IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,006,264
Granted Patent B2
US 8,006,264 · App. 11/080,321 · Granted Aug 23, 2011

Interactive television program guide with passive content

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,006,264
App. No.
11/080,321
Granted
Aug 23, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hybrid passive-interactive program guide is generated by combining the features of an interactive program guide with the passive video portion of a passive program guide. The interactive guide may replace passive listings with interactive listings, replace passive features with interactive features, provide supplemental advertisements, or replace passive tagging information with interactive tagging information. Users may be provided with an opportunity to purchase a program or product being advertised, to view listings for segments aired in the video portion of the passive guide, to schedule reminders for listings or video segments that are displayed by the passive guide, or to schedule video segments and related information for recording.

Claims (21)

1. A method for providing a hybrid passive-interactive television program guide, comprising:

receiving a passive television program guide with which program listings are displayed on user television equipment over a given television channel and passive guide characteristics associated with the program listings, wherein the program listings start with a given program listing; and

providing an interactive television program guide that is implemented on the user television equipment, wherein the interactive television program guide overlays at least a portion of the program listings displayed by the passive television program guide with interactive program listings, wherein the interactive program listings start at the given program listing and are selected for display based on the passive guide characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passive characteristics comprise type, current time slot and channel associated with the program listings that are displayed by the passive television program guide.

3. A method for providing a hybrid passive-interactive television program guide, comprising:

receiving a passive television program guide with which content on various subjects is displayed in a display area on user television equipment over a given television channel and passive guide characteristics associated with the display area; and

providing an interactive television program guide that is implemented on the user television equipment, wherein the interactive television program guide overlays at least a portion of the display area with an interactive feature area, wherein the interactive feature area contains a feature that corresponds to the subject of the content that is being displayed in the display area when the portion of the display area is overlaid with the interactive feature area and is selected for display based on the passive guide characteristics.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the passive characteristics comprise size of the display area that is displayed by the passive television program guide.

5. A method for providing a hybrid passive-interactive television program guide, comprising:

receiving a passive television program guide with which program listings are displayed on user television equipment over a given television channel and passive characteristics associated with the program listings; and

simultaneously displaying an interactive advertisement region based on the passive guide characteristics and at least a portion of the passive television program guide using the user television equipment.

6. The method defined in claim 5 further comprising receiving video with the passive television program guide.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the passive characteristics comprise type, current time slot and channel associated with the program listings that are displayed by the passive television program guide.

8. A method for supplementing a television program guide, comprising:

receiving a passive television program guide with which promotional video content for television programs and corresponding textual information on those television programs are displayed on user television equipment over a given channel and passive characteristics associated with the textual information; and

supplementing the textual information with interactive text based on the passive guide characteristics using the user television equipment.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the passive characteristics comprise textual information associated with the promotional video content that is displayed by the passive television program guide.

10. A method for providing listings for scheduled passive program guide content, comprising:

receiving a passive television program guide with which videos on various subjects are scheduled to be displayed on user television equipment over a given television channel and passive characteristics associated with the scheduled videos; and

displaying an interactive listings screen based on the passive guide characteristics, wherein the interactive listings screen contains listings for the scheduled videos.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the passive characteristics comprise program listings information for the scheduled videos that are displayed by the passive television program guide.

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 Jun 12, 2015
From: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
To: UV CORP.
Reel/Frame 035893/0241 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2015
From: TV GUIDE, INC.
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 035848/0245 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2015
From: UV CORP.
To: TV GUIDE, INC.
Reel/Frame 035848/0270 →
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 →
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 →
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 →