DIRECT MARKETING ON TELEVISION OVER INTERNET

• US 20090254938A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric US Incorporated (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric US Incorporated (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Mortensen, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/099,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for effectively and non-intrusively directly marketing a manufacturer'"'"'s consumer electronic products on the screen of a television over a TCP/IP or other communication link. In a television that preferably includes a screen, an OSD controller, a video display system coupled to the screen and OSD controller, a CPU coupled to the OSD controller, and a modem or other means coupled to the CPU and used to communicate with a manufacturer'"'"'s server over the internet or other network. The CPU preferably includes non-volatile memory and software stored in the memory. The software includes a menu system that includes a direct marketing menu item; selection of which by the user enables the download of marketing content over the internet and display on the television. The software further includes a set of instructions for accessing upon system power on or after a predetermined period of time of television operation a manufacturer'"'"'s server to check for updated marketing content and display of an icon indicating the availability of marketing content.

Claims

1. A television comprising

a screen,

an on-screen-display (OSD) controller,

a display system coupled to the screen and the OSD controller,

a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the OSD controller, and

a means to communicate with a manufacturer of the television'"'"'s server over the internet or other network, wherein the CPU includes non-volatile memory and software stored in the memory, the software comprises a series of instructions for displaying a menu system that includes a direct marketing menu item and, in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the marketing menu item, a series of instructions for accessing the manufacture'"'"'s marketing content over the internet.

2. The television of claim 1, wherein the software further comprise a series of instruction for displaying a sub-menu in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the marketing menu item, wherein the sub-menu comprises a plurality of selection options corresponding to different categories of marketing content that could be accessed.

3. The television of claim 1, wherein the software includes a series of instructions to automatically access the manufacturer'"'"'s server upon power up of the television to check for news or updates since the previous time the television accessed the server.

4. The television of claim 3, wherein the software includes a series of instructions to cause the OSD to display an icon on the screen indicating to the user the availability of news and updates.

5. The television of claim 1, wherein the software includes a series of instructions to automatically access the manufacturer'"'"'s server after a predetermined period of time of television operation to check for news or updates since the previous time the television accessed the server.

6. The television of claim 5, wherein the software includes a series of instructions to cause the OSD to display an icon on the screen indicating to the user the availability of news and updates.

7. The television of claim 6, wherein the software includes a series of instructions to access news or updates available from the manufacturer in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the menu icon.

8. The television of claim 7 wherein the software includes a series of instructions causing the display of a marketing sub-menu in response to a user selection of the menu icon, wherein the sub-menu comprise a plurality of selection options corresponding to different categories of marketing content that is available for accessing.

9. The television of claim 4, wherein the software includes a series of instructions to access news or updates available from the manufacturer in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the menu icon.

10. The television of claim 9 wherein the software includes a series of instructions causing the display of a marketing sub-menu in response to a user selection of the menu icon, wherein the sub-menu comprise a plurality of selection options corresponding to different categories of marketing content that is available for accessing.