System and method for modifying advertisement responsive to EPG information

Abstract

A system and method for utilizing data stored in an EPG database for modifying advertisement information. In this way, a service provider and/or an advertiser can transmit a single advertisement to all the television stations regardless of their geographic location and other user specific information, and need not re-transmit the advertisement even if there is a change in the show's program description. When the advertisement is displayed, the correct updated information is retrieved from the EPG database and inserted into the advertisement. In one aspect, the present invention describes a method for modifying an advertisement in an EPG comprising the steps of: storing television schedule information in a first database; storing advertisement information in a second database; incorporating a portion of the television schedule information into a portion of the advertisement information to form a modified advertisement; and displaying the modified advertisement on a screen.

1 - 58 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         59 . A method for displaying interactive advertisements to a user of an interactive television program guide implemented at least partially on the user's television equipment, the method comprising: 
 associating a priority with each advertisement of a plurality of advertisements accessible by the interactive television program guide; and    displaying a given interactive advertisement to the user based on the priority of the given interactive advertisement.    
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising determining which interactive advertisement will be displayed next based on the priority of each interactive advertisement.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the priority of the given interactive advertisement is associated with a given page of the interactive television program guide.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , further comprising: 
 counting the number of times the user has accessed the given page of the interactive television program guide; and    displaying a given interactive advertisement to the user based on the number of times the user has accessed the given page and the associated priority.    
     
     
         63 . An interactive television program guide system for displaying interactive advertisements, the system comprising: 
 a display monitor having a screen;    an interactive television application implemented at least partially on a user's television equipment; and    a microprocessor configured to: 
 associate a priority with each advertisement of a plurality of advertisements accessible by the interactive television program guide; and  
 display a given interactive advertisement to the user based on the priority of the given interactive advertisement.  
   
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to determine which interactive advertisement will be displayed next based on the priority of each interactive advertisement.  
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein the priority of the given interactive advertisement is associated with a given page of the interactive television program guide.  
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to: 
 count the number of times the user has accessed the given page of the interactive television program guide; and    display a given interactive advertisement to the user based on the number of times the user has accessed the given page and the associated priority.    
     
     
         67 . A machine readable medium for use in displaying interactive advertisements to a user of an interactive television application implemented at least partially on the user's television equipment, the machine readable medium having machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 associating a priority with each advertisement of a plurality of advertisements accessible by the interactive television program guide; and    displaying a given interactive advertisement to the user based on the priority of the given interactive advertisement.    
     
     
         68 . The machine readable medium of  claim 67 , comprising additional machine program logic recorded thereon for determining which interactive advertisement will be displayed next based on the priority of each interactive advertisement.  
     
     
         69 . The machine readable medium of  claim 67 , wherein the priority of the given interactive advertisement is associated with a given page of the interactive television program guide.  
     
     
         70 . The machine readable medium of  claim 69 , comprising additional machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 counting the number of times the user has accessed the given page of the interactive television program guide; and    displaying a given interactive advertisement to the user based on the number of times the user has accessed the given page and the associated priority.