Interactive television for promoting goods and services

• US 20040181801A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gatelinx Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gatelinx Corporation
• Inventors: Hagen, David, Powell, Barrett, OʼHanlon, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US09/750,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A set top box may in one embodiment enable customers to use their televisions to purchase through a live sales agent The set top box may have a high or low bandwidth bi-directional communication link that enables video conferencing through the television for the presentation of sales material to support the sales agent in his efforts to sell a product to the customer.

Claims

1. A method of promoting commerce, comprising:

displaying an advertisement for a product on a remote unit;

accepting input through a device associated with said remote unit, said input from a potential consumer related to said advertisement;

connecting said potential consumer to a sales agent through said remote unit for an interactive sales pitch.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying an advertisement for a product on a remote unit comprises displaying on advertisement on a television.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively displaying indicia associated with said advertisement concurrently with said advertisement.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein accepting input through a device associated with said remote comprises said potential customer entering the indicia a remote control device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying an advertisement for a product on a remote unit comprises displaying a television program on the remote unit.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying an advertisement for a product on a remote unit comprises displaying a commercial on the remote unit.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the position of a customer positioned pointer to determine a product in which said customer is interested.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising viewing by said sales agent a video feed from said customer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein connecting said potential consumer to a sales agent through said remote unit for an interactive sales pitch comprises said sales agent pushing multimedia content down a high bandwidth connection to said customer for viewing on said remote unit.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein pushing multimedia content down a high bandwidth connection to said customer comprises using a satellite connection to push content to said customer.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein pushing multimedia content down a high bandwidth connection to said customer comprises using a wire based connection to push content to said customer.

12. A communication apparatus comprising:

a remote control device;

a set top box capable of wireless communication with said remote control device;

a remote unit communicatively connected to said set top box; and

a controller positioned within said set top box and adapted to control said display and receive input from said remote control device, said controller adapted to receive information relating to data presented on the display from the remote control device and establish a communication link to a remote location where a sales agent is located, said controller adapted to relinquish control of said display to said sales agent for interactive communication between the sales agent and a potential consumer associated with the remote control device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said remote unit is a television.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said communication link is adapted to be created over a satellite system.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said communication link is adapted to be created over a cable network.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said set top box further comprises a DVD player.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said set top box further comprises a CD player.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein said set top box further comprises a VHS player.

19. An interactive sales process comprising:

displaying an advertisement on a remote unit;

inducing a customer to actuate a remote control device to connect the remote unit to a remotely positioned sales agent through the remote unit;

establishing a two way audiovisual communication link between the sales agent and the customer; and

presenting content originating with the sales agent on the remote unit for viewing by the customer to promote a sale.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein presenting content originating with the sales agent comprises presenting a video image of the sales agent on the remote unit.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein presenting content originating with the sales agent comprises presenting an audio signal from the sales agent and a genie video representation of the sales agent.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising allowing the sales agent to direct web pages to the customer for viewing on the remote unit.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising soliciting payment information from the customer.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising generating shipping information for the customer after soliciting payment information.

25. A method for enabling sales, comprising:

providing a plurality of trained sales agents;

accepting an incoming call with information about an advertisement a potential customer was watching;

directing said incoming call to one of said plurality of trained sales agents based on said information;

directing a multimedia, interactive, videophone communication from said one of said plurality of trained sales agents to said customer including content select from the group consisting of;

web pages, prefilmed video clips, statistical data, still images, and a genie; and

soliciting payment information from the customer to consummate the sale.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein directing said incoming call to one of said plurality of trained sales agents comprises directing said incoming call to a sales agent within a managed portal network.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein directing said incoming call to one of said plurality of trained sales agents comprises directing said incoming call to a sales agent outside a managed portal network.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein soliciting payment information from the customer to consummate the sale comprises soliciting a credit card number from the customer.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising arranging for shipping the good sold to the customer.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising providing the customer with some information relating to the shipping.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein accepting an incoming call with information about an advertisement a potential customer was watching comprises accepting an incoming call with indicia related to embedded indicia in the advertisement.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein accepting an incoming call with information about an advertisement a potential customer was watching comprises accepting an incoming call with channel and timestamp information.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein accepting an incoming call with information about an advertisement a potential customer was watching comprises accepting an incoming call with channel, timestamp, and x-y coordinate information, said x-y coordinate relating to a location selected on the remote unit by the customer.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein accepting an incoming call with information about an advertisement a potential customer was watching comprises accepting an incoming call over a wirebased network.