Method and system for improved interactive television processing

• US 10,368,135 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HSNi LLC (Qurate Retail Group (f/k/a Liberty Interactive Corporation))
• Original Assignee: HSNi LLC (Qurate Retail Group (f/k/a Liberty Interactive Corporation))
• Inventors: Johnson, Gerard C., Bunner, Sean, McDevitt, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US15/267,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4185 for payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed to transmit electronic information to a user of a step-top box. The system includes a database that stores user registration and product information data. A set-top box is also provided that communicates with a remote controller with a touch screen and a server broadcasts the product information data to a plurality of set-top boxes for display on touch screens of remote controller communicating with the set-top boxes, respectively, without the product information being designated for a specific user of one set-top box. The server also transmits updated product information data that replaces a portion of the original product information data. Furthermore, a processor compares data relating to a transaction request from a user of one set-top box with user registration data stored in the database to identify the user, and that generates customized transaction data that is transmitted to the identified user.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting information to a user of a step-top box, the system comprising:

a database configured to store user registration data and product information data relating to a plurality of products;

a set-top box communicatively coupled to a remote control device having a touch screen;

a server configured to;

broadcast the product information data of at least one of the plurality of products to a plurality of set-top boxes, including the set-top box, to be displayed on touch screens of a plurality of remote control devices communicatively coupled to the plurality of set-top boxes, respectively, without the product information data being designated for a specific user of one of the plurality of set-top boxes, and

transmit updated product information data that replaces at least a portion of the previously transmitted product information data of the at least one of the plurality of products to the plurality of set-top boxes to be displayed on the touch screens of the plurality of remote control devices, respectively; and

a processor configured to;

compare data relating to a transaction request from a user of the set-top box with user registration data of the user stored in the database to identify the user, and

generate personalized user transaction data and personalized product information for the identified user of the set-top box,

wherein the server is further configured to transmit programming instructions that include the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information to the set-top box, such that the programming instructions configure the set-top box to control the remote control device communicatively coupled to the set-top box to display the personalized product information in a customized manner on the touch screen of the remote control device, with the customized manner of display being different than the display of the product information data that is broadcast to the plurality of set-top boxes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to transmit the updated product information data to the plurality of set-top boxes on a periodic basis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information for the identified user of the set-top box based on a state of a virtual shopping basket of the identified user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to transmit the product information data, the updated product information data, and the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information to the set-top box over a computer network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction request from the user of the set-top box is generated through a voice response system integrated in the remote control device communicatively coupled to the set-top box.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server broadcasts the product information data to the plurality of set-top boxes and transmits the updated product information data and the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information to the set-top box of the identified user via one of a satellite and a content provider.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the product information data relating to at least one of the plurality of products includes product information and order information for the at least one of the plurality of products, and the product information data includes a first portion for display of an initial page for a first product of the plurality of products and a second portion for display of a second page for a second product of the plurality of products.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information includes at least one of a specialized price based on the identified user, payment options available for the identified user, tax calculation and shipping and handling calculations based on the identified user'"'"'s geographical location, shipping and handling options available for the identified user, and coupons and rebates available to the identified user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the programming instructions includes metadata that defines how the product information data is presented on the touch screen of the remote control device communicatively coupled to the set-top box of the identified user via a user interface application.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to transmit the updated product information data via a continuous data stream to the set top box of the identified user, wherein the second updated product information data replaces at least part of the first updated product information data displayed on the touch screen of the remote control device communicatively coupled to the set-top box of the identified user.

11. A method for transmitting information to a user of a step-top box, the method comprising:

storing, in a database, user registration data and product information data relating to a plurality of products;

broadcasting, by a server the product information data of at least one of the plurality of products to a plurality of set-top boxes to be displayed on touch screens of a plurality of remote control devices communicatively coupled to the plurality of set-top boxes, respectively, without the product information data being designated for a specific user of one of the plurality of set-top boxes;

transmitting, by the server, updated product information data that replaces at least a portion of the previously transmitted product information data of the at least one of the plurality of products to the plurality of set-top boxes to be displayed on the touch screens of the plurality of remote control devices, respectively;

comparing, by a processor, data relating to a transaction request from a user of one of the plurality of set-top boxes with user registration data of the user stored in the database to identify the user of the one set-top box;

generating, by the processor, personalized user transaction data and personalized product information for the identified user of the set-top box; and

transmitting, by the server, programming instructions that include the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information to the set-top box, such that the programming instructions configure the set-top box to control the remote control device communicatively coupled to the set-top box to display the personalized product information in a customized manner on the touch screen of the remote control device, with the customized manner of display being different than the display of the product information data that is broadcast to the plurality of set-top boxes.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, by the server, the updated product information data to the plurality of set-top boxes on a periodic basis.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating, by the processor, the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information for the identified user of the one set-top box based on a state of a virtual shopping basket of the identified user.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, by the server, the product information data, the updated product information data, and the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information to the one set-top box of the identified user over a computer network.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating the transaction request through a voice response system integrated in the remote control device communicatively coupled to the one set-top box of the identified user.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising visually displaying the product information data via a user interface application on the remote control device communicatively coupled to the one set-top box of the identified user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting, by the server, navigation information that enables navigation of multiple pages of the user interface application.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting the personalized user transaction data and the personalized product information on the remote control device communicatively coupled to the one set-top box of the identified user as part of the user interface application.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

processing, by the processor, a product request; and

transmitting, by the server, real-time confirmation of the product request to the one set-top box of the identified user.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, by the server, second updated product information data via a continuous data stream to the one set-top box of the identified user, wherein the second updated product information data replaces at least part of the updated product information data displayed on the touch screen of the remote control device communicatively coupled to the set-top box of the identified user.