PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEM WITH ADVERTISEMENTS

• US 20110167446A1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, William L., Carpenter, Kenneth F. JR., Ellis, Michael D., Hassell, Joel G., Reynolds, Steven J., Lemmons, Thomas R., Herrington, W. Benjamin, Knudson, Edward B., Knee, Robert A., Allison, Donald W., Williamson, Steven C., Marshall, Connie T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,397,259 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: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/4532 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television program guide is provided in which advertisements may be displayed on program guide screens. Banner advertisements may be displayed above and below program listings. Panel advertisements may be provided adjacent to program listings. The advertisements may contain video. The advertisements may be used to promote television programs and conventional goods and services. When a user selects an advertisement, the program guide provides the user with an opportunity to order products or services, request information, set reminders for upcoming programs, view program descriptions, record programs, or take other such actions. Embedded advertisements may be provided within the program listings region and may be automatically displayed immediately adjacent to related program listings.

Claims

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

means for presenting a program guide screen containing a program listings region with the interactive television program guide, wherein the program listings region includes a first and second area;

means for presenting at least one panel advertisement adjacent to the program listings region;

means for displaying an embedded advertisement and at least one program listing in the program listings region, wherein the at least one program listing corresponds to the first area in the program listings region;

means for displaying a highlight;

means for receiving a user input;

in response to receiving the user input, means for determining whether the embedded advertisement or the at least one program listing is highlighted;

in response to determining that the embedded advertisement is highlighted, means for navigating the highlight from the embedded advertisement in the program listings region to the panel advertisement; and

in response to determining that the at least one program listing is highlighted, means for navigating the highlight from the at least one program listing to the second area in the program listings region.

2. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for navigating the highlight from the program listings region to the panel advertisement using a remote control navigation key other than a cursor key.

3. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for navigating the highlight from the program listings region to the panel advertisement using a cursor key.

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

presenting a program guide screen containing a program listings region with the interactive television program guide, wherein the program listings region includes a first and second area;

presenting at least one panel advertisement adjacent to the program listings region;

displaying an embedded advertisement and at least one program listing in the program listings region, wherein the at least one program listing corresponds to the first area in the program listings region;

displaying a highlight;

receiving a user input;

in response to receiving the user input, determining whether the embedded advertisement or the at least one program listing is highlighted;

in response to determining that the embedded advertisement is highlighted, navigating the highlight from the embedded advertisement in the program listings region to the panel advertisement; and

in response to determining that the at least one program listing is highlighted, navigating the highlight from the at least one program listing to the second area in the program listings region.

5. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of

navigating the highlight from the program listings region to the panel advertisement using a remote control navigation key other than a cursor key.

6. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of

navigating the highlight from the program listings region to the panel advertisement using a cursor key.

7. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of implementing the interactive television program guide on a set-top box.

8. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of presenting a selectable embedded advertisement in the program listings region, the program listings region containing upper program listings above the embedded advertisement and lower program listings below the embedded advertisement, wherein the user must navigate through the embedded advertisement in order to navigate from the upper program listings to the lower program listings.

9. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of presenting an advertisement containing advertisement options on the program guide screen.

10. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to set a reminder when the user selects the panel advertisement.

11. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to tune to a given channel when the user selects the panel advertisement.

12. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to record a program when the user selects the panel advertisement.

13. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to purchase a program when the user selects the panel advertisement.

14. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to display program listings when the user selects the panel advertisement.

15. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to display additional information when the user selects the panel advertisement.

16. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to process an inquiry for additional information when the user selects the panel advertisement.

17. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the step of presenting the panel advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable panel advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to purchase goods when the user selects the panel advertisement.

18. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of

scrolling the embedded advertisement together with the program listings in the program listings region.

19. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of

changing the position of the program listings in the program listings region without changing the position of the embedded advertisement within the program listings region.

20. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of introducing an embedded advertisement into the program listings region using animation.

21. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

presenting selectable logos on the program guide screen; and

navigating the highlight from the program listings region to the selectable logos.

22. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of cycling the content of the panel advertisements.

23. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

cycling the content of the panel advertisements; and

providing a fade between the panel advertisements as they are cycled.

24. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of automatically displaying an embedded advertisement in the program listings region immediately adjacent to an associated one of the program listings in the program listings region.

25. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising the step of automatically displaying a selectable embedded advertisement in the program listings region immediately adjacent to an associated one of the program listings in the program listings region.