METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ALLOWING VIEWERS TO PURCHASE PROGRAM PRODUCTS
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To allow viewers to easily purchase products shown in entertainment programs, the viewers call an operator terminal. The operator terminal is networked to a central controller, which is also networked to remote terminals. Remote terminal operators enter data about props used in programs, copies of which are to be offered for sale. These remote terminals transmit this data to the central controller for storage in a database. Operators at the operator terminals can access the data stored at the central controller to respond calls from viewers seeking to purchase products.
45 Citations
110 Claims
-
1-40. -40. (canceled)
-
41. A method, comprising:
-
storing (i) descriptive program information identifying a particular entertainment program in which a product is shown, and (ii) product information relating to the product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receiving, from the viewer, a request about the product shown in the entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
identifying the product information using the subset of the product information and the subset of descriptive program information; and
providing the identified information about the product to the viewer. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
-
-
76. A method, comprising:
-
storing descriptive program information identifying a particular entertainment program;
storing product information relating to a product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receiving, from a viewer, a request associated with the product shown in the particular entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
conducting a first database search to identify the particular entertainment program using the subset of the descriptive program information;
conducting a second database search to identify the stored product information using the subset of the product information; and
communicating to the viewer the identified information about the product. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78)
-
-
79. A method, comprising:
-
receiving, independent of a viewing of an entertainment program by a viewer, an indication of the entertainment program;
receiving a request about a product shown in the entertainment program;
transmitting a query to a database relating to the request, the query based on the indication and the request; and
receiving from the database product information about the product. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
-
-
95. A method, comprising:
-
storing, at a controller, program identifying data that describes one or more characteristics of an entertainment program and product identifying data that describes one or more characteristics of a product used in the entertainment program;
receiving, at the controller and from a viewer of the entertainment program, a purchase request comprising an indication of a subset of the program identifying data and an indication of a subset of the product identifying data;
identifying, by the controller and based on the received indications, the program identifying data and the product identifying data;
providing, after the identifying, and to the viewer, the product identifying data;
receiving, after the providing, a verification that the viewer desires to purchase the product; and
selling the product to the viewer.
-
-
96. A mobile terminal comprising:
-
a viewer interface via which a viewer may purchase a product shown in a particular entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the viewer interface and adapted to;
store (i) descriptive program information identifying the particular entertainment program in which the product is shown, and (ii) product information relating to the product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receive, from the viewer, a request about the product shown in the entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
identify the product information using the subset of the product information and the subset of descriptive program information; and
provide the identified information about the product to the viewer.
-
-
97. A mobile terminal comprising:
-
a viewer interface via which a viewer may purchase a product shown in a particular entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the viewer interface and adapted to;
store descriptive program information identifying the particular entertainment program;
store product information relating to the product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receive, from the viewer, a request associated with the product shown in the particular entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
conduct a first database search to identify the particular entertainment program using the subset of the descriptive program information;
conduct a second database search to identify the stored product information using the subset of the product information; and
communicate to the viewer the identified information about the product.
-
-
98. A mobile terminal comprising:
-
a viewer interface via which a viewer may purchase a product shown in an entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the viewer interface and adapted to;
receive, independent of a viewing of the entertainment program by the viewer, an indication of the entertainment program;
receive a request about the product shown in the entertainment program;
transmit a query to a database relating to the request, the query based on the indication and the request; and
receive from the database product information about the product.
-
-
99. A mobile terminal comprising:
-
a viewer interface via which a viewer may purchase a prop used in an entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the viewer interface and adapted to;
receive, independent of a viewing of the entertainment program by the viewer, an indication of the entertainment program;
receive a request about the prop used in the entertainment program;
transmit a query to a database relating to the request, the query based on the indication and the request; and
receive from the database product information about the prop.
-
-
100. A mobile terminal comprising:
-
a viewer interface via which a viewer may purchase a product shown in an entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the viewer interface and adapted to;
store program identifying data that describes one or more characteristics of the entertainment program and product identifying data that describes one or more characteristics of the product used in the entertainment program;
receive, from the viewer, a purchase request comprising an indication of a subset of the program identifying data and an indication of a subset of the product identifying data;
identify, based on the received indications, the program identifying data and the product identifying data;
provide, after the identifying, and to the viewer, the product identifying data;
receive, after the providing, a verification that the viewer desires to purchase the product; and
sell the product to the viewer.
-
-
101. A system, comprising:
-
a database storing data descriptive of an entertainment program and data descriptive of a product used in the entertainment program;
a viewer interface operable to provide a first indication of a subset of the descriptive program data and a second indication of a subset of the descriptive product data; and
a controller, coupled to the database and the viewer interface, the controller being operable to;
receive the first and second indications;
identify the descriptive program data and the descriptive product data based on the first and second indications; and
provide, after the identifying, the descriptive program data and the descriptive product data to the viewer interface. - View Dependent Claims (102, 103, 104)
-
-
105. A system, comprising:
-
a processor; and
a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;
store (i) descriptive program information identifying a particular entertainment program in which a product is shown, and (ii) product information relating to the product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receive, from the viewer, a request about the product shown in the entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
identify the product information using the subset of the product information and the subset of descriptive program information; and
provide the identified information about the product to the viewer.
-
-
106. A system comprising:
-
a user interface via which a user may purchase a product shown in a particular entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the user interface and adapted to;
store (i) descriptive program information identifying the particular entertainment program in which the product is shown, and (ii) product information relating to the product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receive, from the user, a request about the product shown in the entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
identify the product information using the subset of the product information and the subset of descriptive program information; and
provide the identified information about the product to the user.
-
-
107. A system, comprising:
-
a processor; and
a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;
store descriptive program information identifying a particular entertainment program;
store product information relating to a product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receive, from a viewer, a request associated with the product shown in the particular entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
conduct a first database search to identify the particular entertainment program using the subset of the descriptive program information;
conduct a second database search to identify the stored product information using the subset of the product information; and
communicate to the viewer the identified information about the product.
-
-
108. A system comprising:
-
a user interface via which a user may purchase a product shown in a particular entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the user interface and adapted to;
store descriptive program information identifying the particular entertainment program;
store product information relating to the product shown in the particular entertainment program;
receive, from the user, a request associated with the product shown in the particular entertainment program, the request comprising a subset of the descriptive program information and a subset of the product information;
conduct a first database search to identify the particular entertainment program using the subset of the descriptive program information;
conduct a second database search to identify the stored product information using the subset of the product information; and
communicate to the user the identified information about the product.
-
-
109. A system, comprising:
-
a processor; and
a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;
receive, independent of a viewing of an entertainment program by a viewer, an indication of the entertainment program;
receive a request about a product shown in the entertainment program;
transmit a query to a database relating to the request, the query based on the indication and the request; and
receive from the database product information about the product.
-
-
110. A system comprising:
-
a user interface via which a user may purchase a product shown in an entertainment program; and
a controller operatively coupled to the user interface and adapted to;
receive, independent of a viewing of the entertainment program by the user, an indication of the entertainment program;
receive a request about the product shown in the entertainment program;
transmit a query to a database relating to the request, the query based on the indication and the request; and
receive from the database product information about the product.
-
Specification