Video-on-demand and targeted advertising

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for delivering and receiving media content are presented. In an example embodiment, search criteria for searching a plurality of media content items is received at a server from a client device via a wide area network. Based on the search criteria, multiple ones of the plurality of media content items, as well as one additional media content item not included in the plurality of items, are identified. Information identifying the multiple items is transferred to the client device, along with the additional media content item for presentation via a display device. A selection of one of the multiple items is received from the client device, and the server retrieves the selected media content item from a database. The retrieved media content item is transmitted to the client device for presentation via the display device.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for delivering media content, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a server from a client device via a wide area network, search criteria for searching a plurality of media content items;   identifying, at the server, using at least one hardware processor, based on the search criteria, multiple ones of the plurality of media content items and at least one additional media content item not included in the plurality of media content items;   transmitting, from the server over the wide area network to the client device, information identifying the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items;   transmitting, from the server over the wide area network to the client device, the at least one additional media content item for presentation via a display device;   receiving, at the server from the client device via the wide area network, a selection of one of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items;   retrieving, at the server from a database, the selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items; and   transmitting, from the server over the wide area network to the client device, the selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items for presentation via the display device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identifying of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items comprises searching the database, and wherein the database comprises identification information for the plurality of media content items. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identifying of the at least one additional media content item is based on the received search criteria. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the received search criteria indicate a geographic location, and wherein the identifying of the at least one additional media content item is based on the geographic location. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the received search criteria comprise at least one keyword, and wherein the identifying of the at least one additional media content item is based on the at least one keyword. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items comprises video content, and wherein the at least one additional media content item comprises at least one of video content, audio content, still image content, and textual content. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 transmitting, from the server over the wide area network to the client device, a plurality of topics corresponding to the plurality of media content items;   receiving, at the server from the client device via the wide area network, a selected topic of the plurality of topics; and   transmitting, from the server over the wide area network to the client device, search criteria input guidance information based on the selected topic;   wherein the received selected criteria are received in response to the transmitting of the search criteria input guidance information.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the search criteria input guidance information comprises selectable search keywords. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the search criteria input guidance information comprises selectable search value ranges. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the search criteria input guidance information comprises at least one field for entering a search keyword. 
     
     
         12 . A method for receiving media content, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a client device, search criteria for searching a plurality of media content items;   transmitting, from the client device over a wide area network to a server, the search criteria;   receiving, at the client device from the server via the wide area network, using at least one hardware processor, information identifying multiple ones of the plurality of media content items based on the transmitted search criteria;   causing, at the client device via a display device, presentation of the information identifying the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items;   receiving, at the client device from the server via the wide area network, at least one additional media content item not included in the plurality of media content items;   causing, at the client device via the display device, presentation of the at least one additional media content item;   receiving, at the client device, a selection of one of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items;   transmitting, from the client device over the wide area network to the server, the selection of the one of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items; and   receiving, at the client device from the server via the wide area network, the selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items for presentation via the display device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 causing, at the client device via the display device, presentation of the received selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items in response to receiving the selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 storing, at the client device, the received selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items;   receiving, at the client device, a request for the received selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items; and   causing, at the client device via the display device, presentation of the received selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items in response to receiving the request.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the receiving of the at least one additional media content item is based on the transmitted search criteria. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the client device from the server via the wide area network, a plurality of topics corresponding to the plurality of media content items;   causing, at the client device via the display device, presentation of the plurality of topics;   receiving, at the client device, a selection of one of the plurality of topics;   transmitting, from the client device to the server via the wide area network, the selected topic;   receiving, at the client device from the server via the wide area network, search criteria input guidance information based on the selected topic; and   causing, at the client device via the display device, presentation of the search criteria input guidance information;   wherein the receiving of the search criteria is based on the search criteria input guidance information.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the search criteria input guidance information comprises at least one of selectable search keywords, selectable search value ranges, and at least one field for entering a search keyword. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the causing of the presentation of the at least one additional media content item occurs concurrently with the causing of the presentation of the information identifying the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the search criteria are received at the client device via a remote control device. 
     
     
         20 . A server comprising:
 one or more hardware processors; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more hardware processors, cause the server to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a client device via a wide area network, search criteria for searching a plurality of media content items; 
 identifying, using at least one hardware processor, based on the search criteria, multiple ones of the plurality of media content items and at least one additional media content item not included in the plurality of media content items; 
 transmitting, over the wide area network to the client device, information identifying the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items; 
 transmitting, over the wide area network to the client device, the at least one additional media content item for presentation via a display device; 
 receiving, from the client device via the wide area network, a selection of one of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items; 
 retrieving, from a database, the selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items; and 
 transmitting, over the wide area network to the client device, the selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items for presentation via the display device. 
   
     
     
         21 . A client device comprising:
 one or more hardware processors; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more hardware processors, cause the client device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving search criteria for searching a plurality of media content items; 
 transmitting, over a wide area network to a server, the search criteria; 
 receiving, from the server via the wide area network, using at least one hardware processor, information identifying multiple ones of the plurality of media content items based on the transmitted search criteria; 
 causing, via a display device, presentation of the information identifying the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items; 
 receiving, from the server via the wide area network, at least one additional media content item not included in the plurality of media content items; 
 causing, via the display device, presentation of the at least one additional media content item; 
 receiving a selection of one of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items; 
 transmitting, over the wide area network to the server, the selection of the one of the multiple ones of the plurality of media content items; and 
 receiving, from the server via the wide area network, the selected one of the multiple ones of the media content items for presentation via the display device.