Advertisers know exactly how many people, for example, download a coupon offered or interact with a commercial in some other way.
Strange, I was just looking over this patent last weekend. There is also another from StarSight.
United States Patent 6,002,394
Schein , et al. December 14, 1999
Assignee: StarSight Telecast, Inc. (Fremont, CA)
By way of example, Budweiser may provide a database 410 that allows the viewer to purchase a coupon for a free six-pack or other items, such as Budweiser T-shirts, hats, etc. The viewer may purchase the coupon, hats, or T-shirts directly through the commercial sponsor, or through a delivery system provided by the television schedule guide (discussed in detail below). This type of advertising allows the advertiser to directly target a particular program, and it allows the viewer to directly purchase the products during the advertisement. In addition, viewers will not forget the advertisement or simply lose motivation to spend money or request information after the commercial or program is over.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information on a visual interface, and for allowing the viewer to retrieve, search, select and interact with information located in a remote database, computer network or on-line service, such as a network server on the Internet or World Wide Web. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of visual interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer's computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database or computer network to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV. The present invention also provides systems and methods for allowing the viewer to navigate and interact with a program guide that is displayed, for example, on the viewer's television screen. The program guide will usually include a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day, week or month. With an input device, such as a remote control device, pointing device, mouse, keyboard, microphone or the like, the viewer can browse through the schedule information area and/or obtain more information about programs of particular interest.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system and method is provided for directly linking television viewers with broadcasters and advertisers during the real-time broadcast or non-real-time internet broadcast of a commercial or program. In this embodiment, the system includes a viewer interface, such as a television, computer, PCTV or a television coupled to a computer system, and a communication device for coupling the viewer interface with a computer network, such as the Internet or World Wide Web. A television guide database or network server is coupled to the computer network, or directly to the viewer interface for providing the television schedule and/or listing information to the viewer. The viewer interface will have a memory and a processor with appropriate software (not shown) for searching, retrieving, initiating a subscription to and interacting with information from the television guide database, or the commercial databases coupled to the computer network. Alternatively, this function may be provided through the computer network by allowing the viewer to access, download, and/or automatically upgrade an application or applet (e.g., a JAVA.TM. applet) having appropriate software to run the television schedule and/or listing information guide on a display.
In the above embodiment, commercial providers (e.g., Budweiser) and/or television station broadcasters (e.g., ABC) and/or program directory, library, or archival sources (e.g., Turner Classics Film Library or other such repository of digitally-available programs or programming) may also have databases coupled to the viewer interface. In this manner, the viewer may directly access these databases during the broadcast of a television program, or while the viewer is browsing through the television schedule and/or listing information guide. For example, the viewer may purchase goods and services directly through the commercial sponsor, or through a delivery system provided by the television schedule and/or listing information guide. This type of advertising allows the advertiser to directly target a particular program, and it allows the viewer to directly purchase the products during the advertisement or associated program. Consequently, viewers will not forget the advertisement or simply lose motivation to spend money or request information and/or related products, offers, and services after the commercial or program is over. |
