Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with remote product ordering

Abstract

An electronic program schedule system with product ordering capability which includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs, and a user control apparatus, such as a remote controller, for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto. The television program schedule information is displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. A video display generator receives video control commands from the data processor and program schedule information and displays a portion of the program schedule information on the receiver. The program schedule information indicates the availability of a product or service for certain of the programs included in the program information, wherein the product or service is associated with the program, such as a program transcript or videocassette. The viewer utilizes the remote control apparatus to generate a first command for displaying information on the receiver describing the product or service, and a second command for placing an order for the product or service. The data processor receives the user control commands and in response to the first command causes the video display generator to display information describing the product or service and in response to the second command generates an order for the product or service.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for using an electronic television program guide in a system in which television programming is transmitted to a user and is displayed for the user on a display, wherein the television programming include commercial advertisements, the method comprising: 
 determining when a given one of the commercial advertisements is being displayed on the display;    displaying an icon on top of the television programming on the display when the given commercial advertisement is being displayed to indicate that information describing a product or service that is associated with that given commercial advertisement is available for the user; and    permitting the user to use a remote control to respond to the icon and direct the electronic television program guide to display the available information on the display.    
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising obtaining the available information describing the product or service from a program signal associated with the television programming.  
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the television programming is delivered to the user in digital form, the method further comprising obtaining the available information describing the product or service from an in-band digital channel.  
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising obtaining the available information describing the-product or service from vertical-blanking-interval data.  
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein displaying the icon comprises generating the icon with an RGB video generator and combining an RGB format output from the generator with a television signal using a video overlay device.  
     
     
         6 . A method for using an electronic television program guide in a system in which television programming is transmitted to a user and is displayed for the user on a display, wherein the television programming includes commercial advertisements, the method comprising: 
 determining when a given one of the commercial advertisements is being displayed on the display;    overlaying an icon on top of the television programming on the display when the given commercial advertisement is being displayed to indicate that a product or service that is associated with that commercial advertisement is available for purchase by the user; and    permitting the user to use the electronic television program guide to place an order for the available product or service by using a remote control to respond to the display of the icon on top of the given commercial advertisement.