Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with remote product ordering

• US 8,418,208 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D, Davis, Bruce, Knudson, Edward B, Miller, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): IDOWU, OLUGBENGA O
• Application Number:
  US10/390,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,679 Days
• Field of Search: 725/30
• US Class Current: 725/60
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/84 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

An electronic program schedule system with product ordering capability which includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs, and a user control apparatus, such as a remote controller, for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto. The program schedule information indicates the availability of a product or service for certain of the programs included in the program information. The viewer utilizes the remote control apparatus for placing an order for the product or service. The data processor receives the user control commands and generates an order for the product or service.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to order products, comprising:

displaying television programming on a display in response to a user input;

automatically displaying, not in response to a user input, an overlay on top of the television programming that indicates to the user a single button that the user may select to order a product identified in the overlay, wherein the product is other than electronically-delivered video, and wherein the product is not identified in the television programming; and

placing an order for the product in response to the user selecting the single button and without further user input.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying the overlay as a visual indicator that indicates to the user the single button that the user may select to order a product.

3. The method defined in claim 2 further comprising generating a user product request in response to a user indication that the user would like to order the product.

4. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the single button is a button on a remote control.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the overlay that indicates to the user a single button that the user may select to order the product as a visual indicator;

using a microcontroller to respond to commands from a remote control having a key labeled with the same visual indicator; and

allowing the user to order the product using the remote control key labeled with the visual indicator.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the overlay includes information on the product.

7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising, in response to the user selecting the single button, ordering the product and placing the user on a mailing list.

8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein mailings from the mailing list provide additional information about the product being advertised.

9. The method defined in claim 7 wherein mailings from the mailing list provide information about products or services related to the product being advertised.

10. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the product is associated with the television programming.

11. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

tuning a television tuner to one of a plurality of television channels;

determining whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available; and

displaying the overlay in response to a determination that the product is available.

34. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the product is music related to the associated program listing.

35. The method defined in claim 34 wherein the music is a movie soundtrack.

36. The method defined in claim 34 wherein the music is a CD.

43. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the overlay is displayed using an interactive television program guide.

12. A system for allowing a user to order products, the system comprising user television equipment configured to:

display television programming on a display in response to a user input;

automatically display, not in response to a user input, an overlay on top of the television programming that indicates to the user a single button that the user may select to order a product identified in the overlay, wherein the product is other than electronically-delivered video, and wherein the product is not identified in the television programming; and

place an order for the product in response to the user selecting the single button and without further user input.

13. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to display the overlay as a visual indicator that indicates to the user the single button that the user may select to order a product.

14. The system defined in claim 13 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to generate a user product request in response to a user indication that the user would like to order the product.

15. The system defined in claim 13 wherein the single button is a button on a remote control.

16. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

display the overlay that indicates to the user a single button that the user may select to order the product as a visual indicator;

use a microcontroller to respond to commands from a remote control having a key labeled with the same visual indicator; and

allow the user to order the product using the remote control key labeled with the visual indicator.

17. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the overlay includes information on the product.

18. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to order the product and place the user on a mailing list in response to the user selecting the single button.

19. The system defined in claim 18 wherein mailings from the mailing list provide additional information about the product being advertised.

20. The system defined in claim 18 wherein mailings from the mailing list provide information about products or services related to the product being advertised.

21. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the product is associated with the television programming.

22. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:

tune a television tuner to one of a plurality of television channels;

determine whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available; and

display the overlay in response to a determination that the product is available.

37. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the product is music related to the associated program listing.

38. The system defined in claim 37 wherein the music is a movie soundtrack.

39. The system defined in claim 37 wherein the music is a CD.

44. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the overlay is displayed using an interactive television program guide.

23. Non-transitory computer readable medium for an interactive system, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program logic recorded thereon for:

displaying television programming on a display in response to a user input;

automatically displaying, not in response to a user input, an overlay on top of the television programming that indicates to the user a single button that the user may select to order a product identified in the overlay, wherein the product is other than electronically-delivered video, and wherein the product is not identified in the television programming; and

placing an order for the product in response to the user selecting the single button and without further user input.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 further comprising logic recorded thereon for displaying the overlay as a visual indicator that indicates to the user the single button that the user may select to order a product.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 24 further comprising logic recorded thereon for generating a user product request in response to a user indication that the user would like to order the product.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 24 further comprising logic recorded thereon for displaying the overlay as a visual indicator that indicates to the user a single button on a remote control that the user may select to order a product.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 wherein the information displayed indicating that the product is available is a visual indicator and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises program logic recorded thereon that is responsive to commands from a remote control having a key labeled with the same visual indicator, the computer-readable medium further comprising program logic recorded thereon for allowing the user to order the product using the remote control key labeled with the visual indicator.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 further comprising logic recorded thereon for displaying information on the product in the overlay.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 further comprising logic recorded thereon for ordering the product and placing the user on a mailing list in response to the user selecting the single button.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 29 wherein mailings from the mailing list provide additional information about the product being advertised.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 29 wherein mailings from the mailing list provide information about products or services related to the product being advertised.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 wherein the product is associated with the television programming.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 further comprising logic recorded thereon for:

tuning a television tuner to one of a plurality of television channels;

determining whether the channel to which the tuner is tuned is displaying a program for which a product is available; and

displaying the overlay in response to a determination that the product is available.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 wherein the product is music related to the associated program listing.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 40 wherein the music is a movie soundtrack.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 40 wherein the music is a CD.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium defined in claim 23 wherein the overlay is displayed as part of an interactive television program guide.