Systems and methods for commerce in media program related merchandise

• US 20070156521A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yates, Doug
• Application Number:
  US11/323,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for delivering a media program and purchase opportunities related to the media program to user equipment. A media program and its related merchandise information can be located at a distribution facility. The distribution facility can tailor the purchase opportunities it provides to the user equipment based on the user equipment'"'"'s equipment category. When user equipment receives purchase opportunities, the user equipment can select the opportunities based on which types of merchandise are supported by the user equipment. The user equipment and/or a distribution facility may be able to determine the location of the user equipment. When the distribution facility provides merchandise information for physical merchandise to the user equipment, the merchandise information can be selected to include physical merchandise that are available for purchase at stores that are, for example, near the location of the user equipment.

Claims

1. A method for providing purchase opportunities related to a media program, wherein the purchase opportunities are tailored to different categories of user equipment, the method comprising:

receiving a request;

determining a category of user equipment for a user equipment which issued the request;

selecting purchase opportunities tailored to the category of user equipment, where the purchase opportunities are related to a media program, and

communicating the purchase opportunities to the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase opportunities include opportunities to purchase at least one of:

application-specific merchandise, electronic merchandise, and physical merchandise.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application-specific electronic merchandise include at least one of:

a ring tone, a wallpaper, a screen saver, a user interface skin, a video program, a video game, and a soundtrack.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user equipment identifier associated with the request, wherein the category of user equipment is determined based on the user equipment identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the category of user equipment is mobile user equipment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile user equipment supports a telephone application, and wherein the purchase opportunities include an opportunity to purchase a ring tone for the telephone application, wherein the ring tone is related to the media program.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the request, communicating the media program together with the purchase opportunities to the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting purchase opportunities tailored to the category of user equipment comprises:

providing categories of user equipment, wherein each of the categories of user equipment is associated with purchase opportunities related to the media program; and

accessing purchase opportunities associated with the category of user equipment for the user equipment which issued the request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the categories of user equipment is based on applications that are supported by the user equipment in that category.

10. A system for providing merchandise information for merchandise related to a media program to different categories of user equipment, the system comprising:

a communication circuit configured to;

receive a request from a user equipment, and

communicate a media program and purchase opportunities related to the media program to the user equipment; and

a processor circuit that executes machine instructions to;

determine a category of user equipment for the user equipment, and

provide purchase opportunities to the communication circuit for transmission to the user equipment, wherein the purchase opportunities are related to the media program and are tailored to the category of user equipment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the purchase opportunities include information for application-specific merchandise related to the media program.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a storage containing categories of user equipment and purchase opportunities associated with the categories of user equipment.

13. A method for tailoring purchase opportunities related to a media program, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of purchase opportunities related to a media program, wherein the purchase opportunities relate to a plurality of applications;

selecting purchase opportunities, from the plurality of purchase opportunities, that are related to supported applications; and

presenting an indication that purchase opportunities related to the supported applications are available.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing at least one of the purchase opportunities related to the supported application to a user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of purchase opportunities are related to a plurality of categories of user equipment.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a time interval for receiving an indication of interest in the purchase opportunities related to the supported applications.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

if an indication of interest is received during the time interval, displaying at least one option from;

an interactive option to preview merchandise associated with at least one of the purchase opportunities related to the supported applications, and

an interactive option to purchase the merchandise; and

receiving a selection of one of the at least one option.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one option is displayed in an interactive overlay.

19. A system for tailoring purchase opportunities related to a media program, the system comprising:

a communication circuit configured to receive a plurality of purchase opportunities related to a media program, wherein the purchase opportunities are related to a plurality of applications;

a processor that executes machine instructions to select purchase opportunities, from the plurality of purchase opportunities, that are related to supported applications; and

a display screen configured to present an indication that purchase opportunities related to the supported applications are available.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor executes machine instructions to provide at least one of the purchase opportunities related to the supported applications to a user.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of purchase opportunities relate to a plurality of categories of user equipment.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor executes machine instructions to provide a time interval for receiving an indication of interest in the purchase opportunities related to the supported applications.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein, if an indication of interest is received during the time interval, the processor executes machine instructions to display on the display screen at least one option from:

an interactive option to preview merchandise associated with at least one of the purchase opportunities related to the supported applications, and

an interactive option to purchase the merchandise.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one option is displayed in an interactive overlay.

25. A system for presenting purchase opportunities related to a television program through an interactive program guide, the system comprising:

a storage containing a plurality of purchase opportunities related to a television program, wherein the purchase opportunities are associated with categories of user equipment;

a communication circuit configured to communicate purchase opportunities;

a processor that executes machine instructions to select purchase opportunities based on their applicability to one category from the categories of user equipment; and

an interactive program guide that provides an indication that purchase opportunities related to the television program are available.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the interactive program guide is located on user equipment.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the interactive program guide is a networked interactive program guide.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the networked interactive program guide is configured to:

receive the one category of user equipment from a first user equipment in communication with the networked interactive program guide; and

provide the selected purchase opportunities to a second user equipment in communication with the networked interactive program guide, wherein the second user equipment is associated with to the one category of user equipment.

29. A method for presenting purchase opportunities related to a television program through an interactive program guide, the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of purchase opportunities related to a television program, wherein the purchase opportunities are associated with categories of user equipment;

selecting purchase opportunities based on their applicability to one category from the categories of user equipment; and

providing an indication that purchase opportunities related to the television program are available through the interactive program guide.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the interactive program guide is located on user equipment.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the interactive program guide is a networked interactive program guide.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

providing, from a first user equipment to the networked interactive program guide, the one category of user equipment from the categories of user equipment; and

communicating, to a second user equipment in communication with the networked interactive program guide, the selected purchase opportunities associated with the one category of user equipment.