Inventors:
Matthew Kay - Hingham MA, US
Matthew Laughlin - Boulder CO, US
Colin Campbell - Norwood MA, US
International Classification:
H04N007/16, H04N011/04, H04N011/02, H04N007/12, H04N007/173
US Classification:
725/095000, 348/385100, 725/087000, 725/115000, 725/145000, 725/147000, 725/117000
Abstract:
An interactive television commerce system, includes a video broadcast distribution network having multiple in-band channels and an out-of-band data path. A video on demand server stores a plurality of product video clips. Each of the plurality of product video clips is stored in association with a respective unique clip identifier and has video images promoting a specific product and associated interactive data embedded in the video images. A commerce transfer point server broadcast, via a first of the multiple in-band channels, a first commerce related video program having video images promoting multiple different products and associated interactive data embedded in the video images, and the unique clip identifiers associated with those of the stored plurality of product video clips having video images promoting the multiple different products promoted in the video images of the first commerce related video program. A network controller receives, via the out-of-band data path, a first of the unique clip identifiers broadcast with the first commerce related video program and associated with a first of the stored plurality of product video clips having video images promoting a user selected one of the multiple different products promoted in the video images of the broadcast first commerce related video program. The controller also directs a broadcast, via a second of the multiple in-band channels, of the stored first product video clip, based on the received first unique clip identifier. The video on demand server broadcast the stored first product video clip via the second in-band channel, based on the controller directive.