Method and system for displaying advertising, video, and program schedule listing

Abstract

A television schedule system and method for displaying television schedule information on a television screen includes a program guide having a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day. An input device allows the viewer to browse through the schedule information area and/or obtain more information about programs of particular interest. In one aspect, the viewer may watch a program on the currently-tuned channel, while browsing through the other channels on a portion of the television screen. In another aspect, the viewer may watch programs currently being shown on the television, while he or she browses through the program guide. In yet another aspect, the system includes a database, a processor and associated software for automatically customizing the television schedule guide to an individual viewer or a group of viewers, e.g., a family, to facilitate use of the television schedule.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    displaying a plurality of television schedule information items on the screen;    selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements; and    simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements is not dependent on a user's selection of a displayed television schedule information item.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video of the television program is displayed in a picture-in-guide window.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video of the television program is a live broadcast of the television program.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising activating the displayed advertisement to invoke a function.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the function is ordering one or more of an advertised product and an advertised service.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the function is one or more of scheduling an autotuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product, scheduling a recording of a television broadcast about an advertised product, and tuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the advertisement is about a television program.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the function is autotuning to the television program.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the function is scheduling a recording of the television program.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the advertisement is about a pay program.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the function is scheduling viewing of the pay program.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.  
     
     
         14 . A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    displaying at least one television schedule information item on the screen;    selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, the selection not directly determined by a user's selection of a television schedule information item; and    simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the displayed least one television schedule information item include time and channel.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the video of the television program is displayed in a picture-in-guide window.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the video of the television program is a live broadcast of the television program.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising activating the displayed advertisement to invoke a function.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the function is ordering one or more of an advertised product and an advertised service.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the function is one or more of scheduling an autotuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product, scheduling a recording of a television broadcast about an advertised product, and tuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the advertisement is about a television program.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the function is autotuning to the television program.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the function is scheduling a recording of the television program.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the advertisement is about a pay program.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the function is scheduling viewing of the pay program.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.  
     
     
         27 . A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    displaying a plurality of television schedule information items on the screen; and    simultaneously displaying an interactive advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the interactive advertisement is selected for display from a plurality of advertisements.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the selection of the displayed advertisement is not dependent on a user's selection of a displayed television schedule information item.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the video of the television program is displayed in a picture-in-guide window.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the video of the television program is a live broadcast of the television program.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising activating the displayed advertisement to invoke a function.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the function is ordering one or more of an advertised product and an advertised service.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the function is one or more of scheduling an autotuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product, scheduling a recording of a television broadcast about an advertised product, and tuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the advertisement is about a television program.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the function is autotuning to the television program.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the function is scheduling a recording of the television program.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the advertisement is about a pay program.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the function is scheduling viewing of the pay program.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.  
     
     
         41 . A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a display that indicates the channel for at least some of the displayed television schedule information items; and    simultaneously displaying an advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen, wherein the displayed advertisement can be highlighted by a viewer.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the interactive advertisement is selected for display from a plurality of advertisements.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the selection of the displayed advertisement is not dependent on a user's selection of a displayed television schedule information item.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the video of the television program is displayed in a picture-in-guide window.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the video of the television program is a live broadcast of the television program.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising activating the displayed advertisement to invoke a function.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the function is ordering one or more of an advertised product and an advertised service.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the function is one or more of scheduling an autotuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product, scheduling a recording of a television broadcast about an advertised product, and tuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the advertisement is about a television program.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the function is autotuning to the television program.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the function is scheduling a recording of the television program.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the advertisement is about a pay program.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the function is scheduling viewing of the pay program.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.  
     
     
         55 . A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a display that indicates the time and title for at least some of the displayed television schedule information items; and    simultaneously displaying an advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the interactive advertisement is selected for display from a plurality of advertisements.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the selection of the displayed advertisement is not dependent on a user's selection of a displayed television schedule information item.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the video of the television program is displayed in a picture-in-guide window.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the video of the television program is a live broadcast of the television program.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising activating the displayed advertisement to invoke a function.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the function is ordering one or more of an advertised product and an advertised service.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the function is one or more of scheduling an autotuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product, scheduling a recording of a television broadcast about an advertised product, and tuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the advertisement is about a television program.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the function is autotuning to the television program.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the function is scheduling a recording of the television program.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the advertisement is about a pay program.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the function is scheduling viewing of the pay program.  
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.  
     
     
         69 . A method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 displaying an unobstructed video of the television program on the screen;    displaying one or more television schedule information items on the screen;    selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements; and    simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement with the displayed one or more television schedule information items and the unobstructed video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements is not dependent on a user's selection of a displayed television schedule information item.  
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the video of the television program is displayed in a picture-in-guide window.  
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the video of the television program is a live broadcast of the television program.  
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 69 , further comprising activating the displayed advertisement to invoke a function.  
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the function is ordering one or more of an advertised product and an advertised service.  
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the function is one or more of scheduling an autotuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product, scheduling a recording of a television broadcast about an advertised product, and tuning to a television broadcast about an advertised product.  
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the advertisement is about a television program.  
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein the function is autotuning to the television program.  
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein the function is scheduling a recording of the television program.  
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the advertisement is about a pay program.  
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 79 , wherein the function is scheduling viewing of the pay program.  
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the displayed advertisement includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.  
     
     
         82 . A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 means for displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    means for displaying a plurality of television schedule information items on the screen;    means for selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements; and    means for simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         83 . A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 means for displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    means for displaying at least one television schedule information item on the screen;    means for selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements, the selection not directly determined by a user's selection of a television schedule information item; and    means for simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         84 . A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 means for displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    means for displaying a plurality of television schedule information items on the screen; and    means for simultaneously displaying an interactive advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         85 . A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 means for displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    means for displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a display that indicates the channel for at least some of the displayed television schedule information items; and    means for simultaneously displaying an advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen, wherein the displayed advertisement can be highlighted by a viewer.    
     
     
         86 . A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 means for displaying a video of the television program on the screen;    means for displaying a plurality of television schedule information items in a display that indicates the time and title for at least some of the displayed television schedule information items; and    means for simultaneously displaying an advertisement with the displayed plurality of television schedule information items and the video of the television program on the screen.    
     
     
         87 . A system for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a television program on a screen, comprising: 
 means for displaying an unobstructed video of the television program on the screen;    means for displaying one or more television schedule information items on the screen;    means for selecting an advertisement for display from a plurality of advertisements; and    means for simultaneously displaying the selected advertisement with the displayed one or more television schedule information items and the unobstructed video of the television program on the screen.