Method and system for marketing items displayed in entertainment programs such as music videos, television programs, and the like

• US 20050267813A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward M. Monday
• Original Assignee: Edward M. Monday
• Inventors: Monday, Edward M.
• Application Number:
  US10/853,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method of marketing an item is provided. Items are displayed during an entertainment program. Information corresponding to the source(s) for purchase of the displayed item(s) is presented to the viewer of the entertainment program by a video or audio overlay. In one embodiment of the inventive system, contact information for the source of purchasing the items is presented in the overlay. In another embodiment a pointer, such as a web address is presented via the overlay. The web address provides the viewer with the location of a website in which information can be obtained to purchase item(s) displayed during the entertainment program. The website can include a database list of items that are displayed in the entertainment program, which can be searched by program title, entertainer name and other similar criteria.

Claims

1. A method of marketing items comprising the steps of:

displaying during an entertainment program an item;

obtaining information regarding a source for purchase of said item;

generating a program overlay corresponding to said source information; and

presenting during the entertainment program said program overlay.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of presenting said program overlay is generally concurrent with said step of displaying said item.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said program overlay includes said source information.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said source information includes a seller'"'"'s name, a seller'"'"'s physical address, a seller'"'"'s web address, a seller'"'"'s email address or a seller'"'"'s phone number.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said program overlay includes a pointer to said source information.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said pointer comprises a web address for a website containing said source information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said website includes a listing of multiple items and source information for each of said items.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said program overlay comprises a video overlay.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said program overlay comprises a scrolling marquee.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 where said program overlay comprises a caption.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said caption comprises a caption-bubble.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said program overlay comprises an audio overlay.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said program overlay is separable from said entertainment program display.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said entertainment program comprises a music video.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 where said item comprises a clothing item worn by an entertainer in said music video.

16. A system for marketing items comprising:

a primary display for displaying an entertainment program, the entertainment program including an item;

a storage medium for storing information corresponding to a source for purchase of said item; and

a program overlay generated from said storage medium and presented during the entertainment program.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said program overlay is presented generally concurrent with said item in said primary display.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the entertainment program comprises a music video.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the storage medium comprises a database.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the storage medium comprises a television broadcast signal.

21. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said program overlay comprises a display overlay.

22. A method of marketing items comprising the steps of:

displaying an item during an entertainment program;

associating information about said item in a list with the entertainment program; and

providing purchasers access to said list.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said list is posted on a website.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23 further comprising the step of presenting a web address for said website during the entertainment program and generally concurrent with said step of displaying said item.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said associating step comprises listing said information about said item in connection with a title of the entertainment program.

26. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said associating step comprises listing said information about said item in connection with a name of an entertainer in the entertainment program.

27. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said information about said item comprises a seller'"'"'s name, a seller'"'"'s physical address, a seller'"'"'s web address, a seller'"'"'s email address, or a seller'"'"'s phone number.

28. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the entertainment program comprises a music video and said associating step comprises listing said information about said item in connection with a title or artist of said music video.

29. A system for marketing items comprising:

a program display for displaying an entertainment program, the entertainment program including an item;

a database for storing information about said item and information relating to the entertainment program; and

an information display for displaying said information about said item in response to a query of said information relating to the entertainment program.

30. The system as claimed in claim 29 wherein said information display comprises a program overlay to said program display.

31. The system as claimed in claim 29 wherein said information display comprises a website.