United Video Properties, Inc.

Rovi Guides, Inc.

Da IP Corp.

Delivery Agent, Inc.

David M Rudnick

Michael D Ellis

Steven J Reynolds

Joel Gerard Hassell

W Benjamin Herrington

Steven Carl Williamson

Edward Bruce Knudson

Kevin B Easterbrook

Daniel C Hagenbuch

Joshua A Rosenthol

Robert Alan Knee

Christopher A Lee

Wei Hu

William L Thomas

David M Berezowski

Kenneth F Carpenter, Jr

Pamela L McKissick

Jeffrey A Ross

Michael R Fitzsimmons

Jared R Wolf

Brian Joe

An apparatus and method for enabling a viewer to watch television in the usual manner, while providing the viewer with an opportunity to indicate interest in products contextually associated with, but not necessarily displayed, in the television programs viewed, are described. Viewer interest might be indicated, for example, by launching a widget from an icon located on the TV video receiver using a handheld remote controller in communication with a set-top box during the program. The program being viewed may then be identified, for example, by the selected channel, the name of the program, the episode, and the time of the selection, or a combination of these indicators. The selections are transmitted by the set-top box to a remote search server, which returns information to the viewer on a portion of the TV video receiver concerning available products contextually related to the program being viewed at the time the widget was launched by the viewer, as well as purchase information. A selected product may as well be purchased through the set-top box in communication with an e-commerce server. Use of a mobile telephone in combination with a TV set-top box for product purchasing is also described.

Contextual commerce for viewers of video programming

A program guide system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, etc. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide, so that the program guide may access the stored real-time data at a later time. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data. Different types of real-time data may be assigned different expiration times. When data has expired it may be removed from the database.

Program guide system with real-time data sources

An interactive television program guide is provided. The interactive television program guide provides a user with the opportunity to select a language for playing television programming and displaying program guide text. Television program audio in the desired language may be obtained from a SAP or digital audio track and played in the selected language. Television related information in the desired language may be obtained from a digital track. If television program audio or related information is not provided in the selected language, the program guide may use a default language. The program guide may coordinate program guide display screen text with languages available for television programs when the programs are broadcast to users.

Interactive television program guide with selectable languages

Leveraging the wealth of information available on-line to accelerate and facilitate commercial transactions initiated by viewers of television programming, both during conventional programming and while using interactive features such as shopping channels, application channels, executing downloaded applications, and the like, for reducing the amount and frequency of user input required by accelerating and simplifying the process of accessing stored profiles and payment methods in these transactions, and by reducing user efforts in maintaining their on-line presence without compromising user security, is described. The motivation for such simplification derives from concerns apparent in emerging t-commerce transactions, where the means by which viewers may engage in two-way transactions directly in the context of the television programming are different and frequently more constrained than in traditional e-commerce and m-commerce modes.

System and method for accelerating account creation

A program guide system in which an interactive television program guide that is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, etc. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data.

A program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide that is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, and the like. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide, so that the program guide may access the stored real-time data at a later time. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data. A controllable ticker may be displayed on top of a television program on the user television equipment. The controllable ticker may be sponsored. Different types of real-time data may be assigned different expiration times. When data has expired it may be removed from the database.

An interactive television program guide system and method is provided. Time separators are displayed within lists of program listings to allow users to more easily view the program listings. On-screen arrows have their display characteristics changed according to user actions. Similar program listings are displayed only once when using search program listings. Users are provided with an opportunity to view channel information before setting channels as favorites. Information from local information services is provided in program guide display screens that are configurable by a main facility. Users are provided with an opportunity to centrally lock and unlock programs, and to bypass locks when desired.

Interactive program guide system and method

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a viewer may direct a television to simultaneously display a selected television program, a program guide display, and a program guide video window. A viewer may use the program guide video window to browse video of programs shown on the program guide display while continuing to view a previously selected program in the background. The program guide display may display video on demand (VOD) programs, programs to be broadcast in the future, and programs currently being broadcast on other channels. The viewer may browse through programs on the program guide display using a variety of keys on a remote control unit. The viewer may direct the program guide to swap audio and video signals back and forth between programs shown in the video window and programs shown on the background screen.

Growing community of inventors

Denver, CO, United States of America

David M Rudnick