Electronic television program guide with remote product ordering

• US 6,771,317 B2
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward Bruce, Ellis, Michael Dean, Davis, Bruce, Miller, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US09/428,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.550, 348/569, 348/570, 348/906, 348/563, 348/564, 348/552, 348/460, 348/553, 725/39, 725/42, 725/60, 725/122, 725/117, 725/139, 725/34, 725/35, 725/40, 725/41, 725/38, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 348/569
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

An electronic program schedule system with product ordering capability which includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs, and a user control apparatus, such as a remote controller, for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto. The television program schedule information is displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. A video display generator receives video control commands from the data processor and program schedule information and displays a portion of the program schedule information on the receiver. The program schedule information indicates the availability of a product or service for certain of the programs included in the program information, wherein the product or service is associated with the program, such as a program transcript or videocassette. The viewer utilizes the remote control apparatus to generate a first command for displaying information on the receiver describing the product or service, and a second command for placing an order for the product or service. The data processor receives the user control commands and in response to the first command causes the video display generator to display information describing the product or service and in response to the second command generates an order for the product or service.

Claims

1. A method for allowing users to order products from a central location using a one-step ordering process within an interactive television program guide comprising:

tuning a television tuner to one of a plurality of television channels;

determining whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available, wherein the product is a product other than electronically delivered video;

providing an on-screen message in response to a determination that the product is available, wherein the on-screen message indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order the product; and

ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises:

generating a user product request; and

providing the user product request to the central location.

3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising retrieving information previously stored for the user.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein:

providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises providing an indicator that indicates to the user a single button that the user may depress on a remote control to order a product; and

ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises ordering the product from the central location in response to the user depressing the single button on the remote control.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein:

providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product brochure; and

ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises ordering a product brochure from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein:

providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a television-related product; and

ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises ordering the television-related product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises displaying the on-screen message with a personal computer.

8. A method for allowing users to order products while at a remote location using a one-step ordering process within an interactive television program guide comprising:

tuning a television tuner to one of a plurality of television channels;

determining whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available, wherein the product is a product other than electronically delivered video;

providing an on-screen message in response to a determination that the product is available, wherein the on-screen message indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order the product;

providing product information to a central system for an identified product in response to the single action being performed by the user at the remote location;

receiving the product information at the central location; and

processing the product information at the central location for ordering the identified product.

9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein:

the single action comprises the depressing of a button on a remote control by the user; and

in response to a single action being performed by the user at the remote location, providing product information to a central system for an identified product comprises in response to the depressing of a button on a remote control by the user at the remote location, providing product information to a central system for an identified product.

10. A system for allowing users to order products from a central location using a one-step ordering process within an interactive television program guide comprising:

means for tuning a television tuner to one of a plurality of television channels;

means for determining whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available, wherein the product is a product other than electronically delivered video;

means for providing an on-screen message in response to a determination that the product is available, wherein the on-screen message indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order the product; and

means for ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

11. The system defined in claim 10 wherein the means for ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises:

means for generating a user product request; and

means for providing the user product request to the central location.

12. The system defined in claim 10 further comprising means for retrieving information previously stored for the user.

13. The system defined in claim 10 wherein:

the means for providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises means for providing an indicator that indicates to the user a single button that the user may depress on a remote control to order a product; and

the means for ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises means for ordering the product from the central location in response to the user depressing the single button on the remote control.

14. The system defined in claim 10 wherein:

the means for providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises means for providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product brochure; and

the means for ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises means for ordering a product brochure from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

15. The system defined in claim 10 wherein:

the means for providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises means for providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a television-related product; and

the means for ordering the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action comprises means for ordering the television-related product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

16. The system defined in claim 10 wherein the means for providing an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product comprises means for displaying the on-screen message with a personal computer.

17. A system for allowing users to order products while at a remote location using a one-step ordering process within an interactive television program guide comprising:

means for tuning a television tuner to one of a plurality of television channels;

means for determining whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available, wherein the product is a product other than electronically delivered video;

means for providing an on-screen message in response to a determination that the product is available, wherein the on-screen message indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order the product;

means for displaying information identifying the product at the remote location;

means for providing product information to a central system for an identified product in response to the single action being performed by the user at the remote location;

means for receiving the product information at the central location; and

means for processing the product information at the central location for ordering the identified product.

18. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the means for displaying information identifying a product at the remote location comprises means for displaying information indicating the single action.

19. The system defined in claim 17 wherein:

the single action comprises the depressing of a button on a remote control by the user; and

the means for providing product information to a central system for an identified product in response to a single action being performed by the user at the remote location comprises means for providing product information to a central system for an identified product in response to the depressing of a button on a remote control by the user at the remote location.

20. A system for allowing users to order products from a central location using a one-step ordering process within an interactive television program guide comprising:

a video display generator;

a tuner for tuning to one of a plurality of television channels;

a user interface; and

a microcontroller programmed to (1) determine whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available, wherein the product is a product other than electronically delivered video, (2) direct the video display generator to display an on-screen message in response to a determination that the product is available, wherein the on-screen message indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform with the user interface to order a product, and (3) order the product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action with the user interface.

21. The system defined in claim 20 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to (1) generate a user product request, and (2) provide the user product request to the central location.

22. The system defined in claim 20 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to retrieve information previously stored for the user.

23. The system defined in claim 20 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to (1) direct the video display generator to display an indicator that indicates to the user a single button that the user may depress on a remote controller to order a product, and (2) order the product from the central location in response to the user depressing the single button on the remote controller.

24. The system defined in claim 20 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to (1) direct the video controller to display an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a product brochure, and (2) order a product brochure from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

25. The system defined in claim 20 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display an on-screen message that indicates to a user a single action that the user may perform to order a television-related product, and (2) order the television-related product from the central location in response to the user performing the single action.

26. The system defined in claim 20 wherein the microcontroller is a microcontroller for a personal computer.