Interactive advertising and program promotion in an interactive television system

• US 9,113,107 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Jolna, Stacy, Cusick, Richard P
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US11/270,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20070107010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,570 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 455/420
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/47214 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for interactive advertising and program promotion that may attract and maintain user interest. The interactive advertisements may be displayed within interactive television application display screens, such as, an interactive television program guide display screen. A user may be able to select an interactive advertisement and may be presented with interactive content or features that may entice the user to view the advertisement. The interactive content or features may be related or unrelated to the product or service being advertised.

Claims

1. A method for enticing users to participate in advertising opportunities comprising:

generating for display, on a first user device, an interactive advertisement for a first product or service and a second product or service, wherein the interactive advertisement indicates that selection of the advertisement by the user will cause a presentation of content related to the first product or service and content related to the second product or service;

receiving a user input selecting the interactive advertisement, and in response to receiving the user input;

generating for display the content related to the first product or service and a first option to download the content related to the second product or service to a second user device, wherein the second user device is different from the first user device displaying the interactive advertisement,

expanding the interactive advertisement to cover only some of a plurality of media content listings in a display screen, and

generating for display a second option associated with the expanded interactive advertisement, wherein the second option is an option to select a song to be played from an album or artist indicated by the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content related to the second product or service comprises musical content indicated by the advertisement.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the musical content comprises at least one song from the album indicated by the advertisement.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the musical content comprises at least one song from the artist indicated by the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the musical content further comprises related video content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second option comprises recording the content related to the second product or service.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive advertisement comprises a targeted interactive advertisement.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user device is a media device capable of playing audio/visual content.

8. A method for enticing users to participate in advertising opportunities, comprising:

generating for display on a display screen comprising a plurality of media content listings and at least one interactive channel advertisement for a product or service, the interactive channel advertisement including promotional content that indicates that selection of the advertisement by the user will cause presentation of interactive content;

enticing a user to select the at least one interactive channel advertisement;

receiving a user input selecting the at least one interactive channel advertisement;

expanding, in response to receiving the user input, the at least one interactive channel advertisement to cover only some of the plurality of media content listings in the display screen, wherein the expanded interactive channel advertisement includes a predetermined set of visually enhanced media content listings; and

generating for display selectable options associated with each of the visually enhanced media content listings in the expanded interactive channel advertisement.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating for display a media asset in response to the user input; and

generating for display the expanded interactive channel advertisement overlaid on the media asset.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the selectable options comprise an option to display a previously broadcast media asset, wherein generating for display the previously broadcast media asset comprises:

determining the availability of the previously broadcast media asset; and

accessing the previously broadcast media asset in response to the determining.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one interactive channel advertisement comprises a targeted interactive advertisement.

23. The method of claim 8 wherein the selectable options comprise an option to shrink the expanded interactive channel advertisement.

12. A system for enticing users to participate in advertising opportunities, comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate for display, on a first user device, an interactive advertisement for a first product or service and a second product or service, wherein the interactive advertisement indicates that selection of the advertisement by the user will cause a presentation of content related to the first product or service and content related to the second product or service;

receive a user input selecting the interactive advertisement, and

in response to receiving the user input;

generate for display the content related to the first product or service and a first option to download the content related to the second product or service to a second user device, wherein the second device is different from first device displaying the interactive advertisement,

expand the interactive advertisement to cover only some of a plurality of media content listings in a display screen, and

generate for display a second option associated with the expanded interactive advertisement, wherein the second option is an option to select a song to be played from an album or artist indicated by the advertisement.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the content related to the second product or service comprises musical content indicated by the advertisement.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the musical content comprises at least one song from the album indicated by the advertisement.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the musical content comprises at least one song from the artist indicated by the advertisement.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the musical content further comprises related video content.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the second option comprises recording the content related to the second product or service.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the interactive advertisement comprises a targeted interactive advertisement.

25. The system of claim 12, wherein the second user device is a media device capable of playing audio/visual content.

19. A system for enticing users to participate in advertising opportunities, comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate for display on a display screen comprising a plurality of media content listings and at least one interactive channel advertisement for a product or service, the interactive channel advertisement including promotional content that indicates that selection of the advertisement by the user will cause presentation of interactive content;

entice a user to select the at least one interactive channel advertisement;

receive a user input selecting the at least one interactive channel advertisement;

expand, in response to the user input, the at least one interactive channel advertisement to cover only some of the plurality of media content listings in the display screen, wherein the expanded interactive channel advertisement includes a predetermined set of visually enhanced media content listings; and

generate for display selectable options associated with each of the visually enhanced media content listings in the expanded interactive channel advertisement.

20. The system of claim 19 further configured to:

generate for display a media asset in response to the user input; and

generate for display the expanded interactive channel advertisement overlaid on the media asset.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the selectable options comprise an option to display a previously broadcast media asset, wherein generating for display the previously broadcast media asset comprises:

determining the availability of the previously broadcast media asset; and

accessing the previously broadcast media asset in response to the determining.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the at least one interactive channel advertisement comprises a targeted interactive advertisement.