US2008184300A1PendingUtilityA1

Premium channel promotion system and method

58
Assignee: GEMSTAR DEV CORPPriority: Dec 10, 1997Filed: Apr 1, 2008Published: Jul 31, 2008
Est. expiryDec 10, 2017(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Douglas B. MacraeThomas E. WardKenneth S. HancockJonathan B. Orlick
H04N 21/44224H04N 21/84H04N 21/4334H04N 21/4627H04N 21/44209H04N 21/47H04N 21/2543H04N 7/162H04N 21/812H04N 21/4438H04N 21/4383H04N 21/4316H04N 21/435H04N 21/4784H04N 21/4882H04N 21/2541H04N 5/782H04N 21/454H04N 21/482H04N 21/4345H04N 21/4821H04N 21/4825H04N 21/44204
58
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Claims

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 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

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels;   determining whether a first channel of the plurality of channels is associated with a promotion; and   ordering the program listing for the first channel relative to the other program listings based on the determination that the first channel is associated with the promotion.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 providing a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein ordering the program listing comprises positioning the program listing for the first channel in closer proximity to the promotion tile than the program listings for the other channels.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein ordering the program listing comprises positioning the listing for the first channel above the other listings. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein ordering the program listing comprises positioning the listing for the first channel below the other listings. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising visually distinguishing the program listing for the first channel from the other program listings. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising displaying the ordered listings. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 the first channel is a restricted-access channel, and   the promotion provides access to the first channel.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 receiving a user input subscribing to the first channel; and   providing access to the first channel in response to receiving the user input.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising:
 providing a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein receiving the user input subscribing to the first channel comprises receiving a selection of the promotion tile.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 determining that the access to the first channel is no longer restricted, wherein ordering the program listing for the first channel occurs in response to the determination.   
   
   
       23 . A method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels;   determining whether a first channel of the plurality of channels is a restricted-access channel; and   ordering the program listing for the first channel relative to the other program listings based the determination that the first channel is a restricted-access channel.   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein ordering the listing comprises positioning the listing for the first channel above the other listings. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein ordering the listing comprises positioning the listing for the first channel below the other listings. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising displaying the ordered listings. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising visually distinguishing the program listing for the first channel from the other program listings. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 receiving a user input subscribing to the first channel; and   providing access to the first channel in response to receiving the user input.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 determining whether a user is a non-subscriber to the first channel; and   displaying a promotion tile that corresponds to a promotion that provides access to the first channel in response to determining that the user is a non-subscriber.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising:
 receiving a user selection of the program tile; and   subscribing the user to the first channel in response to the user selection of the program tile.   
   
   
       31 . A system comprising:
 control circuitry configured to:
 receive a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels; 
 determine whether a first channel of the plurality of channels is associated with a promotion; and 
 order the program listing for the first channel relative to the other program listings based on the determination that the first channel is associated with the promotion. 
   
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31  further comprising:
 a storage device that stores a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to retrieve the promotion tile from the storage device and position the program listing for the first channel in closer proximity to the promotion tile than the program listings for the other channels.   
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the listing for the first channel above the other listings. 
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the listing for the first channel below the other listings. 
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to visually distinguish the program listing for the first channel from the other program listings. 
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display the ordered listings on a display screen. 
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 31  wherein:
 the first channel is a restricted-access channel, and   the promotion provides access to the first channel.   
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 37  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 receive a user input subscribing to the first channel; and   provide access to the first channel in response to receiving the user input.   
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 38  further comprising:
 a storage device that stores a promotion tile associated with the promotion, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a selection of the promotion tile as the user input subscribing to the first channel.   
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 37  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine that the access to the first channel is no longer restricted; and   order the program listing for the first channel occurs in response to the determination.   
   
   
       41 . A system comprising:
 control circuitry configured to:
 receive a plurality of program listings for a plurality of channels; 
 determine whether a first channel of the plurality of channels is a restricted-access channel; and 
 order the program listing for the first channel relative to the other program listings based the determination that the first channel is a restricted-access channel. 
   
   
   
       42 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the listing for the first channel above the other listings. 
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the listing for the first channel below the other listings. 
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display the ordered listings on a display screen. 
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to visually distinguish the program listing for the first channel from the other program listings. 
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 receive a user input subscribing to the first channel; and   provide access to the first channel in response to receiving the user input.   
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine whether a user is a non-subscriber to the first channel; and   display on a display screen a promotion tile that corresponds to a promotion that provides access to the first channel in response to determining that the user is a non-subscriber.   
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 receive a user selection of the program tile; and   subscribe the user to the first channel in response to the user selection of the program tile.

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