Program guide system with flip and browse advertisements

• US 7,039,935 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Hassell, Joel G., Reynolds, Steven J., Lemmons, Thomas R., Herrington, W. Benjamin, Thomas, William L., Knudson, Edward B., Knee, Robert A., Allison, Donald W., Carpenter, Kenneth F. Jr., Williamson, Steven C., Marshall, Connie T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US10/127,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 725/41, 725/42, 725/51, 725/52, 725/57, 725/60, 725/43, 348/564, 348/569, 348/584
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An interactive television program guide is provided in which advertisements may be displayed in program listings display regions on program guide screens. The program listings display regions may be browse displays or flip displays. The program guide screens contain video for the current channel to which the user is tuned. The program listings display regions containing the advertisements may be overlaid on top of the current channel. Alternatively, the video for the current channel may be provided in a reduced-size video window. The advertisements may contain video. The advertisements may be used to promote television programs and conventional goods and services. Advertisements may be selectable. 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.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive television program guide to display program schedule information, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel;

displaying over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the overlay comprises one of;

a browse display and a flip display; and

allowing the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing text.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing graphics.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing video.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising cycling the content of the additional information.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

cycling the content of the additional information; and

providing a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the overlay using special effects.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying program listings information comprises displaying program listings information that is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising recording the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising setting a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information comprises:

allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

allowing the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising allowing the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

17. A system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive television program guide is used to display program schedule information, the system comprising:

means for displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel;

means for displaying over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the overlay comprises one of;

a browse display and a flip display; and

means for allowing the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing text.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing graphics.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing video.

23. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for cycling the content of the additional information.

24. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for cycling the content of the additional information; and

means for providing a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

25. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for removing the overlay using special effects.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the program listings information comprises program listings information that is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

27. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising means for recording the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

28. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising means for setting a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

29. The system of claim 17 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

30. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information comprises:

means for allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

means for allowing the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising means for allowing the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

32. The system of claim 17 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

33. A system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive television program guide is used to display program schedule information, the system comprising:

a display; and

user television equipment configured to;

display, on the display, video for a given television channel,

display over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the overlay comprises one of;

a browse display and a flip display, and

allow the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein the additional information comprises text.

37. The system of claim 33 wherein the additional information comprises graphics.

38. The system of claim 33 wherein the additional information comprises video.

39. The system of claim 33 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to cycle the content of the additional information.

40. The system of claim 33 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

cycle the content of the additional information; and

provide a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

41. The system of claim 33 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to remove the overlay using special effects.

42. The system of claim 33 wherein the program listings information is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

43. The system of claim 33 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the user television equipment further configured to record the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

44. The system of claim 33 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the user television equipment further configured to set a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

45. The system of claim 33 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

46. The system of claim 33 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

allow the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

allow the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to allow the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

48. The system of claim 33 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

49. Machine-readable media for use in an interactive television program guide system in which an interactive television program guide that displays program listings information is implemented on user television equipment, wherein the media is encoded with machine-readable instructions for performing the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel;

displaying over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the overlay comprises one of;

a browse display and a flip display; and

allowing the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

50. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement.

51. The machine-readable media of claim 50 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

52. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing text.

53. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing graphics.

54. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing video.

55. The machine-readable media of claim 49 further comprising cycling the content of the additional information.

56. The machine-readable media of claim 49 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for:

cycling the content of the additional information; and

providing a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

57. The machine-readable media of claim 49 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for removing the overlay using special effects.

58. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the program listings information comprises program listings information that is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

59. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the machine-readable media further encoded with machine-readable instructions for recording the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

60. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the machine-readable media further encoded with machine-readable instructions for setting a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

61. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

62. The machine-readable media of claim 49 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for:

allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

allowing the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

64. The machine-readable media of claim 49 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

63. The machine-readable media of claim 63 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for allowing the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

65. A method for using an interactive television program guide to display program schedule information, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel;

displaying over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement; and

allowing the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

67. The method of claim 65 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing text.

68. The method of claim 65 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing graphics.

69. The method of claim 65 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing video.

70. The method of claim 65 further comprising cycling the content of the additional information.

71. The method of claim 65 further comprising:

cycling the content of the additional information; and

providing a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

72. The method of claim 65 further comprising removing the overlay using special effects.

73. The method of claim 65 wherein displaying program listings information comprises displaying program listings information that is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

74. The method of claim 65 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising recording the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

75. The method of claim 65 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising setting a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

76. The method of claim 65 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

77. The method of claim 65 wherein allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information comprises:

allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

allowing the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

78. The method of claim 77 further comprising allowing the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

79. The method of claim 65 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

80. A system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive television program guide is used to display program schedule information, the system comprising:

means for displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel;

means for displaying over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement; and

means for allowing the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

81. The system of claim 80 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

82. The system of claim 80 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing text.

83. The system of claim 80 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing graphics.

84. The system of claim 80 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing video.

85. The system of claim 80 further comprising means for cycling the cYontent of the additional information.

86. The system of claim 80 further comprising:

means for cycling the content of the additional information; and

means for providing a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

87. The system of claim 80 further comprising means for removing the overlay using special effects.

88. The system of claim 80 wherein the program listings information comprises program listings information that is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

89. The system of claim 80 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising means for recording the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

90. The system of claim 80 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the method further comprising means for setting a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

91. The system of claim 80 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

92. The system of claim 80 wherein the means for allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information comprises:

means for allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

means for allowing the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

93. The system of claim 92 further comprising means for allowing the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

94. The system of claim 80 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

95. A system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive television program guide is used to display program schedule information, the system comprising:

a display; and

user television equipment configured to;

display, on the display, video for a given television channel,

display over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement, and

allow the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

96. The system of claim 95 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

97. The system of claim 95 wherein the additional information comprises text.

98. The system of claim 95 wherein the additional information comprises graphics.

99. The system of claim 95 wherein the additional information comprises video.

100. The system of claim 95 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to cycle the content of the additional information.

101. The system of claim 95 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

cycle the content of the additional information; and

provide a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

102. The system of claim 95 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to remove the overlay using special effects.

103. The system of claim 95 wherein the program listings information is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

104. The system of claim 95 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the user television equipment further configured to record the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

105. The system of claim 95 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the user television equipment further configured to set a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

106. The system of claim 95 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

107. The system of claim 95 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

allow the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

allow the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

108. The system of claim 107 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to allow the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

109. The system of claim 95 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.

110. Machine-readable media for use in an interactive television program guide system in which an interactive television program guide that displays program listings information is implemented on user television equipment, wherein the media is encoded with machine-readable instructions for performing the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, video for a given television channel;

displaying over the video for the given television channel an overlay comprising program listings information for a single television channel and additional information, wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement; and

allowing the user to navigate a highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information.

111. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the at least one advertisement comprises a selectable advertisement.

112. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing text.

113. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing graphics.

114. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the additional information comprises additional information containing video.

115. The machine-readable media of claim 110 further comprising cycling the content of the additional information.

116. The machine-readable media of claim 110 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for:

cycling the content of the additional information; and

providing a fade between the content of the additional information as it is cycled.

117. The machine-readable media of claim 110 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for removing the overlay using special effects.

118. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the program listings information comprises program listings information that is associated with a different television channel than the given television channel.

119. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the machine-readable media further encoded with machine-readable instructions for recording the program when the at least one advertisement is selected.

120. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the additional information comprises at least one advertisement that promotes a television program, the machine-readable media further encoded with machine-readable instructions for setting a reminder when the at least one advertisement is selected.

121. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the additional information comprises at least one logo.

122. The machine-readable media of claim 110 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for:

allowing the user to navigate the highlight region between the program listings information and the additional information by issuing a user control command associated with a particular direction; and

allowing the user to issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information.

123. The machine-readable media of claim 122 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for allowing the user to repeatedly issue the same user control command associated with the particular direction, causing the program listings information to change to different program listings information each time.

124. The machine-readable media of claim 110 wherein the program listings information comprises at least one program listing.