Digital coupons for pay televisions

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus and method are presented for allowing users of services such as pay television to obtain credits when viewing particular programs.
The invention enables program service providers to transmit credit information in the form of "digital coupons" to individual subscriber terminals to promote particular programs and reward viewer loyalty.
A communication system in accordance with the present invention includes a controller for transmitting program services to a plurality of subscriber terminals via a communication channel.
The program service may include television programs which are broadcast or continuously transmitted on a predetermined schedule, pay-per-view programs which require specific user selection and either a local transacted or remotely transacted purchase, Near Video-On-Demand which is pay-per-view offered at staggered broadcast times, and Video-On-Demand services, which are transmitted only in response to a user request, or other electronic information such as computer software.
The communication channel may include a cable plant and/or satellite link, for example.
The program services can be selectively recovered by the subscriber terminals.
For example, a subscriber may select a particular program to view by tuning in the corresponding channel using an on-screen interface, e.
g.
Electronic Program Guide (EPG), and a remote control unit, or by transmitting a buy order for either PPV or Video-On-Demand programming.
The controller can deliver digital coupon information to the terminals along with program service data using any available technique, such as frequency or time multiplexing.
The digital coupon information allows the terminals to obtain credits when recovering particular programs as defined by preconditions of the digital coupon information.
For example, the subscriber may receive a credit for one free PPV program when the precondition of purchasing five PPV programs at regular prices has been met