Video rental/purchase system and methods
First Claim
1. A system for renting or purchasing video cassettes, digital video disks (DVDs), or video games over a global communications network (the internet), said system comprising:
- means for accessing said network by a user from a first predetermined location;
means for accessing a first video rental/sales outlet at a second predetermined location through said network for determining current availability of one or more designated video cassettes, digital video disks, or video games at said first video rental/sales outlet; and
means for reserving at least one said designated video cassette, digital video disk, or video game at said video rental/sales outlet through said network by said user at said first predetermined location.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive video rental/purchase system enables a potential renter/purchaser to determine the availability of one or more videos from one or more video retail outlets via the internet on a home personal computer. The system provides the user with pricing information, the most geographically convenient location at which one or more videos is currently available, and enables the user to reserve one or more selected videos by placing an immediate hold on the selections. The system also provides the user with access to additional information including trailers of available videos, critics'"'"' reviews of the videos, and viewer feedback from other users who have viewed the videos.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A system for renting or purchasing video cassettes, digital video disks (DVDs), or video games over a global communications network (the internet), said system comprising:
-
means for accessing said network by a user from a first predetermined location;
means for accessing a first video rental/sales outlet at a second predetermined location through said network for determining current availability of one or more designated video cassettes, digital video disks, or video games at said first video rental/sales outlet; and
means for reserving at least one said designated video cassette, digital video disk, or video game at said video rental/sales outlet through said network by said user at said first predetermined location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
10. A system for renting or purchasing video cassettes, digital video disks (DVDs), or video games over a global communications network (the internet), said system comprising:
-
means for accessing said network by a user from a first predetermined location;
means for accessing a plurality of video rental/sales outlets at a plurality of different predetermined locations through said network for determining current availability of one or more designated video cassettes, digital video disks, or video games at each of said plurality of video rental/sales outlets;
means for reserving at least one said designated video cassette, digital video disk, or video game at one or more of said plurality of video rental/sales outlets through said network by said user at said first predetermined location;
means accessible by said user from said first predetermined location through said network for selectively previewing at said first predetermined location, a trailer of one or more of said designated video cassettes, digital video disks, or video games; and
means accessible by said user from said first predetermined location through said network for selectively viewing at said first predetermined location, commentary, reviews, or critiques of one or more of said designated video cassettes, digital video disks, or video games.
-
-
11. A method for renting or purchasing video cassettes, digital video disks (DVDs), or video games over a global communications network (the internet), the steps of said method comprising:
-
accessing at least a first video rental/sales outlet through said network by a user at a predetermined location;
determining the current availability of one or more designated video cassettes, digital video disks, or video games at said first video rental/sales outlet through said network by said user at said first predetermined location; and
reserving at least one said designated video cassette, digital video disk, or video game at said first video rental/sales outlet through said network by said user at said first predetermined location. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
Specification