System and method for displaying an electronic program guide

• US 20080127265A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Douglas B. Macrae, Kenneth Hancock, Thomas E. Ward
• Original Assignee: Douglas B. Macrae, Kenneth Hancock, Thomas E. Ward
• Inventors: Hancock, Kenneth, Macrae, Douglas B., Ward, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US11/894,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20080127265A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• 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 21/42204 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/47214 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for utilizing data stored in an EPG database for modifying advertisement information. In this way, a service provider and/or an advertiser can transmit a single advertisement to all the television stations regardless of their geographic location and other user specific information, and need not re-transmit the advertisement even if there is a change in the show'"'"'s program description. When the advertisement is displayed, the correct updated information is retrieved from the EPG database and inserted into the advertisement.

In one aspect, the present invention describes a method for modifying an advertisement in an EPG comprising the steps of: storing television schedule information in a first database; storing advertisement information in a second database; incorporating a portion of the television schedule information into a portion of the advertisement information to form a modified advertisement; and displaying the modified advertisement on a screen.

Claims

1-59. -59. (canceled)

60. A method for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) comprising:

accessing program information from a database;

displaying, in a display screen, at least a portion of the accessed program information in a plurality of cells, wherein at least one cell of the plurality of cells includes a truncated program title;

navigating a cursor to the at least one cell; and

in response to navigating the cursor to the at least one cell, automatically displaying a full program title corresponding to the truncated program title in a program information region of the display screen.

61. The method of claim 60 further comprising:

accessing a set of rules for shortening program titles; and

generating the truncated program title based on the set of rules.

62. The method of claim 60 further comprising displaying a highlight border around the at least one cell.

63. The method of claim 60 further comprising automatically displaying a brief program description in the program information region of the display screen in response to navigating the cursor to the at least one cell.

64. The method of claim 60 wherein the truncated program title is shortened to fit within the at least one cell.

65. The method of claim 60 wherein the truncated program title includes an ellipsis that is displayed within the at least one cell.

66. The method of claim 60 wherein the plurality of cells comprise a visual grid structure.

67. A system for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) comprising:

memory to store program information; and

control circuitry configured to;

display, in a display screen, at least a portion of the program information in a plurality of cells, wherein at least one cell of the plurality of cells includes a truncated program title;

receive user input to navigate a cursor to the at least one cell; and

in response to receiving the user input, automatically display a full program title corresponding to the truncated program title in a program information region of the display screen.

68. The system of claim 67 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

access a set of rules for shortening program titles; and

generate the truncated program title based on the set of rules.

69. The system of claim 67 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display a highlight border around the at least one cell.

70. The system of claim 67 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically display a brief program description in the program information region of the display screen in response to receiving the user input.

71. The system of claim 67 wherein the truncated program title is shortened to fit within the at least one cell.

72. The system of claim 67 wherein the truncated program title includes an ellipsis that is displayed within the at least one cell.

73. The system of claim 67 wherein the plurality of cells comprise a visual grid structure.