Program guide system with targeted advertising

• US 20030110499A1
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Knudson, Edward B., Knee, Robert A., Carpenter, Kenneth F. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/347,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110499A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which targeted advertisements may be presented to a user and targeted actions taken in the program guide based on the user'"'"'s interests. The program guide monitors the user'"'"'s interactions with the program guide to determine the user'"'"'s interests. Interactions that may be monitored include interactions that indicate the categories of programming that interest the user (e.g., movies, sports, children'"'"'s programming, etc.), setting a reminder for a program, purchasing a program, requesting information on a program, browsing program listings for a particular time or channel, etc.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive television program guide to display program listings information, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel; and

displaying over the video for the given television channel, an overlay comprising the program listings information and at least one interactive advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing video.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing graphics.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing text.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one targeted interactive advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive banner advertisement.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement having at least one active object.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing a user to select the at least one interactive advertisement; and

providing additional information to the user upon selection of the at least one advertisement.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein providing additional information comprises allowing the user to set a reminder.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the interactive advertisement is associated with a product and wherein providing additional information comprises allowing the user to order the product.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a logo in the overlay.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the program listings information comprises displaying at least one program listing.

13. A system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive program guide is used to display program listings information, the system comprising:

means for displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel; and

means for displaying over the video for the given television channel, an overlay comprising the program listings information and at least one interactive advertisement.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises means for displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing video.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises means for displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing graphics.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises means for displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing text.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises means for displaying at least one targeted interactive advertisement.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises means for displaying at least one interactive banner advertisement.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises means for displaying at least one interactive advertisement having at least one active object.

20. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for allowing a user to select the at least one interactive advertisement; and

means for providing additional information to the user upon selection of the at least one advertisement.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the means for providing additional information comprises means for allowing the user to set a reminder.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the interactive advertisement is associated with a product and wherein the means for providing additional information comprises means for allowing the user to order the product.

23. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for displaying a logo in the overlay.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for displaying the program listings information comprises means for displaying at least one program listing.

25. A system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive program guide is used to display program listings information, the system comprising:

a display; and

user television equipment configured to;

display, on the display, video for a given television channel, and

display, over the video for the given television channel, an overlay comprising the program listings information and at least one interactive advertisement.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the at least one interactive advertisement contains video.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the at least one interactive advertisement contains graphics.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the at least one interactive advertisement contains text.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the at least one interactive advertisement comprises at least one targeted interactive advertisement.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein the at least one interactive advertisement comprises at least one interactive banner advertisement.

31. The system of claim 25 wherein the at least one interactive advertisement has at least one active object.

32. The system of claim 25 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

allow a user to select the at least one interactive advertisement; and

provide additional information to the user upon selection of the at least one advertisement.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the additional information comprises an ability to allow the user to set a reminder.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the interactive advertisement is associated with a product and wherein the additional information comprises an ability to allow the user to order the product.

35. The system of claim 25 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to display a logo in the overlay.

36. The system of claim 25 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

37. Machine-readable media for use in an interactive television program guide system in which an interactive television program guide that displays program listings information is implemented on user television equipment, wherein the media is encoded with machine-readable instructions for performing the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel; and

displaying over the video for the given television channel, an overlay comprising the program listings information and at least one interactive advertisement.

38. The machine-readable media of claim 37 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing video.

39. The machine-readable media of claim 37 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing graphics.

40. The machine-readable media of claim 37 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing text.

41. The machine-readable media of claim 37 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one targeted interactive advertisement.

42. The machine-readable media of claim 37 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive banner advertisement.

43. The machine-readable media of claim 37 wherein displaying the at least one interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement having at least one active object.

44. The machine-readable media of claim 37 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for performing the method comprising:

allowing a user to select the at least one interactive advertisement; and

providing additional information to the user upon selection of the at least one advertisement.

45. The machine-readable media of claim 44 wherein providing additional information comprises allowing the user to set a reminder.

46. The machine-readable media of claim 44 wherein the interactive advertisement is associated with a product and wherein providing additional information comprises allowing the user to order the product.

47. The machine-readable media of claim 37 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for performing the method comprising displaying a logo in the overlay.

48. The machine-readable of claim 37 wherein displaying the program listings information comprises displaying at least one program listing.