Method for selecting a program displayed in an advertisement in an application software program

• US 7,917,927 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Stuart, Anthony Edward, Logan, Robert Joseph, Morrison, Hugh Boyd, Hunt, Charles Bryan, Brown, Megan Louise, Allen, Jill Suzanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Shang; Annan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/868,254
• Time in Patent Office: 4,115 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725/42, 725 32- 34, 725/43, 725/112, 725/113
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A video processing apparatus may be controlled in response to selecting an advertisement displayed in connection with a productivity or communication application software program being operated on a video processing apparatus. The advertisement includes control information, which is used by the video processing apparatus to control an operating mode thereof. The control information may include both time and channel data as well as a recording data for programming a timer. Alternately, the control information may only include program data, which is passed to the electronic program guide to determine the time and channel information associated with the program data.

Claims

1. A method for operating a video processing apparatus, said video operating apparatus being capable of operating in a video operating mode, and in a computer program operating mode, said video processing apparatus having an electronic program guide operable in said video operating mode and not in said computer program operating mode, said method comprising the steps of:

operating said video processing apparatus in said computer program operating mode by running a computer application software program on said video processing apparatus, said computer application software program providing a display;

causing an advertisement associated with a broadcast television program specified by a service provider to be displayed in an area of said display while said computer application software program is running;

receiving a signal indicating user selection of said advertisement while said computer application software program is running; and

providing a user selection display in response to said user selection of said advertisement, said user selection display being provided while said computer application software program is running and comprising a listing of a plurality of user selectable options associated with said broadcast television program, wherein at least one of said plurality of user selectable options, which when selected, causes said video processing apparatus to switch from said computer program operating mode to said video operating mode and wherein said plurality of user selectable options includes a first option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to immediately tune to a channel in which said broadcast television program is on, a second option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to tune to said channel in which said broadcast television program is on when said broadcast television program starts, a third option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to program a recording timer to record said broadcast television program, a fourth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to access a web site associated with said broadcast television program, and a fifth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to return to said computer application software program, and further wherein said video processing apparatus causes a user'"'"'s work in said computer application software program to be saved in response to selection of at least one of said plurality of user selectable options.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer application software program is one of a productivity and communication application software program.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said advertisement comprises control information associated therewith, said control information, when received by a video processor, causes the video processor to operate in accordance with said control information, said control information comprising at least one of (1) time and channel selection data and (2) recording data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said control information comprises program data, and wherein time and channel data is determined using said electronic program guide in response to said program data.

5. A method for operating a video processing apparatus having a video operating mode and a computer program operating mode, said method comprising the steps of:

operating said video processing apparatus in said computer program operating mode by running a computer application software program on said video processing apparatus, said computer application software program being one of an electronic mail message program, an instant messaging program, a web browser and a productivity application software program, said computer application software program providing a display, wherein said video processing apparatus includes an electronic program guide operable in said video operating mode and not in said computer program operating mode;

causing an advertisement associated with a broadcast television program specified by a service provider to be displayed in an area of said display while said computer application software program is running;

receiving a signal indicating user selection of said advertisement while said computer application software program is running; and

providing a user selection display in response to said user selection of said advertisement, said user selection display being provided while said computer application software program is running and comprising a listing of a plurality of user selectable options associated with said broadcast television program, wherein at least one of said plurality of user selectable options, which when selected, causes said video processing apparatus to switch from said computer program operating mode to said video operating mode and wherein said plurality of user selectable options includes a first option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to immediately tune to a channel in which said broadcast television program is on, a second option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to tune to said channel in which said broadcast television program is on when said broadcast television program starts, and a third option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to program a recording timer to record said broadcast television program, a fourth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to access a web site associated with said broadcast television program, and a fifth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to return to said computer application software program, and further wherein said video processing apparatus causes a user'"'"'s work in said computer application software program to be saved in response to selection of at least one of said plurality of user selectable options.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said computer application software program is an electronic messaging program.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said productivity application software program is one of a word processing program and a spreadsheet program.

8. A video processing apparatus having a video operating mode and a computer program operating mode, said video processing apparatus comprising:

means for operating said video processing apparatus in said computer program operating mode by running a computer application software program on said video processing apparatus, said computer application software program being one of an electronic mail message program, an instant messaging program, a web browser and a productivity application software program, said computer application software program providing a display, wherein said video processing apparatus includes an electronic program guide operable in said video operating mode and not in said computer program operating mode;

means for enabling an advertisement associated with a broadcast television program specified by a service provider to be displayed in an area of said display while said computer application software program is running;

means for receiving a signal indicating user selection of said advertisement while said computer application software program is running; and

wherein, in response to said user selection of said advertisement, a user selection display is provided while said computer application software program is running, said user selection display comprising a listing of a plurality of user selectable options associated with said broadcast television program, and wherein at least one of said plurality of user selectable options, which when selected, causes said video processing apparatus to switch from said computer program operating mode to said video operating mode, and wherein said plurality of user selectable options includes a first option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to immediately tune to a channel in which said broadcast television program is on, a second option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to tune to said channel in which said broadcast television program is on when said broadcast television program starts, and a third option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to program a recording timer to record said broadcast television program, a fourth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to access a web site associated with said broadcast television program, and a fifth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to return to said computer application software program, and further wherein said video processing apparatus causes a user'"'"'s work in said computer application software program to be saved in response to selection of at least one of said plurality of user selectable options.

9. The video processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said productivity application software program is one of a word processing program and a spreadsheet program.