Interactive television program guide system with pay program package promotion

• US 8,949,906 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B., Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L., Davis, Bruce L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/248,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/61
• 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 for selecting a package of videos, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a first package of videos from a user through a display screen;

determining whether a second package of videos that is similar to the first package is available; and

in response to determining that the second package that is similar to the first package is available, generating for display on the display screen an identifier of the second package.

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

3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising providing a customizable package of videos that includes the selected video.

4. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the customizable package of videos includes at least one optional video that is selectively includable in the customizable package.

5. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the customizable package of videos includes an optional video and a mandatory video.

6. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the customizable package is associated with a block of time.

7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the first package or the second package comprises videos that share a common theme.

8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein the common theme relates to a specific set of sporting events.

9. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports videos of a specific league.

10. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports videos of a specific team.

11. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the selected video is part of a single package, and whether the selected video is part of multiple packages.

12. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising generating for display on the display screen purchasing information for the selected video.

13. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising generating for display on the display screen information on each package of which the selected video is a part when the selected video is included in at least one package.

14. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising generating for display on the display screen a telephone number for ordering the first package or the second package.

15. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising generating for display on the display screen a selectable option to impulse purchase the first package or the second package.

16. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the first package or the second package contains repetitive programming.

17. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising setting a reminder for at least one video in the first package or the second package.

18. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising automatically setting reminders for each video in the first package or the second package.

19. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising monitoring whether the user has watched any of the videos in the first package or the second package.

20. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising cancelling the selection of the first package when it is determined that the user has not watched any of the videos in the first package.

21. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising generating for display on the display screen a selectable option to reschedule a cancelled package.

22. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the first package or the second package is a season ticket package.

23. The method defined in claim 22, wherein the season ticket package comprises a plurality of different videos for the duration of a season.

24. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the first package or the second package is a special event package.

25. The method defined in claim 24, wherein the special event package comprises a plurality of different special event videos.

26. A system for selecting a package of videos, the system comprising:

communications circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive, from the communications circuitry, a selection of a first package of videos from a user through a display screen;

determine whether a second package of videos that is similar to the first package is available; and

in response to determining that the second package that is similar to the first package is available, generate for display on the display screen an identifier of the second package.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display a selectable option to purchase the second package.

28. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide a customizable package of videos that includes the selected video.

29. The system defined in claim 28, wherein the customizable package of videos includes at least one optional video that is selectively includable in the customizable package.

30. The system defined in claim 28, wherein the customizable package of videos includes an optional video and a mandatory video.

31. The system defined in claim 28, wherein the customizable package is associated with a block of time.

32. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the first package or the second package comprises videos that share a common theme.

33. The system defined in claim 32, wherein the common theme relates to a specific set of sporting events.

34. The system defined in claim 33, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports videos of a specific league.

35. The system defined in claim 33, wherein the specific set of sporting events includes a plurality of sports videos of a specific team.

36. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the selected video is part of a single package, and whether the selected video is part of multiple packages.

37. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display on the display screen purchasing information for the selected video.

38. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display on the display screen information on each package of which the selected video is a part when the selected video is included in at least one package.

39. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display on the display screen a telephone number for ordering the first package or the second package.

40. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display on the display screen a selectable option to impulse purchase the first package or the second package.

41. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the first package or the second package contains repetitive programming.

42. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to set a reminder for at least one video in the first package or the second package.

43. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically set reminders for each video in the first package or the second package.

44. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to monitor whether the user has watched any of the videos in the first package or the second package.

45. The system defined in claim 44, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cancel the selection of the first package when it is determined that the user has not watched any of the videos in the first package.

46. The system defined in claim 45, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display on the display screen a selectable option to reschedule a cancelled package.

47. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the first package or the second package is a season ticket package.

48. The system defined in claim 47, wherein the season ticket package comprises a plurality of different videos for the duration of a season.

49. The system defined in claim 26, wherein the first package or the second package is a special event package.

50. The system defined in claim 49, wherein the special event package comprises a plurality of different special event videos.