US 6,756,997 · Granted 2004-06-29

The Patent That Turned Your TV Guide Into a Smart Recommender

Before Netflix and streaming apps, your TV guide was just a printed grid of channels and times. This patent describes an interactive electronic program guide that learns what you like to watch, suggests shows you might enjoy, and even helps you record programs automatically. It basically invented the modern smart TV menu system.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a system that displays TV schedules on your screen while letting you interact with program listings, record shows, adjust parental controls, and see ads tailored to your viewing history. What's protected here is the combination of an electronic program guide that tracks viewer behavior, builds a profile of preferences, and uses that profile to customize both the show recommendations and advertising you see.

Why it matters

This patent laid the groundwork for how modern streaming services and smart TVs recommend content and personalize your experience. Filed in 2000 and granted in 2004, it arrived at the moment when DVRs and on-demand TV were emerging, and it captured the core idea that TV guides could be intelligent, learning tools rather than static schedules. Gemstar's work helped establish the business model of using viewer data to improve both user experience and ad targeting.

Real-world use

Every time you open your smart TV's menu and see recommended shows based on what you've watched before, or parental controls that block certain channels, you're seeing technology this patent helped define.

Original USPTO abstract

The present invention is an improvement over previous Electronic Programming Guides (“EPG”) in that it provides, among other things: Improved viewer interaction capabilities with the EPG; improved viewer control of video recording of future-scheduled programming; improved features to the EPG display and navigation; parental control of the EPG display; improved television program information access by the viewer; improved opportunities for the commercial advertiser to reach the viewer; improved product information access by the viewer; creation of a viewer's profile; utilization of viewer profile information to customize various aspects of the EPG; and utilization of viewer profile information to provide customized presentation of advertising to the viewer.

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,756,997
Filing date: 2000-06-14
Grant date: 2004-06-29
Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation
Inventor(s): —
CPC class: H04N21/42204

View original record on Google Patents →

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