System and method for preprogrammed purchasing of television offered products

• US 20030182658A1
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Index Systems Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is an improved interactive television system and method for t-commerce. The data for upcoming products is pre-loaded into the system'"'"'s memory. When a product becomes available, a “trigger” appears on the Vertical Blanking Interval (“VBI”) of the shopping channel that causes the system to display special graphics with which the user can interact to order a product. The displayed special graphics may include text, graphics, and/or video about the product. A user can browse a list of upcoming products and select items that he or she wishes to purchase, as soon as the products become available. The system then monitors the VBI of the shopping channel and when a trigger for a selected product appears in the VBI, the system immediately sends a message (the order form) to the order center of the shopping channel and orders the product. The system can accomplish this function unattended while the user is asleep or otherwise occupied.

Claims

1. A method for preprogrammed purchasing of television offered products comprising:

prompting a user to input order information for a product;

receiving the order information from the user;

storing the received order information in a memory;

receiving a trigger instruction in the television signal; and

transmitting the stored order information to a remote site, responsive to the trigger instruction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger instruction are received in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information about one or more products in the VBI of the television signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information about one or more products in a memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting step comprises:

displaying information about a plurality of products;

selecting one or more products from the displayed information; and

displaying an order form for the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information about a plurality of products and the order form are displayed in an interactive programming guide.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the information about a plurality of products and the order form are displayed in a full screen television mode.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying information about a plurality of products is based on a user profile.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the displayed order form includes information about the one or more selected products.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the displayed order form includes information about the user based on a user profile.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the displayed information about a plurality of products includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting step comprises:

displaying information about a product; and

displaying an order form for the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information about the product and the order form are displayed in an interactive programming guide.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information about the product and the order form are displayed in a full screen television mode.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying information about a product is based on a user profile.

16. the method of claim 12, wherein the displayed order form includes information about the product.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the displayed order form includes information about the user based on a user profile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the information about the user includes one or more of user'"'"'s name, user'"'"'s address, and a credit card number.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the displayed information about the product includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information about one or more products in the trigger instruction.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the stored order information to a remote site via a wireless network.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the stored order information to a remote site via a telephone network.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the stored order information to a remote site via the Internet.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the stored order information to a remote site via a pager network.

25. A method for preprogramming a purchase of television offered products comprising:

receiving information about a product;

storing the information about the product in a memory receiving a first trigger instruction in a television signal;

displaying the information about the product, responsive to the first trigger instruction;

displaying an order form for a user to input order information for the product, responsive to the first trigger instruction;

receiving the order information from the user;

storing the received order information in the memory;

receiving a second trigger instruction in the television signal; and

sending the stored order information to a remote site, responsive to the second trigger instruction.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the information about product and the order form are displayed in an interactive programming guide.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the information about the product and the order form are displayed in a full screen television mode.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second trigger instructions are received in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving information about a product is according to a user profile.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the displaying information about a product is according to a user profile.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the displayed order form includes information about the product.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the displayed order form includes information about the user according to a user profile.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the information about the user includes one or more of user'"'"'s name, user'"'"'s address, and a credit card number.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the displayed information about the product includes one or more of text, graphics, and video.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the sending step comprises sending the stored order information to a remote site via a wireless network.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the sending step comprises sending the stored order information to a remote site via a telephone network.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the sending step comprises sending the stored order information to a remote site via the Internet.

38. The method of claim 25, wherein the sending step comprises sending the stored order information to a remote site via a pager network.

39. A television system for preprogramming a purchase of television offered products comprising:

a receiver for receiving a trigger instruction in a television signal;

a display processor for prompting a user to input order information for a product;

a user interface for receiving the order information from the user;

a memory for storing the received order information; and

a back channel for transmitting the stored order information to a remote site, responsive to the trigger instruction.

40. The television system of claim 39, wherein the trigger instruction is received by the receiver in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal.

41. The television system of claim 39, the receiver further receives information about one or more products in the VBI of the television signal.

42. The television system of claim 39, wherein the memory further stores information about one or more products.

43. The television system of claim 49, wherein the back channel transmits the stored order information to a remote site via a wireless network.

44. The television system of claim 49, wherein the back channel transmits the stored order information to a remote site via a telephone network.

45. The television system of claim 49, wherein the back channel transmits the stored order information to a remote site via the Internet.

46. The television system of claim 49, wherein the back channel transmits the stored order information to a remote site via a pager network.

47. A television system for preprogramming a purchase of television offered products comprising:

means for receiving information about a product;

means for storing the information about the product;

means for receiving a first trigger instruction in a television signal;

means for displaying the information about a product, responsive to the first trigger instruction;

means for displaying an order form for a user to input order information for the product, responsive to the first trigger instruction;

means for receiving the order information from the user;

means for storing the received order information;

means for receiving a second trigger instruction in the television signal; and

means for sending the stored order information to a remote site, responsive to the second trigger instruction.