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Premium channel promotion system and method

Premium channel promotion system and method description/claims

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/987,795, filed Dec. 10, 1997, and claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/082,046, filed Apr. 16, 1998, both of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a system for providing television schedule information, and more particularly to a television schedule information guide with capability for displaying channel promotion information.

The number of television channels available to a user has grown dramatically within the last decade, primarily due to the availability of cable and direct broadcast satellite systems. As the number of programs of potential interest to the viewer has increased, a variety of electronic program guides (EPGs) have been developed to help the viewer select programs of particular interest. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,706,121 and 5,353,121 each describes schedule information processing systems which provide the viewer with a convenient way to select programs based on viewer supplied selection criteria.

A viewer, however, has access to the numerous channels available through cable or satellite systems only if the viewer subscribes to those services. This is because cable and direct satellite services scramble their signals thereby allowing only a selected group of people who have pre-arranged de-scrambling capabilities to receive their signals. A viewer with a television system that does not include such de-scrambling capabilities has access to only broadcast television programs. Occasionally, however, a cable or direct satellite service provider will unscramble its signals for a particular time period to allow all viewers in a given area to have access to the signals. For example, HBO may have a free movie night for subscribers and non-subscribers of HBO in Fremont, Calif. In this manner, HBO could show potential subscribers in Fremont, Calif., a flavor of the programming it has available, and may attract some of the non-subscribers in Fremont to sign up with its service. A viewer will also benefit from such promotions, as the viewer is given a free trial of the subscription. Hence, a television schedule system that has the capability to detect that a program is unscrambled, and in turn notify the user that such program is available for selection would be desirable.

The present invention is directed to a television schedule information system, and more particularly to a system with the capability for detecting whether a program signal is scrambled or unscrambled.

In one aspect of the invention, a television schedule system configured with an EPG database includes a receiving location for receiving both regularly scrambled television channels and regularly unscrambled television channels. A processor in the system maintains the EPG database with program listings for the regularly unscrambled channels. The processor updates the EPG database when one of the regularly scrambled television channels is now unscrambled. The update might take the form of adding a program listing of the program transmitted on the now unscrambled channel for being displayed to the user. Alternatively, the update might take the form of turning on a channel and allowing it to be displayed on the guide. A viewer may then select the program title to tune to the program, schedule an autotune to the program when the program comes on, record the program, or schedule a recording of the program when the program comes on. The viewer may further subscribe to the service provider of the program during the promotional period.

In a further aspect of the invention, a promotional message informing the user of the now unscrambled program is displayed on the guide.

These and other embodiments of the present invention, along with many of its advantages and features, are described in more detail in the text below and in the attached figures.

FIG. 1A illustrates a preferred embodiment of a system on which a program schedule guide according to the present invention may be displayed;

FIG. 1B illustrates another representation of the TV system;

FIG. 1C is a block diagram of an embodiment of the electronic hardware unit utilized to perform the electronic on-screen schedule display and other functions;

FIG. 1D is a chart that illustrates the hierarchical structure of an embodiment of a database built by the database engine;

FIG. 1E illustrates an exemplary channel data table;

FIG. 1F illustrates an exemplary show list table;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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