United Video Properties, Inc.

Ods Properties, Inc.

Prevue Networks, Inc.

Rovi Guides, Inc.

Amoco Corporation

Ods Technologies, L.p.

Prevue International, Inc.

Connie T Marshall

Thomas R Lemmons

Donald Wayne Allison

William L Thomas

Masood Garahi

Michael D Ellis

Edward Bruce Knudson

Robert Alan Knee

Joel Gerard Hassell

David M Berezowski

Steven J Reynolds

W Benjamin Herrington

Kenneth F Carpenter, Jr

Steven Carl Williamson

Richard Earl McNutt

Jerry D Henshaw

Jon C Zaring

Kevin Dwight Satterfield

Douglas V Ramsey

John Hindman

Kevin D Satterfield

Brent E Perry

Timothy S Emmert

Michael Hanafee

Jennifer E Nelson

Joni L Hamilton

Thomas Lazzlo Aronson

Eric Frank Stimmel

Jody M Brown

Joseph C Jacobson

Kenneth F Carpenter

Jay Thomas

Ralph E Warmack

Randol R Read

Peter C Boylan, Iii

Donald C Kern

Alice June Courtney

Ben Springborn

Erik Thomas Russell Olsen

James M Farmer

James Howard Darr

Rodney John Gaidies

Jennifer A Vogh

James D Oldham

Franklin E Boyle

An interactive television program guide is provided in which advertisements may be displayed on program guide screens. Banner advertisements may be displayed above and below program listings. Panel advertisements may be provided adjacent to program listings. The advertisements may contain video. The advertisements may be used to promote television programs and conventional goods and services. When a user selects an advertisement, the program guide provides the user with an opportunity to order products or services, request information, set reminders for upcoming programs, view program descriptions, record programs, or take other such actions. Embedded advertisements may be provided within the program listings region and may be automatically displayed immediately adjacent to related program listings.

Program guide system with advertisements

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a user may use the program guide to watch one program while simultaneously recording another program without interrupting the recording or viewing process. This interactive television program guide system also allows a user the to utilize all or some of the program guide features while in the watch and record mode depending on the embodiment that is being implemented. Further, this watch and record system may be implemented using a multiple tuner set-top box or a single tuner set-top box with a RF bypass or digital switch. In addition to a set-top box, the system may be implemented using a satellite receiver, an advanced television with a processor and memory, or a computer. The various implementations provide a very versatile watch and record environment for the user.

Interactive television program guide with simultaneous watch and record capabilities

A system interactively controlled by a TV viewer remote control transmitter displays portions of a scroll program guide on the viewer's display screen. A tuner receives TV radio frequency or optical transmission signals in a plurality of cable channels and passes a viewer usable signal to a signal combiner. A computer receives control signals from the TV viewer remote control transmitter. It controls the tuner to pass the viewer usable signal in response to one of the control signals. Program information, such as TV program schedule information, may be displayed, and a user may select at least some of the displayed program information to be presented with additional program information related to the selected program information.

Systems and methods for presenting an interactive user interface

Interactive program guide systems and related processes are provided which can automatically tune a television, or program a VCR, based on program selections made from program schedule information displayed on a television or other suitable video monitor. The interactive program guide is preferably implemented using a microprocessor-controlled set-top box that is coupled to the viewer's television set. The set-top box receives program schedule information and software from a headend telecasting center. Preferably, program schedule information for the current day and at least six subsequent days is stored in a memory within the set-top box. The interactive program guide provides a display mode for allowing the viewer to apply a restrictive search selection criterion and a nonrestrictive sort attribute to the program schedule information.

Interactive program guide systems and processes

An interactive television program guide is provided in which advertisements may be displayed in program listings display regions on program guide screens. The program listings display regions may be browse displays or flip displays. The program guide screens contain video for the current channel to which the user is tuned. The program listings display regions containing the advertisements may be overlaid on top of the current channel. Alternatively, the video for the current channel may be provided in a reduced-size video window. The advertisements may contain video. The advertisements may be used to promote television programs and conventional goods and services. Advertisements may be selectable. When a user selects an advertisement, the program guide provides the user with an opportunity to order products or services, request information, set reminders for upcoming programs, view program descriptions, record programs, or take other such actions.

Program guide system with flip and browse advertisements

The present invention is systems and methods for interactive wagering using multiple types of user interfaces. Preferred embodiments of these systems and methods incorporate a wagering data hub which controls the flow of data relating to wagers, wagering events, and wagering account and facilitates the use of a variety of user interfaces such as graphical user interfaces and interactive voice response interfaces. For example, a user of the present invention may use a television set-top box, a computer, a telephone, and/or any other suitable device. To communicate with the wagering data hub, television set-top boxes preferably use a two-way cable system, computers preferably use a computer network, and telephones preferably use a telephone network, although each may use any suitable mechanism or combination of mechanisms to communicate with wagering data hub.

Systems and methods for interactive wagering using multiple types of user interfaces

An inter pap active television program guide system is provided in which a user may direct the program guide to display a browsing display screen. The browsing display screen includes a list of current programs including a movable highlight region, a video window containing a television program to which the system is currently tuned, and a detailed description of the highlighted program listing. The user may position the highlight region using remote control cursor keys. The user may then synchronize the content of the video window with the highlighted program listing by pressing a select key or a channel up or down key. If the user changes channels repeatedly using the channel up and down keys, the contents of the video window and the highlighted program listings remain in synchronization.

Program guide system with browsing display

The present invention is systems and methods for interactive wagering. Preferred embodiments of these systems and methods incorporate a wagering data hub which controls the flow of data relating to wagers, wagering events, and wagering account and facilitates the use of a variety of user interfaces such as graphical user interfaces and interactive voice response interfaces. For example, a user of the present invention may use a television set-top box, a computer, a telephone, and/or any other suitable device. To communicate with the wagering data hub, television set-top boxes preferably use a two-way cable system, computers preferably use a computer network, and telephones preferably use a telephone network, although each may use any suitable mechanism or combination of mechanisms to communicate with wagering data hub.

Systems and methods for interactive wagering

An interactive wagering application is provided that allows users to establish wagering criteria. When the wagering application detects that a wagering opportunity is available that satisfies the user's selected criteria, the wagering application may take an appropriate action. The wagering application may, for example, automatically place a wager or may notify a user that the criteria have been satisfied. Wagering criteria may be based on a particular track, horse, jockey, trainer, racetrack surface, race distance, statistics, jockey silks, odds or changes in odds, etc.

Interactive wagering system with criteria wagering

Growing community of inventors

Muskogee, OK, United States of America

Connie T Marshall