METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR POSITIONING ROW ADVERTISING IN A PROGRAM GUIDE

• US 20090031338A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharkey, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits

Abstract

A method of arranging row ads system within a program guide includes communicating row ad metadata to a user device and communicating program guide information to a user device. The program guide information defines a plurality of rows, wherein at least a first row is associated with a first channel. The method includes associating positioning information with the row ad relative to the first row, populating a second row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata and displaying the row ad and displaying the first row associated with the first channel within a program guide structure on a display associated with the user device in response to the positioning information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating row ad metadata to a user device;

communicating program guide information to a user device, said program guide information defining a plurality of rows, wherein at least a first row is associated with a first channel;

associating positioning information with the row ad relative to the first row;

populating a second row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata; and

displaying the row ad and the first row associated with the first channel within a program guide structure on a display associated with the user device in response to the positioning information.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the positioning information comprises information for positioning the row ad adjacent to the first row and wherein displaying comprises displaying the row ad adjacent to the first row.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the row ad and the first row are displayed together when the first row is in view.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the positioning information comprises information for positioning the row ad above the first row and wherein displaying comprises displaying the row ad above the first row.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising selecting a numerical channel using a user interface, moving the second row to a top position within the program guide and moving the first row below the second row in response to selecting.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the numerical channel comprises the first channel.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the positioning information comprises information for positioning the row ad below the first row and wherein displaying comprises displaying the row ad below the first row.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the positioning information comprises information for positioning the row ad offset a predetermined number of rows from the first row and wherein displaying comprises displaying the row ad offset a predetermined number of rows from the first row.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the offset is above the first row.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the offset is below the first row.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying is performed in response to a user device characteristic.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device characteristic comprises a service subscription class.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the subscription class comprises a premium subscription class.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device characteristic comprises local channel class.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device characteristic comprises a designated marketing area class.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device characteristic comprises a presence of an Internet connection.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user device characteristic comprises a presence of an ATSC receiver.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising linking the row ad to content.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising linking the row ad to broadband channel.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising linking the row ad to a linear channel.

21. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising linking the row ad to instructional text or on-screen help.

22. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the row ad metadata comprises a material identification.

23. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising selecting a row ad using a user interface;

communicating the material identification to the content processing system,

in response to communicating the material identification, communicating content corresponding to the material identification to the user device.

24. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising selecting a row ad using a user interface and changing the display in response to selecting.

25. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein changing the display comprises displaying help menu.

26. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein changing the display comprises displaying an order menu.

27. A method as recited in claim 24 wherein changing the display comprises displaying text and graphics associated with the row ad.

28. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a satellite.

29. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a terrestrial system.

30. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a broadband system.

31. A method comprising:

communicating row ad metadata to a user device;

communicating program guide information to a user device, said program guide information defining a plurality of rows, wherein at least a first row is associated with a first channel and a second row is associated with a second channel;

associating positioning information with the row ad relative to the first row;

populating a third row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata; and

displaying the row ad in the third row and displaying the first row associated with the first channel within a program guide structure on a display associated with the user device in response to the positioning information when the second row is present.

32. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a satellite.

33. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a terrestrial system.

34. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a broadband system.

35. A method comprising:

communicating row ad metadata to a user device;

communicating program guide information to a user device, said program guide information defining a plurality of rows, wherein at least a first row is associated with a first channel and a second row is associated with a second channel;

associating positioning information with the row ad relative to the first row;

populating a third row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata; and

displaying the row ad in the third row and displaying the first row associated with the first channel within a program guide structure on a display associated with the user device in response to the positioning information when the second row is absent.

36. A method as recited in claim 35 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a satellite.

37. A method as recited in claim 35 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a terrestrial system.

38. A method as recited in claim 35 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a broadband system.

39. A method comprising:

designating a channel as a row ad anchor associated with a first row; and

displaying the row ad over the first row when a date for row ad availability is passed.

40. A method as recited in claim 39 further comprising not displaying the row ad when the date for row ad availability has not been reached.

41. A method as recited in claim 39 further comprising receiving row ad metadata for a row ad;

and

communicating the row ad metadata to a user device.

42. A method as recited in claim 41 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a satellite.

43. A method as recited in claim 41 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a terrestrial system.

44. A method as recited in claim 41 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a broadband system.