Systems and methods for displaying and recording control interface with television programs, video, advertising information and program scheduling information

• US 6,756,997 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Macrae, Douglas B., Ward, Thomas E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/593,556
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 345/716, 345/762, 345/764, 345/810, 345/840, 345/841, 345/717, 345/719, 345/720, 345/721, 345/856, 345/859, 345/860, 705/14, 725/39, 725/40, 725/42, 725/43, 725/45, 725/47, 725/60, 725/61, 348/906, 348/563, 348/564, 348/569, 348/570
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• 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 21/42204 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention is an improvement over previous Electronic Programming Guides (“EPG”) in that it provides, among other things: Improved viewer interaction capabilities with the EPG; improved viewer control of video recording of future-scheduled programming; improved features to the EPG display and navigation; parental control of the EPG display; improved television program information access by the viewer; improved opportunities for the commercial advertiser to reach the viewer; improved product information access by the viewer; creation of a viewer'"'"'s profile; utilization of viewer profile information to customize various aspects of the EPG; and utilization of viewer profile information to provide customized presentation of advertising to the viewer.

Claims

1. A method for navigating about an on screen television interactive program guide comprising:

displaying a list of television programs vertically in a first area of a screen of a display monitor;

displaying an advertisement in a second area of the screen located horizontally adjacent to the first area, the second area being further divided into third, fourth, and fifth vertically arranged areas, each of the third, fourth, and fifth areas having the same height-to-width aspect ratio as the screen and occupying about {fraction (1/9)} of the area of the screen;

moving an on screen cursor vertically to highlight one of the television programs in the first area; and

moving the cursor horizontally from the first area to the second area to highlight the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising tuning to an advertisement channel carrying the displayed advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is selected based on a television channel being tuned to prior to invoking the interactive program guide.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is displayed in the fourth area of the screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is displayed in the fifth area of the screen.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating a function with respect to the highlighted advertisement.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the function is displaying on the screen details about the highlighted advertisement.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the details are displayed in the second area instead of the advertisement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the details are displayed in a sixth area of the screen different from the first and second areas.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the advertisement promotes a future television program and the function is storing the time and channel of the future television program for later recording or viewing.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the function is establishing a link to an Internet website for display of still images or video on the screen in the second area instead of the advertisement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the still images or video are displayed in the fifth area of the screen.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the function is establishing a link to an Internet website for display of still images or video in a sixth area of the screen different from the first and second areas.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting a television tuner so as to generate signals that display in the third area a current television program represented by the highlighted television program listing.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting viewer profile data; and

selecting the advertisement based on the viewer profile data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the viewer profile data includes viewer interaction data selected from the group consisting of viewer interactions with the interactive program guide, viewer television watching characteristics, viewer interactions with a remote control device, and viewer interactions with a computer network.

17. An interactive television system comprising:

a display monitor displaying video programs, graphics, and other viewable information;

a memory storing multiple types of data including a database of television scheduling data and a database of advertising information;

means for displaying a portion of the television scheduling data as an on-screen electronic television program guide and an advertisement based on the advertising information on the display monitor, a first area of a screen of the display monitor displaying the portion of the television scheduling data as vertically arranged program tiles, and a second area of the screen located horizontally adjacent to the first area displaying the advertisement, the second area being further divided into third, fourth, and fifth vertically arranged areas, each of the third, fourth, and fifth areas having the same height-to-width aspect ratio as the screen and occupying about {fraction (1/9)} of the area of the screen;

means for selecting one of the displayed program titles in the first area; and

means for selecting the displayed advertisement in the second area.

18. The interactive television system of claim 17, wherein the database of advertising information further comprises:

packets of data associated with a product being advertised; and

timing and correlative relationship data defining presentation and formatting relationships, sequencing, and timing of the packets of data.

19. The interactive television system of claim 18, wherein the packets of data are selected from a group consisting of graphics data, textual data, video data, and audio data.

20. The interactive television system of claim 17 further comprising means for tuning to an advertisement channel carrying the displayed advertisement.

21. The interactive television system of claim 17, further comprising means for selecting the advertisement based on a television channel being tuned to prior to invoking the interactive program guide.

22. The interactive television system of claim 17, wherein the advertisement is displayed in the fourth area of the screen.

23. The interactive television system of claim 17, wherein the advertisement is displayed in the fifth area of the screen.

24. The interactive television system of claim 17 further comprising means for activating a function with respect to the selected advertisement.

25. The interactive television system of claim 24, wherein the function is displaying on the screen details about the selected advertisement.

26. The interactive television system of claim 25, wherein the details are displayed in the second area instead of the advertisement.

27. The interactive television system of claim 26, wherein the details are displayed in a sixth area of the screen different from the first and second areas.

28. The interactive television system of claim 24, wherein the advertisement promotes a future television program and the function is storing the time and channel of the future television program for later recording or viewing.

29. The interactive television system of claim 17 further comprising means for establishing a link to an Internet website for display of still images or video on the screen in the second area instead of the advertisement.

30. The interactive television system of claim 29, wherein the still images or video are displayed in the fifth area of the screen.

31. The interactive television system of claim 17 further comprising means for establishing a link to an Internet website for display of still images or video in a sixth area of the screen different from the first and second areas.

32. The interactive television system of claim 17 further comprising means for displaying in the third area a current television program represented by the selected television program tile.

33. The interactive television system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for collecting viewer profile data; and

means for selecting the advertisement based on the viewer profile data.

34. The interactive television system of claim 33, wherein the viewer profile data includes viewer interaction data selected from the group consisting of viewer interactions with the interactive program guide, viewer television watching characteristics, viewer interactions with a remote control device, and viewer interactions with a computer network.

35. The interactive television system of claim 33, further comprising means for customizing the timing and scheduling of the display of the advertisements according to the collected viewer profile data.

36. The interactive television system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of addresses for data sources including data source addresses on a public network, the data source addresses providing at least a portion of the advertisement information;

means for selecting one or more of the identified data source addresses;

means responsive to the data source address selection for establishing a link to the corresponding data source; and

means for displaying the portion of the advertisement information on the display monitor in viewable form.

37. The interactive television system of claim 36, wherein the public network is the Internet.

38. The interactive television system of claim 36, wherein the public network is the World Wide Web.