PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEM WITH MONITORING OF ADVERTISEMENT USAGE AND USER ACTIVITIES
First Claim
1. A method for displaying an interactive program guide comprising:
- collecting real-time ratings information for programs with control circuitry;
receiving a user selection of a geographical area;
processing, with a processor, the real-time ratings information to generate a list of the most popular programs among viewers located in the selected geographical area; and
transmitting, with the control circuitry, the list of the most popular programs among viewers located in the selected geographical area to user equipment for display in a program guide screen that comprises displayed program guide listings of the list, wherein the displayed listings indicate the popularity of programs at user equipment at a plurality of locations in the selected geographical area.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A program guide system is provided in which interactive television program guide advertisement usage is monitored. Advertisement usage may be monitored by monitoring when advertisements are transmitted from a television distribution facility to user television equipment. Advertisement usage information may also be monitored by monitoring when advertisements are received by the user television equipment. Advertisement usage information may also be monitored at the time at which advertisements are displayed by a program guide. Less important data may be filtered from the collected advertisement usage data. Other activities that may be monitored include the viewing activities of the user, which program guide screens are displayed, and which non-program-guide applications are used. Real-time ratings information (e.g., real-time ratings of the popularity of certain television programs, video games, or other applications) may be provided to users in real time.
146 Citations
53 Claims
-
1. A method for displaying an interactive program guide comprising:
-
collecting real-time ratings information for programs with control circuitry; receiving a user selection of a geographical area; processing, with a processor, the real-time ratings information to generate a list of the most popular programs among viewers located in the selected geographical area; and transmitting, with the control circuitry, the list of the most popular programs among viewers located in the selected geographical area to user equipment for display in a program guide screen that comprises displayed program guide listings of the list, wherein the displayed listings indicate the popularity of programs at user equipment at a plurality of locations in the selected geographical area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 17, 19, 31, 32, 41, 42)
-
-
6. A system for displaying an interactive program guide comprising
a processor configured to: -
collect real-time ratings information for programs; receive a user selection of a geographical area; and process the real-time ratings information to generate a list of the most popular programs among viewers located in the selected geographical area; and transmit the list of the most popular programs among viewers located in the selected geographical area to user equipment for display in a program guide screen that comprises displayed program guide listings of the list, wherein the displayed listings indicate the popularity of programs at user equipment at a plurality of locations in the selected geographical area. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 22, 24, 36, 37, 46, 47)
-
-
11-16. -16. (canceled)
-
18. (canceled)
-
20-21. -21. (canceled)
-
23. (canceled)
-
25-30. -30. (canceled)
-
33-35. -35. (canceled)
-
38-40. -40. (canceled)
-
43-45. -45. (canceled)
-
48-50. -50. (canceled)
-
51. A method for displaying listings, comprising:
-
collecting real-time ratings information for media or applications with control circuitry; receiving a user selection of a type of media or application; processing, with a processor, the real-time ratings information to generate a list of the most popular media or applications of the selected type; and transmitting, with the control circuitry, the list of the most popular media or applications of the selected type to user equipment for display in a display that comprises a plurality of listings of the list, wherein the displayed listings indicate the popularity of media or applications of the selected type at user equipment at a plurality of locations. - View Dependent Claims (52)
-
-
53-60. -60. (canceled)
Specification