IP Library › Patent Application 11442670
Patent Application
App. No. 11/442,670

Interactive television program guide system with local advertisements

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/442,670
Abstract

A program guide system is provided in which local advertisements may be distributed to interactive television program guides implemented on the user television equipment associated with a television distribution facility such as a cable system headend. The local advertisements contain information that is directed toward the particular users in a local area. The local advertisements may be displayed when a user selects a related global advertisement. The local advertisements may also be displayed automatically by cycling global advertisements and local advertisements. Advertisements may be blocked based on content or time shifted. Policies regarding advertisement usage may be enforced.

Claims (26)

1 - 46 . (canceled)

47 . A system in which advertisements are distributed to user television equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, comprising:

means for distributing the advertisements to the user television equipment; and

means for displaying only some of the advertisements on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide based on the content of the advertisements.

48 . The system defined in claim 47 further comprising means for providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements.

49 . The system defined in claim 47 further comprising:

means for providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements; and

means for displaying only those advertisements with desired content tags.

50 . The system defined in claim 47 further comprising means for selecting blocking criteria that are used to determine which of the advertisements are displayed.

51 . The system defined in claim 47 further comprising means for distributing advertisements with content tags.

52 . The system defined in claim 47 further comprising means for blocking advertisements with undesired content tags.

53 . The system defined in claim 47 further comprising means for displaying information in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.

54 . The system defined in claim 47 further comprising means for displaying a back-up advertisement in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.

55 . A method for using a system in which advertisements are distributed to user television equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, comprising the steps of:

distributing the advertisements to the user television equipment; and

displaying only some of the advertisements on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide based on the content of the advertisements.

56 . The method defined in claim 55 further comprising the step of providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements.

57 . The method defined in claim 55 further comprising the steps of:

providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements; and

displaying only those advertisements with desired content tags.

58 . The method defined in claim 55 further comprising the step of selecting blocking criteria that are used to determine which of the advertisements are displayed.

59 . The method defined in claim 55 further comprising the step of distributing advertisements with content tags.

60 . The method defined in claim 55 further comprising the step of blocking advertisements with undesired content tags.

61 . The method defined in claim 55 further comprising the step of displaying information in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.

62 . The method defined in claim 55 further comprising the step of displaying a back-up advertisement in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.

63 - 74 . (canceled)

Assignments (12)
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: TV GUIDE, INC.
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 035848/0245 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2015
From: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
To: UV CORP.
Reel/Frame 035893/0241 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2015
From: UV CORP.
To: TV GUIDE, INC.
Reel/Frame 035848/0270 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2013
From: BOYLAN, PETER C., III; THOMAS, WILLIAM L.; HASSELL, JOEL G.; ELLIS, MICHAEL D.
To: PREVUE NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 031722/0555 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 5, 2013
From: PREVUE NETWORKS, INC.
To: TV GUIDE NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 031766/0069 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Dec 5, 2013
From: TV GUIDE NETWORKS, INC.
To: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 031722/0670 →
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 →