Systems and methods for linking television viewers with advertisers and broadcasters

• US 8,850,477 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven M., O'Brien, Sean A., Leftwich, James Jay, Broughton, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US09/810,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,946 Days
• Field of Search: 725 39- 40, 725 42- 43, 725/46, 725 51- 52, 725/112, 725/120, 725/116, 725/50, 725 60- 61, 725109-110
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as television screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer'"'"'s computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer'"'"'s computer, television or PCTV.

Claims

1. A system for causing information to be displayed comprising:

a programming information database for storing programming information including program titles;

a display controller electrically coupled to programming information database for generating for display some of the programming information including program titles;

an input device that is configured to;

receive a first user selection of a displayed program title; and

receive a second user selection, while a program corresponding to the selected program title is displayed, requesting that data available on a public network and related to the selected program title be displayed;

a processor configured to;

search, over the public network, an information database to identify data that (1) is related to the program corresponding to the selected program title and (2) includes at least one item available for purchase; and

download the data identified in the search using a communications device, wherein the data comprises search results obtained from the information database; and

wherein the display controller causes, in response to the second user selection and without receiving further user input, the downloaded data related to the program corresponding to the selected program title to be displayed, and wherein the displayed data comprises a selectable option for purchasing the at least one item available for purchase.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the programming information database resides on one or more remote file servers accessible through a communication link.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the communication link comprises the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the identified data comprises an advertisement.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor and store a plurality of user selections of programs;

learn a user preference based on the plurality of user selections of programs; and

activate a program guide based on the user preference.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to store the user preference responsive to a user input.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the user preference comprises a preferred program.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to remind a user to view a preferred program.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to cause a preferred program to be recorded.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to cause a copy of a preferred program to be downloaded to a digital storage medium.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein the user preference comprises a theme for a plurality of programs.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to:

search the programming information;

identify programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs; and

cause the programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs to be recorded.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the processor is further configured to:

search the programming information;

identify programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs; and

cause a copy of the programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs to be downloaded to a digital storage medium.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to adapt the displayed programming information based on the user preference.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is further configured to;

generate a display of preview programming for the program;

identify a plurality of sources of information having data related to the program;

select an identified source of information having data related to the program; and

the communication device is further configured to establishing a link to the identified source of information; and

the display controller is further configured to cause data from the linked source of information to be displayed.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the data related to the program comprises one or more of an advertisement, a video preview, and textual information.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to store advertisement data and cause the advertisement data to be displayed.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the identified data comprises one or more of actors, actresses, themes, other broadcast times, other sources, and associated available products.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one item available for purchase is not a television program.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to search the information database by being configured to search the information database based on information identifying the program corresponding to the selected program title.

21. A method for causing information to be displayed comprising:

storing programming information including program titles;

generating for display some of the programming information including program titles;

receiving a first user selection of a displayed program title;

receiving, while a program corresponding to the selected program title is displayed, a second user selection requesting that data available on a public network and related to the selected program title be displayed;

searching, over the public network, an information database to identify data that (1) is related to the program corresponding to the selected program title and (2) includes at least one item available for purchase;

downloading the data identified in the search using a communications device, wherein the data comprises search results obtained from the information database; and

causing, in response to the second user selection and without further user input, the downloaded data related to the program corresponding to the selected program title to be displayed, wherein the displayed data comprises a selectable option for purchasing the at least one item available for purchase.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the programming information is stored in a programming information database residing on one or more remote file servers accessible through a communication link.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the communication link comprises the Internet.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the identified data related to the selected program comprises an advertisement.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

monitoring and storing a plurality of user selections of programs;

learning a user preference based on the plurality of user selections of programs; and

activating a program guide based on the user preference.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the learning the user preference comprises storing the user preference responsive to a user input.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the user preference comprises a preferred program.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising reminding a user to view a preferred program.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising causing a preferred program to be recorded.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising causing a copy of a preferred program to be downloaded to a digital storage medium.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the user preference comprises a theme for a plurality of programs.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the activating step comprises:

searching the programming information;

identifying programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs; and

causing the programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs to be recorded.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the activating comprises:

searching the programming information;

identifying programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs; and

causing a copy of the programs matching the theme for the plurality of programs to be downloaded to a digital storage medium.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein the activating comprises adapting the displayed programming information based on the user preference.

35. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

causing preview programming for the program to be displayed;

identifying a plurality of sources of information having data related to the program;

selecting an identified source of information having data related to the program; and

responsive to the selecting step, establishing a link to the identified source of information; and

causing data from the linked source of information to be displayed.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the data related to the program comprises one or more of actors, actresses, themes, other broadcast times, other sources, associated available products, and promotions.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the data related to the program comprises one or more of an advertisement, a video preview, and textual information.

38. The method of claim 21 further comprising storing advertisement data and causing the advertisement data to be displayed.

39. The method of claim 21 wherein the identified data comprises one or more of actors, actresses, themes, other broadcast times, other sources, associated available products, and promotions.

40. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one item available for purchase is not a television program.

41. The method of claim 21, wherein searching the information database comprises searching the information database based on information identifying the program corresponding to the selected program title.