IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,493,641
Granted Patent B2
US 7,493,641 · App. 10/401,296 · Granted Feb 17, 2009

Method and system for displaying advertisements in an electronic program guide

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,493,641
App. No.
10/401,296
Granted
Feb 17, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.

Claims (76)

1. A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a scrollable program schedule region of a display that indicates the time and channel for at least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items, wherein the displayed television schedule information items are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row having a vertical height;

selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, wherein the advertisement is other than a television schedule information item and promotes something other than the displayed television schedule information items;

simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement in a program information region adjacent to the scrollable program schedule region, wherein the selected advertisement has substantially the same height as the vertical height of the each row; and

in response to receiving a user input, navigating a cursor from the scrollable program schedule region to the program information region in which the advertisement is displayed, wherein the cursor is displayed around the entire program information region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement is interactive.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text and graphics.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement is related to one or more of a product and a service.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

highlighting a row of displayed television program listings with a cursor;

displaying a detail window in a second area of the screen; and

displaying a description corresponding to the highlighted row of television program listings in a second area of the screen.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: highlighting the displayed advertisement with a cursor; and displaying information relating to the highlighted advertisement in a second area of the screen.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement has substantially the same horizontal width of each of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement has substantially the same vertical height of each of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of user selection of any of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

11. A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a scrollable program schedule region of a display that indicates the time and channel for at least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items wherein the displayed television schedule information items are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row having a horizontal length;

selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, wherein the advertisement is other than a television schedule information item and promotes something other than the displayed television schedule information items;

simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement in a program information region adjacent to the scrollable program schedule region, wherein the selected advertisement has substantially the same length as the horizontal length of the each row; and

in response to receiving a user input, navigating a cursor from the scrollable program schedule region to the program information region in which the advertisement is displayed, wherein the cursor is displayed around the entire program information region.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed advertisement is interactive.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text and graphics.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed advertisement is related to one or more of a product and a service.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

highlighting a row of displayed television program listings with a cursor;

displaying a detail window in a second area of the screen; and

displaying a description corresponding to the highlighted row of television program listings in a second area of the screen.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

highlighting the displayed advertisement with a cursor; and

displaying information relating to the highlighted advertisement in a second area of the screen.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed advertisement has substantially the same horizontal width of each of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed advertisement has substantially the same vertical height of each of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of user selection of any of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

21. A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a scrollable program schedule region of a display that indicates the time and channel for at least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items, wherein the displayed television schedule information items are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row having a vertical height;

selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, wherein the advertisement is other than a television schedule information item and promotes something other than the displayed television schedule information items;

simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement adjacent to the scrollable program schedule region, wherein the selected advertisement has a height less than twice the vertical height of the each row; and

in response to receiving a user input, navigating a cursor from the scrollable program schedule region to the program information region in which the advertisement is displayed, wherein the cursor is displayed around the entire program information region.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the displayed advertisement is interactive.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text and graphics.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the displayed advertisement is related to one or more of a product and a service.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

highlighting a row of displayed television program listings with a cursor;

displaying a detail window in a second area of the screen; and

displaying a description corresponding to the highlighted row of television program listings in a second area of the screen.

26. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

highlighting the displayed advertisement with a cursor; and

displaying information relating to the highlighted advertisement in a second area of the screen.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the displayed advertisement has substantially the same horizontal width of each of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the displayed advertisement has substantially the same vertical height of each of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

29. The method of claim 21 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

30. The method of claim 21 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of user selection of any of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

31. A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a scrollable program schedule region of a display that indicates the time and channel for at least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items, wherein the displayed television schedule information items are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row having a vertical height;

means for selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, wherein the advertisement is other than a television schedule information item and promotes something other than the displayed television schedule information items;

means for simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement in a program information region adjacent to the scrollable program schedule region, wherein the selected advertisement has substantially the same height as the vertical height of the each row; and

means for navigating, in response to receiving a user input, a cursor from the scrollable program schedule region to the program information region in which the advertisement is displayed, wherein the cursor is displayed around the entire program information region.

32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

33. The system of claim 31 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of user selection of any of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

34. A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a scrollable program schedule region of a display that indicates the time and channel for at least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items, wherein the displayed television schedule information items are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row having a horizontal length;

means for selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, wherein the advertisement is other than a television schedule information item and promotes something other than the displayed television schedule information items;

means for simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement in a program information region adjacent to the scrollable program schedule region, wherein the selected advertisement has substantially the same length as the horizontal length of the each row; and

means for navigating, in response to receiving a user input, a cursor from the scrollable program schedule region to the program information region in which the advertisement is displayed, wherein the cursor is displayed around the entire program information region.

35. The system of claim 34 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

36. The system of claim 34 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of user selection of any of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

37. A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a scrollable program schedule region of a display that indicates the time and channel for at least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items, wherein the displayed television schedule information items are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row having a vertical height;

means for selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, wherein the advertisement is other than a television schedule information item and promotes something other than the displayed television schedule information items;

means for simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement in a program information region adjacent to the scrollable program schedule region, wherein the selected advertisement has a height less than twice the vertical height of the each row; and

means for navigating, in response to receiving a user input, a cursor from the scrollable program schedule region to the program information region in which the advertisement is displayed, wherein the cursor is displayed around the entire program information region.

38. The system of claim 37 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

39. The system of claim 37 , wherein the displayed advertisement is independent of user selection of any of the displayed plurality of television schedule information items.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 25, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: APTIV DIGITAL INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; SONIC SOLUTIONS LLC; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 051145/0090 →
MERGER Recorded Jan 22, 2015
From: STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 034784/0625 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2015
From: KLOSTERMAN, BRIAN LEE; SCHEIN, STEVEN
To: STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.
Reel/Frame 034784/0602 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Jul 24, 2014
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ALL MEDIA GUIDE, LLC; APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ROVI CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; TV GUIDE INTERNATIONAL, INC.; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 033396/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 24, 2014
From: APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; SONIC SOLUTIONS LLC; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 033407/0035 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2011
From: APTIV DIGITAL, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC, A BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY; ROVI CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 027039/0168 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2010
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. (A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION)
To: ALL MEDIA GUIDE, LLC; APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ODS PROPERTIES, INC.; ROVI DATA SOLUTIONS, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS TV GUIDE DATA SOLUTIONS, INC.); ROVI GUIDES, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS GEMSTAR-TV GUIDE INTERNATIONAL, INC.); ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS MACROVISION CORPORATION); ROVI SOLUTIONS LIMITED (FORMERLY KNOWN AS MACROVISION EUROPE LIMITED); ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; TV GUIDE, INC.; TV GUIDE ONLINE, LLC; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 025222/0731 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 15, 2008
From: APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; GEMSTAR-TV GUIDE INTERNATIONAL, INC.; INDEX SYSTEMS INC; MACROVISION CORPORATION; ODS PROPERTIES, INC.; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; TV GUIDE ONLINE, LLC; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 020986/0074 →