Method and apparatus for integrated real-time interactive content insertion and monitoring in E-commerce enabled interactive digital TV

• US 6,308,327 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Liang-Jie, Liu, Lurng-Kuo, Menon, Jai Prakash, Chen, Jeane, Lipscomb, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/531,533
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 348/3, 348/9, 348/722, 345/327-8, 345/326, 345/328, 709/219, 725/32, 725/36, 725/37, 725/60, 725/42
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An improved method and apparatus are disclosed for selectively inserting interactive content into a live TV or recorded broadcasting presentation and tracking the usage of the inserted content by end user viewers of the presentation. The method and apparatus enable operators to watch the live audiovisual programming feed, view and navigate product lists from e-commerce servers, control the insertion of interactive content into the audiovisual programming, monitor the content insertion status, and track the usage by client viewers of the inserted content in real time. It is especially useful for interactive e-commerce applications.

Claims

1. A method for selectively inserting interactive content at a live TV studio into a TV broadcasting presentation whereby said interactive content is related to content of said broadcasting presentation, comprising:

storing at least one file containing interactive content and a list referring to said content;

capturing audiovisual programming from a TV broadcasting presentation;

monitoring a transaction services unit for viewer interaction with the interactive content;

presenting to an operator at the live TV studio said list;

enabling said operator at the live TV studio to navigate said list by scrolling the list;

enabling said operator at the live TV studio to navigate said list by display an interactive content of the list identified by an embedded hyperlink information;

enabling said operator at the live TV studio to navigate said list by sorting to rearrange the order of the contents;

enabling said operator at the live TV studio to preview an item of the interactive content in the list;

receiving from the operator at the live TV studio a selection of said content, an indication of a time for presentation of the selected content, and a position for presentation of the selected content within said broadcasting audiovisual programming; and

combining said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming based on the viewer interaction with the interactive content, said selected content being in said position for presentation and available at said time for presentation.

2. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

enabling said operator to watch said captured programming, view and navigate said list, and control insertion of said interactive content into said broadcasting programming.

3. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

receiving transaction results induced from viewers of said interactive content; and

tracking usage of said interactive content by said viewers.

4. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

monitoring e-commerce transaction results induced from said viewers.

5. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

automatically combining said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming by scheduling using an event-action mapping list.

6. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

automatically combining said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming by scheduling using a time-action mapping list.

7. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

enabling said operator to preview an item of the interactive content in the list.

8. A system for selectively inserting interactive content at a live TV studio into a TV broadcasting presentation whereby said interactive content is related to content of said broadcasting presentation, comprising:

a control unit including a computer and a memory, for referencing at least one file containing interactive content on either a remote or local computer and a list referring to said content;

a capture device coupled to the control unit and to a live programming content source, for capturing audiovisual programming from a TV broadcasting presentation at the live TV studio;

a display coupled to the control unit, for presenting at the live TV studio to an operator said list;

an input device coupled to the control unit, for receiving from the operator a selection of said content, an indication of a time for presentation of the selected content, and a position for presentation of the selected content within said broadcasting audiovisual programming;

a multiplexer coupled to the control unit and to a communications network, for combining said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming, said selected content being in said position for presentation and available at said time for presentation;

means enabling said operator at the live TV studio to navigate said list by sorting to rearrange the order of the contents;

means enabling said operator at the live TV studio to preview an item of the interactive content in the list; and

means combining said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming based on the viewer interaction with the interactive content, said selected content being in said position for presentation and available at said time for presentation.

9. The system of claim 8, which further comprises:

said control unit enabling said operator to watch said captured programming, view and navigate said list, and control insertion of said interactive content into said broadcasting programming.

10. The system of claim 8, which further comprises:

a transaction services unit coupled to the control unit and to the communications network, for receiving transaction results induced from viewers of said interactive content; and

said control unit tracking usage of said interactive content by said viewers.

11. The system of claim 8, which further comprises:

said control unit monitoring e-commerce transaction results returned from said viewers.

12. The system of claim 8, which further comprises:

said control unit controlling said multiplexer to automatically combine said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming by scheduling using an event-action mapping list.

13. The system of claim 8, which further comprises:

said control unit controlling said multiplexer to automatically combine said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming by scheduling using a time-action mapping list.

14. The system of claim 8, which further comprises:

said control unit enabling said operator to preview an item of the interactive content in the list.

15. A computer program for execution in a computer having a memory, to selectively insert interactive content at a alive TV studio into a TV broadcasting presentation whereby said interactive content is related to content of said broadcasting presentation, comprising:

program code for storing in the memory at least one file containing interactive content and a list referring to said content;

program code for capturing in the memory audiovisual programming from a TV broadcasting presentation;

program code for presenting at a live TV studio to an operator said list in a display coupled to the computer;

program code for receiving from the operator at a alive TV studio a selection of said content, an indication of a time for presentation of the selected content, and a position for presentation of the selected content within said broadcasting audiovisual programming;

program code for combining in a multiplexer coupled to the computer said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming, said selected content being in said position for presentation and available at said time for presentation;

program code enabling said operator at the live TV studio to navigate said list by sorting to rearrange the order of the contents;

program code enabling said operator at the live TV studio to preview an item of the interactive content in the list; and

program code combining said selected content with said broadcasting audiovisual programming based on the viewer interaction with the interactive content, said selected content being in said position for presentation and available at said time for presentation.

16. The computer program of claim 15, which further comprises:

program code for receiving transaction results induced from viewers of said interactive content; and

program code for tracking usage of said interactive content by said viewers.

17. The computer program of claim 15, which further comprises:

program code for monitoring e-commerce transaction results returned from said viewers.