VIDEO SYNCHRONIZED MERCHANDISING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110162002A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Relay Group Company
• Original Assignee: The Relay Group Company
• Inventors: Jones, Anthony E., Ruff, Evan M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,955,206 B2
• 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: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/47815 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an interactive viewing experience. Viewers of a video program, a motion picture, or a live action broadcast may access information regarding products displayed in the video program, motion picture or live action broadcast, and, if desired, enter transactions to purchase the featured products that are displayed in the video program, motion picture or live action broadcast. The video program, motion picture, or live action broadcast is presented to viewers on a primary interface device such as a television, a video display monitor, a computer display, a projector projecting moving images onto a screen, or any other display device capable of receiving and displaying moving images. The featured products are purposefully placed in the various scenes of the video program motion picture, or live action broadcast so that they are prominently displayed when the video program, motion picture or live action broadcast presented to one or more viewers. A secondary interface presents information about the featured products as the featured products appear during the presentation of the video program, motion picture, or live action broadcast. The secondary interface further provides a mechanism by which viewers may purchase the featured products via the secondary interface.

Claims

1. A merchandising system for presenting and selling one or more products to consumers, the merchandising system comprising:

a video display device adapted to present a video program that includes video images of the one or more products, the video images of the one or more products appearing at specific elapsed program run times of a presentation of the video program;

a remote display device having a processor and a memory, the memory storing a software application to be executed by the processor for presenting a merchandising interface on the remote display device and a merchandising script corresponding to the video program identifying the elapsed program run times at which the video images of the one or more products in the presentation of the video program; and

a merchandising interface timer for synchronizing execution of the merchandising script with a program running time of the video program such that information about the one or more products is displayed on the remote display device at times corresponding to elapsed program run times at which the video images of the one or more products appear in the presentation of the video program when the video program is presented on the video display device.

2. The merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the remote display device comprises one of:

a personal computer, a laptop computer, a slate computer, a wireless telephone, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a feature phone, a portable music player, a portable video player or a personal digital assistant device.

3. The merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the merchandising timer is adapted to synchronize the merchandising script with the running program time of the video program according to a scheduled presentation of the video program.

4. The merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the merchandising timer is adapted to be manually started when the a presentation of the video program is started.

5. The merchandising system of claim 1 further comprising a video storage device, wherein the video program is stored on the video storage device and the merchandising timer is synchronized with the running program time of the video program corresponding to a request to play the video program from the video storage device.

6. The merchandising system of claim 1 further comprising a merchandising server, wherein the remote display device comprises a network enabled device adapted to communicate with the merchandising server via a packet switched network.

7. The merchandising system of claim 6 wherein the merchandising interface is adapted to provide video program viewing options to a user, receive user input for selecting one of the video program viewing options, and communicate a user selection to the merchandising server.

8. The merchandising system of claim 7 wherein the merchandising server is adapted to store one or more merchandising scripts each merchandising script corresponding to one of the one or more video programs, and to send a merchandising script corresponding to the video program selected by the user to the remote display device along with synchronization data for synchronizing the merchandising timer with a presentation of the video program.

9. The merchandising system of claim 8 wherein the merchandising server is adapted to store a product catalog identifying and storing information about the products identified in the merchandising scripts stored on the merchandising server and wherein the merchandising server is adapted to send information about the products to the remote display device in response to a request for the product information received from the remote display device.

10. The merchandising system of claim 9 wherein the application is adapted to request product information from the merchandising server for products identified in the merchandising script corresponding to the presentation of the video program at a time in advance of a time identified in the merchandising script at which the product information is to be displayed by the remote display device in accordance with the merchandising script.

11. The merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the software application when executed by the processor is further adapted to provide an interface page allowing a user to purchase one of the products included in the video images presented in the video program.

12. The merchandising system of claim 1 wherein the software application is further adapted to receive a user input selecting one of the products included in the video images presented in the video program and to store information about the selected product so that the user may view the information about the selected product and purchase the selected product at a later time.

13. A product merchandising system comprising:

a video display device adapted to receive and present a video program, the video program including video images of one or more products offered for sale via the merchandising system and which are displayed on the video display device during a presentation of the video program;

a merchandising server storing a merchandising script corresponding to the video program, the merchandising script identifying one or more product display times corresponding to one or more video program running times at which the images of the one or more products offered for sale via the merchandising system appear in a presentation of the video program;

a user interface device communicatively coupled to the merchandising server via a network, the user interface device executing an application for presenting a merchandising interface to a user, the application adapted to receive the merchandising script along with information about the one or more products offered for sale via the merchandising system from the merchandising server and synchronization information for synchronizing operation of the merchandising interface with the presentation of the video program such that the merchandising interface displays information about the one or more products offered for sale via the merchandising system according to the merchandising script, the information about the one or more products offered for sale via the merchandising system is presented via the merchandising interface at times corresponding to the one or more times at which the one or more products appear in the video program as the video program is presented on the video display device.

14. The product merchandising system of claim 13 wherein the user interface device comprises one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a slate computer, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a feature phone, a portable music player, a portable video player, or a personal digital assistant.

15. The product merchandising system of claim 13 wherein the synchronization information comprises a scheduled start time for the presentation of the video program.

16. The merchandising system of claim 13 wherein the synchronization information comprises a manually entered input signal indicating the start of the presentation of the video program.

17. The merchandising system of claim 13 further comprising a video storage device, the video program being stored in the video storage device and the synchronization information comprises a signal corresponding to a request to begin presenting the video program from the video storage device.

18. The merchandising system of claim 17 wherein the merchandising interface is adapted to present a list of a plurality of video programs available for viewing, to receive user input for selecting one of the video programs for viewing, and communicate the user selection to the merchandising server.

19. The merchandising system of claim 18 wherein the merchandising server is adapted to store a plurality of merchandising scripts, each merchandising script corresponding to one of the plurality of video programs available for viewing, and to send the merchandising script corresponding to the video program selected by the user to the remote display device along with the synchronization information for synchronizing the operation of the merchandising interface with the presentation of the selected video program.

20. The merchandising system of claim 13 wherein the merchandising interface is adapted to present a list of one or more video programs available for viewing, the list based at least in part on at least one of a user location, a video content provider providing video content to the user, a time of day, or scheduled content to be presented by a video content provider.

21. The merchandising system of claim 13 wherein the merchandising server is adapted to store a product catalog identifying and storing information about the products identified in the merchandising scripts stored on the merchandising server and wherein the merchandising server is adapted to send information about the products to the user interface device in response to requests for the product information received from the user interface device.

22. The merchandising system of claim 21 wherein the user interface device is adapted to request product information from the merchandising server for products identified in the merchandising script corresponding to the presentation of the video program at a time in advance of a time at which the product information is to be displayed by the merchandising interface device in accordance with the merchandising script.

23. The merchandising system of claim 21 wherein the merchandising server is adapted to push product information to the user interface device in advance of a time at which the product information is to be displayed by the merchandising interface.

24. The merchandising system of claim 13 wherein the interface device is further adapted to provide a communication channel for executing a transaction to purchase one or more of the products presented in the video program.

25. A merchandising method for selling products appearing in a video program, the method comprising:

creating a merchandising script corresponding to the video program, the merchandising script identifying one or more product display times corresponding to elapsed video program running times at which images of the one or more products appear in the video program when the video program is presented to a viewer;

synchronizing the merchandising script with a presentation of the video program;

displaying product information for the one or more products on a remote interface device at the product display times according to the merchandising script such that the product information for the one or more products are displayed on the remote interface device at times substantially corresponding to the elapsed video program running times at which the images of the one or more products appear in the video program; and

providing a sales interface allowing a user to purchase one or more of the products via the remote interface device.

26. The merchandising method of claim 25 wherein synchronizing the merchandising script with the presentation of the video program comprises starting execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to a start of the presentation of the video program.

27. The merchandising method of claim 26 wherein starting the execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to the start of the presentation of the video program comprises starting the execution of the merchandising script according to a scheduled broadcast presentation time of the video program.

28. The merchandising method of claim 26 wherein starting the execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to the start of the presentation of the video program comprises starting the execution of the merchandising script at substantially the same time as starting playback of the video program from a video storage device.

29. The merchandising method of claim 26 wherein starting the execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to the start of the presentation of the video program comprises starting the execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to the same time a starting a streaming video session.

30. The merchandising method of claim 25 wherein the video program comprises a live broadcast of an event and wherein creating the merchandising script corresponding to the video program comprises identifying products as they appear in the live broadcast.

31. The merchandising method of claim 25 wherein providing a sales interface allowing a user to purchase one or more of the products via the remote interface device comprises providing a link to a merchandising server adapted to initiate a sales transaction for the one or more of the products via the remote interface device.

32. The merchandising method of claim 31 wherein the remote interface device comprises one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a slate computer, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a feature phone, a portable music player, a portable video player, or a personal digital assistant.

33. A merchandising server comprising:

a processor;

a database storing product information relating to a plurality of products and one or more video program merchandising scripts; and

a computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, are adapted to cause the merchandising server to perform the steps of;

receiving a request for one of the video program merchandising scripts from a remote client device over a network connection;

accessing the requested video program merchandising script from the database and sending the requested video program merchandising script to the remote client device over the network;

accessing the product information relating to at least some of the plurality of products from the database and sending the product information to the remote client device; and

processing a request to purchase one of the at least some of the plurality of products received from the remote client device over the network connection.

34. The merchandising server of claim 33 wherein the one or more merchandising scripts stored in the database comprise an indexed timeline corresponding to the running time of a video program, the merchandising script identifying elapsed video program running times at which various products of said plurality of products stored in the database appear in a presentation of the video program.

35. The merchandising server of claim 33 wherein the product information relating to a plurality of products comprises an image and a brief description of each product of said plurality of products.

36. The merchandising server of claim 35 wherein the product information relating to a plurality of products includes a catalog number for each product of said plurality of products.

37. The merchandising server of claim 33 wherein the computer instructions stored on the computer readable medium, when executed by the processor, are further adapted to cause the merchandising server to send synchronization data to the remote client device for synchronizing the video program merchandising script with a presentation of the video program.

38. The merchandising server of claim 33 wherein the synchronization data comprises a scheduled start time for a broadcast presentation of a video program corresponding to the requested video program merchandising script.

39. The merchandising server of claim 33 wherein the synchronization data comprises a signal for simultaneously starting a presentation of the video program on a video display device and starting the merchandising script on the remote client device.

40. An interface device for interacting with a video synchronized merchandising system, the interface device comprising:

a display screen for presenting information to a user;

one or more inputs for receiving user input commands;

a processor;

a memory;

a network communication module; and

a merchandising interface application stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor, the merchandising application adapted to execute a merchandising script synchronized to a presentation of a video program on a video display device such that product information relating to products appearing in the video program is displayed on the display screen of the interface device at a time substantially corresponding to a time at which images of the products appear in the video program.

41. The interface device of claim 40 wherein the network communication module is adapted to communicate with a remote merchandising server over a network.

42. The interface device of claim 41 wherein the merchandising interface application, when executed by the processor, is further adapted to receive a list of available video programs from the remote server and to display the list on the display screen.

43. The interface device of claim 42 wherein the merchandising interface application, when executed by the processor, is further adapted to receive user input selecting one of the available video programs for viewing, communicate which video program as been selected to the remote server, and receive a merchandising script corresponding to the selected video program from the remote server.

44. The interface device of claim 43 wherein the merchandising interface application, when executed by the processor, is further adapted to receive synchronization data from the remote server for synchronizing execution of the merchandising script by the interface application with a presentation of the selected video program.

45. The interface device of claim 44 wherein the merchandising interface application, when executed processor, is further adapted to request and receive product information from the remote server relating to products identified in the merchandising script and to display the received product information on the display screen according to the merchandising script.

46. The interface device of claim 40 wherein the merchandising interface application, when executed by the processor, is further adapted to provide a link to a network resource for purchasing one or more products appearing in the video program.

47. A method of merchandising a plurality of products that appear in a video program, the method comprising:

storing information about the products that appear in the video program in a memory device;

creating a merchandising script identifying video program running times at which images of the products appear in a presentation of the video program;

synchronizing the merchandising script with a presentation of the video program;

displaying information about the products according to the merchandising script on an interface device such that information about the products that appear in the video program is displayed at times corresponding to the video running times at which images of the products appear during the presentation of the video program.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein synchronizing the merchandising script with the presentation of the video program comprises starting execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to a start of the presentation of the video program.

49. The merchandising method of claim 48 wherein starting the execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to the start of the presentation of the video program comprises starting the execution of the merchandising script according to a scheduled broadcast presentation of the video program.

50. The merchandising method of claim 48 wherein starting the execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to the start of the presentation of the video program comprises starting the execution of the merchandising script at substantially the same time as starting playback of the video program from a video storage device.

51. The merchandising method of claim 48 wherein starting the execution of the merchandising script at a time substantially corresponding to the start of the presentation of the video program comprises starting the execution of the merchandising script at substantially the same time as starting a streaming video session.

52. The method of claim 47 further comprising providing a sales interface allowing a user to purchase one or more of the products via the interface device.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein providing a sales interface comprises providing a link to a merchandising server adapted to initiate a sales transaction for the purchase of the one or more of the products via the interface device.

54. The method of claim 47 wherein the interface device comprises one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a slate computer, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a feature phone, a portable music player, a portable video player, or a personal digital assistant.