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US 9,521,462 B2Granted
Premium channel promotion system and method
AssigneeRovi Guides, Inc.
InventorsDouglas B. Macrae, Thomas E. Ward, 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 or scrambled 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.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of program listings for a plurality of programs, including a program listing for a first program of the plurality of programs, wherein the first program is a restricted-access program;
- determining that access to the first program is no longer restricted during a promotional time period;
- determining whether a user has access to the first program;
- and
- generating for display a promotion that provides access to the first program in response to determining that the user does not have access to the first program, wherein when the promotional time period ends, the promotion is no longer generated for display.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- control circuitry configured to:
- receive a plurality of program listings for a plurality of programs, including a program listing for a first program of the plurality of programs, wherein the first program is a restricted-access program;
- determine that access to the first program is no longer restricted during a promotional time period;
- determine whether a user has access to the first program;
- and
- generate for display a promotion that provides access to the first program in response to determining that the user does not have access to the first program, wherein when the promotional time period ends, the promotion is no longer generated for display.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.