Client-server electronic program guide
A client-server interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide client is implemented on user television equipment. The interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to define expressions that are processed by the program guide server. The program guide server may provide program guide data, schedules reminders, schedules program recordings, and parentally locks programs based on the expressions. Users' viewing histories may be tracked. The program guide server may analyze the viewing histories and generates viewing recommendations, targets advertising, and collects program ratings information based on the viewing histories.
1 - 56 . (canceled)
57 . A method for using an interactive program guide, comprising:
determining which programming at least one user has watched based on a viewing history, the viewing history including monitored interactions with the interactive program guide for the at least one user;
generating a listing of programming other than the programming the user has watched; and
displaying the generated listing.
58 . The method of claim 57 , wherein the generated listing is a listing of recommended programming.
59 . The method of claim 57 , further comprising visually identifying the generated listing.
60 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the generated listing is visually identified by displaying a suitable icon or changing a display characteristic of the generated listing.
61 . The method of claim 57 , wherein the generated listing is a listing of at least one episode in a series the at least one user has not watched.
62 . The method of claim 57 , wherein the programming the at least one user has watched are determined using a program listings database.
63 . The method of claim 57 , wherein the viewing history is stored in a database.
64 . The method of claim 57 , wherein the monitored interactions include programming the user has watched, ordered, set for recording, programs for which the user has scheduled reminders, searched, and the length of time the user interacts with a program.
65 . A system that uses an interactive program guide, comprising:
user equipment operative to:
determine which programming at least one user has watched based on a viewing history, the viewing history including monitored interactions with the user equipment device for the at least one user;
generate a listing of programming other than the programming the user has watched; and
display the generated listing.
66 . The system of claim 65 , wherein the generated listing is a listing of recommended programming.
67 . The system of claim 65 , wherein the user equipment is operative to visually identify the generated listing.
68 . The system of claim 67 , wherein the user equipment is operative to visually identify the generated listing by displaying a suitable icon or changing a display characteristic of the generated listing.
69 . The system of claim 65 , wherein the generated listing is a listing of at least one episode in a series the at least one user has not yet watched.
70 . The system of claim 65 , further comprising a program listings database, wherein the user equipment is operative to access the database to determine the programming the at least one user has watched.
71 . The system of claim 65 , further comprising a database, wherein the viewing history is stored in the database.
72 . The system of claim 65 , wherein the monitored interactions include programming the user has watched, ordered, set for recording, programs for which the user has scheduled reminders, searched, and the length of time the user interacts with a program.