# US 2014/0208362 A1 · System and method for modifying advertisement responsive to epg information

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- Number: US 2014/0208362 A1
- Document ID: US20140208362A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/226,676
- Filed: 2014-03-26
- Published: 2014-07-24
- Earliest claimed: 1997-07-21
- Assignees: Gemstar Development Corporation
- Applicants: Gemstar Development Corporation
- Inventors: Ronald Alexander; Stephen Dias; Kenneth S. Hancock; Elsie Y. Leung; Douglas B. Macrae; Arthur Y. Ng; Shawn P. O'Neil; P. Christopher Shoaff; Jonathon Sutton; Thomas E. Ward; Thomas E. Westberg; Henry C. Yuen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140208362A1

## CPC

- H04N 21/4316: {for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window}
- H04N 7/17318: {Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests}
- H04N 21/25891: {being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/4314: {for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid}
- H04N 21/4332: {by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository (interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739)}
- H04N 21/4334: {Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27)}
- H04N 21/44224: {Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing}
- H04N 21/4438: {Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface}
- H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/4583: {Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programmes in the same time slot}
- H04N 21/4622: {Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859)}
- H04N 21/4668: {for recommending content, e.g. movies}
- H04N 21/47214: {for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market (stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224)}
- H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content
- H04N 21/478: Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N 21/4782: Web browsing {, e.g. WebTV}
- H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection
- H04N 21/4821: {using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time}
- H04N 21/488: Data services, e.g. news ticker {(systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71)}
- H04N 21/6125: {involving transmission via Internet (transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82)}
- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- H04N 21/858: Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
- H04N 21/8586: {by using a URL (processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02)}
- H04N 5/782: on tape
- H04N 21/42204: {User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor (constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205)}
- H04N 21/47: End-user applications
- H04N 2007/1739: {the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A system and method for utilizing data stored in an EPG database for modifying advertisement information. In this way, a service provider and/or an advertiser can transmit a single advertisement to all the television stations regardless of their geographic location and other user specific information, and need not re-transmit the advertisement even if there is a change in the show's program description. When the advertisement is displayed, the correct updated information is retrieved from the EPG database and inserted into the advertisement. In one aspect, the present invention describes a method for modifying an advertisement in an EPG comprising the steps of: storing television schedule information in a first database; storing advertisement information in a second database; incorporating a portion of the television schedule information into a portion of the advertisement information to form a modified advertisement; and displaying the modified advertisement on a screen.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-58. (canceled)

### Claim 59

A method for linking a news service to a program, the method comprising:
receiving a news feed comprising a plurality of news items from the news service, wherein at least one of the plurality of news items comprises information uniquely identifying the program;
receiving a user selection of the at least one news item; and
responsive to the user selection, enabling a user equipment device to access the program based on the information.

### Claim 60 (depends on 59)

The method of claim 59, further comprising accessing, at the user equipment device, the program based on the information and responsive to the user selection.

### Claim 61 (depends on 59)

The method of claim 59, wherein receiving the news feed comprises receiving the news feed over an Internet connection.

### Claim 62 (depends on 61)

The method of claim 61, further comprising generating for display the plurality of news items, and wherein generating for display the plurality of news items comprises generating for display a website associated with the news service.

### Claim 63 (depends on 59)

The method of claim 59, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt based on a user profile.

### Claim 64 (depends on 63)

The method of claim 63, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt by selecting one of a plurality of news feeds based on a user profile.

### Claim 65 (depends on 63)

The method of claim 63, wherein the user profile comprises information on past user interactions with an Internet connection.

### Claim 66 (depends on 59)

The method of claim 59, wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises a code specifying a future broadcast time and a particular channel of the program, and wherein enabling the user equipment device to access the program comprises enabling the user equipment device to record the program at the future broadcast time and on the particular channel.

### Claim 67 (depends on 59)

The method of claim 59, wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises an address that uniquely links to the program.

### Claim 68

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions thereon for linking a news service to a program, the instructions comprising:
instructions to receive a news feed comprising a plurality of news items from the news service, wherein at least one of the plurality of news items comprises information uniquely identifying the program;
instructions to receive a user selection of the at least one news item; and
instructions to, responsive to the user selection, enable a user equipment device to access the program based on the information.

### Claim 69 (depends on 68)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 68, further comprising instructions to access, at the user equipment device, the program based on the information and responsive to the user selection.

### Claim 70 (depends on 68)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 68, wherein the instructions to receive the news feed comprise instructions to receive the news feed over an Internet connection.

### Claim 71 (depends on 70)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 70, further comprising instructions to generate for display the plurality of news items, and wherein the instructions to generate for display the plurality of news items comprise instructions to generate for display a website associated with the news service.

### Claim 72 (depends on 68)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 68, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt based on a user profile.

### Claim 73 (depends on 72)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 72, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt by selecting one of a plurality of news feeds based on a user profile.

### Claim 74 (depends on 72)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 72, wherein the user profile comprises information on past user interactions with an Internet connection.

### Claim 75 (depends on 68)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 68, wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises a code specifying a future broadcast time and a particular channel of the program, and wherein the instructions to enable the user equipment device to access the program comprise instructions to enable the user equipment device to record the program at the future broadcast time and on the particular channel.

### Claim 76 (depends on 68)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 68, wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises an address that uniquely links to the program.

### Claim 77

A method for linking to a program from a news service, the method comprising:
processing information uniquely identifying the program responsive to a user selection of one of a plurality of news items received from the news service, wherein the one news item comprises the information uniquely identifying the program; and
accessing the program based on the identifying information.

### Claim 78 (depends on 77)

The method of claim 77, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt based on a user profile.

### Claim 79 (depends on 78)

The method of claim 78, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt by selecting one of a plurality of news feeds based on a user profile.

### Claim 80 (depends on 78)

The method of claim 78, wherein the user profile comprises information on past user interactions with an Internet connection.

### Claim 81 (depends on 77)

The method of claim 77, wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises a code specifying a future broadcast time and a particular channel of the program, and wherein accessing the program comprises recording the program at the future broadcast time and on the particular channel.

### Claim 82 (depends on 77)

The method of claim 77 wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises an address that uniquely links to the program.

### Claim 83

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions thereon for linking to a program from a news service, the instructions comprising:
instructions to process information uniquely identifying the program responsive to a user selection of one of a plurality of news items received from the news service, wherein the one news item comprises the information; and
instructions to access the program based on the identifying information.

### Claim 84 (depends on 83)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 83, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt based on a user profile.

### Claim 85 (depends on 84)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 84, wherein the plurality of news items is selected for receipt by selecting one of a plurality of news feeds based on a user profile.

### Claim 86 (depends on 84)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 84, wherein the user profile comprises information on past user interactions with an Internet connection.

### Claim 87 (depends on 83)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 83, wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises a code specifying a future broadcast time and a particular channel of the program, and wherein the instructions to record the program comprise instructions to record the program at the future broadcast time and on the particular channel.

### Claim 88 (depends on 83)

The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 83, wherein the information uniquely identifying the program comprises an address that uniquely links to the program.