Reconfigurable audiovisual previewing system and method of operation

• US 20040098453A1
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: PRN Corp. (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Stern, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A reconfigurable audiovisual previewing system includes a user interface module, a media communications module, and a plurality of application programs. One of the plurality of application programs is selected and configures the interface module to identify the product of interest. The selected application program also configures the media communications module to transmit, in response to the product'"'"'s identification, a request for related product information stored in said multimedia server, and to receive and play the product information retrieved from said multimedia file server in response to said transmitted request.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable audiovisual previewing system for providing product information related to a product of interest from a multimedia server to a customer, the reconfigurable audiovisual previewing system comprising:

a user interface module configured to identify said product of interest;

a media communications module coupled to said user interface module and a network management center that creates files with product information for distribution only to selected end clients, said media communications module configured to transmit, in response to said identification, a request for said product information stored in said multimedia server and to receive and play said product information retrieved from said multimedia file server and distributed to the selected end clients in response to said transmitted request, said media communications module including an MPEG audio player; and

a plurality of application programs,

wherein, in response to execution of one of said application programs, said reconfigurable previewing system is configured to communicate said product information and product information of a second product to said customer, the second product related to the product of interest.