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US 8,997,148 B2Granted
Premium channel promotion system and method
AssigneeRovi Guides, Inc.
InventorsDouglas B. Macrae, Thomas Edward Ward, III, Kenneth S. Hancock, Jonathan B. Orlick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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.
Claims34
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.
6 more elements
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.
6 more elements
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.
9 more elements
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.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.