Method and system to provide deals and promotions via an interactive video casting system

• US 7,313,802 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomsen, Mai-lan
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/736,952
• Time in Patent Office: 2,568 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/13, 725/24, 725/46, 725/22, 725/23, 725/32, 705/10, 705/14, 705/26
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A viewer of an interactive video casting system can be presented with promotions having purchase offers or offers of credits toward future purchases. These promotions can be provided by correlating a program being viewed with user profile information and product information. If presented with the promotion while viewing a program, the viewer can buy products/services offered in the promotion, or defer the promotion for future viewing or as a credit. Credits toward a future purchase can be maintained in a storage area for the user and applied to a later purchase. Promotions can also be correlated to other interactive video casting tools or interfaces, such as the user'"'"'s calendar, so that promotions relevant to calendar entries can be presented to the user.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a computer to;

correlate different sets of information to determine whether to provide a promotion;

if the promotion is to be provided, combine the promotion with a broadcast segment provided via an interactive video casting system; and

process a command sent from a user input device to apply an element of the promotion to a transaction conductable via the interactive video casting system;

wherein

the different sets of information include a first set of product data and a second set of broadcast segment data;

wherein the command comprises a first command, the machine-readable medium further including instructions stored thereon to;

compare a user'"'"'s current transaction conducted via the broadcast segment to promotion information stored in a storage unit associated with the user, the promotion information corresponding to at least one promotion previously provided to the user;

if the at least one promotion corresponding to promotion information stored in the user'"'"'s storage unit is applicable to the user'"'"'s current transaction, provide all applicable promotions to the user;

process a second command sent from the user input device to apply at least one of the provided promotions to the user'"'"'s current transaction; and

remove information related to the applied at least one promotion from the storage unit.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the element of the promotion comprises a credit, the computer-readable medium further having instructions stored thereon to, in response to receiving the command from the user input device, store the credit in a storage unit for application towards a future transaction conduct able via the interactive video casting system.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the product data comprises data indicative of at least one of date, time, season, or merchant product volume information.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the machine computer-readable medium comprises instructions to correlate the promotion with a calendar entry in a calendar of a user, and display the promotion together with the calendar entry.

5. A system, comprising:

an interactive video casting network coupleable to a communication network to provide a broadcast segment, having a promotion, as part of an interactive video display transmission; and

a server coupleable to the interactive video casting network, the server including;

a storage unit having different sets of information stored therein capable of being correlated to determine whether to provide the promotion;

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage unit, the processor capable to trigger correlation of the different sets of information stored in the storage unit to determine whether to provide the promotion and, if the promotion is to be provided, then to control insertion of the promotion into the broadcast segment; and

a communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor to provide the broadcast segment having the promotion to a client terminal;

wherein the different sets comprise a first set of product data and a second set of broadcast segment data and a calendar of the user and the promotion, and the processor is capable to determine whether to provide the promotion based on correlation of the first and second sets and based on correlation of the promotion with a calendar entry in the user'"'"'s calendar, and the processor is capable to display the promotion together with the calendar entry to the user.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the interactive video casting network comprises an interactive television network;

the server further comprises another storage unit capable to store promotion data in response to a command received from the client terminal via the communication interface to defer application of the promotion;

the server is coupled to store data related to the promotion in a first storage location coupled to the client terminal or in a second storage location at a head-end of the interactive video casting network; and

the processor is further capable to apply the promotion to a transaction in response to a command received from the client terminal via the communication interface to initiate the transaction.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the product data comprises data indicative of at least one of date, time, season, or merchant product volume information.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is capable to:

compare a user'"'"'s current transaction to promotion information stored in the storage unit, the promotion information corresponding to at least one promotion previously provided to the user;

if the at least one promotion corresponding to promotion information stored in the storage unit is applicable to the user'"'"'s current transaction, provide all applicable promotions to the user via the client terminal;

receive a command to apply at least one of the provided pro motions to the user'"'"'s current transaction; and

remove information related to the applied at least one promotion from the storage unit.

9. A method for providing targeted promotions via an interactive video casting system, the method comprising:

correlating information from a plurality of merchants with data on usage of the interactive video casting system by a viewer and with a calendar of the user to determine a promotion to provide to the viewer with a matching entry from the user'"'"'s calendar;

providing information related to the promotion to the viewer together with the matching entry from the user'"'"'s calendar by way of at least one portal of the interactive video casting system; and

processing a command sent from a viewer input device in response to the information to initiate a transaction related to the promotion;

wherein the product data comprises data indicative of at least one of, date, time, season, or merchant product volume information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one portal comprises at least one of an interactive television portal, a computer portal, or a mobile device portal.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising:

comparing the transaction to promotion information corresponding to at least one promotion previously provided to the viewer;

if the at least one promotion previously provided to the user is applicable to the transaction, providing all applicable promotions to the viewer; and

receiving a command sent from the viewer input device to apply at least one of the provided promotions to the transaction.