(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2004/0148638A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Jul. 29, 2004
`Weisman et al.
`
`US 20040148638A1
`
`(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATION
`SERVICES DELIVERED WIA MOBILE
`TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES
`
`(75) Inventors: Jordan K. Weisman, Redmond, WA
`(US); William G. Redmann, Glendale,
`CA (US)
`Correspondence Address:
`DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE, LLP
`2600 CENTURY SQUARE
`1501 FOURTHAVENUE
`SEATTLE, WA 98101-1688 (US)
`(73) Assignee: Myriad Entertainment, Inc., Bellevue,
`WA
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`(22) Filed:
`
`10/683,561
`Oct. 9, 2003
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/417.734, filed on Oct.
`10, 2002.
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51) Int. Cl." ............................. H04N 7/173; H04N 7/20
`(52) U.S. Cl. .......................... 725/115; 72.5/116; 72.5/105;
`725/86; 725/63; 72.5/88; 72.5/102
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method and System for entertainment and information
`Services delivered via mobile telecommunication devices
`include a communication network, and a Station communi
`catively linked to the communication network. The Station
`includes an output and an interface. Also included is a
`head-end having at least one database configured to Store
`programs including an audio content. The head-end receives
`a request from the Station for a desired one of the programs,
`Verifies the request, transmits a first portion of the desired
`program to the Station, and records an association between
`the identification and the desired program. The head-end
`further Suspends transmission of a Second portion of the
`program based upon detection of an indication to Suspend
`transmission. The head-end further transmits the Second
`portion of the program based upon detection of an indication
`to resume transmission and Stored bookmark data indicating
`the Starting location in the program of the Second portion.
`
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`Amazon v. Audio Pod
`US Patent 9,954,922
`Amazon EX-1035
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`Patent Application Publication Jul. 29, 2004 Sheet 3 of 5
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`US 2004/0148638A1
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`Patent Application Publication Jul. 29, 2004 Sheet 4 of 5
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`Patent Application Publication Jul. 29, 2004 Sheet 5 of 5
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`US 2004/0148638A1
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`US 2004/0148638 A1
`
`Jul. 29, 2004
`
`METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATION
`SERVICES DELIVERED WIA MOBILE
`TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION(S)
`0001. This application claims the benefit of Provisional
`U.S. Patent Application No. 60/417,734, filed Oct. 10, 2002.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`0002 Audiences of television and radio have demon
`Strated a demand for greater diversity of programming and
`greater control over when that programming is available.
`For over half a century, radio and television Stations have
`provided widespread, nearly non-Stop broadcasts of enter
`tainment and informational programming. With the advent
`of the consumer grade VCR, a tremendous number of shows
`have been taped by consumerS for viewing at a later, more
`convenient time.
`0003. At the same time VCRs were becoming popular, a
`fledgling cable television industry increased the number of
`program channels available. From about half a dozen broad
`cast Stations in most television markets, cable television
`provided anywhere from double to ten times as many
`choices, almost overnight. As a Subscription Service, cable
`television was able to provide recent movies far Sooner than
`advertiser-supported broadcasts. Audiences became accus
`tomed to watching nearly current movies on television.
`0004 Households began accumulating personal libraries
`of favorite ShowS. Vast libraries of programming were Sold
`into the consumer market. A commercially oriented analog
`to public libraries abounded, in the form of video rental
`stores. Nearly any movie made could be found and viewed
`on one’s VCR (and now, DVD player), and most contem
`porary television Series episodes could be borrowed from
`Someone who had taped them.
`0005 Cable, and more recently, satellite television, have
`provided a large number of potential channels. Competitive
`preSSures have resulted in higher quality general-interest
`programming, and have induced many companies to carve
`out their market niche by delivering Special interest pro
`grams.
`0006 Even with all this diversity of available program
`ming, the audience, Seemingly insatiable when it comes to
`variety and convenience, remains unsatisfied.
`0007 Video On Demand
`0008 Field tests of video-on-demand (VOD) services
`have abounded, with the ultimate goal of providing every
`possible program, whenever desired. Video Servers, located
`at cable and Internet head-end offices store the video library
`of offerings. Subscribers, frequently through a Set-top box,
`navigate a directory of the offerings and direct the remote
`Servers to play a Selection.
`0009 Though not a VOD product, a related system is
`taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,442, by Schulhof et al. in the
`form of a distribution System for audio program materials,
`nearly audio-on-demand. Schulhof provides a player having
`a removable Storage module. The player would be, for
`instance, installed in a car. The Storage module can be
`
`removed from the car, and taken to a docking Station having
`a connection to a network. Through the docking Station's
`connection, audio programming is downloaded from a
`remote source and stored on the memory module. When the
`module is restored to the player, the downloaded materials
`are available for playing.
`0010. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,493, Ottesen et al. have
`provided a multimedia Server Suitable for Video-on-demand
`Services. The multimedia data are Stored in Standard com
`pression formats, and the Server is able to Support a number
`of concurrent, individually requested Show Segments.
`0011 Asystem for video-on-demand by Hiroaki Ueda, in
`U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,194, ensures before sending a video
`program that the receiving terminal has adequate Storage.
`Billock et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,575, teach a full
`featured Video-on-demand System that recognizes and dif
`ferentiates between Subscribers and non-Subscribers to a
`service. Everyone is able to view preview clips of shows
`available on the servers. However, only subscribers have
`access to the actual shows themselves. Further, when a
`non-Subscriber attempts to access a show, the System Solicits
`the requester to Subscribe to the System. This System is
`particularly adapted to data networks.
`0012. The field of video-on-demand systems is quite full,
`and there are numerous other examples which teach the
`implementation of multimedia Servers.
`0013 Personal Video Recorders
`0014) A successful stop-gap to the challenges of provid
`ing each household with access to the almost limitleSS
`library of global television production past and present, has
`been the personal video recorder (PVR).
`0015. A PVR, such as those manufactured by TiVo, Inc.
`of Alviso, Calif., automates the capture of shows for later
`playback and has become the preferred method of viewing
`in many households. The PVR has access to a machine
`readable television guide, and can Search for shows by topic,
`cast, crew, genre. Identifying viewers' favorites to the PVR,
`combined with the availability of hundreds of cable or
`Satellite channels and the ability to capture programming
`around the clock, allows each household to accumulate a
`personalized, current, and instantly available viewing
`library, albeit limited to the amount of local Storage pro
`vided. The content of this personal library is somewhat
`random, Since it can only contain programming that has been
`aired recently, while not in conflict with another desirable
`program, and only when Storage was available.
`0016 Nonetheless, audiences have made themselves
`clear with their consumer electronics purchases: The shows
`they want, when they want them.
`0017 Cellular Telephones
`0018. Another communication technology having
`achieved widespread availability over half a century ago, is
`the telephone, which, in the embodiment of the mobile
`wireless cellular telephone, has sold over half a billion
`handsets worldwide.
`0019. The infrastructure necessary to support cellular
`telephone handsets is significant and expensive. Even So, the
`cellular infrastructure initially deployed as an analog tech
`nology, has been replaced by a digital one to provide higher
`
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`

`US 2004/0148638 A1
`
`Jul. 29, 2004
`
`Voice quality and more reliable operation. In addition, digital
`Services have been added, Such as wireleSS messaging and a
`degree of Internet access.
`0020 Most recently, cellular telephones have entered the
`next generation of development. Though the investment in
`these third generation (or 3G) mobile broadband capable
`systems is in the hundreds of billions of dollars, all is not
`rosy. Betrand Bidaud of Gartner, an information technology
`research organization, attributes the Severity of the downturn
`in the telecommunication industry to three Simultaneous
`problems: “One is the economic downturn in the US and the
`world. Second, is the fact that the forces driving the industry
`Such as internet and cellular Services are starting to reach a
`plateau in most developed markets, meaning that the growth
`is much slower . . . And third, what is missing is a new
`innovation that would generate new growth.”
`0021. It was expected that non-voice services, such as
`image exchange and electronic games, newly enabled by
`high-Speed digital communication, would drive adoption of
`the new iteration. However, that presumed latent demand is
`yet to materialize. The cellular telephone enhanced Services
`infrastructure is still waiting for its "killer app, the appli
`cation which will make 3G cellular phones a must-have
`product.
`0022. There exists an opportunity between the audience's
`insatiable desire for personalized and readily available infor
`mation and entertainment, and industry's pending ability to
`provide ubiquitous cellular access to broadband digital Ser
`WCCS.
`0023 Dedicated Channels vs. Packet Networks
`0024. There is a difference in the way that telephones and
`networked computerS operate. The telephone converts the
`Voice of a caller into a stream of electrical impulses. These
`impulses, which are transmitted immediately to the other
`telephone conversation participant, or in the case of a
`conference call, participants. Early telephones used analog
`electrical techniques, but modern telephone Systems digitize
`the Signal, typically at the local eXchange. A digitized
`telephone signal is reconverted to analog at the receiving
`eXchange.
`0.025. Until relatively recently, a telephone signal was
`assigned to a physical channel (e.g. specific cables, micro
`wave links, etc.) at the time a call was placed. The assigned
`channel provided the connection between the Stations of the
`telephone call. To make better use of channel components,
`multiple telephone signals are multiplexed to allow a cable
`or microwave link to carry many telephone signals Simul
`taneously. Switching equipment at the originating and ter
`minal eXchanges, and often other intermediate locations,
`select and assign the channel for the call. The bandwidth is
`dedicated and remains in use throughout the duration of that
`call.
`Packet Switched networks, such as the Internet, use
`0.026
`a different Switching technique. Pieces of data are routed
`from point-to-point from the originating Station to a remote
`terminal, much as is the Signal of a telephone call. However,
`data are divided into Small packets, each provided with
`information about the destination and independently routed.
`There is no requirement that the same cable, microwave
`link, or optical fiber carry every packet. AS each packet
`arrives at each Switch, the packet may be instantly routed to
`
`the next point, but Since the data does not have any band
`width specifically allocated to it, immediate routing is not
`assured. If traffic at that Switch is too great, the packet may
`be momentarily stored, until there is sufficient bandwidth
`becomes available. Alternately, a packet may be routed to a
`different Switch, if the System deems that an alternate route
`may be available.
`0027 Ultimately, on the Internet, some packets may not
`get delivered. The delivery processes require only a “best
`effort” level of service, not absolute reliability. If required,
`messages can be exchanged between the Source and desti
`nation terminals to confirm receipt, or if necessary, request
`retransmission of missing packets. Protocols have been
`developed, such as TCP/IP, to provide just such a reliability
`mechanism.
`0028 Streaming Media
`0029. Historically, data was passed over networks as
`files. A performance, Such as a Song, would be Stored in
`digitized form as a file on a computer. That file could be sent
`via a Switched network to a Second computer. Once it was
`received, in total, it could be played by Software resident on
`the Second computer. File transfer techniques are well under
`stood. Protocol standards such as the File Transfer Protocol
`(FTP) permit files to be moved among computers even in the
`presence of an unreliable network. The files are broken up
`into a Sequence of packets, and any packet that gets lost will
`be identified and resent until every packet has been received
`accurately and the file is reconstructed.
`0030) Such techniques, however, are limited to com
`pleted performances. An ongoing performance, for instance
`a radio show, or a telephone call, require a different
`approach: The Second computer is going to Start playing the
`performance before an end is received. This approach treats
`media as a continuous Stream. It is perfectly reasonable to
`Start playing at any point in the Stream, and continue playing
`indefinitely.
`0031 Streaming media technologies have been widely
`taught. Glaser, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,980 and its
`continuation U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,634, describe an audio-on
`demand mechanism for the delivery of audio and accompa
`nying multimedia data via a dial-up or other network con
`nection. Such mechanisms are embodied in the Streaming
`media servers and players by RealNetworks, of Seattle,
`Wash. Apple Computer, of Cuppertino, Calif. with its Quick
`Time products, also provides usable Streaming media tech
`nologies, Such as those taught by Batson et al., in U.S. Pat.
`No. 6,098,126, and Jones et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,243.
`Interactive Voice Response
`0032)
`0033 Pre-recorded telephone messages were initially
`used to announce an automatic answering machine. Infor
`mation Services, Such as time-of-day, provided pre-recorded
`message elements that were composed by an automatic
`proceSS.
`0034. With the introduction of touch-tone telephones
`(DTMF technology), systems followed that accepted in
`band Signaling (the touch-tones) allowing telephone custom
`ers to transmit commands or responses that could be under
`stood by a remote machine.
`0035) Initially, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems
`make use of commands and responses that customers pro
`
`-8-
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`

`US 2004/0148638 A1
`
`Jul. 29, 2004
`
`vide using touch-tone keys to provide a Selection of pre
`recorded information messages. IVR system enhancements
`include Synthesized Voice and Voice recognition. Synthe
`sized voice allows on-the-fly generated data, Such as an
`account balance or computer generated weather report, to be
`announced; and Voice recognition, whereby a caller can
`Speak a command or response, can replace touch-tone com
`mands.
`0.036 Advanced Conference Calling System
`0037 Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.
`10/238401, filed on Sep. 10, 2002 by Weisman et al. and
`entitled Method and Apparatus for Improved Conference
`Call Management, is herein incorporated in its entirety by
`this reference. Weisman teaches a way of managing confer
`ence calls that allows individuals to Spontaneously initiate or
`join existing conference calls based on Subject and/or proX
`imity, and yet collectively retain Sufficient control So as to
`keep the Social environment manageable.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`0.038. The present invention relates generally to a way to
`provide entertainment and information Services over a com
`munication channel. More specifically, it provides a way to
`deliver Selected program materials to a user having a com
`munication device, Such as a telephone or computer. More
`Specifically still, it provides a way to deliver Selected audio
`program materials to a modern mobile telephone.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
`0039. As the next generation of digital telephones are
`deployed, the non-voice Services are the primary driver for
`an owner to replace a present, working cellular telephone.
`0040. In spite of the amazing array of technology plat
`forms for communicating information over networkS Such as
`the telephone System and the Internet, and for providing
`information and entertainment, Such as interactive voice
`response Systems, Video-on-demand Services, and personal
`Video recorders, there remains an unmet need for immediate,
`portable access to an open-ended library of entertainment
`and informational programming that is both extensive and
`personalized.
`0041 Additionally, access to entertainment and informa
`tion needs to respond to continuing changes in availability
`and interest. By the nature of today's Society, individuals are
`Subjected to frequent interruptions-"My time is not my
`Own,” goes the common lament. For this reason, it is difficult
`to find an uninterrupted interval during which entertainment
`or information may be enjoyed or obtained.
`0.042 Consider a morning commuter: Upon boarding the
`morning train, he might undertake to be informed of the
`days top newS. Suppose he is interrupted by a telephone
`call. Later in the trip, he is interrupted again by the activity
`of transferring to another train. Multiple times he needs to
`Stop his news program for resumption later. A newspaper can
`Sometimes do this well, a radio does not.
`0.043 Suppose that our commuter is in-bound on the
`highway and is fighting traffic. AS he approaches each major
`interchange, he might wish to get a quick traffic update to
`determine whether he should seek an alternate route. In a
`few radio markets, certain newS Stations provide traffic
`
`reports every ten minutes. Sometimes more frequently. But
`these periodic traffic reports are non-optimal for Someone
`who needs to know the current traffic Situation in the next
`minute in order to make an informed decision about an
`impending turn-off for an alternate route, and they are also
`quite annoying to a listener not concerned with a commute.
`0044) Adding to our hypothetical commuter's plight the
`Spectre of constantly changing priorities, and it is quickly
`Seen that what information one needs, or what entertainment
`one Seeks, might change many times through the day:
`Suppose our commuter began his rail journey by enjoying a
`bit of entertainment instead of the news, perhaps an audio
`book. The interrupting telephone call informs him of a news
`item of concern. The audio book is abandoned, and he turns
`to find an appropriate news Source. Not only is there a need
`for keeping one's place, but that should the case with
`multiple programs Simultaneously.
`0045. It is commonly the case that one recognizes that a
`particular news Segment or joke or even an advertisement
`would be of interest to a particular friend. Thus comes a need
`for a way to capture a portion of a stream, or at least a
`reference to it, So that it might be shared with Someone else
`at a future time.
`0046. A related observation is that, in the good old days,
`when the number of broadcast networks were few, a given
`evening's televised offerings might include just two or three
`Significantly popular shows. The likelihood that a friend,
`colleague, or playmate had seen a particular show, or at least
`heard about it, was relatively high. AS Such, the common
`experience of having been members of the tele-audience
`provided a basis for Social interaction: “What did you think
`of the show'? What would you have done in her situation?
`Would you have ever expected him to do that?” or in the case
`of sports events, “What is up with that team'?”
`0047. In today's world of hundreds of simultaneous
`offerings, the chances that a particular colleague was a part
`of the audience for the same programming you were is
`greatly reduced. This has engendered a need for a way to
`find individuals having shared similar experiences, or antici
`pating the same shows that you anticipate. The way might
`operate in a manner analogous to a book club, where
`members Select a novel which each reads and the group
`Subsequently gathers to discuss. Instead of Selecting only
`books for discussion, Sporting events, radio dramas, news
`Stories, could be the basis for an ad hoc group. In fact, a
`common-interest group might gather before, during, or after
`Such a show.
`0048. There is also a need for a way to measure access to
`Such Services, to allow for billing. Alternatively, measured
`acceSS would allow sponsorship of an audience by an
`advertiser. Another alternative, a way is needed to limit
`access to a Subscribing audience. Any or all of these needs,
`if Satisfied, would permit this invention be applied in a
`Successful business endeavor.
`
`BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`0049 Embodiments of a method and system for enter
`tainment and information Services delivered via mobile
`telecommunication devices include a communication net
`work, a Station communicatively linked to the communica
`tion network, the Station having an output and an interface.
`
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`US 2004/0148638 A1
`
`Jul. 29, 2004
`
`Also included is a head-end having at least one database
`configured to Store programs including an audio content.
`The head-end is configured to receive a request from the
`Station via the communication network for a desired one of
`the programs. The head-end is further configured to Verify
`the request by determining an identification, transmitting a
`first portion of the desired program to the Station via the
`communication network based upon the request Verification,
`and recording an association between the identification and
`the desired program. The head-end is further configured to
`Suspend transmission of a Second portion of the program
`based upon detection of an indication to Suspend transmis
`Sion. The head-end is further configured to transmit the
`Second portion of the program based upon detection of an
`indication to resume transmission and based upon Stored
`bookmark data indicating Starting location in the program of
`the Second portion.
`0050. In some embodiments, the head-end is configured
`to generated and Store the Stored bookmark data upon
`detection of the indication to Suspend transmission. In other
`embodiments the Station is configured to generate and Store
`the Stored bookmark data. The head-end can be configured
`to determine the indication to Suspend by the Station ceasing
`communication on the communication network due to one
`of the following conditions: the Station is a telephone and the
`user hangs up, the Station is a cellular telephone and the
`cellular Signals has been lost, the Station is a computer and
`the computer has stopped transmitting an active keep alive
`network signal on to the communication network, the keep
`alive network signal being one of the following: a heartbeat
`and a periodic Stream of acknowledgements. In Some
`embodiments, the Station is a cellular telephone and the
`communication network is a cellular communication net
`work.
`0051. The interface of the station can include a save
`control, the Station being configured to generate the book
`mark data based upon activation of the Save control. The
`interface of the Station can include a bookmark control, the
`Station being configured to generate the bookmark data
`based upon activation of the bookmark control. The inter
`face of the Station can include a Save control, the head-end
`being configured to generate the bookmark databased upon
`activation of the Save control.
`0.052 The interface of the station can include a bookmark
`control, the head-end being configured to generate the
`bookmark data based upon activation of the bookmark
`control. The head-end can be configured to Store the book
`mark data. The Station can be a non-cellular telephone. The
`Station can be a computer.
`0053. The station can be a telephone and a computer. The
`communication network can be at least one of the following:
`a telephone network and a computer network. The Station
`can be configured to Store the bookmark data.
`0.054 The system can include a plurality of stations other
`than the Station, the plurality of Stations including at least
`one of the following: a cellular telephone, a computer
`WorkStation, and a non-cellular telephone. The request Veri
`fication by the head-end can be based upon at least one of the
`following: a Subscription plan, a content rating of the desired
`program, and payment history associated with a user of the
`telephone. The Station interface can include an in-progreSS
`user interface with a join button configured to, upon acti
`
`Vation, join a first user activating the join button to a
`conference with other users of a program being received
`from the head-end. The Station interface can include an
`in-progreSS user interface with a mark button configured to,
`upon activation, bookmark a Segment of a program being
`received from the head-end for Subsequent retrieval. The
`Station interface can include an in-progreSS user interface
`with a Send button configured to, upon activation, Send
`either a program or a link of the program being received
`from the head-end to another user.
`0055. The station interface can include an in-progress
`user interface with a Save button configured to, upon acti
`Vation, Save a program being received from the head-end for
`future play. The Station interface can include an in-progreSS
`user interface with a pause button configured to, upon
`activation, halt playing of a program Stored on the head-end.
`The Station interface can include a Select show dialog based
`upon Voice recognition. The Station interface can include a
`Selection menu with at least one of the following: a Select
`button configured to Select a program Stored on the head-end
`and a clear button configured to clear a program Selection
`previously made. The Station interface can include a Selec
`tion menu with a Selection prompt associated with Selection
`of a conference call associated with the desired program.
`0056. The at least one database of the head-end can
`include a holdings database configured to Store information
`regarding at least current users of the head-end, the infor
`mation including data about programs Stored in the at least
`one database being used by the users. The identification
`determined by the head-end can be based upon at least one
`of the following: a caller-identification code and an internet
`protocol address. The head-end can include cache Servers
`located in different geographical areas. The head-end can
`further include an access manager and a media Server, the
`access manager being configured to accept and process
`commands and queries from the Station via a receive buffer
`and is configured to transmit status and programs back to the
`Station via a transmit buffer, the acceSS manager configured
`to control the media Server to Serve programs Stored on the
`at least one database.
`0057 The station can be a cellular telephone configured
`to receive audio and data over Separate communication
`channels and the communication network includes Separate
`Voice and data communication channels. The output can be
`a display and a Speaker. The Station can further include a
`buffer to Store received portions of the desired program
`before being played by the output.
`0058. The station can be a computer and a telephone, the
`computer configured to receive at least text data from the
`head-end via the communication network, the head-end
`further configured to transmit at least text data to the
`computer and audio data to the telephone via the commu
`nication network. The communication network can include
`a telephone network and the Internet. The communication
`network can include at least one of the following: a tele
`phone network, a local area network, a wide area network,
`and the Internet.
`0059. The interface of the station can be configured to
`provide a Send Selection capability that when activated by a
`user of the Station sends a request to the head-end via the
`communication network to Send information associated with
`the desired program to another user.
`
`-10-
`
`

`

`US 2004/0148638 A1
`
`Jul. 29, 2004
`
`0060. The interface of the station can be configured to
`bookmark a portion of the desired program Such that when
`the bookmark is activated the head-end commences trans
`mission of the desired program from the portion beginning.
`0061 The station interface can be configured to facilitate
`Selection of the desired program from the programs in the at
`least one database of the head-end. The interface can be
`configured to be presented on the output. The interface can
`be configured to be presented on other than the output.
`0062) The at least one database of the head-end can store
`information including at least one of the following: repre
`Sentations of Subject matter of the programs, availability of
`the programs, identification of users currently using each of
`the programs, preferences and listening Status of each of the
`current users and the head-end is configured to transmit the
`information to Station upon request of the head-end by the
`Station. The association between the identification and the
`desired program recorded by the head-end can be further
`configured for billing of a user of the Station that used the
`interface to generate the request for the program. The
`identification determined by the head-end can be configured
`to identify one of the following: the station and a user of the
`Station.
`0.063. These and other features and advantages of the
`invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the
`following description of a preferred exemplified embodi
`ment of the invention and upon reference to the accompa
`nying drawings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL
`VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
`0064. The aspects of the present invention will be appar
`ent upon consideration of the following detailed description
`taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
`which like referenced characters refer to like parts through
`out, and in which:
`0065 FIG. 1 is a detailed block diagram of an imple
`mentation of the communication System showing multiple
`participant Stations configured to operate over a communi
`cation channel, and including a head-end having an acceSS
`manager and media Server;
`0.066
`FIG. 2 shows a cellular phone implementing an
`implementation of a user interface for a participant's Selec
`tion of a show,
`0067 FIG. 3 depicts an implementation of a user inter
`face Supplied to a participant while a show playback is in
`progreSS,
`0068 FIG. 4 is a representation of data and relationships
`tracked