Method and device for receiving and providing programs

摘要

A method for providing programs, the method includes: (i) providing a program multiplex to multiple users device; (ii) considering a removal of at least one program from the multiplex in response to program viewing parameters; (iii) allowing at least one user to respond to a possible removal of the program; and (iv) determining whether to remove the al least one program in response to received user removal responses. A user device that includes a transceiver unit that is connected to a controller, wherein the device is adapted to receive a program multiplex, to receive an indication that at least one program is to be removed from the multiplex, and to selectively transmit a program removal response.

主权项

1. A method for providing programs, the method comprising:
providing a program multiplex over a network to multiple user devices, the network comprising a hub to user device network or a hybrid coax fiber network; identifying at least one candidate program for removal from the program multiplex in response to program viewing parameters, wherein identifying the at least one candidate program for removal is performed by a multiplexing device that is coupled to the multiple user devices via the network; and receiving a user response to the at least one candidate program for removal from the program multiplex, the user response being associated with a user device from the multiple user devices receiving the program multiplex; and determining at the multiplexing device whether to remove the at least one program from the program multiplex based on the user response; wherein the user response identifies a program of the at least one candidate program in the program multiplex and comprises one or more of: (i) a request to delay a removal of the program from the program multiplex; (ii) a requested delay before the removal of the program from the program multiplex; or (iii) a parameter that reflects an intensity associated with a user approval or disapproval to the removal of the program from the program multiplex; based on the determination, removing the at least on program from the program multiplex to produce a modified program multiplex and transmitting the modified program multiplex.