Method and system for improved interactive television processing

• US 9,117,234 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HSNi LLC (Qurate Retail Group (f/k/a Liberty Interactive Corporation))
• Original Assignee: HSNi LLC (Qurate Retail Group (f/k/a Liberty Interactive Corporation))
• Inventors: Johnson, Gerard, Bunner, Sean, McDevitt, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US13/660,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20130061269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4185 for payment
• 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 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method for an electronic transactional environment including a database, a server and a processor and a number of set-top boxes in communication with the server. The database stores user registration data and product information data relating to a plurality of products and the server broadcasts the product information data to the set top boxes. The server is further provided to transmit to the set top boxes updated product information data that replaces at least part of the previously transmitted product information data. Furthermore, the processor compares data relating to a transaction request from a user of one of the set top boxes with user registration data in order to identify the specific user. Based on the identified user, the processor generates customized transaction data for the specific user and the server transmits the customized transaction data and additional updated product information data to the set top box corresponding to the identified user.

Claims

1. A system for providing an electronic transactional environment, comprising:

a database configured to store user registration data and product information data relating to a plurality of products;

a server configured to broadcast the product information data of at least one of the plurality of products to a plurality of set top boxes, without the product information data being designated for any particular user of one of the plurality of set top boxes, the server being further configured to transmit first updated product information data that replaces at least part of the previously transmitted product information data of the at least one of the plurality of products to the plurality of set top boxes; and

a processor configured to compare data relating to a transaction request from a specific user of a set top box of the plurality of set top boxes with user registration data of the specific user to identify the specific user, and to generate customized transaction data for the specific user,

wherein the server is further configured to transmit the customized transaction data and second updated product information data that replaces at least part of the first updated product information data to the set top box corresponding to the specific user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the product information data is configured for visual display via a user interface application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server broadcasts the product information data to the plurality of set top boxes and transmits the customized transaction data to the set top box corresponding to the specific user via satellite.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server broadcasts the product information data to the plurality of set top boxes and transmits the customized transaction data to the set top box corresponding to the specific user through a content provider.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the customized transaction data is presented to the set top box corresponding to the specific user via a user interface application.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to receive a purchase order executed by the specific user via the user interface application.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to process a product request and to provide real-time confirmation of the product request to the set top box corresponding to the specific user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the product information data relating to at least one of the plurality of products includes product information and order information for the at least one of the plurality of products, and the product information includes a first portion for display of an initial page for a first product of the plurality of products and a second portion for display of a second page for a second product of the plurality of products.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the customized transaction data includes at least one of a specialized price based on the specific user, payment options available for the specific user, tax calculation and shipping and handling calculations based on the specific user'"'"'s geographical location, shipping and handling options available for the specific user, and coupons and rebates available to the specific user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the product information data includes metadata which defines how the product information data is presented to the set top box corresponding to the specific user via a user interface application.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to transmit the second updated product information data via a continuous data stream to the set top box corresponding to the specific user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to transmit the second updated product information data on a substantially real-time basis to the set top box corresponding to the specific user, via the continuous data stream, which updates the user interface application based on the second updated product information data.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit navigation information, which enables navigation of multiple pages of the user interface application.

14. A method for providing an electronic transactional environment, the method comprising:

storing, in an electronic database, user registration data and product information data relating to a plurality of products;

broadcasting, by a server, the product information data of at least one of the plurality of products to a plurality of set top boxes, without the product information data being designated for any particular user of one of the plurality of set top boxes;

transmitting, by the server, first updated product information data that replaces at least part of the previously transmitted product information data of the at least one of the plurality of products to the plurality of set top boxes;

comparing, with a processor, data relating to a transaction request from a specific user of a set top box of the plurality of set top boxes with user registration data of the specific user to identify the specific user, generating customized transaction data for the specific user; and

transmitting, by the server, the customized transaction data and second updated product information data that replaces at least part of the first updated product information data to the set top box corresponding to the specific user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising visually displaying the product information data via a user interface application.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising presenting the customized transaction data to the set top box corresponding to the specific user as part of a user interface application.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving, by the server, a purchase order executed by the specific user via the user interface application.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

processing, by the processor, a product request; and

transmitting, by the server, real-time confirmation of the product request to the set top box corresponding to the specific user.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting, by the server, the second updated product information data via a continuous data stream to the set top box corresponding to the specific user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting, by the server, the second updated product information data on a substantially real-time basis to the set top box corresponding to the specific user, via the continuous data stream, which updates the user interface application based on the second updated product information data.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting, by the server, navigation information that enables navigation of multiple pages of the user interface application.