Patent ID: 7774819
Filing Date: 2010-08-10
Classification: G06Q,H04N,H05K

Abstract:
1. A system for managing, converting and transmitting externally generated video content on an open online network to a digital television (TV) services provider system which is of the type employing a closed system of pre-screened video content selectable by TV service subscribers inputting keypresses on TV remote control units for their TV equipment in order to select video content by title from a menu display of a video-on-demand (VOD) platform of a digital TV services provider system for viewing TV programs on their TV equipment comprising: (a) a Content Management Website for enabling uploading of externally generated video content on an online network connection from remote computers, said uploaded externally generated video content being associated with meta data for identifying the externally generated video content by title and positioning of the title by category and subcategory of a predetermined hierarchical ordering of TV program titles; (b) a Content Screening Component for receiving the externally generated video content uploaded to the Content Management Website and screening the video content to ensure the absence of objectionable content, and for rejecting said video content if it may contains objectionable content; (c) a Content Feed Component for automatically transferring the externally generated video content screened by the Content Screening Component to a Content Conversion Component; (d) a Content Conversion Component for automatically converting the transferred externally generated video content supplied from the Content Feed Component into a video data format compatible with a VOD content delivery system of a target digital TV services provider system, and for enabling association of said video content with meta data representing a title for said video content and positioning of said title by category and subcategory in a predetermined hierarchical ordering of TV program titles in order for said title to be automatically positioned in a menu display of titles of a VOD content delivery system used by a target digital TV services provider system; and (e) enabling the transmission of said video content converted to video data format and associated meta data from said Content Management Website to the VOD content delivery system used by the target digital TV services provider system so that the converted video data for said video content can be stored in the VOD content delivery system and the title of said video content can be automatically positioned on the menu display of titles by category and subcategory in the predetermined hierarchical ordering of TV program titles in accordance with the associated meta data for the video content to be selected by title from the menu display and displayed on the TV equipment of viewers; (f) wherein the VOD Application Server of the target digital TV services provider system manages a Database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of classified video content of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order, wherein a template for display of a classified video content category on a higher level of the hierarchy includes a link to one or more video content on a lower level of the hierarchy, and wherein said VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request for a selected classified video content category on a higher order in the hierarchy, retrieves the corresponding template to provide a templated VOD content display on the viewer's TV equipment which includes one or more links to ads templates for video content on a lower order of hierarchy, and upon viewer request selecting a link displayed in the templated VOD content to video content in the lower order of hierarchy, retrieves the corresponding classified video content for display on the viewer's TV equipment, thereby enabling the viewer to use drill-down navigation through the video content displays on TV.