Program guide system with video-on-demand browsing

• US 7,493,643 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US10/865,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20040226042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 725/41, 725/61, 725/87, 715/721
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a viewer may direct a television to simultaneously display a selected television program and a program guide display. A viewer may use the program guide display to browse available video-on-demand (VOD) while continuing to view a previously selected program in the background. The viewer may browse through video-on-demand programs on the program guide display using a variety of keys on a remote control unit. The viewer may direct the program guide to order a given video-on-demand program, and set a desired broadcast time for that program.

Claims

1. An interactive television video-on-demand program guide system implemented on viewer television equipment having a main display screen comprising:

means for displaying a program guide display on the viewer television equipment that displays at least one video-on-demand program listing;

means for indicating that a video clip preview is available for a video-on-demand program that is associated with a video-on-demand program listing wherein the indication is provided with the video-on-demand program listing;

means for allowing a viewer to select to view the video clip preview from the program guide display;

means for displaying the video clip preview on the viewer television equipment; and

means for displaying an ordering display screen after the video clip preview of the video-on-demand program is displayed, wherein the ordering display screen provides the viewer with the opportunity to select an ordering option to order the video-on-demand program.

2. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 wherein the indicating means is an icon.

3. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for displaying a requested video clip preview in a video window.

4. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for displaying a requested video clip preview in a full screen video window.

5. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for displaying a requested video clip preview in a partial screen video window while the program guide display is displayed.

6. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 5 further comprising means for displaying a given television program while the partial screen video window and the program guide display are displayed.

7. A method for providing an interactive television video-on-demand program guide system implemented on viewer television equipment having a main display screen comprising:

displaying a program guide display on the viewer television equipment that displays at least one video-on-demand program listing;

indicating that a video clip preview is available for a video-on-demand program that is associated with a video-on-demand program listing wherein the indication is provided with the video-on-demand program listing;

allowing a viewer to select to view the video clip preview from the program guide display;

displaying the video clip preview on the viewer television equipment; and

displaying an ordering display screen after the video clip preview of the video-on-demand program is displayed, wherein the ordering display screen provides the viewer with the opportunity to select an ordering option to order the video-on-demand program.

8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the indicating further comprises using an icon.

9. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the displaying the video clip preview further comprises displaying a requested video clip preview in a video window.

10. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the displaying the video clip preview further comprises displaying a requested video clip preview in a full screen video window.

11. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the displaying the video clip preview further comprises displaying a requested video clip preview in a partial screen video window while the program guide display is displayed.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the displaying the video clip preview further comprises displaying a given television program while the partial screen video window and the program guide display are displayed.

13. Machine-readable media for use in an interactive television video-on-demand program guide system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented on viewer television equipment of a viewer, the viewer television equipment comprising an audio output and a video output, wherein the media is encoded with machine-readable instructions for performing the method comprising:

displaying a program guide display on the viewer television equipment that displays at least one video-on-demand program listing;

indicating that a video clip preview is available for a video-on-demand program that is associated with a video-on-demand program listing wherein the indication is provided with the video-on-demand program listing;

allowing a viewer to select to view the video clip preview from the program guide display;

displaying the video clip preview on the viewer television equipment; and

displaying an ordering display screen after the video clip preview of the video-on-demand program is displayed, wherein the ordering display screen provides the viewer with the opportunity to select an ordering option to order the video-on-demand program.

14. The machine-readable media defined in claim 13 wherein the indicating further comprises using an icon.

15. The machine-readable media defined in claim 13 wherein the displaying the video clip preview further comprises displaying a requested video clip preview in a video window.

16. The machine-readable media defined in claim 13 wherein the displaying the video clip review further comprises displaying a requested video clip preview in a full screen video window.

17. The machine-readable media defined in claim 13 wherein the displaying the video clip preview further comprises displaying a requested video clip preview in a partial screen video window while the program guide display is displayed.

18. The machine-readable media defined in claim 17 wherein the displaying the video clip preview further comprises displaying a given television program while the partial screen video window and the program guide display are displayed.