Patent ID: 9420318
Filing Date: 2016-08-16
CPC Classification: G06Q,H04N

Claim Text:
1. A method, comprising: (a) receiving, at a television service platform operatively connected to a plurality of subscriber devices, first digital video-on-demand program content for a first video-on-demand program and first hierarchical metadata associated with the first video-on-demand program, the first hierarchical metadata comprising a title, one or more category terms, and one or more subcategory terms using a hierarchical structure for identifying an electronic program guide location where the title of the first video-on-demand program is to be located following the same hierarchical structure used in said metadata, wherein the television service platform is capable of delivering to the plurality of subscriber devices video-on-demand program content and broadcast content; (b) storing, on non-transitory computer-readable memory operatively connected to the television service platform, the first digital video-on-demand program content; (c) generating, by the television service platform, an electronic program guide for the television service platform to list the title of the first video-on-demand program in the electronic program guide at a location according to the hierarchical structure of the category and subcategory terms of the first hierarchical metadata, the electronic program guide being accessible by subscribers of the television service platform both via subscriber devices connected to the television service platform via a closed delivery system and via subscriber devices connected via the Internet as a delivery system, allowing the subscribers to navigate and select from the electronic program guide hierarchically arranged titles of video-on-demand programs listed according to respective category and subcategory terms; (d) receiving, at the television service platform via the closed delivery system from a first set-top box associated with a first subscriber and operatively connected to a display, first video identification information associated with a first selection by the first subscriber of the title of the first video-on-demand program from the electronic program guide; (e) transmitting, from the television service platform to the first set-top box via the closed delivery system, the first digital video-on-demand program content for playback on the first set-top box; (f) receiving, at the television service platform via the Internet from a first Internet-connected digital device associated with the first subscriber, second video identification information associated with a second selection by the first subscriber of the title of the first video-on-demand program from the electronic program guide; and (g) transmitting, from the television service platform to the first Internet-connected digital device via the Internet, the first digital video-on-demand program content for playback on the first Internet-connected digital device.