Program guide system with advertisements

• US 7,287,267 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (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): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US10/947,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 725 39- 43, 725 51- 52, 725/58, 725/60, 348/564, 348/569
• US Class Current: 725/42
• 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 displays a plurality of program listings;

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

means for allowing a user to scroll the program listings region to change the plurality of program listings displayed in the program listings region in response to the user positioning a highlight on a banner advertisement and activating a cursor key while the highlight is on the banner advertisement.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the at least one banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a banner advertisement that contains graphics.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the at least one banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a banner advertisement that contains video.

4. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising a set-top box on which the interactive television program guide is implemented.

5. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a television distribution facility for distributing television programming to the user television equipment; and

a video server located in the television distribution facility for providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment.

6. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a television distribution facility for distributing television programming to the user television equipment;

a plurality of network nodes for use in providing the television programming to the user television equipment; and

video servers located at some of the network nodes for providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment.

7. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement adjacent to the program listings region.

8. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means f or presenting an advertisement containing advertisement options on the program guide screen.

9. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to set a reminder when the user selects the banner advertisement.

10. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to tune to a given channel when the user selects the banner advertisement.

11. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to record a program when the user selects the banner advertisement.

12. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to purchase a program when the user selects the banner advertisement.

13. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to display program listings when the user selects the banner advertisement.

14. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to display additional information when the user selects the banner advertisement.

15. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to process an inquiry for additional information when the user selects the banner advertisement.

16. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to purchase goods when the user selects the banner advertisement.

17. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the banner advertisement further comprises means for presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the system further comprising means for displaying a description box on the program guide screen when the user selects the banner advertisement, the description box covering only a portion of the program listings region so that at least one program listing in the program listings region remains uncovered.

18. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means f or cycling the content of the banner advertisements.

19. A method for using an interactive television program guide that is 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 displays a plurality of program listings;

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

allowing a user to scroll the program listings region to change the plurality of program listings displayed in the program listings region in response to the user positioning a highlight on a banner advertisement and activating a cursor key while the highlight is on the banner advertisement.

20. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the at least one banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a banner advertisement that contains graphics.

21. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the at least one banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a banner advertisement that contains video.

22. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising the step of implementing the interactive television program guide on a set-top box.

23. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

distributing television programming to the user television equipment with a television distribution facility; and

providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment with a video server located in the television distribution facility.

24. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

distributing television programming to the user television equipment with a television distribution facility;

providing the television programming to the user television equipment using a plurality of network nodes; and

providing advertisements containing video to the user television equipment with video servers located at some of the network nodes.

25. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement adjacent to the program listings region.

26. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising the step of presenting an advertisement containing advertisement options on the program guide screen.

27. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to set a reminder when the user selects the banner advertisement.

28. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner 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 banner advertisement.

29. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to record a program when the user selects the banner advertisement.

30. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to purchase a program when the user selects the banner advertisement.

31. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to display program listings when the user selects the banner advertisement.

32. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to display additional information when the user selects the banner advertisement.

33. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner 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 banner advertisement.

34. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the method further comprising the step of providing the user with an opportunity to purchase goods when the user selects the banner advertisement.

35. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the step of presenting the banner advertisement further comprises the step of presenting a selectable banner advertisement, the method further comprising the step of displaying a description box on the program guide screen when the user selects the banner advertisement, the description box covering only a portion of program listings region so that at least one program listing in the program listings region remains uncovered.

36. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising the step of cycling the content of the banner advertisements.