, a request for the Internet-based content according to the received request; and   receiving, from the content providing service, and displaying the Internet-based content,   wherein the messaging address for the user is distinct from an address of the display device.