JP2003510725A - System and method enabling electronic ordering - Google Patents

Abstract

  (57) [Summary] During the broadcast, advertisements are scattered in the content information. The user is allowed to select a particular advertisement. Upon selection, the identifier of the selected advertisement is stored locally on the user's device. The identifier is later used to connect to the server to initiate a transaction related to the advertisement, independent of the broadcast time frame.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to systems and methods for electronic ordering of products or services.
The present invention relates to a system for providing content information along with product and / or service advertisements, eg during broadcasting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electronic ordering systems and methods, for example on the Internet, are known and can be used wherever there is an established method of transferring codes via a content information distribution channel. Generally known systems require special equipment on both the broadcast side and the receive side.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to provide an electronic ordering system and method that is more user friendly than known systems and methods. In the present invention, the content information is
Advertisements are for example sent or broadcast interspersed in blocks between segments of content information. The system of the present invention allows consumers to use a suitable user selection subsystem to select a particular advertisement during a broadcast. By making a selection, it is possible to initiate and / or complete an electronic order transaction at a time that is independent of the time frame of the broadcast containing the advertisement, which is more convenient for the consumer.

The present invention enables a consumer to connect a consumer's device to a server to download selected advertisements and / or associated contextual information to complete an order transaction when desired. Is preferred. A server is a server that is external to the consumer's location and is on the Internet or other data network. By downloading the selected advertisement and / or further contextual information, for example on that product (product, service), the customer decides whether he really wants to buy or win the advertised product or service without interrupting the broadcast. be able to.

A further embodiment of the invention delegates the provision of downloadable advertisements sent during the broadcast and / or downloadable contextual information related to the advertisements to a third party. The third party is, for example, an advertising agency. By using an advertising agency, the originating device and the (Internet) server can easily supply additional information about the product if desired.

The method of the present invention allows a consumer to purchase a selected product or service when viewing a broadcast program without interrupting the viewing of the broadcast program, eg, to write down information about the product. To enable that. Therefore, the consumer decides when he wants to complete the transaction.

[0007]   [Embodiment of the Invention]   The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the system SYS of the present invention. The system SYS allows consumers to order goods (products, services) electronically. The system SYS comprises a transmitter SEN which broadcasts or otherwise transmits a signal sig (i, a) containing content information i. This information can be, for example, radio broadcasts, television broadcasts,
For example, a video-on-demand program. The signal sig (i, a) further contains the advertisement a,
For example, it is broadcast or transmitted between consecutive portions of the content information. The advertisement a is added to the signal sig (i, a) in the sender SEN. Advertising agency ADV is advertising a
Is connected to the transmitter SEN. For example, the company COMP is an agency AD
Ask V to run an ad campaign with an ad for a particular product.

The signal sig (i, a) is received by the consumer receiver REC. The receiver REC includes, for example, a wireless receiver and a receiver. In this example, the advertisement a is received between portions of the broadcast content information i, which include, for example, radio or television programs. When the user of the receiver REC wishes to purchase the advertised product, the user can select the product advertisement by the selection means SELM. The selection means SELM is part of the receiver REC or is a separate element,
Alternatively, it may be incorporated in, for example, a remote controller, a mobile phone, or a wristwatch.
The selection means SELM cooperates with the receiver REC to enable the consumer to select an advertisement. The user of the receiver REC preferably has only to press one particular button to select the advertisement. Thereby, the information about the advertisement is stored in, for example, the selection means SELM or the receiver, the remote control, the mobile phone, the wristwatch, etc.

After a lapse of time, at a time determined by the customer, the selection means SELM causes the server (
For example, the server INN) on the Internet or another data network is connected and the information stored in the selection means SELM is transferred to the server. The server supplies (downloads) information about the selected advertisement based on this information,
Allows you to complete purchases or other commercial transactions. After the transaction is completed, the internet server INN supplies a signal to the advertising agency ADV, and then the advertising agency A
The DV supplies information to the company COMP, which in turn supplies the selected merchandise to the customer, for example.

In this way, ordering the selected product during viewing of the broadcast program without interrupting the viewing of the broadcast program (eg, by having to write down the product information). Is possible. The customer himself determines the preferred time to complete the order transaction.

In a simple embodiment, the selection means SELM stores only the time stamp of the broadcast advertisement. Based on the time stamp, the Internet server INN selects the advertisement corresponding to the time and supplies the information of the advertisement to the customer. This allows the customer to confirm or reconfirm the purchase transaction. If one or more advertisements are sent at the same time (by different senders), the Internet server INN can serve all the advertisements broadcast at that time, and the customer may want to purchase what they originally intended to buy. Select.

The stored time (time stamp) is formed, for example, from a local clock in the selection means SELM or the receiver REC. At the time when the selection means SELM is connected to the Internet server INN, the clock of the selection means SELM is the server I.
Preferably, the possible time difference compared to the NN's clock is calculated and used during the purchase session.

To enable the above, the customer preferably indicates the most frequently watched transmitters or stations (eg 3 or 4). This must be done when installing the system.

Misuse of the system should be prevented to avoid unauthorized use. For example, a child playing with the selection means SELM should not order merchandise when not told to do so. Misuse of the system can be prevented by requesting confirmation when the selection means SELM is connected to the (Internet) server INN. After confirmation is given, it is possible to finalize the order.
It is possible to use, for example, a PIN code (security code) for this purpose.

In a further embodiment, a sending device SE that broadcasts advertisements as well as time stamps
N identification information is also stored. In this case, when the selection means SELM is connected to the Internet server INN, it is possible to make no mistake as to which advertisement the customer intended. Further, in this case, the initial setting indicating the favorite transmitting device is not necessary.

If the selection means SELM is not connected to the receiver REC, in most cases only the time stamp is stored. If no time stamp is stored, the selection means SE
The LM must have a means to receive information about the originating device that the customer was tuned to when selecting an ad. The remote controller with the selection means SELM comprises:
This information can be verified or it can be stored in the receiver.

From what has been described above, it will be appreciated that numerous variations can be made using the spirit of the invention.

As mentioned above, the selection means can be introduced in many different ways, for example in the receiver, in the remote control, in a separate unit, in the wristwatch, in the key fob. .

All that is required is that the selection means be connected to an internet server to complete the purchase transaction.

For example, it is possible to connect the selection means to a receiver and to connect the receiver to a (Internet) server.

As a further example, the system and method of the present invention can also be used to order broadcast music. The music can be downloaded, for example, after connecting to the server, or can be sent after the purchase activity is complete.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1]   FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the system of the present invention.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A system that allows a consumer to electronically order goods or services, including a receiver for receiving a signal sent by a transmitting device, the signal being content information and the product. Or including an advertisement for the service, the system allowing the consumer to select the advertisement to electronically initiate an ordering transaction at a time independent of the time frame of the signal sent by the originating device. System 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumer is able to connect to a server on the Internet to download contextual information about the advertisement and complete the ordering transaction. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the server enables an advertising agency to provide the contextual information to the originating device. 4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiver is capable of storing an identifier for the selected advertisement, the identifier being used by the consumer to connect to a remote server. system. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the identifier includes a time stamp representing the occurrence of the selected advertisement. 6. A method for enabling a consumer to electronically order goods or services, which broadcasts a signal including content information and an advertisement, wherein the consumer broadcasts the advertisement during the broadcast. It is possible to select and store the identifier of the selected advertisement locally to the consumer so as to initiate the transaction electronically at a time independent of the time frame of the signal being broadcast. How to do. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifier controls a connection to a server on a remote data network to initiate the transaction. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier includes a time stamp representing the selected broadcast advertisement. 9. A handheld device that allows a consumer to control the storage of an identifier for an advertisement in a broadcast, the identifier being used for electronic transactions within the context of the advertisement, regardless of the timeframe of the broadcast. . 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is enabled to be controlled by a single input by the user.