PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEM WITH TARGETED ADVERTISEMENTS BASED ON FUNCTION BUTTONS AND NON-PROGRAMMING OPTIONS

• US 20100175081A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Peter C. Boylan III, William L. Thomas
• Original Assignee: Peter C. Boylan III, William L. Thomas
• Inventors: Boylan, Peter C. III, Thomas, William L.
• Application Number:
  US12/566,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20100175081A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47 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 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive television program guide is provided in which targeted advertisements may be displayed on program guide screens and actions may be taken in the program guide based on which program guide function buttons and non-programming options are selected by the user. Advertisements may contain text, graphics, and video. Advertisements may also be selectable.

Claims

1. A system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented on user television equipment comprising:

means for determining when a user selects a non-programming program guide settings option for changing at least one program guide setting;

means for receiving changes in program guide settings from the user in response to the selection; and

means for presenting an advertisement as part of a program guide screen in the program guide, wherein the advertisement is selected based on which program guide non-programming settings option is selected.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable advertisement.

3. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a television distribution facility for distributing television programming to the user television equipment; and

a video server located in the television distribution facility for providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment.

4. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a television distribution facility for distributing television programming to the user television equipment;

a plurality of network nodes for use in providing the television programming to the user television equipment; and

video servers located at some of the networks nodes for providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment.

6. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the non-programming settings option includes a messages option, the means for presenting the advertisement further comprising means for presenting an advertisement related to messages as part of a program guide screen when the user selects the messages option.

7. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the non-programming settings option is a parental control option, the means for presenting the advertisement further comprising means for presenting an advertisement related to parental control as part of a program guide screen when the user selects the parental control option.

8. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the non-programming settings option is a setup option, the means for presenting the advertisement further comprising means for presenting an advertisement related to a setup feature as part of a program guide screen when the user selects the setup option.

9. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for determining when a user selects a program guide function button in the program guide; and

means for presenting an advertisement as part of a program guide screen based on which program guide function button is selected.

10. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for taking a targeted program guide action in the program guide based on which program guide non-programming settings option is selected.

5. (canceled)

11. A method for using an interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment comprising the steps of:

determining, with a processor, when a user selects a non-programming program guide settings option for changing at least one program guide setting;

receiving, with the processor, changes in program guide settings from the user in response to the selection; and

presenting, with the processor, an advertisement as part of a program guide screen in the program guide, wherein the advertisement is selected based on which program guide non-programming option is selected.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the step of presenting the advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable advertisement.

13. The method defined in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

distributing television programming to the user television equipment using a television distribution facility; and

providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment using a video server located in the television distribution facility.

14. The method defined in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

distributing television programming to the user television equipment using a television distribution facility;

providing the television programming to the user television equipment using a plurality of network nodes; and

providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment using video servers located at some of the networks nodes.

16. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the non-programming settings option includes a messages option, the step of presenting the advertisement further comprising the step of presenting an advertisement related to messages as part of a program guide screen when the user selects the messages option.

17. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the non-programming settings option is a parental control option, the step of presenting the advertisement further comprising the step of presenting an advertisement related to parental control as part of a program guide screen when the user selects the parental control option.

18. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the non-programming settings option is a setup option, the step of presenting the advertisement further comprising the step of presenting an advertisement related to a setup feature as part of a program guide screen when the user selects the setup option.

19. The method defined in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

determining, with the processor, when a user selects a program guide function button in the program guide; and

presenting, with the processor, an advertisement as part of a program guide screen based on which program guide function button is selected.

20. The method defined in claim 11 further comprising the step of taking a targeted program guide action with the processor in the program guide based on which program guide non-programming settings option is selected.

15. (canceled)