Interactive television program guide system with pay program package promotion

• US 7,774,812 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• 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: Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L., Knudson, Edward B., Davis, Bruce L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/894,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/45, 725/95, 725/97, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/45
• 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 program guide system for purchasing programs, the system comprising a processor configured to:

receive a user selection of a program for purchase;

determine whether the selected program is a part of multiple packages of programs; and

in response to determining that the selected program is a part of multiple packages, present information on the multiple packages, wherein the information includes an option to allow the user to purchase at least one package from the multiple packages.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the selected program is individually purchasable; and

present purchasing information for the selected program when the selected program is individually purchasable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the multiple packages comprises programs that share a common theme.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the common theme relates to a specific set of sporting events comprising a plurality of sports programs of a specific league or of a specific team.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display a telephone number for ordering the at least one package from the multiple packages.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the user with an opportunity to impulse purchase the at least one package through the program guide system.

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

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a purchased package contains repetitive programming.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to allow the user to set a program reminder for at least one program in a purchased package.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically set program reminders for each program in a purchased package.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor whether the user has watched any of the programs in a purchased package.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to cancel the purchased package when it is determined that the user has not watched any of the programs in the purchased package.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to offer the user an opportunity to reschedule a cancelled package.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a user selection of a channel for which a subscription is to be purchased;

determine whether the selected channel is part of multiple packages of pay channels; and

in response to determining that the channel is part of a multiple package of pay channels, present the user with purchase information on the multiple packages of pay channels.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor 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.

16. A method for purchasing programs, the method comprising:

receiving a user selection of a program for purchase;

determining whether the selected program is a part of multiple packages of programs; and

in response to determining that the selected program is a part of multiple packages of program, presenting information on the multiple packages, wherein the information includes an option to allow the user to purchase at least one package from the multiple packages.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the selected program is individually purchasable; and

presenting purchasing information for the selected program when the selected program is individually purchasable.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein one or more of the multiple packages comprises programs that share a common theme.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the common theme relates to a specific set of sporting events comprising a plurality of sports programs of a specific league or of a specific team.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying a telephone number for ordering the at least one package from the multiple packages.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to impulse purchase the at least one package through the program guide system.

22. The method of claim 16, 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.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether a purchased package contains repetitive programming.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising allowing the user to set a program reminder for at least one program in a purchased package.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically setting program reminders for each program in a purchased package.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising monitoring whether the user has watched any of the programs in a purchased package.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising canceling the purchased package in response to determining that a user has not watched any of the programs in the purchased package.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising offering the user an opportunity to reschedule a cancelled package.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a channel for which a subscription is to be purchased;

determining whether the selected channel is part of multiple packages of pay channels; and

in response to determining that the channel is part of a multiple package of pay channels, presenting the user with purchase information on the multiple packages of pay channels.

30. The method of claim 16, 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.