Interactive television program guide system with pay program package promotion

• US 7,603,690 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, William, Knudson, Edward, Davis, Bruce, Ellis, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/439,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/87, 725/104, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/105
• 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 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system is provided that allows a user to select a pay program for purchase from a program guide. The program guide determines whether the selected program is part of a package of pay programs. If the selected program is part of a package, information regarding the package is provided to the user so that the user may decide whether to purchase the package. If the selected program is part of several packages, information for all packages is provided. The system automatically sets reminders for packages containing repetitive programming. The system monitors whether the user has watched any of the programs in such packages. When the user watches a program from the package, the remaining reminders are cancelled. If a user does not watch any programs in a package of any type, purchase of the package is cancelled and the user is provided with the opportunity to reschedule.

Claims

1. A system that allows a user to purchase programs, the system comprising user equipment on which an interactive program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive program guide is configured to:

provide the user with an opportunity to select an individually-purchasable program for purchase;

determine whether the selected program is part of a package; and

present the user with an opportunity to purchase the package of which the selected program is a part when it is determined that the selected program is part of the package.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the package comprises programs that share a common theme, and the common theme relates to a specific set of sporting events.

3. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports programs of a specific league.

4. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports programs of a specific team.

5. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to determine whether the selected program is part of a single package, and whether the selected program is part of multiple packages.

6. The system defined in claim 5, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to display purchasing information for the selected program.

7. The system defined in claim 5, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to display information on each package of which the selected program is a part when the selected program is included in at least one package.

8. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to display a telephone number for ordering the package.

9. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to provide the user with an opportunity to impulse purchase the package through the interactive program guide.

10. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to provide a customizable package of pay programs in which at least one program is selectively includable in the customizable package at the user'"'"'s option.

11. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to determine whether the purchased package contains repetitive programming.

12. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to allow the user to set a program reminder for at least one program in the purchased package.

13. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to automatically set program reminders for each program in the purchased package.

14. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to monitor whether the user has watched any of the programs in the purchased package.

15. The system defined in claim 14, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to cancel the purchase of the purchased package when it is determined that the user has not watched any of the programs in the purchased package.

16. The system defined in claim 15, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to offer the user an opportunity to reschedule a cancelled package.

17. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to:

provide the user with an opportunity to select a channel for which a subscription is to be purchased;

determine whether the selected channel is part of a package of pay channels; and

present the user with an opportunity to purchase the package of pay channels of which the selected channel is a part when it is determined that the selected channel is part of the package of pay channels.

18. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to provide a customizable package of pay channels in which at least one channel is selectively includable in the customizable package at the user'"'"'s option.

19. A method for allowing a user to purchase programs the method comprising:

providing the user with an opportunity to select an individually-purchasable program for purchase;

determining whether the selected program is part of a package; and

presenting the user with an opportunity to purchase the package of which the selected program is a part when it is determined that the selected program is part of the package.

20. The method defined in claim 19, wherein the package comprises programs that share a common theme, and the common theme relates to a specific set of sporting events.

21. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports programs of a specific league.

22. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports programs of a specific team.

23. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising determining whether the selected program is part of a single package, and whether the selected program is part of multiple packages.

24. The method defined in claim 23, further comprising displaying purchasing information for the selected program.

25. The method defined in claim 23, further comprising displaying information on each package of which the selected program is a part when the selected program is included in at least one package.

26. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising displaying a telephone number for ordering the package.

27. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to impulse purchase the package through the interactive program guide.

28. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising providing a customizable package of programs in which at least one program is selectively includable in the customizable package at the user'"'"'s option.

29. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising determining whether the purchased package contains repetitive programming.

30. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising allowing the user to set a program reminder for at least one program in the purchased package.

31. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising automatically setting program reminders for each program in the purchased package.

32. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising monitoring whether the user has watched any of the programs in the purchased package.

33. The method defined in claim 32, further comprising cancelling the purchase of the purchased package when it is determined that the user has not watched any of the pay programs in the purchased package.

34. The method defined in claim 33, further comprising offering the user an opportunity to reschedule a cancelled package.

35. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising:

providing the user with an opportunity to select a channel for which a subscription is to be purchased;

determining whether the selected channel is part of a package of pay channels; and

presenting the user with an opportunity to purchase the package of pay channels of which the selected channel is a part when it is determined that the selected channel is part of the package of pay channels.

36. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising providing a customizable package of pay channels in which at least one channel is selectively includable in the customizable package at the user'"'"'s option.