Interactive television program guide system with pay program package promotion

• US 9,161,086 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• 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:
  US14/611,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 725/14, 725/39, 725/61, 725/93, 725/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 providing media asset packages, the method comprising:

receiving, with user equipment, a selection of a package of media assets for purchase;

monitoring whether a user has accessed, on the user equipment, any media assets in the package of media assets;

determining, based on the monitoring, that the user has not accessed a media asset of the package of media assets; and

in response to the determining, generating for display to the user a selectable option to modify the purchase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable option includes an option to cancel the purchase.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring is based on whether a period of time has elapsed since receiving the selection to purchase.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring further comprises determining whether the user equipment has been powered on.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating for display a reminder to the user for the package of media assets.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, with the user equipment, a selection of the selectable option; and

in response to receiving the selection, cancelling the purchase of the package of media assets.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating for display a message informing the user that the user will not be billed for the cancelled package.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable option includes an option to reschedule the package.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating for display a selectable option for the user to impulse purchase the package of media assets.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the user equipment, a selection of an identifier of a media asset;

determining whether the selected media asset is part of the package of media assets; and

generating for display information on the package of media assets in response to determining that the selected media asset is part of the package of media assets.

11. A system for providing media asset packages, the system comprising:

user input circuitry configured to receive a selection of a package of media assets for purchase;

control circuitry configured to;

monitor whether a user has accessed any media assets in the package of media assets; and

determine, based on the monitoring, that the user has not accessed a media asset of the package of media assets; and

display circuitry configured to generate for display to the user a selectable option to modify the purchase, in response to the control circuitry determining that the user has not accessed the media asset.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the selectable option includes an option to cancel the purchase.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to monitor based on whether a period of time has elapsed since receiving the selection to purchase.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to monitor by determining whether the user equipment has been powered on.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the display circuitry is further configured to generate for display a reminder to the user for the package of media assets.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the user input circuitry is further configured to receive a selection of the selectable option; and

in response to the user input circuitry receiving the selection, the control circuitry is further configured to cancel the purchase of the package of media assets.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the display circuitry is further configured to generate for display a message informing the user that the user will not be billed for the cancelled package.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the selectable option includes an option to reschedule the package.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the display circuitry is further configured to generate for display a selectable option for the user to impulse purchase the package of media assets.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the user input circuitry is further configured to receive a selection of an identifier of a media asset;

the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the selected media asset is part of the package of media assets; and

the display circuitry is further configured to generate for display information on the package of media assets in response to the control circuitry determining that the selected media asset is part of the package of media assets.