Electronic commerce using streaming media

• US 8,434,113 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Taymor, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Retta, Yehdega
• Application Number:
  US09/413,101
• Time in Patent Office: 4,955 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/14.23, 725/32, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 725/51, 725/60
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for electronic commerce using streaming media, such as used in conjunction with a broadcast or internetworking environment. (1) E-commerce opportunities are combined with incentives for participation by recipients, enhancing the likelihood of responses from recipients and the value of distribution of the promotional information. Incentives can be random or pseudo-random, skill-based, or responsive to aggregate buying. (2) Techniques are applied to reduce load on an e-commerce server associated with the e-commerce opportunities, so that relatively large numbers of recipients can respond to e-commerce opportunities without unduly burdening that server. An applet conducts the interactive process with the recipient and presents results to the server. The applet can implement the incentives, can conduct all or part of the e-commerce transaction with the recipient, and can operate in conjunction or in parallel with the server to select one or more recipients for an incentive reward. (3) The promotional material is associated with individual elements of the streaming media being presented to the recipient, such as a selected actor or actress, or a selected object. Presentation of the promotional material at the receiving device can be responsive to personalized information about the recipient, gleaned from one or more of: demographic information, stated preferences, fuzzy searching, or collaborative filtering.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

integrating, in a media distributor device of a television distribution system, streaming media data and program instructions into a media data stream, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor in a client device, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor in the client device, cause the client device to;

perform an e-commerce transaction with a user of the client device for a purchase of an item, and

transmit e-commerce results to a server;

transmitting, from the media distributor device, the media data stream to a plurality of client devices over the television distribution system; and

receiving, at the server, the e-commerce results from one or more of the plurality of client devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are encrypted to restrict users of the plurality of client devices from tampering with the execution of the program instructions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the program instructions comprise an applet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said media data stream further includes promotional content information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said promotional content information comprises an opportunity to purchase at least one item displayed in said promotional content information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor in the client device, further cause the client device to:

interact with said user of said client device, said interaction being personalized to said user according to at least one of;

demographic information, preferences by said user, fuzzy searching or collaborative filtering.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said opportunity includes at least one incentive for participation by said user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one incentive comprises at least one of a random component, a pseudo-random component, a skill-based competition, and a component responsive to aggregate buying history.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, from said plurality of client devices, results of one or more responses to said at least one incentive by users of said plurality of client devices; and

responsively awarding a benefit to one of said users of said plurality of client devices in accordance with said results of one or more responses.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one incentive comprises an aggregate buying incentive where a price for the item in the e-commerce transaction adjusts in response to a number of e-commerce results received from the one or more of the plurality of client devices.

11. A method comprising:

integrating, in a media distributor device of a television distribution system, streaming media data and program instructions into a media data stream, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor in a client device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor in the client device, cause the client device to;

perform an e-commerce transaction with a user of the client device for a purchase of an item, and

transmit e-commerce results to a server;

transmitting, from the media distributor device, the media data stream to a plurality of client devices over the television distribution system;

receiving, at the server, e-commerce results from one or more of the plurality of client devices; and

adjusting, at the server, a price for the purchase of the item in the e-commerce results in response to a number of the e-commerce results received from the one or more of the plurality of client devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor in the client device, further cause the client device to present to the user of the client device promotional content comprising an incentive to purchase the item.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said incentive comprises at least one of a random component, a pseudo-random component, and a skill-based competition.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the promotional content is based on one of:

demographic information, preferences by said user, fuzzy searching or collaborative filtering.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, from said plurality of client devices, results of one or more responses to said incentive by users of said plurality of client devices; and

responsively awarding a benefit to one of said users of said plurality of client devices in accordance with said results of one or more responses.

16. A system comprising:

a media distributor device of a television distribution system configured to integrate streaming media data and program instructions into a media data stream, transmit the media data stream to a plurality of client devices over the television distribution system, and receive e-commerce results from one or more of the plurality of client devices, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor in a client device, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor in the client device, cause the client device to;

perform an e-commerce transaction with a user of the client device for a purchase of an item, and transmit the e-commerce results to a server processor; and

the server processor configured to receive e-commerce results from the one or more of the plurality of client devices, and adjust a price for the purchase of the item in the received e-commerce results in response to a number of the received e-commerce results.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor in the client device, further cause the client device to present to the user of the client device promotional content comprising an incentive to purchase the item.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said incentive comprises at least one of a random component, a pseudo-random component, and a skill-based competition.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the promotional content is based on one of:

demographic information, preferences by said user, fuzzy searching or collaborative filtering.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the server processor is further configured to:

receive, from said plurality of client devices, results of one or more responses to said incentive by users of said plurality of client devices; and

responsively award a benefit to one of said users of said plurality of client devices in accordance with said results of one or more responses.