| Method for companies to conduct transactions during media broadcasts -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method for companies to conduct transactions during media broadcastsRelated Patent Categories: Interactive Video Distribution Systems, Program, Message, Or Commercial Insertion Or SubstitutionMethod for companies to conduct transactions during media broadcasts description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050273808, Method for companies to conduct transactions during media broadcasts. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION [0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part application of copending U.S. patent application, entitled "METHOD FOR ADVERTISERS TO SPONSOR BROADCASTS WITHOUT COMMERCIALS," Ser. No. 09/767,819, filed on Jan. 22, 2001. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Conducting transactions over the Internet has become fairly commonplace. However, more people own televisions than computers and in general people spend more time watching television than surfing the Internet. Television viewers represent a captive audience. However, television tends to be a purely passive experience. Yet consumers, particularly those that are inclined toward impulse buying, would certainly enjoy the ability to immediately purchase products that they see during a broadcast, whether the product is displayed during a commercial advertisement or during the content of the television show or movie. [0003] Currently there are only a limited number of interactive features available for television viewers. Commercial transactions occur in only one direction--advertisements from the broadcast sponsors to the broadcast viewers. Completing the transaction--payment from the viewer to the sponsor--must occur by other means. This invention addresses the ability to complete the transaction much in the same way that e-commerce allows transactions via the Internet. The transactions described by this invention are not limited to television broadcasts, but are applicable to other types of broadcasts including streaming media on the Internet. This invention can be used to allow commercial transactions via any type of content broadcast. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] The present invention allows companies to conduct transactions during a broadcast. One transaction would be a product purchase whereby product information is sent to the viewer, payment and shipping information is sent back to the company selling the product. Other types of transactions are possible. For example, medical diagnoses can be transmitted whereby medical symptoms are sent to a doctor and prescription information is returned to the viewer. In another application, conversations about the content being broadcast can be transmitted between two or more people, for example in a fan club. Other applications of this invention are also possible and these examples are used for illustration purposes and are not intended to limit the invention's applications. For use in this patent, the term "broadcast" encompasses all forms of transmitting media content to an end user, including radio wave broadcasts such as network television and network radio broadcasts, cable broadcasts such as cable television, and streaming media broadcasts such as video and audio over an Internet connection that may be via telephone lines, television cables, radio waves, etc. [0005] The invention provides a method and apparatus for recording the amount of time spent watching a particular broadcast. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for recording the sponsoring companies or organizations for each broadcast. The invention provides a method and apparatus for the viewer to send information to another location. [0006] In one embodiment, the user watches an Internet connected television. At various regular intervals, such as the vertical blanking interval of the television signal, HTTP protocol communications from a Web server are sent to the television, which places a cookie or updates an existing cookie on the television hard drive. This cookie contains information including the time of day, the television channel, the name of the television show, and each sponsor of the show. At that time or at a later time of the viewer's choosing, the viewer can use the Internet connected television to connect to a website. This website can belong to the television network or a particular sponsor or a central clearing house for coupons. When connecting to the website, using the standard HTTP protocol, the website examines the cookie and retrieves the information in it. Each sponsor can then offer advertisements, coupons, discounts, and other enticements to purchase goods based on the amount of time the viewer spent watching a sponsored broadcast. Each viewer can respond with an e-commerce transaction that includes credit card information and shipping information in order to initiate a purchase and have the product shipped to the viewer. [0007] In a second embodiment, the user watches an Internet connected television. At various regular intervals, such as the vertical blanking interval of the television signal, data is sent to a centralized database for the network or the sponsor or a third party reseller. The data contain information including the time of day, the television channel, the name of the television show, and each sponsor of the show. The data also contain a user identifier such as a name, user ID, credit card number and verification information, billing address, or shipping address. At that time, or at a later time, the viewer can use the Internet connected television to connect to a website that has access to the central database. This website can belong to the television network or a particular sponsor or a third party reseller. When connecting to the website, using the standard HTTP protocol, the user identification information is sent to the website which then examines the central database and retrieves the information in it for this particular user. Each sponsor can then offer advertisements, coupons, discounts, and other enticements to purchase goods based on the amount of time the viewer spent watching a sponsored broadcast. Or the sponsor can initiate a product purchase and shipment. [0008] In a third embodiment, the user watches a streaming media broadcast from a Web server using a computer with an Internet connection. At various regular intervals during the broadcast, HTTP protocol communications from a Web server are sent to the computer, which places a cookie or updates and existing cookie on the computer hard drive. This cookie contains information including the time of day, the website that is the source of the broadcast, the name of the broadcast content, and each sponsor of the broadcast. At that time or at a later time of the viewer's choosing, the viewer can use the computer to connect to a website. This website can belong to the television network or a particular sponsor or a third party reseller. When connecting to the website, using the standard HTTP protocol, the website examines the cookie and retrieves the information in it. Each sponsor can then offer advertisements, coupons, discounts, and other enticements to purchase goods based on the amount of time the viewer spent watching a sponsored broadcast. Or the sponsor can initiate a product purchase and shipment. [0009] In a fourth embodiment, the user watches a streaming media broadcast from a Web server using a computer with an Internet connection. At various regular intervals during the broadcast, data is sent to a centralized database for the network or the sponsor or a third party reseller. The data contains information including the time of day, the website that is the source of the broadcast, the name of the broadcast content, and each sponsor of the show. The data also contain a user identifier such as a name, user ID, credit card number, billing address, or shipping address. At any time, the viewer can use the computer to connect to a website that has access to the central database. This website can belong to the television network or a particular sponsor or a central clearing house for coupons. When connecting to the website, using the standard HTTP protocol, the user identifier information is sent to the website which then examines the central database and retrieves the information in it for this particular user. Each sponsor can then offer advertisements, coupons, discounts, and other enticements to purchase goods based on the amount of time the viewer spent watching a sponsored broadcast. Each viewer can respond with an e-commerce transaction that includes credit card information and shipping information in order to initiate a purchase and have the product shipped to the viewer. [0010] Further features and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention are described in the detailed description below, which is given by way of example only. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the invention, which, however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiment but are for explanation and understanding only. [0012] (1) FIG. 1 shows an Internet-enabled television, a network TV broadcast transmitter, a database server, and the Internet, in accordance with the present invention. [0013] (2) FIG. 2 shows a computer, a streaming media server, a database server, and the Internet, in accordance with the present invention. [0014] (3) FIG. 3 shows a mechanism for combining broadcast information with broadcast content during a broadcast transmission. [0015] (4) FIG. 4 shows a general format and a specific format for encoding embedded information in a stream of data. [0016] (5) FIG. 5 shows a mechanism for separating broadcast information and broadcast content from a broadcast transmission. [0017] (6) FIG. 6 shows a format for storing the embedded information on the client storage device in a database. [0018] (7) FIG. 7 shows an algorithm within the decoder that strips out embedded information and creates the database records. [0019] (8) FIG. 8 shows an algorithm within the database server that gives transaction information back to the viewer. [0020] (9) FIG. 9 shows data that is contained in blocks in the database on the database server. Continue reading about Method for companies to conduct transactions during media broadcasts... Full patent description for Method for companies to conduct transactions during media broadcasts Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method for companies to conduct transactions during media broadcasts patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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