Cox Communications, Inc.

Diva Systems Corporation

Michael D Johnson

Tobie J LaRocca

A method for providing subscription-on-demand services for video-on-demand programs within an interactive information distribution system. The method includes associating a plurality of video-on-demand programming packages as a programming bundle and identifying a number of video-on-demand programming packages within the programming bundle that a subscriber has subscribed. When the number of video-on-demand programming packages exceeds a pre-specified number of programming packages, the subscriber is automatically subscribed to all the video-on-demand programming packages in the programming bundle.

Method for providing subscripton-on-demand services

Method for providing subscription-on-demand services

A method and apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand (SOD) services, dependent subscription services and contingent services for a interactive information distribution system, where a consumer may subscribe to packages of on-demand programs for a single price and view the programs in the subscribed package at any time for no additional cost. The apparatus and method are embodied in a combination of software, which provides a so-called navigator, and hardware, including a subscriber terminal that provides certain functionality for the navigator and service provider equipment that supports the functionality of the terminal. As such, graphical user interface functionality is distributed between the service provider equipment and subscriber equipment (subscriber terminal). Such distribution provides an enjoyable, real time interactive process for accessing SOD services that allows the subscriber to rapidly identify and access a subscription service. In addition, a non-subscriber of a particular service is quickly identified and provided the opportunity to, through the use of a graphical user interface, subscribe to the programming provided by the system.

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

Growing community of inventors

Danville, CA, United States of America

Michael D Johnson