US6670971B1 — Internet television system and method with user s…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 160 words

An Internet television system, comprising: one or more servers storing a plurality of television programs which are categorized into a plurality of program genres; and a Web page stored on said one or more servers for being accessible to a user with a client computer through the Internet, wherein said Web page includes a scheduler for enabling said user to arrange delivery of said programs to said client computer according to a personalized schedule, wherein said scheduler is comprised of: a plurality of timeslots for each day of the week arranged in a grid; and a plurality of program genre icons arranged adjacent said grid and corresponding to respective program genres; wherein when a selected genre icon is dragged and dropped into a selected timeslot by said user, one of said programs in a corresponding program genre is adapted to be automatically delivered to said client computer through the Internet for display at a time defined by said selected timeslot.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 160 words

An Internet television system, comprising: one or more servers storing a plurality of television programs which are categorized into a plurality of program genres; and a Web page stored on said one or more servers for being accessible to a user with a client computer through the Internet, wherein said Web page includes a scheduler for enabling said user to arrange delivery of said programs to said client computer according to a personalized schedule, wherein said scheduler is comprised of: a plurality of timeslots for each day of the week arranged in a grid; and a plurality of program genre icons arranged adjacent said grid and corresponding to respective program genres; wherein when a selected genre icon is dragged and dropped into a selected timeslot by said user, one of said programs in a corresponding program genre is adapted to be automatically delivered to said client computer through the Internet for display at a time defined by said selected timeslot.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , wherein said grid is arranged with columns representing the days of the week, and rows representing said timeslots in each day.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 66 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , wherein said one of said programs delivered to said client computer is comprised of an unwatched program in said corresponding program genre which has not been watched by said user, but if no unwatched program exists in said corresponding program genre, said one of said programs delivered to said client computer is comprised of a least watched program.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 16 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , wherein genre icons include text labels for clarity.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 23 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including a set-my-schedule icon in said scheduler for saving a user defined program schedule.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 25 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including a reset-schedule icon in said scheduler for clearing all of said timeslots in said grid.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 26 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including a wastebasket icon in said scheduler for removing said selected genre icon from said selected timeslot.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including a database stored in said one or more servers with information on said television programs, said program genres, and a program schedule defined on said grid by said user.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 35 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including means for automatically filling in any blank timeslots with default genres after said user is done dragging and dropping said genre icons into said timeslots.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 18 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including means for automatically interspersing scheduled programs with ads.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 27 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including means for automatically allocating said one of said programs to time available for said corresponding program genre.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 27 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including means for updating a database stored in said one or more servers with information on watched programs.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 27 words

The Internet television system of claim 1 , further including means for updating a database stored in said one or more servers with information on watched ads.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 143 words

A method for delivering television programs through the Internet to a client computer, comprising: categorizing said programs into a plurality of program genres; providing a scheduler on a Web page which is accessible to a user through the Internet using said client computer, wherein said scheduler is comprised of a plurality of timeslots for each day of the week arranged in a grid, and a plurality of program genre icons corresponding to said genres arranged adjacent said grid; enabling said user to drag and drop a selected genre icon corresponding to a selected genre into a selected timeslot in said grid; selecting one of said programs within said selected genre after said selected genre icon is dropped into said selected timeslot; and delivering said one of said programs to said client computer through the Internet at a time defined by said selected timeslot.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 143 words

A method for delivering television programs through the Internet to a client computer, comprising: categorizing said programs into a plurality of program genres; providing a scheduler on a Web page which is accessible to a user through the Internet using said client computer, wherein said scheduler is comprised of a plurality of timeslots for each day of the week arranged in a grid, and a plurality of program genre icons corresponding to said genres arranged adjacent said grid; enabling said user to drag and drop a selected genre icon corresponding to a selected genre into a selected timeslot in said grid; selecting one of said programs within said selected genre after said selected genre icon is dropped into said selected timeslot; and delivering said one of said programs to said client computer through the Internet at a time defined by said selected timeslot.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 14 , further including encoding said programs for streaming over the Internet, and storing encoded programs on a server.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 14 , further including providing a description of each program when said programs are categorized into said genres, said description including a genre description, storing said description in a database, and selecting said one of said programs based on said description.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of claim 14 , further including selecting a least watched program within said selected genre to be said one of said programs for delivery, but if no unwatched program exists in said selected program genre, selecting a least watched program.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 14 , further including arranging said grid of said timeslots with columns representing the days of the week, and rows representing said timeslots in each day.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 14 , further including providing a set-my-schedule icon in said scheduler for saving a user defined program schedule.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 14 , further including providing a reset-schedule icon in said scheduler for clearing all of said timeslots in said grid.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 14 , further including providing a wastebasket icon in said scheduler for removing said selected genre icon from said selected timeslot.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 14 , further including storing in a database descriptions of said television programs, said program genres, and a program schedule defined on said grid by said user.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 14 , further including filling in any blank timeslots with default genres after said user is done dragging and dropping said genre icons into said timeslots.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 14 , further including interspersing scheduled programs with ads.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 14 , further including allocating said one of said programs to time available for said corresponding program genre.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 14 , further including updating a database with information on watched programs.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 14 , further including updating a database with information on watched ads.

Claim 30

Independent Claim 112 words

A method for a user to schedule television programs for delivery to a client computer through the Internet, comprising: accessing a Web page through the Internet with said client computer, wherein said Web page includes a scheduler comprised of a plurality of timeslots for each day of the week arranged in a grid, and a plurality of program genre icons corresponding to a plurality of program genres arranged adjacent said grid; dragging and dropping a selected genre icon corresponding to a selected genre into a selected timeslot in said grid; and receiving on said client computer one of said programs within said selected genre at a time defined by said selected timeslot.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 112 words

A method for a user to schedule television programs for delivery to a client computer through the Internet, comprising: accessing a Web page through the Internet with said client computer, wherein said Web page includes a scheduler comprised of a plurality of timeslots for each day of the week arranged in a grid, and a plurality of program genre icons corresponding to a plurality of program genres arranged adjacent said grid; dragging and dropping a selected genre icon corresponding to a selected genre into a selected timeslot in said grid; and receiving on said client computer one of said programs within said selected genre at a time defined by said selected timeslot.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 28 , further including clicking a set-my-schedule icon in said scheduler for saving a user defined program schedule.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 28 , further including clicking a reset-schedule icon in said scheduler for clearing all of said timeslots in said grid.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 28 , further including dropping said selected genre icon in a wastebasket icon in said scheduler for removing said selected genre icon from said selected timeslot.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2006-12-29	2007-06-30	2007-12-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2010-12-29	2011-06-30	2011-12-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2014-12-29	2015-06-30	2015-12-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Internet television system and method with user selectable genres and schedule

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