Interactive television program guide system with operator showcase
View Patent ↗A system is provided in which an interactive television program guide is implemented on user television equipment such as a set-top box. The program guide provides an operator showcase in the form of one or more operator showcase television listings screens, each of which contains a set of television listings information. The sets of television listings information are generated by querying a database of television listings data in a database in the set-top box. Each database query is based on content criteria previously selected by the cable system operator or other service provider. The service provider is also able to define the format with which the television listings information is displayed in the television listings screens. A title and logos may also be selected by the service provider for each screen. The operator showcase television listings screens may therefore by customized and branded by the service provider. The user may access multiple operator showcase television listings screens using a centralized operator showcase menu.
1. A method of presenting program listings information, the method comprising:
receiving, at user equipment, a list of one or more customized display screens from a service provider, wherein each of the one or more customized display screens is associated with content criteria from the service provider, wherein each of the content criteria identifies programs that the service provider wishes to promote, wherein a first of the customized display screens arranges program information according to a first format and a second of the customized display screens arranges program information according to a second format, wherein the first format defines a first size for a display element, and wherein the second format defines a second size for the display element, the first size being different from the second size;
generating for display, at the user equipment, the list of the one or more customized display screens;
receiving a user selection of the first customized display screen from the list of the one or more customized display screens;
in response to receiving the user selection of the first customized display screen, searching a database of program listings information for programs that are associated with the content criteria received associated with the selected customized display screen to generate a list of programs for the selected first customized display screen, wherein the list of programs is undetermined prior to the searching; and
simultaneously generating for display the list of programs corresponding to the selected first customized display screen with a promotional video that includes media content related to the list of programs, wherein the list of programs are arranged according to the first format, and wherein a size of the promotional video corresponds to the first size.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein a format for presenting the program listings information is selected by the service provider.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein titles presented on the display are selected by the service provider.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein logos presented on the display are selected by the service provider.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a user selection of an item in the presented display.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection of an item in the presented display; and
receiving a user request for additional information on the selected item.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection of an item in the presented display; and
receiving a user request to purchase the selected item.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the content criteria is pay programming.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the content criteria is packages.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the content criteria is channels.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the content criteria is programs.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the content criteria is sports programming.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the searching comprises automatically searching the database of program listings information for programs based on a database query, generated at the user equipment, containing the content criteria received associated with the selected customized display screen.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promotional video is a promotional video barker.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more customized display screens has a different look and feel.
16. A system for presenting program listings information, the system comprising user television equipment configured to:
receive a list of one or more customized display screens from a service provider, wherein each of the one or more customized display screens is associated with content criteria received from the service provider, wherein each of the content criteria identifies programs that the service provider wishes to promote, wherein a first of the customized display screens arranges program information according to a first format and a second of the customized display screens arranges program information according to a second format, wherein the first format defines a first size for a display element, and wherein the second format defines a second size for the display element, the first size being different from the second size;
generate for display the list of the one or more customized display screens;
receive a user selection of the first customized display screen from the list of the one or more customized display screens;
search, in response to receiving the user selection of the first customized display screen, a database of program listings information for programs that are associated with the content criteria associated with the selected customized display screen to generate a list of programs for the selected first customized display screen, wherein the list of programs is undetermined prior to the search; and
simultaneously generate for display the list of programs corresponding to the selected first customized display screen with a promotional video that includes media content related to the list of programs, wherein the list of programs are arranged according to the first format, and wherein a size of the promotional video corresponds to the first size.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein a format for presenting the program listings information is selected by the service provider.
18. The system of claim 16 wherein titles presented on the display are selected by the service provider.
19. The system of claim 16 wherein logos presented on the display are selected by the service provider.
20. The system of claim 16 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to receive a user selection of an item in the presented display.
21. The system of claim 16 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:
receive a user selection of an item in the presented display; and
receive a user request for additional information on the selected item.
22. The system of claim 16 wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:
receive a user selection of an item in the presented display; and
receive a user request to purchase the selected item.
23. The system of claim 16 wherein one of the content criteria is pay programming.
24. The system of claim 16 wherein one of the content criteria is packages.
25. The system of claim 16 wherein one of the content criteria is channels.
26. The system of claim 16 wherein one of the content criteria is programs.
27. The system of claim 16 wherein one of the content criteria is sports programming.
28. The system of claim 16 , wherein the promotional video is a promotional video barker.
29. The system of claim 16 , wherein each of the one or more customized display screens has a different look and feel.