Systems and methods for facilitating a commerce transaction over a distribution network

• US 8,577,399 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Michael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US12/816,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20110306368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/456.1, 370328-338, 725/131, 725/31, 725/5, 725/34, 725/25, 725/60, 725/118, 725/37, 725/35, 725/32, 705/14.73, 705/14.4, 705/14.11, 705/14.55, 705/14.27, 705 265- 272
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for facilitating a commerce transaction over a distribution network. According to one embodiment, a method for facilitating a purchase transaction over a distribution network is provided. The method may include transmitting advertisement content associated with at least one product or service to a viewer device associated with a viewer, wherein the advertisement content presents at least one commerce command. The method may further include receiving a selection of the at least one commerce command selected by the viewer and transmitting at least one message to initiate a commerce transaction for the at least one product or service with a marketplace system responsive to receiving the selection of the at least one commerce command.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a purchase transaction over a distribution network, comprising:

transmitting, by a network operator system comprising one or more computers over a distribution network, advertisement content associated with at least one product or service to a viewer device associated with a viewer, wherein the advertisement content presents at least one commerce command;

receiving, by the network operator system, a selection of the at least one commerce command selected by the viewer; and

transmitting, by the network operator system over a network other than the distribution network, at least one message to initiate a commerce transaction for the at least one product or service with a marketplace system responsive to receiving the selection of the at least one commerce command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one commerce command comprises at least one of:

(a) a purchase command;

(b) an add to my favorites command;

(c) an add to my wish list command;

(d) a request for more information command;

or (e) a reminder command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of the at least one commerce command comprises receiving a viewer text message at a text message server associated with the network operator system over a wireless network from a mobile device associated with the viewer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one message to initiate the commerce transaction comprises at least one network text message transmitted over the wireless network to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one network text message comprises a hyperlink to a webpage associated with the marketplace system for initiating the at least one commerce command for the associated product or service with the marketplace system over the Internet using the mobile device upon selection of the hyperlink.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one message to initiate the commerce transaction comprises at least one command to the marketplace system to initiate the at least one commerce command for the associated product or service responsive to receiving the viewer text message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one commerce command to the marketplace system is transmitted over the Internet.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one commerce command comprises a text string of alphanumeric characters comprising at least one of:

(a) an indication of the at least one product or service;

or (b) an indication of the at least one commerce command, and a number to which the text string is to be transmitted via the viewer text message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of the at least one commerce command comprises receiving an upstream message comprising the viewer'"'"'s selection of the at least one commerce command from the viewer device over the distribution network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the viewer device comprises one of:

(a) a set-top box;

or (b) a network-connected television, and wherein the viewer'"'"'s selection is made using a remote control interacting with the viewer device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the advertisement content presents at least one remote control selection for selecting the at least one commerce command.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one message to initiate the commerce transaction comprises at least one network text message transmitted from a text message server associated with the network operator system over a wireless network to a mobile device associated with the viewer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one network text message comprises a hyperlink to a webpage associated with the marketplace system for initiating the at least one commerce command for the associated product or service with the marketplace system over the Internet using the mobile device upon selection of the hyperlink.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one message to initiate the commerce transaction comprises at least one command to the marketplace system to initiate the at least one commerce command for the associated product or service responsive to receiving the upstream message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one command to the marketplace system is transmitted over the Internet.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one commerce command comprises at least one of:

(a) ordering pay-per view audio/video content;

(b) ordering a video on-demand asset;

(c) requesting a service be added to an existing or new service;

(d) provision a service;

(e) request a promotional item;

(f) set a reminder about network content on a same network;

or (g) set a reminder about network content on a different network.

17. A system for facilitating a purchase transaction over a distribution network, comprising:

a network operator system comprising at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions and at least one processor operable to execute the computer-executable instructions, the network operator system comprising a distribution network server in communication with a viewer device associated with a viewer over a distribution network and an interactive shopping server;

wherein the at least one processor is operable to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

transmit over the distribution network advertisement content associated with at least one product or service to the viewer device, wherein the advertisement content presents at least one commerce command;

receive a selection of the at least one commerce command selected by the viewer; and

transmit at least one message over a network other than the distribution network to initiate a commerce transaction for the at least one product or service with a marketplace system responsive to receiving the selection of the at least one commerce command.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the network operator system further comprises a text message server operable to transmit network text messages over a wireless network to a mobile device associated with the viewer and to receive viewer text messages over the wireless network to the mobile device, wherein the transmitted network text messages present options regarding the at least one commerce command for the at least one service or product, and wherein the received viewer text messages indicate the viewer'"'"'s selection of the at least one commerce command for the at least one service or product.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the text message server is further operable to transmit at least one network text message that comprises one or more hyperlinks to one or more webpages associated with the marketplace system, wherein the one or more webpages enable completing the at least one commerce command for the associated product or service with the marketplace system over the Internet using the mobile device upon selection of the hyperlink.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the interactive shopping server is operable to transmit at least one command to the marketplace system to initiate the at least one commerce command for the associated product or service.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the network operator system further comprises a text message server, and wherein the interactive shopping server is operable to transmit the at least one command to the marketplace system responsive to receiving the selection of the at least one commerce command as at least one viewer text message is received at the text message server over a wireless network from a mobile device associated with the viewer.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the interactive shopping server is operable to transmit the command to the marketplace system responsive to receiving the selection of the at least one commerce command from the viewer device over the distribution network.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the viewer device comprises one of:

(a) a set-top box;

or (b) a network-connected television, and wherein the viewer'"'"'s selection is made using a remote control interacting with the viewer device.