US2006288366A1PendingUtilityA1

Interactive television program guide system with local advertisements

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Assignee: BOYLAN PETER C IIIPriority: Jul 7, 1998Filed: May 26, 2006Published: Dec 21, 2006
Est. expiryJul 7, 2018(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Peter C. Boylan, IiiWilliam L. ThomasJoel G. HassellMichael D. Ellis
H04N 21/482H04N 21/4542H04N 21/812H04N 21/235H04N 2007/1739H04N 21/47815H04N 21/23617H04N 21/478H04N 7/52H04N 21/222H04N 21/2668H04N 21/4312H04N 21/84H04N 21/435H04N 21/4508H04N 21/458H04H 20/02H04N 21/47
52
PatentIndex Score
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Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

A program guide system is provided in which local advertisements may be distributed to interactive television program guides implemented on the user television equipment associated with a television distribution facility such as a cable system headend. The local advertisements contain information that is directed toward the particular users in a local area. The local advertisements may be displayed when a user selects a related global advertisement. The local advertisements may also be displayed automatically by cycling global advertisements and local advertisements. Advertisements may be blocked based on content or time shifted. Policies regarding advertisement usage may be enforced.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 46 . (canceled)  
     
     
         47 . A system in which advertisements are distributed to user television equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, comprising: 
 means for distributing the advertisements to the user television equipment; and    means for displaying only some of the advertisements on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide based on the content of the advertisements.    
     
     
         48 . The system defined in  claim 47  further comprising means for providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements.  
     
     
         49 . The system defined in  claim 47  further comprising: 
 means for providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements; and    means for displaying only those advertisements with desired content tags.    
     
     
         50 . The system defined in  claim 47  further comprising means for selecting blocking criteria that are used to determine which of the advertisements are displayed.  
     
     
         51 . The system defined in  claim 47  further comprising means for distributing advertisements with content tags.  
     
     
         52 . The system defined in  claim 47  further comprising means for blocking advertisements with undesired content tags.  
     
     
         53 . The system defined in  claim 47  further comprising means for displaying information in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.  
     
     
         54 . The system defined in  claim 47  further comprising means for displaying a back-up advertisement in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.  
     
     
         55 . A method for using a system in which advertisements are distributed to user television equipment on which an interactive television program guide is implemented, comprising the steps of: 
 distributing the advertisements to the user television equipment; and    displaying only some of the advertisements on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide based on the content of the advertisements.    
     
     
         56 . The method defined in  claim 55  further comprising the step of providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements.  
     
     
         57 . The method defined in  claim 55  further comprising the steps of: 
 providing the advertisements with content tags indicating the content of the advertisements; and    displaying only those advertisements with desired content tags.    
     
     
         58 . The method defined in  claim 55  further comprising the step of selecting blocking criteria that are used to determine which of the advertisements are displayed.  
     
     
         59 . The method defined in  claim 55  further comprising the step of distributing advertisements with content tags.  
     
     
         60 . The method defined in  claim 55  further comprising the step of blocking advertisements with undesired content tags.  
     
     
         61 . The method defined in  claim 55  further comprising the step of displaying information in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.  
     
     
         62 . The method defined in  claim 55  further comprising the step of displaying a back-up advertisement in place of those advertisements that are not displayed based on their content.  
     
     
         63 - 74 . (canceled)

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