Method and apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand services for an interactive information distribution system

Claim 2

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: packaging a number of video-on-demand programs that are accessible for immediate viewing by a subscriber into programming packages; enabling said subscriber to define video-on-demand program content in said program packages via the interactive information distribution system by communicating through the communications network to the service provider equipment; and enabling a subscriber to access and view any video-on-demand program within a subscribed programming package anytime, on an on-demand basis.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: enabling a consumer to select a programming package and subscribe to the selected programming package for a predefined price and thereby become said subscriber.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber is limited to on-demand access to on-demand programs within the subscribed programming package only during predefined time periods without incurring an additional fee.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the programming packages are arranged in an hierarchical format having subsets of programming packages within a programming package to enable a viewer to subscribe to a programming package subset, without subscribing to an entire programming package.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein a consumer selects a programming package and subscribes thereto by manipulating a graphical user interface.

Claim 7

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 video-on-demand programs in 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 video-on-demand subscription option; sending a selection signal indicative of said selected video-on-demand 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 video-on-demand subscription option identified by said selection signal; if the subscriber is said current subscriber, sending a second menu applet from said service provider equipment to said subscriber 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 video-on-demand 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 current subscriber to the selected video-on-demand subscription option, wherein said menu applets are sent from said service provider equipment in response to a selection by said subscriber.

Claim 8

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 video-on-demand programs in 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 video-on-demand subscription option; sending a selection signal indicative of said selected video-on-demand 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 video-on-demand subscription option identified by said selection signal; if the subscriber is said current subscriber, sending a second menu applet from said service provider equipment to said subscriber 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 video-on-demand 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 current subscriber to the selected video-on-demand subscription option, wherein said menu applets are sent from said service provider equipment in response to a selection by said subscriber.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 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.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6 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.

Claim 11

The method of claim 6 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.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 wherein said personal identification number is a master personal identification number.

Claim 13

The method of claim 6 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.

Claim 14

The method of claim 6 wherein said subscription-on-demand services for video-on-demand programs are arranged in a hierarchical structure.

Claim 15

Apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand services for video-on-demand within an interactive information distribution system comprising: service provider equipment containing an information server and a video session manager; subscriber equipment containing a subscriber terminal and a display unit, where the service provider equipment is connected to the subscriber equipment by a communications network; and said video session manager sends a plurality of executable menu applets to said subscriber terminal, said terminal executes each of said menu applets to generate interactive graphical user interface displays through which a subscriber selects a video-on-demand service; the subscriber terminal sends a service request to said session manager for processing; if the subscriber is said current subscriber of the selected service, the subscriber can select a video-on-demand subscription program for viewing; if said subscriber is not said current subscriber, the subscriber can become a subscriber to the selected video-on-demand service.

Claim 16

Apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand services for video-on-demand within an interactive information distribution system comprising: service provider equipment containing an information server and a video session manager; subscriber equipment containing a subscriber terminal and a display unit, where the service provider equipment is connected to the subscriber equipment by a communications network; and said video session manager sends a plurality of executable menu applets to said subscriber terminal, said terminal executes each of said menu applets to generate interactive graphical user interface displays through which a subscriber selects a video-on-demand service; the subscriber terminal sends a service request to said session manager for processing; if the subscriber is said current subscriber of the selected service, the subscriber can select a video-on-demand subscription program for viewing; if said subscriber is not said current subscriber, the subscriber can become a subscriber to the selected video-on-demand service.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the subscriber terminal decodes and executes the applets that are sent by the session manager to produce said interactive graphical user interface displays and sends to the video session manager selection signals indicative of a selected option within said interactive graphical user interface displays.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said video session manager, to provide security and system administration, accesses a personal identification database, a terminal identification database, and a subscriber database that are contained in a network manager.