Dynamic item highlighting system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.

1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 identifying a set of media asset identifiers that are associated with a plurality of media assets to include in a user interface display, wherein each of the set of media asset identifiers comprises a text portion and an artwork portion associated with one of the plurality of media assets;   selecting a media asset identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of media assets based on one or more criteria;   generating for display a user interface display that comprises the set of media asset identifiers and the selected media asset identifier, wherein the selected media asset identifier comprises text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media asset identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises text that is larger than text included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the text that is larger than text included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises text that is bolded. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media asset identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises text that is in a different font than text included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media asset identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises text that is in a different color than text included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises a title of the selected media asset identifier. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the text included in the selected media asset identifier comprises a text portion that includes more metadata concerning the one of the plurality of media assets than any metadata included as part of the text portions of the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more criteria comprises selection criteria, received over a network, that identifies one or more programs or one or more content providers. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the selected media asset identifier is displayed in a top-most position in the display. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving input requesting a new display;   in response to receiving the input request a new display, determining a second set of media asset identifiers to include in the new display, the second set of media asset identifiers comprising at least one different media asset identifier from the displayed set of media asset identifiers;   generating for display the second set of media asset identifiers while continuing to display the selected media asset identifier comprising text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise a first selection criterion and a second selection criterion, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that a plurality of media asset identifiers corresponding to a plurality of media assets match the first selection criterion;   in response to determining that the plurality of the media asset identifiers match the first selection criterion, evaluating the plurality of the media asset identifiers with respect to the second selection criterion;   determining that the selected media asset identifier matches the second selection criterion and, in response, performing the selecting of the selected media asset identifier.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 :
 wherein the first criterion is existence of an agreement with a content provider to display one or more media asset identifiers associated with the content provider with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers;   wherein the second criterion is a highest value-to-page view ratio; and   wherein the selected media asset identifier matching the second selection criterion comprises the selected media asset identifier having a highest value-to-page view ratio of the plurality of the media asset identifiers.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the selecting a media asset identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of media assets based on the one or more criteria comprises selecting the media asset identifier based on demographics or geographic location of a user. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the selecting a media asset identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of media assets based on the one or more criteria comprises selecting the media asset identifier based on an agreement with a content provider to display one or more media asset identifiers associated with the content provider with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the agreement comprises payment from the content provider for displaying the one or more media asset identifiers associated with the content provider with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 determining, based on history data for a user profile, a number of times the selected media asset identifier was displayed with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in other displayed media asset identifiers;   determining that the number of times is less than a predetermined number of times the selected media asset is to be displayed with text and artwork more prominent than text and artwork included in other displayed media asset identifiers and, in response, performing the selecting of the media asset identifier.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the display of the set of media asset identifiers including the selected media asset identifier with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers is displayed automatically without user input that identifies the selected media asset identifier. 
     
     
         36 . A system comprising:
 a memory storing media asset identifiers;   control circuitry configured to:
 identify a set of media asset identifiers that are associated with a plurality of media assets to include in a user interface display, wherein each of the set of media asset identifiers comprises a text portion and an artwork portion associated with one of the plurality of media assets; 
 select a media asset identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of media assets based on one or more criteria; 
 generate for display a user interface display that comprises the set of media asset identifiers and the selected media asset identifier, wherein the selected media asset identifier comprises text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media asset identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises text that is bolded with respect to text included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media asset identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises text that is in a different font than text included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media asset identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises text that is in a different color than text included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the text and artwork included in the selected media identifier that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers comprises a title of the selected media asset identifier. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the text included in the selected media asset identifier comprise a text portion that includes more metadata concerning the one of the plurality of media assets than any metadata included as part of the text portions of the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 receive input requesting a new display;   in response to receiving the input request a new display, determine a second set of media asset identifiers to include in the new display, the second set of media asset identifiers comprising at least one different media asset identifier from the displayed set of media asset identifiers;   generate for display the second set of media asset identifiers while continuing to display the selected media asset identifier comprising text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers   
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the one or more criteria comprise a first selection criterion and a second selection criterion, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine that a plurality of media asset identifiers corresponding to a plurality of media assets match the first selection criterion;   in response to determining that the plurality of the media asset identifiers match the first selection criterion, evaluate the plurality of the media asset identifiers with respect to the second selection criterion;   determine that the selected media asset identifier matches the second selection criterion and, in response, performing the selecting of the selected media asset identifier.   
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 :
 wherein the first criterion is existence of an agreement with a content provider to display one or more media asset identifiers associated with the content provider with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers;   wherein the second criterion is a highest value-to-page view ratio; and   wherein the selected media asset identifier matching the second selection criterion comprises the selected media asset identifier having a highest value-to-page view ratio of the plurality of the media asset identifiers.   
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the selecting a media asset identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of media assets based on the one or more criteria comprises selecting the media asset identifier based on demographics or geographic location of a user. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 36 :
 wherein the selecting a media asset identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of media assets based on the one or more criteria comprises selecting the media asset identifier based on an agreement with a content provider to display one or more media asset identifiers associated with the content provider with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers.   
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the agreement comprises payment from the content provider for displaying the one or more media asset identifiers associated with the content provider with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the display of the set of media asset identifiers including the selected media asset identifier with text and artwork that are more prominent than text and artwork included in the set of media asset identifiers is displayed automatically without user input that identifies the selected media asset identifier.