Method and system for generating row advertising in a program guide

• US 9,357,155 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kidd, Deanna R., Sharkey, Jeffrey L., Sue, Ranny Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krahn, Krista A
• Application Number:
  US11/828,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,232 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system includes a content processing system receiving row ad metadata for a row ad, communicating the row ad to a user device and communicating program guide information to a user device. The program guide information defines a plurality of rows. The user device populates a row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata and displays the row ad and the program guide on a display associated with the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving row ad metadata for a row ad including a material identification for video content related to the row ad at a content processing system;

communicating the row ad and the metadata including the material identification to a user device from the content processing system;

communicating program guide information to the user device, said program guide information defining a plurality of rows;

populating a row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata;

displaying the row ad and the program guide on a display associated with the user device;

selecting a row ad using a user interface of the user device;

communicating the material identification to the content processing system located separate from the user device; and

in response to communicating the material identification, communicating video content corresponding to the material identification to the user device through a communication network or a satellite.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the row ad metadata comprises receiving the row ad metadata from a content provider.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising selecting a row ad using a user interface and changing the display in response to selecting.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein changing the display comprises displaying help menu.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein changing the display comprises displaying an order menu.

6. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein changing the display comprises displaying text and graphics associated with the row ad.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a satellite.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a terrestrial system.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the row ad metadata to a user device comprises communicating the row ad metadata through a broadband system.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving row ad graphics for a row ad.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein populating a row comprises populating a row in response to the row ad graphics.

12. A system comprising:

a content processing system receiving row ad metadata for a row ad including a material identification for video content, communicating the row ad and metadata to a user device, communicating program guide information to the user device, said program guide information defining a plurality of rows;

said user device located separately from the content processing system populating a row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata, displaying the row ad and the program guide on a display associated with the user device, forming a row ad selection and communicating the material identification to the content processing system; and

the content processing system communicates video content corresponding to the material identification to the user device through a communication network or satellite in response to the material identification.

13. A system as recited in claim 12 further comprising a provider communicating the row ad metadata to the content processing system.

14. A system as recited in claim 12 further comprising a user interface associated with the user device selecting a row ad, and the user device changing a display in response to selecting.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the display displays a help menu.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the display displays an order menu.

17. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the display displays text and graphics associated with the row ad.

18. A system as recited in claim 12 further comprising the satellite communicating the row ad metadata to the user device.

19. A system as recited in claim 12 further comprising a terrestrial system communicating the row ad metadata to the user device.

20. A system as recited in claim 12 further comprising a broadband system communicating the row ad metadata to the user device.