Abstract: A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

Abstract: A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

Abstract: A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

Abstract: A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

Abstract: A computer-based method for generating graphical representations of statistics such as player rankings in a fantasy sports game is disclosed. A statistic for a particular team or player is displayed on a graph in a position based on the value of the statistic at a particular time. The graph displays the ranking of the user's team relative to other players in a fantasy sports league. Graphical indicators are displayed to allow the user to visually perceive the difference in ranking between the user's team or player and the next higher or lower ranked team or player. The graph display can be animated to show changes in team or player performance over time by varying the displayed graph to show the statistics for successive time periods.

Abstract: Preferred placement of programming content is provided by a system and method to organize or sequence the display of a set of programmable content elements of an iTV application to a viewer, using business rules that describe the preferred placement conditions or criteria. Such criteria include brand, content owner, application location, current channel, current channel family, current channel category, time of day, content category, current program, current program genre, current iTV application, current content type, and/or subscriber and set-top box profile and behavior data. In one implementation, the present invention allows for managing the ‘shelf space’ within and for iTV applications.

Abstract: A contextual navigational control for digital television is described. An apparatus, comprises a contextual navigation control interface (CNCI). The CNCI includes a first area that represents a plurality of cable television programs having a first level of relevance. A second area represents a first group of the plurality of programs having a second level of relevance. A third area represents a first subgroup of the first group having a third level of relevance. A fourth area represents a second subgroup of the first group having a fourth level of relevance. There may be additional areas representing additional sub-groups of relevance to the current viewing context.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for the dynamic creation and presentation of user-specified VOD content consisting of multiple VOD clips as a passive viewing experience. For one embodiment, a user selects a set of VOD clips from a list or other selection presentation and the selected VOD clips are presented back-to-back. For one embodiment of the invention, the user may reorder the presentation sequence of the selected VOD clips. Embodiments of the invention thereby allow a user to dynamically create and present a user-specific, passive viewing presentation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for the automatic creation, and subsequent presentation as a passive viewing experience, of a composite VOD clip created based upon one or more specified VOD clip categories. For one embodiment, a user selects one or more VOD clip categories from a list or other selection presentation and a composite VOD clip is created having component VOD clips that are constrained by the selected VOD clip categories. For one embodiment of the invention, the user may also select one or more VOD clip parameters for each of the selected VOD clip categories that further constrain the content of the composite VOD clip. Embodiments of the invention thereby provide for the automatic creation of a VOD composite clip having component VOD clips constrained by selected categories or selected categories and parameters that can be presented as a passive viewing experience.

Abstract: An iTV user interface includes a navigable menu area through which a user can select from among a variety of services and a content display area in which formatted data associated with a selected menu service are displayed to the user. The formatted data is displayed in a rotating or ticker fashion having both a passive mode, in which the formatted data is displayed in a sequence independent of any selection operations by a television viewer, and active mode, in which the formatted data is displayed in a sequence that depends on selection operations by the television viewer. Advertisements and/or promotions may be interspersed among the content items. The navigable menu area and the content display area may be displayed to the viewer at the same time as television programming is displayed on the television.