System and method for establishing viewer shopping preferences based on viewing and listening preferences

• US 6,851,092 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Toft, Rolf, Dew, Aaron, Creed, Anthony Lionel, Gudorf, Greg, Chang, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D
• Application Number:
  US10/003,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 235/745, 235/747, 235/962, 235/168, 235/748, 235/789, 235/811, 235/826, 705/26, 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/962 Operator interface for marketing or sales

Abstract

A system and method for establishing recommended items for purchase or rental at a shopping kiosk, based on TV/DVD/CD etc. viewing profiles. A removable media such as a flash memory device can be inserted into an entertainment device receptacle, and the viewer'"'"'s subsequent viewing (or listening) habits, including selected programming and related data such as TV program category, title, etc., recorded to establish a profile. The media can be removed and taken to the shopping kiosk, where it is inserted and used by the kiosk to present a list of recommended items for purchase or rental, based on the viewing habit profile of the viewer.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing a viewer'"'"'s shopping experience, comprising the acts of:

engaging a removable memory device with a receptacle in communication with an entertainment device;

storing information related to user entertainment preferences on the memory device;

removing the memory device from the entertainment device;

engaging the memory device with a receptacle in communication with a shopping kiosk; and

presenting a display to a viewer of the kiosk at least partially based on the information stored on the memory device.

2. A method for enhancing shopping, comprising:

establishing communication between a memory device and an entertainment device;

recording viewer programming selections related to the entertainment device on the memory device;

establishing communication between the memory device and at least one shopping computer; and

based at least in part on the viewer programming selections, presenting product information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the memory device is a portable device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the acts of establishing communication include inserting the memory device into the entertainment device and shopping computer, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the shopping computer is a kiosk.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising matching products with viewer preferences based on the viewer selections.

7. A system for promoting purchase of a product, comprising:

at least one TV system receiving at least one channel signal;

at least one memory device removably engageable with the TV system for recording the channel associated with the channel signal; and

at least one shopping computer distanced from TV system and engageable with the memory device to receive information therefrom to present product information to a viewer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the shopping computer is a kiosk.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory device is a portable device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory device is insertable into the TV system and shopping computer, respectively.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the shopping computer matches products with viewer preferences based on the viewer selections of channels.

12. A system for enhancing shopping, comprising:

means for establishing communication between a memory device and a TV;

means for recording viewer selections of channels on the memory device;

means for establishing communication between the memory device and at least one shopping computer; and

means for, based at least in pan on the viewer selections of channels, presenting product information to a viewer.

13. The System of claim 12, wherein the memory device is a portable device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the shopping computer is a kiosk.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for matching products with viewer preferences based on the viewer selections of channels.