PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEM WITH TARGETED ADVERTISING

• US 20100175078A1
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (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:
  US12/616,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20100175078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• 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

1-122. -122. (canceled)

123. A method for displaying program listings information, the method comprising:

displaying, on a substantially full portion of a display, video for a given television channel;

selecting, in response to receiving a user indication, interactive program listings information from a database of program listings information;

selecting an interactive advertisement from an advertisement database based on advertisement criteria, wherein the advertisement database is distinct from the database of program listings information; and

displaying over a portion of the video for the given television channel, an overlay comprising the selected interactive program listings information and the selected interactive advertisement.

124. The method of claim 123, wherein displaying the selected interactive advertisement is a video.

125. The method of claim 123, wherein displaying the selected interactive advertisement is a picture.

126. The method of claim 123, wherein displaying the selected interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement containing text.

127. The method of claim 123, wherein displaying the selected interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one targeted interactive advertisement.

128. The method of claim 123, wherein displaying the selected interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive banner advertisement.

129. The method of claim 123, wherein displaying the selected interactive advertisement comprises displaying at least one interactive advertisement having at least one active object.

130. The method of claim 123, further comprising:

allowing a user to select the interactive advertisement; and

providing additional information to the user upon selection of the interactive advertisement.

131. The method of claim 130, wherein providing additional information comprises allowing the user to set a reminder.

132. The method of claim 130, wherein the interactive advertisement promotes a product and wherein providing additional information comprises allowing the user to order the product.

133. The method of claim 123, further comprising displaying a logo in the overlay.

134. The method of claim 123, wherein displaying the program listings information comprises displaying one program listing.

135. The method of claim 123, wherein the overlay comprises a flip or a browse display.

136. The method of claim 123, wherein the selected interactive advertisement comprises content advertising at least one of a product and a service.

137. The method of claim 123, further comprising determining a user'"'"'s interests based on the user'"'"'s interactions with the program guide,

wherein the selected interactive advertisement is a targeted interactive advertisement that is selected based on the user'"'"'s interests.

138. The method of claim 123, wherein the advertisement is selected independent of a user'"'"'s interaction with the program guide.

139. The method of claim 123, wherein the interactive advertisement is selected independent of the displayed program listings information.

140. The method of claim 123, wherein the selected advertisement is selected based on a category to which the selected advertisement relates.

141. The method of claim 123, wherein the selected advertisement is displayed for a fixed time period.

142. The method of claim 123, further comprising periodically updating the selected advertisement with a different advertisement.

164. The method of claim 123, wherein the selected advertisement is displayed in one of a plurality of locations in the overlay.

165. The method of claim 164, further comprising collecting information about which location of the plurality of locations advertisements are displayed.

166. The method of claim 165, further comprising transmitting the collected information to a central facility.

167. The method of claim 123, wherein the advertisement criteria is determined from interests of a user.

168. The method of claim 123, wherein the advertisement criteria is determined from program characteristics of a program associated with the program listings information.

143. A system for displaying program listings information, the system comprising:

a display; and

user television equipment configured to;

display, on a substantially full portion of the display, video for a given television channel,

select, in response to receiving a user indication, interactive program listings information from a database of program listings information,

select an interactive advertisement from an advertisement database based on advertisement criteria, wherein the advertisement database is distinct from the database of program listings information, and

display, over a portion of the video for the given television channel, an overlay comprising the selected interactive program listings information and the selected interactive advertisement.

144. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected interactive advertisement is a video.

145. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected interactive advertisement is a picture.

146. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected interactive advertisement contains text.

147. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected interactive advertisement comprises at least one targeted interactive advertisement.

148. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected interactive advertisement comprises at least one interactive banner advertisement.

149. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected interactive advertisement has at least one active object.

150. The system of claim 143, wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

allow a user to select the interactive advertisement; and

provide additional information to the user upon selection of the interactive advertisement.

151. The system of claim 150, wherein the additional information comprises an ability to allow the user to set a reminder.

152. The system of claim 150, wherein the interactive advertisement promotes a product and wherein the additional information comprises an ability to allow the user to order the product.

153. The system of claim 143, wherein the user television equipment is further configured to display a logo in the overlay.

154. The system of claim 143, wherein the program listings information comprises one program listing.

155. The system of claim 143, wherein the overlay comprises a flip or a browse display.

156. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected interactive advertisement comprises content advertising at least one of a product and a service.

157. The system of claim 143, wherein the user television equipment is further configured to determine a user'"'"'s interests based on the user'"'"'s interactions with the program guide,

wherein the selected interactive advertisement is a targeted interactive advertisement that is selected based on the user'"'"'s interests.

158. The system of claim 143, further comprising a remote server configured to determine a user'"'"'s interests based on the user'"'"'s interactions with the program guide,

wherein the selected interactive advertisement is a targeted interactive advertisement that is selected based on the user'"'"'s interests.

159. The system of claim 143, wherein the advertisement is selected independent of a user'"'"'s interaction with the program guide.

160. The system of claim 143, wherein the advertisement is selected independent of the displayed program listings information.

161. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected advertisement is selected based on a category to which the selected advertisement relates.

162. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected advertisement is displayed for a fixed time period.

163. The system of claim 143, wherein the user television equipment is further configured to periodically update the selected advertisement with a different advertisement.

169. The system of claim 143, wherein the selected advertisement is displayed in one of a plurality of locations in the overlay.

170. The system of claim 169, wherein the user television equipment is further configured to collect information about which location of the plurality of locations advertisements are displayed.

171. The system of claim 170, wherein the user television equipment is further configured transmit the collected information to a central facility.

172. The system of claim 143, wherein the advertisement criteria is determined from interests of a user.

173. The system of claim 143, wherein the advertisement criteria is determined from program characteristics of a program associated with the program listings information.