Program guide system with flip and browse advertisements

• US 20060156336A1
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Hassell, Joel G., Reynolds, Steven J., Lemmons, Thomas R., Herrington, W. Benjamin, Thomas, William L., Knudson, Edward B., Knee, Robert A., Allison, Donald W., Carpenter, Kenneth F. Jr., Williamson, Steven C., Marshall, Connie T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An interactive television program guide is provided in which advertisements may be displayed in program listings display Legions on program guide screens. The program listings display regions may be browse displays or flip displays. The program guide screens contain video for the current channel to which the user is tuned. The program listings display regions containing the advertisements may be overlaid on top of the current channel. Alternatively, the video for the current channel may be provided in a reduced-size video window. The advertisements may contain video. The advertisements may be used to promote television programs and conventional goods and services. Advertisements may be selectable. When a user selects an advertisement, the program guide provides the user with an opportunity to order products or services, request information, set reminders for upcoming programs, view program descriptions, record programs, or take other such actions.

Claims

1-60. -60. (canceled)

61. A method for using an interactive program guide to display program listings information and additional information on a display on which video for a given television channel is displayed, the method comprising:

displaying over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising a program listings region and another region, wherein the program listings information is displayed only in the program listings region, the additional information is displayed only in the other region, and at least a portion of the video for the given television channel is viewable simultaneously with the program listings region and the other region; and

allowing the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information in the program listings region and the additional information in the other region.

62. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

receiving a user selection indication when the highlight region is on the other region; and

in response to the user selection indication, displaying additional information for at least one of;

a product, a service, a brochure, and a literature.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein the other region comprises a selectable advertisement.

64. The method of claim 61 wherein the other region comprises text, graphics, or video.

65. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

cycling content displayed in the additional region; and

providing a fade between the displayed content in the other region as it is cycled.

66. The method of claim 61 wherein the program listings information is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

67. The method of claim 61 wherein the other region comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising recording the television program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

68. The method of claim 61 wherein the other region comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising setting a reminder for the television program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

69. The method of claim 61 wherein allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the other region comprises:

allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the other region by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction.

70. The method of claim 61, wherein at least a substantial portion of the video for the given television channel is viewable simultaneously with the program listings information and the additional information.

71. A system for using an interactive program guide to display program listings information and additional information on a display on which video for a given television channel is displayed, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

display over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising a program listings region and another region, wherein the program listings information is displayed only in the program listings region, the additional information is displayed only in the other region, and at least a portion of the video for the given television channel is viewable simultaneously with the program listings region and the other region; and

allow the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information in the program listings region and the additional information in the other region.

72. The system of claim 71 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a user selection indication when the highlight region is on the other region; and

in response to the user selection indication, display additional information for at least one of;

a product, a service, a brochure, and a literature.

73. The system of claim 71 wherein the other region comprises a selectable advertisement.

74. The system of claim 71 wherein the other region comprises text, graphics, or video.

75. The system of claim 71 wherein the processor is further configured to:

cycle content displayed in the additional region; and

provide a fade between the displayed content in the other region as it is cycled.

76. The system of claim 71 wherein the program listings information is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

77. The system of claim 71 wherein the other region comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program and wherein the processor is further configured to record the television program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

78. The system of claim 71 wherein the other region comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program and wherein the processor is further configured to set a reminder for the television program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

79. The system of claim 71 wherein the processor is further configured to allow the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the other region by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction.

80. The system of claim 71, wherein at least a substantial portion of the video for the given television channel is viewable simultaneously with the program listings information and the additional information.