# US 9,521,462 B2 · Premium channel promotion system and method

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- Number: US 9,521,462 B2
- Document ID: US9521462B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/018,283
- Filed: 2016-02-08
- Published: 2016-06-02
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 1996-12-12
- Assignees: Rovi Guides, Inc.
- Applicants: Rovi Guides, Inc.
- Inventors: Douglas B. Macrae; Thomas E. Ward; Kenneth S. Hancock; Jonathan B. Orlick
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521462B2

## CPC

- H04N 21/4784: receiving rewards
- H04N 5/782: on tape
- H04N 7/162: {Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing}
- H04N 21/2541: {Rights Management (protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08)}
- H04N 21/2543: Billing {, e.g. for subscription services (payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21)}
- H04N 21/4316: {for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window}
- 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 21/4345: {Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream}
- H04N 21/435: Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
- H04N 21/4383: {Accessing a communication channel}
- H04N 21/44204: {Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31)}
- H04N 21/44209: {Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network (arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896)}
- 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 21/454: Content {or additional data} filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
- H04N 21/4627: Rights management {associated to the content (security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08)}
- H04N 21/47: End-user applications
- 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 21/4825: {using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists}
- H04N 21/4882: {for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders (arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895)}
- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- H04N 21/84: Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors {(systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73)}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising generating for display program listings including a second program listing associated with a second program.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising visually distinguishing the promotion generated for display from other program listings.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein generating for display the promotion includes modifying the program listings generated for display to include the program listing for the first program.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the program listing for the first program in closer proximity to the promotion than to other listings.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising ordering program listings generated for display to position the first program listing above other program listings.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising ordering program listings generated for display to position the first program listing below other program listings.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a first user input requesting access to the first program; and
providing access to the first program in response to receiving the first user input.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a first user input requesting access to the first program,
wherein receiving the first user input comprises receiving a selection of the promotion during the promotional time period.

### Claim 10

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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display program listings including a second program listing associated with a second program.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to visually distinguish the promotion generated for display from other program listings.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry configured to generate for display the promotion is further configured to modify program listings generated for display to include the program listing for the first program.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the program listing for the first program in closer proximity to the promotion than to other listings.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to order program listings generated for display to position the first program listing above other program listings.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to order program listings generated for display to position the first program listing below other program listings.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a first user input requesting access to the first program; and
provide access to the first program in response to receiving the first user input.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a first user input requesting access to the first program,
wherein receiving the first user input comprises receiving a selection of the promotion during the promotional time period.