Electronic program guide system with advertising messages in pop-ups
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A television system comprising:
- a television program schedule database comprising television program schedule information, informational messages, and information links that link the informational messages to the television program schedule information;
an advertising database comprising advertising messages and advertisement links that link the advertising messages to the television program schedule information; and
television equipment configured to;
display a television program on a substantially full portion of a display monitor;
select a first informational message for a first program from the television program schedule database that is linked to the television program schedule information by a first information link;
select a first advertising message from the advertising database that is linked to the displayed television program by a first advertisement link;
display a pop up window overlaid on the displayed television program, the pop up window including the selected first advertising message and the selected first informational message, wherein the television program is simultaneously displayed with both the first informational message and the first advertising message;
receive a user indication to display an informational message for a second program;
in response to receiving the user indication, select a second informational message for the second program from the television program schedule database that is linked to the television program schedule information by a second information link;
independent of the user indication, select a second advertising message from the advertising database that is linked to the displayed television program by a second advertisement link; and
update the pop up window, the updated pop up window including the selected second informational message and the selected second advertising message, wherein the television program is simultaneously displayed with both the second informational message and the second advertising message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, informational messages about the program or channel to which a television receiver is tuned and advertising messages are displayed simultaneously with the current television program.
In another embodiment, an EPG is displayed in a composite with an advertising message. Before such display, the microprocessor substitutes a transparency value for the stored background color value used to display the EPG alone in the conventional fashion on a background of a solid color or colors.
917 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A television system comprising:
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a television program schedule database comprising television program schedule information, informational messages, and information links that link the informational messages to the television program schedule information; an advertising database comprising advertising messages and advertisement links that link the advertising messages to the television program schedule information; and television equipment configured to; display a television program on a substantially full portion of a display monitor; select a first informational message for a first program from the television program schedule database that is linked to the television program schedule information by a first information link; select a first advertising message from the advertising database that is linked to the displayed television program by a first advertisement link; display a pop up window overlaid on the displayed television program, the pop up window including the selected first advertising message and the selected first informational message, wherein the television program is simultaneously displayed with both the first informational message and the first advertising message; receive a user indication to display an informational message for a second program; in response to receiving the user indication, select a second informational message for the second program from the television program schedule database that is linked to the television program schedule information by a second information link; independent of the user indication, select a second advertising message from the advertising database that is linked to the displayed television program by a second advertisement link; and update the pop up window, the updated pop up window including the selected second informational message and the selected second advertising message, wherein the television program is simultaneously displayed with both the second informational message and the second advertising message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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11. A method for displaying an advertisement over a television program, the method comprising:
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displaying a television program on a substantially full portion of a display monitor; storing television program schedule information, informational messages, and information links that link the informational messages to the television program schedule information in a television program schedule database; storing advertising messages and advertisement links that link the advertising messages to the television program schedule information in a advertising database; selecting a first informational message for a first program from the television program schedule database that is linked to the television program schedule information by a first information link; selecting a second advertising message from the advertising database that is linked to the displayed television program by a second advertisement link; displaying a pop up window overlaid on the displayed television program, the pop up window including the selected first advertising message and the selected first informational message, wherein the television program is simultaneously displayed with both the first informational message and the first advertising message; receiving a user indication to display an informational message for a second program; in response to receiving the user indication, selecting a second informational message for the second program from the television program schedule database that is linked to the television program schedule information by a second information link; independent of the user indication, selecting a second advertising message from the advertising database that is linked to the displayed television program by a second advertisement link; and updating the pop up window, the updated pop up window including the selected second informational message and the selected second advertising message, wherein the television program is simultaneously displayed with both the second informational message and the second advertising message. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification