Premium channel promotion system and method
View Patent ↗The present invention is directed to a television schedule guide which includes a detector for determining whether a previously scrambled program is unscrambled. If a previously scrambled program is momentarily unscrambled due to promotional efforts by the program provider, the system will visually distinguish the program on the guide, and a viewer may tune to or record the program from the guide. The view may also subscribe to the program provider through the guide during the promotional period.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels;
generating, using control circuitry, a display that includes a subset of the plurality of program listings in a first order, the subset including a program listing for a first channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the first channel is a restricted-access channel;
determining that access to the first channel is no longer restricted; and
arranging, using the control circuitry and without receiving user input, the subset of the plurality of program listings in the first order in a second order that is different than the first order based the determination that access to the first channel is no longer restricted;
generating, using the control circuitry and without receiving user input, a display that includes the subset of the plurality of program listings arranged in the second order;
determining whether a user is a non-subscriber to the first channel; and
displaying a promotion tile that corresponds to a promotion that provides access to the first channel in response to determining that the user is a non-subscriber.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second order is an arrangement in which the program listing for the first channel is positioned above other listings.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second order is an arrangement in which the program listing for the first channel is positioned below other listings.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising visually distinguishing the program listing for the first channel from other program listings.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a first user input subscribing to the first channel; and
providing access to the first channel in response to receiving the first user input.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection of the program tile; and
subscribing the user to the first channel in response to the user selection of the program tile.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of program listings includes a time, title and channel for a corresponding program.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the arranging comprises positioning the program listing for the first channel in a different portion of the display.
9. A system comprising:
storage circuitry configured to store a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels; and
control circuitry configured to:
retrieve from the storage circuitry the plurality of program listings;
generate a display that includes a subset of the plurality of program listings in a first order, the subset including a program listing for a first channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the first channel is a restricted-access channel;
determine that access to the first channel is no longer restricted, wherein the first channel of the plurality of channels is associated with a promotion that provides the access to the first channel;
in response to the determination that the access to the first channel is no longer restricted, arrange, without receiving user input, the subset of the program listings in the first order in a second order that is different than the first order; and
generate, without receiving user input, a display that includes the subset of the program listings arranged in the second order.
10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:
a storage device that stores a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to retrieve the promotion tile from the storage device and position the program listing for the first channel in closer proximity to the promotion tile than program listings for other channels.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the program listing for the first channel above other listings.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the program listing for the first channel below other listings.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to visually distinguish the program listing for the first channel from other program listings.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a first user input subscribing to the first channel; and
provide access to the first channel in response to receiving the first user input.
15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:
a storage device that stores a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a selection of the promotion tile as the first user input subscribing to the first channel.
16. The system of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of program listings includes a time, title and channel for a corresponding program.
17. The system of claim 9 wherein the arranging comprises positioning the program listing for the first channel in a different portion of the display.
18. A system comprising:
storage circuitry configured to store a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels; and
control circuitry configured to:
retrieve from the storage circuitry the plurality of program listings;
generate a display that includes a subset of the plurality of program listings in a first order, the subset including a program listing for a first channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the first channel is a restricted-access channel;
determine that access to the first channel is no longer restricted; and
arrange, without receiving user input, the subset of the plurality of program listings in the first order in a second order that is different than the first order based the determination that access to the first channel is no longer restricted;
generate, without receiving user input, a display that includes the subset of the plurality of program listings arranged in the second order;
determine whether a user is a non-subscriber to the first channel; and
display on a display screen a promotion tile that corresponds to a promotion that provides access to the first channel in response to determining that the user is a non-subscriber.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the program listing for the first channel above other listings.
20. The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the program listing for the first channel below other listings.
21. The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to visually distinguish the program listing for the first channel from other program listings.
22. The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a first user input subscribing to the first channel; and
provide access to the first channel in response to receiving the first user input.
23. The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a user selection of the program tile; and
subscribe the user to the first channel in response to the user selection of the program tile.
24. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the plurality of program listings includes a time, title and channel for a corresponding program.
25. The system of claim 18 wherein the arranging comprises positioning the program listing for the first channel in a different portion of the display.
26. A method comprising:
receiving a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels;
generating, using control circuitry, a display that includes a subset of the plurality of program listings in a first order, the subset including a program listing for a first channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the first channel is a restricted-access channel;
determining that access to the first channel is no longer restricted, wherein the first channel of the plurality of channels is associated with a promotion that provides the access to the first channel;
in response to the determining that access to the first channel is no longer restricted, arranging, using the control circuitry and without receiving user input, the subset of the plurality of program listings in the first order in a second order that is different than the first order; and
generating, using the control circuitry and without receiving user input, a display that includes the subset of the plurality of program listings arranged in the second order.
27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
providing a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein the arranging comprises positioning the program listing for the first channel in closer proximity to the promotion tile than program listings for other channels.
28. The method of claim 26 wherein the second order is an arrangement in which the program listing for the first channel is positioned above other listings.
29. The method of claim 26 wherein the second order is an arrangement in which the program listing for the first channel is positioned below other listings.
30. The method of claim 26 further comprising visually distinguishing the program listing for the first channel from other program listings.
31. The method of claim 26 further comprising:
receiving a first user input subscribing to the first channel; and
providing access to the first channel in response to receiving the first user input.
32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:
providing a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein receiving the first user input subscribing to the first channel comprises receiving a selection of the promotion tile.
33. The method of claim 26 wherein each of the plurality of program listings includes a time, title and channel for a corresponding program.
34. The method of claim 26 wherein the arranging comprises positioning the program listing for the first channel in a different portion of the display.