System and methods for linking television viewers with advertisers and broadcasters

• US 8,615,782 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven M., O'Brien, Sean A., Leftwich, James Jay, Broughton, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Application Number:
  US11/894,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,318 Days
• Field of Search: 725/40, 725/42, 725/60, 725/109, 725/110, 725/112, 725/113, 725/51, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 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 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer'"'"'s computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer'"'"'s computer, television or PCTV.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information contextually related to a program, comprising:

causing a currently tuned program to be displayed in full screen mode;

based on a program identifier of the currently tuned program, searching over the Internet a remote database to identify a plurality of services that are contextually linked to the program identifier of the currently tuned program, wherein the identified plurality of services provides access to information of different types;

receiving a user request to access one of the identified plurality of services; and

receiving, over the Internet, information from the one of the identified plurality of services from the remote database in response to receiving the user request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a program title and a program content of the currently tuned program is contextually linked to at least one of the identified plurality of services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving a request to at least one of search for, link to, and initiate a subscription to more information from the one of the identified plurality of services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified plurality of services comprise one or more of access to information related to the actors and actresses in the currently tuned program, access to information related to a theme of the currently tuned program, and access to other broadcast times or sources of the currently tuned program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified plurality of services comprises one or more of product sales and advertisements related to the currently tuned program.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user request to view additional information related to the currently tuned program; and

wherein the searching over the Internet is performed in response to receiving the user request to view additional information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously displaying the currently tuned program and the information from the one of the identified plurality of services.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an identifier to be displayed for each of the identified plurality of services; and

wherein receiving the user request to access the one of the identified plurality of services comprises receiving a user selection of a displayed identifier for the one of the identified plurality of services comprises.

9. A system for displaying information contextually related to a program, comprising:

a display controller configured to cause a currently tuned program to be displayed in full screen mode; and

a processor configured to;

search, based on a program identifier of the currently tuned program, over the Internet a remote database to identify a plurality of services that are contextually linked to program identifier of the currently tuned program, wherein the identified plurality of services provides access to information of different types;

receive a user request to access one of the identified plurality of services; and

receive, over the Internet, information from the one of the identified plurality of services from the remote database in response to receiving the user request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of a program title and a program content of the currently tuned program is contextually linked to at least one of the identified plurality of services.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request to at least one of search for, link to, and initiate a subscription to more information from the one of the identified plurality of services.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the identified plurality of services comprise one or more of access to information related to actors and actresses in the currently tuned program, access to information related to a theme of the currently tuned program, and access to other broadcast times or sources of the currently tuned program.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the identified plurality of services comprises one or more of product sales and advertisements related to the currently tuned program.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a user request to view additional information related to the currently tuned program; and

perform the search over the Internet in response to receiving the user request to view additional information.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to simultaneously display the currently tuned program and the information from the one of the identified plurality of services.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause an identifier to be displayed for each of the identified plurality of services; and

receive the user request to access the one of the identified plurality of services by being configured to receive a user selection of a displayed identifier for the one of the identified plurality of services comprises.