MERCHANDISE PURCHASING SYSTEM, RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM
First Claim
1. A merchandise purchasing system wherein an index server and a merchandise data server are capable of transmitting an index table and merchandise data to a digital recording/reproducing apparatus via the Internet, the index server storing the starting time and the ending time of a program image or of a commercial (CM) image of an image stream or storing an index table containing character information, the merchandise data server storing merchandise data relative to a program image or a CM image, the digital recording/reproducing system comprising a digital recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording an image stream consisting of program images and CM images and a television capable of reproducing and outputting a recorded image stream, the digital recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:
- a data receiving means for receiving an index table;
a merchandise data receiving means for receiving merchandise data from the merchandise data server;
a control means for reproducing an image stream on the television by using a received index table and for outputting merchandise data to the television; and
a purchase-wish-data transmitting means for transmitting purchase wish data relative to merchandise data output therefrom to the merchandise data server.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The system is capable of obtaining merchandise information from an image on a television screen. The user selects an article or a service of interest and presses a button on a remote control. The information is transmitted to a server, which returns merchandise data relating to the selected article or service and outputs it to the television screen. The system allows the user to select and purchase the article or service and displays information on a merchandise purchase screen.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A merchandise purchasing system wherein an index server and a merchandise data server are capable of transmitting an index table and merchandise data to a digital recording/reproducing apparatus via the Internet, the index server storing the starting time and the ending time of a program image or of a commercial (CM) image of an image stream or storing an index table containing character information, the merchandise data server storing merchandise data relative to a program image or a CM image, the digital recording/reproducing system comprising a digital recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording an image stream consisting of program images and CM images and a television capable of reproducing and outputting a recorded image stream, the digital recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:
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a data receiving means for receiving an index table; a merchandise data receiving means for receiving merchandise data from the merchandise data server; a control means for reproducing an image stream on the television by using a received index table and for outputting merchandise data to the television; and a purchase-wish-data transmitting means for transmitting purchase wish data relative to merchandise data output therefrom to the merchandise data server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A digital recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording an image stream consisting of program images and commercial (CM) images and capable of being connected to a television capable of reproducing and outputting a recorded image stream, the digital recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:
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an index table receiving means for receiving an index table from an index server in which an index table containing starting time and ending time of a program image or a CM image of an image stream or containing character information is stored; a merchandise data receiving means for receiving merchandise data from a merchandise data server in which merchandise data relative to a program image or a CM image is stored; a control means capable of reproducing an image on a television by use of a received index table and capable of outputting merchandise data received by the merchandise data receiving means to the television; and a purchase-wish-data transmitting means for transmitting purchase wish data relative to the merchandise data output to the television to the merchandise data server. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A computer program product comprising program code for a digital recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording an image stream consisting of program images and commercial (CM) images, for reproducing and outputting a recorded image stream, and for allowing a control computer of the digital recording/reproducing apparatus to execute the following steps:
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an index table receiving step of receiving an index table from an index server in which an index table containing starting time and ending time of a program image or a CM image of an image stream or containing character information is stored; a merchandise data receiving step of receiving merchandise data from a merchandise data server in which merchandise data relative to a program image or a CM image is stored; a control step of reproducing an image stream on a television by use of a received index table and outputting merchandise data received by the merchandise data receiving means to the television; and a purchase-wish-data transmitting step of transmitting purchase wish data relative to the merchandise data output to the television to the merchandise data server. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A computer program product comprising program code for a digital recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording an image stream consisting of program images and CM images and capable of being connected to a television capable of reproducing and outputting a recorded image stream, and the program allows a control computer of the digital recording/reproducing apparatus to execute:
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an index table receiving step of receiving an index table from an index server in which an index table containing starting time and ending time of a program image or a CM image of an image stream or containing character information is stored; a control step of reproducing an image on a television by use of a received index table; a merchandise-data request signal detecting step of detecting a merchandise-data request signal to request detailed merchandise data relative to a reproduced image; a merchandise-data request signal transmitting step of transmitting the fact that the merchandise-data request signal has been detected to a merchandise data server; a merchandise-data receiving step of receiving merchandise data relative to a merchandise-data request signal from the merchandise data server; a merchandise-data outputting step of outputting received merchandise data to the television; and a purchase-wish-data transmitting step of transmitting purchase wish data relative to the merchandise data output to the television to the merchandise data server.
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Specification