Interactive television program guide with passive content

• US 6,934,963 B1
• Filed: 09/21/1999
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Reynolds, Steven J., Berezowski, David M., Knee, Robert A., Hein, William, Rosenthol, Joshua A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shang, Annan Q
• Application Number:
  US09/400,391
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 725/60, 725/61, 725 37- 59
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A hybrid passive-interactive program guide is generated by combining the features of an interactive program guide with the passive video portion of a passive program guide. The interactive guide may replace passive listings with interactive listings, replace passive features with interactive features, provide supplemental advertisements, or replace passive tagging information with interactive tagging information. Users may be provided with an opportunity to purchase a program or product being advertised, to view listings for segments aired in the video portion of the passive guide, to schedule reminders for listings or video segments that are displayed by the passive guide, or to schedule video segments and related information for recording.

Claims

1. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

a main facility comprising;

a data source configured to provide program guide data having program listings information; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the program guide data to television program guide equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein;

the television program guide equipment comprises;

a receiver configured to receive the program guide data;

a screen generator configured to generate a passive guide display screen in which the program listings information is displayed, wherein the program listings start with a given program listing;

user television equipment on which the interactive television program guide is at least partially implemented;

distribution equipment configured to distribute program guide data, passive guide characteristics, and the passive guide display screen to the user television equipment, wherein the passive guide display screen is distributed over a given television channel; and

the interactive television program guide is programmed to overlay the program listings information of the passive program guide display screen with interactive television program listings, wherein the interactive television program listings start at the given program listing based on the passive guide characteristics.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the interactive television program guide is further programmed to determine the type of the given program listings and to display interactive program listings of the same type.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the interactive television program guide is programmed to overlay the program listings information of the passive program guide display screen with interactive television program listings after a user indicates a desire to interact with the program listings information of the passive program guide display screen.

4. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the screen generator is further programmed to generate the passive guide characteristics.

5. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the passive guide characteristics includes a playlist.

6. The system defined in claim 1 wherein:

videos are displayed in a video display area;

the program listings information is displayed in a passive program listings area;

the interactive program listings are displayed in an interactive program listings area overlaid onto the passive program listings area; and

the interactive television program guide is further programmed to resize the interactive program listings area based on the passive guide display characteristics when the video display area changes in size.

7. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

a main facility comprising;

a data source configured to provide program guide data having program listings information;

an information source configured to provide information for a passive guide feature selected from the group of information comprising video and data;

a transmitter configured to transmit the program guide data to television program guide equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein;

the television program guide equipment comprises;

a receiver configured to receive the program guide data;

a screen generator configured to generate a passive guide display screen in which the information for a passive guide feature and the program listings information are displayed;

user television equipment on which the interactive television program guide is at least partially implemented;

distribution equipment configured to distribute program guide data, passive guide characteristics, and the passive guide display screen to the user television equipment, wherein the passive guide display screen is distributed over a given television channel; and

the interactive television program guide is programmed to overlay an interactive feature onto the passive guide display screen, wherein the interactive feature corresponds to the passive guide feature and is based on the passive guide characteristics.

8. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the interactive television program guide is programmed to overlay an interactive Internet-based feature onto the passive guide display screen, wherein the interactive Internet-based feature corresponds to the passive guide feature and is based on the passive guide characteristics.

9. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the screen generator is further programmed to generate the passive guide characteristics.

10. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the passive guide characteristics includes a playlist.

11. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

a main facility comprising;

a data source configured to provide program guide data having program listings information;

an information source configured to provide passive guide content;

a transmitter configured to transmit the program guide data to television program guide equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein;

the television program guide equipment comprises;

a receiver configured to receive the program guide data;

a screen generator configured to generate a passive guide display screen in which the passive guide content is displayed;

user television equipment on which the interactive television program guide is at least partially implemented;

distribution equipment configured to distribute program guide data, passive guide characteristics, and the passive guide display screen to the user television equipment, wherein the passive guide display screen is distributed over a given television channel; and

the interactive television program guide is programmed to overlay a supplemental advertisement onto the passive guide display screen, wherein the supplemental advertisement corresponds to passive guide content displayed in the passive guide display screen and is based on the passive guide characteristics.

12. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the supplemental advertisement is an interactive advertisement.

13. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the interactive television program guide is further programmed to provide a user with an opportunity to order a program associated with passive guide content displayed in the passive guide display screen, based on the passive guide characteristics.

14. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the interactive television program guide is further programmed to provide a user with an opportunity to order merchandise associated with passive guide content displayed in the passive guide display screen, based on the passive guide characteristics.

15. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the screen generator is further programmed to generate the passive guide characteristics.

16. The system define in claim 11 wherein the passive guide characteristics includes a playlist.

17. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

a main facility comprising;

a data source configured to provide program guide data having program listings information;

a video source configured to provide videos;

a transmitter configured to transmit the program guide data having program listings information to television program guide equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein;

the television program guide equipment comprises;

a receiver configured to receive the program guide data;

a screen generator configured to generate a passive guide display screen having a video display area in which the videos are displayed, and a first text display area in which text is displayed, wherein the text corresponds to the video displayed in the video display area;

user television equipment on which the interactive television program guide is at least partially implemented;

distribution equipment configured to distribute program guide data, passive guide characteristics, and the passive guide display screen to the user television equipments wherein the passive guide display screen is distributed over a given television channel; and

the interactive television program guide is programmed to overlay a second text display area onto the first text display area of the passive guide display screen, wherein text displayed in the second text display area is based on the passive guide characteristics and corresponds to the video displayed in the video display area.

18. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the second text display area is an interactive text display area.

19. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the screen generator is further programmed to generate the passive guide characteristics.

20. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the passive guide characteristics includes a playlist.

21. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

a main facility comprising;

a data source configured to provide program guide data having program listings information;

a video source configured to provide videos;

a transmitter configured to transmit the program guide data to television program guide equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein;

the television program guide equipment comprises;

a receiver configured to receive the program guide data;

a screen generator configured to generate a passive guide display screen in which the videos are displayed;

user television equipment on which the interactive television program guide is at least partially implemented;

distribution equipment configured to distribute program guide data, passive guide characteristics, and the passive guide display screen to the user television equipment, wherein the passive guide display screen is distributed over a given television channel; and

the interactive television program guide is programmed to provide a user with an opportunity to access interactive program listings information for the videos based on the passive guide characteristics.

22. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the interactive television program guide is further programmed to provide a user with an opportunity to access additional information for the videos based on the passive guide characteristics.

23. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the interactive television program guide is further programmed to provide a user with an opportunity to schedule a reminder for a video associated with a program listing.

24. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the interactive television program guide is further programmed to provide a user with an opportunity to record a video associated with a program listing with the television program guide equipment.

25. The system defined in claim 24 wherein the user television equipment comprises a storage device on which the video associated with the program listing is recorded.

26. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the screen generator is further programmed to generate the passive guide characteristics.

27. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the passive guide characteristics includes a playlist.

28. A method for providing a hybrid passive-interactive television program guide, comprising:

providing a passive television program guide with which program listings are displayed on user television equipment over a given television channel; and

providing an interactive television program guide that is implemented on the user television equipment, wherein the interactive television program guide overlays at least a portion of the program listings displayed by the passive television program guide with synchronized program listings.

29. A method for providing a hybrid passive-interactive television program guide, comprising:

providing a passive television program guide with which content on various subjects is displayed in a display area on user television equipment over a given television channel; and

providing an interactive television program guide that is implemented on the user television equipment, wherein the interactive television program guide overlays at least a portion of the display area with an interactive feature area, wherein the interactive feature area contains a feature that corresponds to the subject of the content that is being displayed in the display area when the portion of the display area is replaced with the interactive feature area.

30. A method for providing a hybrid passive-interactive television program guide, comprising:

providing a passive television program guide on user television equipment over a given television channel; and

simultaneously displaying an interactive advertisement region and at least a portion of the passive television program guide with the user television equipment.

31. The method defined in claim 30 further comprising providing video with the passive television program guide.

32. A method for supplementing a television program guide, comprising:

providing a passive television program guide with which promotional video content for television programs and corresponding textual information on those television programs are displayed on user television equipment over a given channel; and

supplementing the textual information with interactive text using the user television equipment.

33. A method for providing listings for scheduled passive program guide content, comprising:

providing a passive television program guide with which videos on various subjects are scheduled to be displayed on user television equipment over a given television channel; and

displaying an interactive listings screen with the user television equipment, wherein the interactive listings screen contains listings for the scheduled passive program guide videos.

34. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

means for providing a passive television program guide having program listings information over a given television channel;

means for overlaying the program listings information of the passive television program guide with synchronized interactive television program listings information.

35. The system defined in claim 34 wherein the means for overlaying the program listings information comprises means for replacing overlaying the program listings information with synchronized interactive television program listings information when a user indicates a desire to interact with the program listings information.

36. The system defined in claim 34 wherein:

the passive television program guide further includes at least one video display area that changes size;

the system further comprises means for displaying the synchronized interactive television program listings information in a listings display area having a size; and

the means for displaying the synchronized interactive television program listings information comprises means for resizing the listings display area when the video display area changes size.

37. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

means for providing a passive television program guide having at least one passive guide feature over a given television channel; and

means for replacing overlaying the passive guide feature with an interactive feature.

38. The system defined in claim 37 wherein the means for overlaying the passive guide feature with an interactive feature, comprises means for overlaying the passive guide feature with an Internet based interactive feature.

39. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

means for providing a passive television program guide having at least one video over a given television channel; and

means for displaying an advertisement that corresponds to the video with the video.

40. The system defined in claim 39 wherein the means for displaying an advertisement that corresponds to the video with the video comprises means for displaying an interactive advertisement that corresponds to the video with the video.

41. The system defined in claim 39 further comprising means for providing a user with an opportunity to order a program associated with the video.

42. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

means for providing a passive guide having video and passive text associated with the video over a given television channel; and

means for overlaying the passive text with text associated with the video.

43. The system defined in claim 42 wherein the means for overlaying the passive text comprises means for overlaying the passive text with interactive text associated with the video.

44. A hybrid passive-interactive television program guide system comprising:

means for providing a passive program guide that displays a plurality of videos over a given television channel; and

means for displaying program listings for the videos.

45. The system defined in claim 44 further comprising means for providing a user with an opportunity to access additional information for the videos.

46. The system defined in claim 44 further comprising means for providing a user with an opportunity to schedule a reminder for at least one of the videos.

47. The system defined in claim 44 further comprising means for providing a user with an opportunity to record at least one of the videos.