US 7,165,098 · Granted 2007-01-16

The Patent That Let You Pick Your Own TV Guide

Imagine a TV guide that shows only the channels and shows YOU care about, pulled from whatever sources you want, and delivered how you prefer. This patent covers the software that lets you customize exactly what information you see and how it reaches you—whether that's email alerts, a website, or something else entirely.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers an online scheduling system that lets users pick which information sources to pull from (like cable listings, entertainment websites, or a personal calendar), select how that information gets delivered to them (email, web display, etc.), and personalize which types of events they want to see. What's protected here is the specific combination of letting users control both the SOURCE and the DELIVERY METHOD of entertainment and social event information in one system.

Why it matters

This patent, granted in 2007, captured a core idea behind modern personalized content delivery: the user should choose what information matters to them and how they receive it. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the web was still learning how to show people what they actually wanted instead of a one-size-fits-all TV guide, this was a valuable lock on that personalization logic. It's a foundational concept that streaming services and smart TV interfaces still rely on today.

Real-world use

When you log into Netflix or a streaming app and see only recommendations tailored to your watch history, or when you set up a custom sports alert to notify you about your favorite team, you're benefiting from the same personalization principle this patent protected.

Original USPTO abstract

An on-line scheduling application allows users to personalize how television-related, entertainment-related, and social event related information is provided. Users may select one or more sources from which the information is obtained. Users may set up a date book that is also used as a source. Users may select one or more delivery schemes that the application uses to provide the information. One or more of the personalization features of the scheduling application may be incorporated into an on-line television programming guide.

Patent details

Publication number: US 7,165,098
Filing date: 1999-11-09
Grant date: 2007-01-16
Assignee: United Video Properties, Inc.
Inventor(s): BOYER FRANKLIN E., REGOUBY MARK A., DEMERS TIMOTHY B.
CPC class: H04N21/4782

View original record on Google Patents →

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