Interactive television program guide system with pay program package promotion

• US 8,732,779 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B., Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L., Davis, Bruce L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/067,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 202 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/39, 725/61, 725/87, 725 93- 95, 725104-105
• 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 method comprising:

generating a display including an interactive package identifier and an expiration date, wherein the interactive package identifier identifies a package that includes a plurality of videos, and wherein the expiration date indicates a last date the package will be available for selection, and wherein the expiration date is displayed prior to an initial user selection of the interactive package identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive package identifier is an offer to purchase the package.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the expiration date indicates a last date the package will be available for purchase.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the expiration date is displayed beneath the interactive package identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display includes additional information related to the package.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional information includes a price.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional information includes a video source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of videos share a common theme.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of videos are part of a same season.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating for display a selectable option to purchase the package.

11. A system comprising a processor configured to:

generate a display including an interactive package identifier and an expiration date, wherein the interactive package identifier identifies a package that includes a plurality of videos, and wherein the expiration date indicates a last date the package will be available for selection, and wherein the expiration date is displayed prior to an initial user selection of the interactive package identifier.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the interactive package identifier is an offer to purchase the package.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the expiration date indicates a last date the package will be available for purchase.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the expiration date is displayed beneath the interactive package identifier.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the display includes additional information related to the package.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the additional information includes a price.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the additional information includes a video source.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of videos share a common theme.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of videos are part of the same season.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate for display a selectable option to purchase the package.