Systems and methods for linking television viewers with advertisers and broadcasters

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer 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 to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 60 / 022,826, filed on Jul. 26, 1996, and 60 / 015,648, filed on Apr. 19, 1996, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 537,650, filed on Oct. 2, 1995, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. unassigned, filed Apr. 11, 1997 (Attorney Docket No. 14774-004410), and its Appendices A, B, and C, the complete disclosure which is also incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for providing information to television viewers, and more particularly to systems and methods for allowing the viewer to retrieve, search, select and interact with television schedule information located in a remote database, computer network or on-line service, e.g., a network server on the Internet or World...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]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.

Problems solved by technology

Offering this type of information to the television viewer can be difficult, however, because their are hundreds of different programs broadcast every day.

In addition, the available information changes at a rapid pace, which makes it even more difficult to provide this information in present television schedule guides.

One problem with this existing system is that it is often difficult to motivate a viewer to request information or send in a contribution after the broadcast of the commercial or program.

Viewers will often forget the advertisement or simply lose motivation to spend money or request information after the commercial or program is over.

Another problem is that companies sponsoring these commercials or programs would often like to provide their viewers with further information, if the viewers could be identified or if the viewer requests the additional information.

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