Method and system for displaying advertisements between schedule listings
First Claim
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1. A method for simultaneously displaying channel advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), the method comprising:
- storing schedule information in a program schedule memory for each of a plurality of programs;
storing at least one advertisement in an advertising insert memory, wherein the advertising insert memory is distinct from the program schedule memory;
displaying, on a display, at least a portion of the stored schedule information in a plurality of rows of schedule information, wherein each row of schedule information pertains to a plurality of programs provided on a channel;
accessing an address link in the program schedule memory that links the at least one advertisement in the advertising insert memory to at least one displayed row of schedule information; and
displaying, on the display, the at least one linked advertisement from the advertising insert memory adjacent to a row of schedule information from the program schedule memory.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, the invention is a system and method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG). The system displays television schedule information in rows of schedule information items including the time and channel for least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items. An advertisement is selected for display from a plurality of advertisements, and the selected advertisement is displayed between two rows of the schedule information items simultaneously with the displayed television schedule information items.
952 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for simultaneously displaying channel advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), the method comprising:
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storing schedule information in a program schedule memory for each of a plurality of programs; storing at least one advertisement in an advertising insert memory, wherein the advertising insert memory is distinct from the program schedule memory; displaying, on a display, at least a portion of the stored schedule information in a plurality of rows of schedule information, wherein each row of schedule information pertains to a plurality of programs provided on a channel; accessing an address link in the program schedule memory that links the at least one advertisement in the advertising insert memory to at least one displayed row of schedule information; and displaying, on the display, the at least one linked advertisement from the advertising insert memory adjacent to a row of schedule information from the program schedule memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for simultaneously displaying channel advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), the system comprising:
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a program schedule memory for storing schedule information; an advertising insert memory for storing advertising data, wherein the advertising insert memory is distinct from the program schedule memory; a display; and a processor, wherein the system is configured to; store schedule information in the program schedule memory for each of a plurality of programs, store at least one advertisement in the advertising insert memory, display, on the display, at least a portion of the stored schedule information in a plurality of rows of schedule information, wherein each row of schedule information pertains to a plurality of programs provided on a channel, access an address link in the program schedule memory that links the at least one advertisement in the advertising insert memory to at least one displayed row of schedule information, and display, on the display, the at least one linked advertisement from the advertising insert memory adjacent to a row of schedule information from the program schedule memory. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification