Systems and methods for linking television viewers with advertisers and broadcasters

• US 20030005445A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven M., Leftwich, James Jay, Broughton, Susan, OʼBrien, Sean A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as television screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer'"'"'s computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer'"'"'s computer, television or PCTV.

Claims

1. An interactive program guide having a display screen comprising:

a database for storing television schedule information including television program titles;

a display controller electrically coupled to the database for displaying some of the schedule information including television program titles on the screen;

an input device for selecting a displayed program title displayed on the screen;

a processor for identifying data related to the selected program from the Internet;

a communication device for receiving the identified data related to the selected program; and

a controller for displaying the received data related to the selected program on the screen.

2. The program guide of claim 1 wherein the database resides on one or more remote file servers accessible through a communication link.

3. The program guide of claim 2 wherein the communication link is Internet.

4. The program guide of claim 1 wherein the related data is advertisement.

5. The program guide of claim 1 further comprising:

means for monitoring and storing user'"'"'s selections of television programs;

means for learning a user'"'"'s preference according to the user'"'"'s selections of television programs; and

means for activating the program guide responsive to the stored user-preference.

6. The program guide of claim 5 wherein means for learning a user-preference comprises means for storing a user-preference responsive to a user input.

7. The program guide of claim 5 wherein the user-preference is a television program.

8. The program guide of claim 5 wherein the user-preference is a theme for a plurality of television programs.

9. The program guide of claim 7 wherein the activating means comprises means for reminding the user to view the preferred television program.

10. The program guide of claim 7 wherein the activating means comprises means for recording the preferred television program.

11. The program guide of claim 7 wherein the activating means comprises means for downloading a copy of the preferred television program to a digital storage medium.

12. The program guide of claim 8 wherein the activating means comprises means for searching the schedule information;

means for matching television programs having the same theme as the stored theme; and

means for recording the matched television programs.

13. The program guide of claim 8 wherein the activating means comprises means for searching the schedule information;

means for matching television programs having the same theme as the stored theme; and

means for downloading a copy of the matched television program to a digital storage medium.

14. The program guide of claim 5 wherein the activating means comprises of means for adapting the schedule information displayed on the screen according to the user-preference.

15. The program guide of claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying preview programming for a future-scheduled television program;

means for identifying a plurality of sources of information having data related to the future-scheduled television program;

means for selecting an identified source of information having data related to the future-scheduled television program;

means responsive to the selected source of information; and

means for displaying data from the linked source of information on the screen.

16. The program guide of claim 5 wherein the data related to the future-scheduled television program is one or more of advertisement, video preview, and textual information.

17. The program guide of claim 1, further comprising means for storing and displaying advertisement data.

18. The program guide of claim 1 wherein the related data is one or more of selected television program actors, actresses, theme, other broadcast times, other broadcast sources, and associated available products.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the storing step comprises storing television schedule information in a database residing on one or more remote file servers accessible through a communication link.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the communication link is Internet.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the data related to the selected program is advertisement.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

monitoring and storing user'"'"'s selections of television programs;

learning a user'"'"'s preference according to the user'"'"'s selections of television programs; and

activating the program guide responsive to the stored user-preference.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein learning a user-preference comprises storing a user-preference responsive to a user input.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the user-preference is a television program.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the user-preference is a theme for a plurality of television programs.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the activating step comprises reminding the user to view the preferred television program.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the activating step comprises recording the preferred television program.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the activating step comprises downloading a copy of the preferred television program to a digital storage medium.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the activating step comprises searching the schedule information;

matching television programs having the same theme as the stored theme; and

recording the matched television programs.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the activating step comprises searching the schedule information;

matching television programs having the same theme as the stored theme; and

downloading a copy of the matched television program to a digital storage medium.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the activating step comprises adapting the schedule information displayed on the screen according to the user-preference.

33. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying preview programming for a future-scheduled television program;

identifying a plurality of sources of information having data related to the future-scheduled television program;

selecting an identified source of information having data related to the future-scheduled television program;

responsive to the selecting step, establishing a link to the selected source of information; and

displaying data from the linked source of information on the screen.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the data related to the future-scheduled television program is one or more of selected television program actors, actresses, theme, other broadcast times, other broadcast sources, associated available products, and promotions.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the data related to the future-scheduled television program is one or more of advertisement, video preview, and textual information.

36. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing and displaying advertisement data.

37. The method of claim 19 wherein the related data is one or more of selected television program actors, actresses, theme, other broadcast times, other broadcast sources, associated available products, and promotions.

19. A method for managing and displaying information in an interactive television system having a display screen comprising the steps of:

storing television schedule information including television program titles;

displaying some of the schedule information including television program titles on the screen;

selecting a displayed program titles;

identifying data related to the selected program from the Internet;

receiving the identified data related to the selected program; and

displaying the received data related to the selected program on the screen.