System / method for identifying products in audiovisual content and enabling viewers / users of the audiovisual content to seamlessly purchase the identified products

Abstract

An automated system / method for identifying products or services related to digital content presented on a display device and allowing the viewer to select / purchase them. Products within the digital content are identified and checked for existing product placement data. For products that do not contain such data, other methodologies are employed, with the assistance of a third-party server, to identify and evaluate for purchase. Products to be rated can be specified by the viewer or rated automatically. The viewer initiates a purchase of the identified product via an electronic device such as a display device. Digital representations of the selected products (i.e., of real-world products) may be purchased or licensed for use within the digital realm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to enabling viewers of digital content (e.g., video content, digital displays, audio content) to quickly select and purchase products that are displayed or otherwise represented by such digital content. More particularly, the present invention relates to processing digital content that a user views, reads, listens to, or otherwise perceives, identifying products that are purchase candidates, and enabling the user to easily and quickly select one or more of the identified products. In addition to products, services can also be identified for subsequent purchase, along with other things.

[0002] The present invention can be employed within or by a number of electronic devices including televisions, smartphones, tablets, computers, speech recognition devices / technologies, and other such types of electronic devices. Digital content includes audio-visual content, audio content only, video only, still images, e-book type content, audio book type content, etc. Digital content can be presented in different formats such as movies, television shows, commercials and other forms of advertising, and other audio-visual presentations regardless of whether they are prerecorded, live, broadcast, streamed, etc., and other forms such as content for virtual reality applications, voice-only applications, etc.

[0003] within digital content, non-digital content (live events, paintings, non-digital signage, etc.) Product and services can sometimes be complex and may involve different forms of data to represent them. The present invention, based on a number of factors, determines specific Product that a user may purchase ProductExtract the product / service. The factors include user preferences, user physical characteristics, the user's past activities, demographics, product availability, availability of acceptable alternative products, etc. The products / services for quick selection and seamless purchase are presented to the user as well as other individuals associated with those users in various ways and via various devices. The present invention relates to other aspects to be discussed.

[0004] Also, the present invention relates to computer software and automation systems that execute the various processes described herein. Taso SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention relates to processing product or service information included in any digital content (i.e., audio-visual, video, audio, digital print, etc.) or other electronic content perceived by other humans, computers, or AI so that viewers, readers, and other users can seamlessly identify and purchase products advertised, displayed, or otherwise referenced as part of a work, content, or additional content. For the sake of convenience in this specification, the term "product" as used herein includes products and / or services.

[0006] As will be described in more detail in the following detailed description section, the present invention describes numerous embodiments, features, and variations of the present invention and provides various non-limiting examples thereof. Titles and headers are provided in the detailed description section for convenience and readability. The following represents a non-exhaustive summary / list of the content presented in the detailed description section and is provided herein to illustrate numerous features of the present invention.

[0007] Identification of Products: In this section, within the digital content that can be analyzed by the present invention​Product Placement Describe different types of this. This includes pre - arranged Product Placement , dynamic Product Placement , static Product Placemen tracking, computer vision, AI, crowdsource recognition, and the use of other methodologies for identifying products and services within digital content. If the presented product is not available for purchase, the present invention identifies and presents alternatives Product for purchase. Alternative products can be identified based on viewer - preset preferences and other criteria.

[0008] User Interaction - Product Identification to Viewers: Products for purchase may be automatically presented to the viewer or presented after certain viewer actions (e.g., pausing digital content, touching a touch - screen display presenting digital content, verbally commanding, etc.). Products may be automatically identified for purchase based on the viewer's preset preferences or other criteria under discussion.

[0009] Methods of Displaying Identified Products to Viewers: Purchasable Product can be presented to the viewer in various ways. For example, products within the digital content itself (e.g., within the program being viewed) can be visually modified and optionally additional information can be provided. One or more products for purchase can be identified in a separate field of an electronic device separate from the digital content (e.g., above the presented show). Products for purchase may be provided to other electronic devices such as the viewer's smartphone. This information can be provided to individuals or groups identified by the viewer, such as the viewer's friends on a social media platform, and can also be provided for specific functions such as within a gift registry or for use as a gift registry. These and other aspects of the presentation / display of purchasable products are further described below.

[0010] In accordance with the present invention, each viewer (using their own electronic device) can set or preset who, what, where, when, and how a purchasable product is presented, as will be described in more detail.

[0011] In some versions / embodiments, the viewer can use another electronic device to purchase the product being displayed. For example, an electronic device presenting digital content can employ a QR code (registered trademark) (or other unique visual indicator) alongside or related to the purchasable product, and the viewer can use another electronic device such as their smartphone to read the QR code (registered trademark), resulting in the purchase of the related product. Instead of purchasing immediately, Product detailed information can be obtained.

[0012] Viewer preferences: The present invention, in multiple embodiments, employs user / viewer preferences, which can be pre - provided information by the viewer, machine - learned viewer preferences, or both. Each viewer, via their account, can specify preferred and non - preferred products / services, styles, materials, colors, brands, foods, genres, travel locations, entertainment preferences, cost preferences, product categories, etc.

[0013] Viewer selection / purchase of identified products: The present invention provides many ways for a viewer to select / purchase one or more identified products / services. These include the use of different types of electronic devices, selection methodologies including voice commands, hand / body gestures, etc. Instead of purchasing a product, one can select products to include in various types of gift registries or send them to specific recipients such as a selected social media platform or the viewer's friends ru . These and other viewer selection methods will be described in more detail.

[0014] Gaming and virtual reality environments: While not all of the features summarized and described herein of the present invention, most can be implemented within a computer game system and virtual reality environment. The present invention enables users / participants of virtual reality apps / systems to purchase real-world versions of products and services presented in virtual reality (if available). For example, participants / gamers / users of a particular virtual reality app / system can purchase real-world clothing and other products worn or otherwise used by the player's avatar.

[0015] E-Books: The present invention can be employed within E-Books or an E-Book environment (e.g., an E-Book app). Products described within the text description are identified and checked for purchase availability, and the reader can then easily purchase desired products related to the products read.

[0016] Other Applications - Beyond Digital Presentation Content: Viewers of non-digital content can similarly employ the present invention using their portable electronic devices. For example, a viewer can take a photo or video of non-digital content, process the photo or video according to the present invention, and arrange to be able to immediately purchase products or services related to the content of the photo or video.

[0017] Other functions and applications will be described in the section "Detailed Description" below.

[0018] Further Summary of the Invention

[0019] Having provided an overview of various embodiments and features of the present invention above, the following further overview characterizes the present invention in more technical terms representing non-limiting embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] In various embodiments, the present invention is an automated method for identifying one or more products and / or services within digital content for purchase, the method comprising the steps of: displaying the digital content on a display of a display device (e.g., a television, smartphone, tablet, etc.); the digital content representing at least one product (usually a number of products) either by display or otherwise; analyzing the digital content to identify the product; checking for the presence of product placement data associated with the product; and in the absence of product placement data associated with the product, data representing the identified product or data corresponding to the product (e.g., the external server is a recognition server that performs a recognition process on the data, and receives recognition product data such as identification information of the recognized product from the recognition server that has performed the product recognition process, checks with one or more external servers whether the recognized product is purchasable, and receives an input from the viewer of the digital content to initiate the purchase of the recognized product determined to be purchasable ru.

[0021] In one aspect of the present invention, the display device receives a viewer input representing or corresponding to a "viewer trigger action", and the analysis step is performed in accordance with the viewer trigger action to identify the product. The viewer trigger action can be that the viewer pauses the display of the digital content, the products shown in the paused display are identified, and then it is determined whether they are purchasable.

[0022] The viewer trigger action may be a specific identification of a specific product by the viewer. The specific identification may be performed via a remote control, a touch on the display of the display device, a keyboard, a mouse, a voice command, or other forms of viewer input. For example, other forms of viewer input can be hand or body gestures made by the viewer during the use of a virtual reality device.

[0023] As another aspect of the present invention, a product within digital data or otherwise represented by digital data is automatically identified without viewer input. In another aspect / variant of the present invention, digital content is analyzed to identify the product before the content is presented to the viewer.

[0024] As a further aspect of the present invention, product recognition involves the execution of suitable computer software that analyzes the distinct physical features and characteristics of components within digital content to identify the disclosed product. Such features can include shape, orientation, color, texture, or other attributes. The brand of the product described within or otherwise represented within the digital content may be employed.

[0025] In embodiments / aspects that employ a product brand, various product databases are utilized to assist in identifying the product, and websites of brand owners or authorized licensees and other services are accessed during the product recognition process. ba ni Accessed.

[0026] As yet another aspect of the present invention, the product recognition process employs an artificial intelligence (AI) methodology / process that includes an AI iterative process.

[0027] As a feature of the present invention, for products determined to be unavailable (e.g., discontinued products), other ways of obtaining the presented product are adopted, such as the possibility of obtaining the product via an online auction, identifying suitable alternative products, and / or alternative products acceptable to a particular viewer based on the viewer's pre-set or otherwise confirmed preferences.

[0028] Yet another Aspect Aspect is that other processes can be adopted, such as using a crowdsourcing methodology, to identify the product or identify where hard-to-obtain products can be obtained.

[0029] According to yet a further aspect, the present invention can employ the viewer's physical characteristics to select an appropriate product for purchase (e.g., certain clothing, etc.). Such physical characteristics can be provided directly by the viewer, automatically acquired (e.g., via a camera system / process), or obtained from a third party who may already have such information in other ways.

[0030] As another aspect of the present invention, product information regarding purchasable products may be distributed to different types of electronic devices, and the manner in which the information is displayed may be provided in many ways. In one aspect, such information is provided on a display device that is displaying original digital content. The information may be provided in a way that visually distinguishes the displayed product from other things presented within the digital content. The information may be provided in a separate field or part of the display device from where the original digital content is being displayed. Additional / supplementary information regarding each product (price, size, brand, delivery date, etc.) may also be presented to the viewer.

[0031] As a further aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable one-dimensional (e.g., barcode) or two-dimensional (e.g., QR code (registered trademark)) graphic symbol is presented on a display device, enabling the viewer to use another electronic device such as the viewer's smartphone to select a desired product for purchase.

[0032] As yet another aspect of the present invention, the viewer can specify a product to add to a gift registry (e.g., a wedding registry), and this product can be used by individuals in the group specified by the viewer to select and purchase products in the gift registry.

[0033] As described above, Product The data can be distributed to other electronic devices including the device specifically identified by the viewer, such as the viewer's specified email address or other accounts.Product The data is identified by other individuals Product so that it can be purchased and distributed to the social rume di apu rat platforms specified by the viewer.

[0034] Product The data can be distributed to various electronic devices and social media platforms at any timing, such as the time specified by the viewer, after the screening of digital content le( such as TV programs and movies End of) . Also, it can provide periodically updated Product information such as those that are currently unavailable Product . In this case, the viewer (and other individuals specified by the viewer) is provided with updated information regarding availability. Furthermore, additional information regarding the product can be provided, including discounts, royalty ipu program availability and benefits, etc.

[0035] As a further feature of the present invention, the viewer can establish a set of preferences so that the products available for purchase are presented based on the viewer's preferences, or not presented in some cases. The viewer's preferences can affect the style, shape, size, color, brand, etc. of the products presented for purchase. The viewer's preferences can be established and / or modified based on the viewer's past purchase activities, or other activities such as the viewer's browsing history, and actions performed on any number of electronic devices, including activities within a physical store.

[0036] As an additional feature of the present invention, the viewer can immediately purchase one or more products via one viewing action. Various modes are possible for the viewer to select a product for purchase.

[0037] As yet another feature of the present invention, the purchasable ProductTo understand the service, generally, the current location of the viewer based on the GPS data of the viewer's mobile electronic device (e.g., the viewer's smartphone) is adopted. For example, various services such as restaurants, entertainment, and tourism that the viewer frequently visits are identified based on the location information.

[0038] As a further feature of the present invention, any of the features / aspects summarized above can be adopted within an electronic book (E-Book) environment (e.g., Kindle or other devices, and / or an app operating as an E-Book). The present invention identifies one or more products represented within the text description of the digital content presented within the E-Book environment. A visual representation of the product that has been confirmed to be purchasable may be presented within the E-Book environment. The content within a predetermined page (or two pages) presented to the viewer (e.g., after the viewer "flips" the page) is analyzed, and then the product represented by that purchasable content is presented to the viewer. Product It can be displayed within the margins of the E-Book (e.g., outside the main text) or placed in another location such as above the main text. Other functions and variations are also applicable to the E-Book environment.

[0039] The present invention can be applied not only to E-Books but also to other technical environments such as electronic magazines, newspapers, and various types of apps that can be used on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers.

[0040] According to further aspects and features, the purchased product may be a digital representation of the product selected by the viewer for purchase or, in the case of a digital representation, for licensing. The selected / purchased product or digital representation(s) of the product may be adopted in any digital environment such as the use of the viewer's digital avatar. For example, the viewer can choose to purchase (or license) a particular hat being viewed in any of the embodiments described herein, and in that case, the digital representation of that hat can subsequently be adopted by the viewer.

[0041] According to certain features, a digital representation of a purchased product (e.g., a hat) is used on the viewer's digital avatar in an environment where the viewer has a digital avatar. In other embodiments, the digital representation of the product is employed with the digital representation of the viewer (or other selected person) in reality.

[0042] As yet another aspect, the purchasable / licensable product may be a cosmetic or other type of product used by people in real life, and the digital representation of the purchased cosmetic or other product enables the modification of the person's avatar or the digital representation of the person's real life. This person is presented to other people via a virtual display session (whether for social, business, or other types of functions) or other digital environments, and the appearance of the person can be changed according to the purchased product.

[0043] In such embodiments / variations where the product is purchased for subsequent use in a digital environment, it is possible to modify any of the described embodiments / variations to enable the purchase or license of digital rights and / or digital technologies to change the viewer's digital representation (whether a real person, an avatar, or other non-real representation) or to change the viewer's surroundings. aru .

[0044] Other aspects, features, and variations are further described in the detailed description section below.

[0045] The present invention also relates to systems and devices that perform any of the processes / steps / functions summarized above.

[0046] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention relates to an automated system comprising a first device, a second device, and a server. The first device has a processor, a memory, and a display for displaying digital content. The second device has a processor and an input interface, and the second device is portable and is adapted to be operated by a viewer of the digital content displayed by the first device via the input interface to select a product related to or appearing in the digital content displayed by the first device. The server has a processor and a memory and communicates with the first and / or second device via a computer network. One or more of these devices execute computer instructions to identify a viewer in the overall system, identify one or more products represented in the digital content, and any Product Placement data related to the identified product(s), and if there is no data related to the identified product, data representing the identified product or data corresponding to the product is Product Placement electronically transmitted via a computer network to at least one external server via the computer network. The external server represents a recognition server, and the recognized 、 received from the recognition server that has performed a recognition process on the communicated data, and via data from one or more external servers, it is confirmed whether the recognized Product is purchasable, and an input to start the purchase of the recognized Product is received from a viewer of the digital content. Product This is characterized by receiving an input to start the purchase of the recognized Product that is recognized as purchasable.

[0047] As various aspects of this automated system embodiment of the present invention, applicable structures or architectures have any of the functions of the paragraphs above related to method embodiments (if any). Such paragraphs are not repeated herein with respect to the summarized system embodiment above so as not to unduly expand the discussion herein.

[0048] Functional, communication, and other structural and / or software-based characteristics can include any of the features summarized above or, alternatively, can adopt all additional features and functionality discussed in the detailed description presented below.

[0049] The present invention further encompasses additional embodiments, features, aspects, functions, and advantages as described herein. Accordingly, the above summary represents non-limiting exemplary embodiments, features, functions, and advantages of the present invention.

[0050] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, steps and features can occur at any point in the inventive system / process, either as an initial step or after a product has been identified for purchase or at other times. Further, the different described features, aspects, functions, and / or steps can be combined with each other in different embodiments and combinations discussed herein. Additional features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and better understood by those skilled in the art when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0051] The following detailed description is given by way of example and is not intended to limit the invention thereto. It will be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like reference numerals indicate like elements and components.

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[0063] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0064] The present invention relates to a system and method that enables viewers to easily and quickly purchase products and services that are displayed within or otherwise disclosed or represented in digital content such as broadcast, streaming, or recorded audio-visual content, audio content alone (e.g., within an e-book), and the like. The above summary illustrates various features, functions, and advantages of the present invention, and the following detailed description supplements that discussion so that those of ordinary skill in the relevant art can practice the various embodiments, features, and aspects of the present invention described herein.

[0065] Definition

[0066] In this document, the following terms are used and their definitions are provided to clarify that certain terms are not to be construed narrowly.

[0067] The terms "user", 「Multiple Users」 "viewer", 「Multiple Viewers」 "reader", 「Multiple Readers」 "consumer", 「Multiple Consumers」 etc. are used interchangeably herein. Similarly, the terms "see", "view", "read", "hear", "listen to", "perceive", etc. are used interchangeably herein.

[0068] Unless otherwise explicitly stated or specified, terms such as "video", "video content", "digital content", etc. include audio content and, in certain embodiments, represent only audio content without video content. For example, digital content may refer to, but is not limited to, audio-visual works (such as movies, TV shows, programs, commercials, etc.), electronic games, streaming content, stored digital content representing audio and / or visual content, virtual reality environment-based content, audio information, audio recordings, e-book application-type data and content, visual and / or audio content perceived by humans, and AI-perceived content related to visual and / or audio information related to any of depiction, display, audition, or other perception.

[0069] The terms "product", 「Multiple Products」 "service", 「Multiple Services」 etc. are used interchangeably in this specification to refer to one or more products and / or one or more services. Thus, references to products are provided for convenience during some parts of the discussion in this specification, and applicable embodiments, aspects, features, functionalities, and / or steps may also, where appropriate, apply to services or services.

[0070] Terms such as "one-touch", "single operation", "input" by the user, etc. may include a single action or a simplified series of actions perceived by mechanical, electrical, optical, audio, or computer devices such as a "click" on a mouse, pressing a button, selecting or pressing a key on a keyboard or keypad (including virtual keyboards or keypads), contact on a touch-screen type device, voice commands received by a suitable computer device, and also physical gestures received by a suitable computer device ー etc. (for example, devices employing cameras or other types of sensors that detect movement). These are non-limiting examples.

[0071] The types of devices that can receive one-touch input, single operation, or other forms of input by a user include, as non-limiting examples, keyboards, touchscreens, mice, computers, smartphones, tablets or input devices of other mobile electronic devices, remote controls, key fobs, camera systems coupled to suitable computing devices, computing systems using microphones, motion / movement sensors, optical systems, and devices / systems including any combination of the foregoing.

[0072] As used herein, the term smartphone includes smart tablets and other similar portable electronic devices, and other portable devices capable of wireless communication with smartwatches and other electronic devices.

[0073] The term television includes both portable and non-portable video monitors capable of displaying (or projecting) visual and / or audiovisual content, and such electronic devices regardless of their size, placement, and (if mounted) mounting method.

[0074] The present invention adopts various features, processes, functions, and advantages achieved by a person (hereinafter referred to as a viewer or user) who views (or after viewing) or experiences in other ways the movies, TV programs, advertisements, videos, or other digital content (including reading or listening to novels, stories, etc.) described herein. After significant processing and analysis as described herein, the viewer can quickly and easily purchase products, services, and other things that are displayed or otherwise related to what is perceived by the viewer, and such can be achieved in a variety of ways with a wide range of electronic devices. The following discussion describes such processing and analysis, as well as the steps and devices employed to enable the viewer to make purchases in accordance with the present invention.

[0075] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a basic flowchart 100 used to illustrate the various steps implemented in the present invention. Not all steps specified or illustrated are implemented in the various embodiments discussed, and further, additional steps and sub-steps may be implemented without exceeding the nature and scope of the present invention.

[0076] 1. Display / Browsing of Content

[0077] First, as represented by step 110 of FIG. 1, digital content is displayed to one or more viewers on a particular electronic device or presented in some other way. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram 200 showing exemplary types of devices that can be utilized, viewed, listened to, or otherwise interacted with by a viewer in accordance with the present invention. For example, a person (viewer / user 210) can interact with (including viewing, reading, and / or listening to) a smartphone 220, a computer 222 (whether portable or not), a smart tablet 224 (such as an e-reader device, iPad (registered trademark), etc.), a smartwatch 226, a game console 228, a TV / monitor 230, and a virtual reality (VR) system 232. These devices are exemplary, and viewer 210 can interact with other forms of electronic devices in accordance with the present invention.

[0078] Initially, a viewer is watching a movie, a TV program, a show, or other forms of content. For convenience, in the discussion of this specification, the term "show" is used to describe various embodiments and features of the present invention. However, the reference to "show" includes any digital content presented in visual, audiovisual, or audio form, whether it is a movie, a program, an advertisement, etc., regardless of whether it is visually and / or auditorily perceivable. Further, the presented content can be provided via any of the aforementioned identified devices (e.g., smartphones, computers, smart tablets, smartwatches, TVs, VR systems, e-readers, etc.) or other devices that can provide audiovisual content, visual (alone) content (motion video or still / still), or audio (alone) content.

[0079] The method by which the content is provided to the electronic device can be any suitable method. For example, the content can be pre-loaded or pre-stored within the electronic device. The content can be in the form of live streaming to the device via the Internet or another network (e.g., streaming a concert or other event via a streaming service, regardless of whether it is the live event itself or pre-recorded). The content can be generated by the electronic device via the execution of a suitable program, as is common in game systems and virtual reality systems, regardless of whether it is executed by the electronic device or another device communicating with the electronic device. Other aspects of delivering or transmitting the content to the electronic device and then displaying the content to the viewer can be implemented.

[0080] Since various methods regarding the delivery / transmission of digital content and the proper display of such content on electronic devices are well-known, no further discussion will be made in this specification, except where necessary for the understanding of the present invention.

[0081] 2. Identification of Products

[0082] In accordance with the present invention, one or more products displayed within digital content are identified (Figure 1, step 120). As discussed, the products can be automatically identified by a system implementing the present invention, such as an electronic device presenting the digital content. The products can also be manually specified by a viewer. Product The automatic and / or manual selection / identification thereof will be further described.

[0083] In addition to the automatic or manual identification of products (s) within digital content, the present invention, in various embodiments thereof, enables such identification and subsequent viewer selection for purchase while the digital content is being presented continuously or during a "pause" in the presentation. These different embodiments will be further described below.

[0084] Product Before describing the details of identification (and viewer Product selection and for purchase), the present invention advantageously utilizes data / process / system that inserts so-called "product Product placement" advertisements or campaigns into digital content intentionally. top The present invention is advantageous by utilizing data / process / system that provides so-called "product

[0085] 2A. Types of Products in Digital Content

[0086] Product placements appear in video content in various forms. For example, movie characters often wear clothes or jewels by a particular famous designer and drive expensive cars of a luxury car manufacturer. Also, specific daily necessities of a famous manufacturer often appear in the scenery within a program. Specific information regarding the purchase of these products and the featured products may be provided by merchants, manufacturers, or brand owners as part of a so-called "product Product placement" campaign. top placement" campaign.

[0087] As used herein, the term "product placement advertising" in the context of digital content means a product placement campaign in which the digital content includes pre-programmed content that intentionally promotes a specific product. Exemplary types of product placement advertising are (1) pre-placed product placement and (2) dynamically placed product placement. Also, it may be placed statically Product and may also be placed. These types of advertisements will be described below.

[0088] In accordance with the present invention, the system / process of the present invention determines how the product being displayed is included in the digital content, i.e., whether the method is static, pre-placed, dynamic, or by some other known method. Thereafter, information regarding the availability of the product is ascertained, and the viewer is provided with an opportunity to easily purchase the product, regardless of how the product was advertised or presented in some other way within the digital content.

[0089] To illustrate different types of product placement methodologies, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary scene 300 within a movie or show presented to a viewer. The exemplary scene 300 shows several products including a sofa 310, a mirror 320, a wall clock 330, and artwork 340.

[0090] Pre-arranged Product Placement

[0091] Pre-arranged product placement relates to products that appear (or are referenced) within digital content that has been provided (i.e., pre-arranged) to the producer of the digital content by a business operator such as a manufacturer, distributor, retailer, etc. for the specific purpose of using the product in one or more scenes of a program.

[0092] In exemplary scene 300, the sofa 310 can be considered a product provided by the supplier of the sofa to the producer of the digital content under a contractual agreement that the product (i.e., the sofa) appears within the digital content in a specific manner. Thus, the sofa can be purchased from its supplier, and information related to the identification of the sofa, the identification of the supplier, and perhaps other useful information is embedded within the digital content and / or can be obtained in other ways from the distributor of the digital content or the producer of such content.

[0093] Pre-arranged Product Placement As another example of a "general-purpose" item, it can be manufactured under multiple brands and / or sold by multiple retailers. In an exemplary scene, the mirror 320 can be such a "general" product, but the presentation / use of the mirror within the scene still represents a pre-arranged product placement. In such cases, the advertiser(s) of this product, who may be the brand owner, seller, and / or retailer(s), coordinated with the content producer to distribute information regarding the locations where the product is available and other relevant information along with the digital content. There can be various different types of situations, such as distributing information (embedded in the digital content) regarding multiple retailers that supply the product or similar products. ru .

[0094] The present invention extracts information regarding each pre-arranged product. Also, in certain embodiments discussed, when multiple sources of a product are available, the present invention uses various criteria including information specific to the user, such as the user's location, the user's preset, or other preferably established criteria, to select the retailer (i.e., source) most suitable for the viewer.

[0095] Dynamic Product Placement

[0096] Produc top Racenmen toki Another type of the campaign is dynamickupu Rodak top In a racement, it relates to "dynamically" inserting specific products into digital content based on many factors including demographics, purchasing behavior, and other available information about viewers (potential consumers) who receive the digital content. Briefly speaking, Dynam kupu Rodak top The racement often occurs after the creation of the digital content or at or just before the time when the digital content is sent to the viewers (i.e., sent to the electronic devices that the viewers watch). Therefore, different sets of viewers of the digital content can (and are likely to) see different things / items (i.e., dynamically placed products).

[0097] In an exemplary scene 300, the wall-mounted clock 330 can be an example of a dynamically placed product, and that wall-mounted clock can be seen within the digital content distributed to the selected viewers, but something else (e.g., another type of clock) is dynamically included within the digital content and thus can be seen by different sets of viewers (on other electronic devices). Examples of other things include wall-mounted clocks by different manufacturers, completely different types of clocks, or completely different things. For example, a program shown in a certain region of a country includes products during a time period when they are more readily accepted or available in that region, while the same program in another region of the country can display different products that are more readily accepted or available in that other region. Among other things, Dynam kupu Rodak top The scenarios and reasons for which the racement is used exist suru .

[0098] Dynamic Product Placement can be more detailed. Viewers themselves with different profiles (at least known to the sending entity) can be provided with different products on their respective electronic devices based on those different profiles. Dynamic Product PlacementIt may also be applicable to a specific time period (e.g., the evening to late at night crowd) when digital content is transmitted and viewed. Since purchasing habits vary depending on the attributes of viewers, advertisers attempt to take advantage of these attribute differences. It may include things that can be dynamically changed within digital content before being transmitted to viewers' electronic devices, such as the type of clothing, color, type of fabric, and price of products that appear to be worn in the digital content.

[0099] Dynamically placed Product Regarding information, within the transmitted digital content, Product information such as the brand and manufacturer is often embedded. Furthermore, the delivery of dynamic product placement is often carried out via an advertising delivery service ba o on a network such as the Internet, and the delivery service ba wa will have related information regarding the transmitted dynamic placement Product .

[0100] As further explained, the present invention involves identifying dynamically placed products, extracting all relevant information related to those dynamically placed products, including accessing information that can be made available to an advertising delivery service if appropriate, and using the extracted information and information obtained by other means in the most suitable way for viewers in a purchasing activity according to the present invention.

[0101] Other Forms of Product Placement

[0102] In the broadcasting industry and other industries seeking to maximize advertising revenue, in addition to pre-placed product placement and dynamic product placement, other forms of product placement campaigns are being used ru . For example, so-called replacement advertising is related to replacing the content (usually a product) of already created content (i.e., usually old digital content) with a modern product ru . Product topThe racement involves hiding a brand (e.g., a brand logo on a product) or replacing it with another brand. In addition, there are known product top racement toki campaigns and methodologies.

[0103] These product top racement toki In each form of this campaign, the digital ruko content sent often embeds information related to the product top racement toki campaign / method, and related information about the corresponding product. Furthermore, third-party services such as the above advertising delivery service also have related data about the products included in the digital content sent. As discussed, the present invention attempts to extract, obtain, and utilize such information to assist in various functions, among other objectives discussed herein, such as identifying products with specificity, identifying related information (e.g., cost, source, etc.) about those products, and identifying the purchasability of those products.

[0104] Product without Product Placement Data

[0105] Often, the products displayed in digital content are part of the product top racement toki campaign. That is, there is no information (or at least no information is embedded) about the products displayed or referenced in the digital content sent nai . This is often the case, especially for fairly old digital content )。 . ru .

[0106] In exemplary scene 300 of FIG. 3, artwork 340 can be an example of a type of product that was not placed within digital content as part of a product placement campaign. That is, aside from the image of the painting itself, there is no information embedded within the transmitted digital content, or information available from a third-party advertising service or other operator that in any way assisted in the transmission of the program containing that scene.

[0107] As will be described below, the present invention is a completely different method from the method of identifying products that are part of a top racement toki campaign, and identifies products that are not part of a top racement toki campaign, and checks whether such products are purchasable by viewers. ru.

[0108] Additional Information Embedded in / Related to Digital Content

[0109] Separate from the various types of products that appear with digital content, there is digital content that contains other information that can be adopted by the present invention. For example, a program related to interior design may embed data regarding designers, cameramen, and other individuals / companies related to the development of the content. This may or may not be included within the credit portion of the content. The data embedded within the digital content may further include companies that provide services related to the digital content, and other information that is useful in relation to the present invention.

[0110] 2B. Identification / Obtaining of Product Information

[0111] After providing a basic description of various product placement campaigns, the present invention proceeds to identify products within digital content that are displayed by viewers or otherwise perceived (Figure 1, step 120). In certain embodiments, an electronic device presenting the digital content performs the various processes described herein. In other embodiments, another processor communicating with the device presenting the digital content performs such processes. In still other embodiments, a device separate from and not in direct communication with the device presenting the digital content performs such processes. Such devices / servers / computing devices are further described in the following section.

[0112] The present invention includes determining whether an item within the presented digital content is actually part of a product placement campaign, regardless of the specific device employed, and if so, identifying relevant information regarding that data (Figure 1, step 122).

[0113] In accordance with the present invention, the system checks whether the presented digital content includes pre-arranged product placement data. Such data represents information regarding products used during the creation of the program (or other content) being viewed, and data related to pre-arranged products is embedded within the digital content. Accordingly, the present invention extracts the embedded data to identify pre-arranged products and identify information related to the pre-arranged products so identified. The present invention further accesses content within available catalogs or databases that is associated with, referenced by, and / or discoverable by the system of the present invention using relevant information available with, associated with, and / or referenced by the digital content as needed.

[0114] The present invention no The system checks whether in the digital content Product is dynamically placed, and if dynamically placedProduct Data related to, for example, Product the actual image of, its brand, and size, color, mark, shape, source, etc. Product Extracts other information related to from digital content.

[0115] The system of the present invention accesses a remote server to obtain further additional information regarding the dynamically placed product. When accessing such a remote server, for example, one controlled by a brand owner or related to a brand owner, etc., selecting the corresponding one in the remote server may redirect to further information regarding the product including availability, and / or another entity having further information regarding the product including availability. For example, the system of the present invention may be redirected to a retailer's server (or that of a seller or another business entity). For example, communication with the remote server is realized via the Internet or a LAN network and can exchange data in the form of web pages, Java, Java Script, NET, Silverlight, Flash or other applets or communication formats.

[0116] Also, links and references within the digital content related to the dynamically placed Product are adopted by the system of the present invention to Product access a third-party site / server that further has related information such as availability and price of ba ni .

[0117] Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, user preferences (described further below) are adopted to obtain information related to the user's preferences, including the use of redirects to third-party servers based on user preferences.

[0118] Including product information in digital content is done in certain known applications including Instagram and Pinterest, where links to websites providing product information about what is being shown are embedded within image and video content ru .

[0119] In digital content Product Placement methodologies, and such ProductSpecific methods for extracting data related to [the subject matter] are described in multiple patents, published patent applications, and other published materials, and the present invention can appropriately adopt any of such methodologies. Representative patents include U.S. Patent No. 8,910,201 titled "Product Placement in Digital Content", U.S. Patent No. 8,949,889 titled "Product Placement Content", U.S. Patent No. 9,338,500 titled "Interactive Product Placement System and Method", U.S. Patent No. 10,701,449 titled "Providing Product Information During Programs", U.S. Patent No. 10,542,326 titled "Targeted Content Placement Using Overlays", U.S. Patent No. 10,477,287 titled "Method for Providing Additional Information Associated with an Object Visually Present in Media Content", and U.S. Patent No. 10,249,137 titled "Dynamic Placement of In-Game Ads, In-Game Product Placement, and In-Game Promotions in Wager-Based Game Environment", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0378369 titled "Computer-Implemented Methods and Regulated Gaming Machines Configured for Coordinated Placement of Ads", 2014 / 0255003 titled "Surfacing Information About Items Mentioned or Presented in a Film in Associated with Viewing the Film", each of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this document. The product within the show top Racers todeThere are additional patents, published applications, and other published materials that describe methodologies for identifying and extracting data.

[0120] Also, in accordance with the present invention, product identification may be performed by computer vision or other known techniques / processes to identify individual merchandise items within digital content. Such processing may also be referred to herein as Product recognition processing, although it is performed when the presented digital content is Product not part of a promotional campaign (Figure 1, step 124). However, such processing may be performed for a top product toki racemen Product promotional campaign, particularly if the system cannot determine the top product toki racemen Product source of any embedded data or other information available via the promotional campaign.

[0121] The process of identifying commercial items within digital content may be performed before the digital content is presented, during the viewer's perception of the digital content, by manual selection of items or articles within the digital content by the viewer, or upon manual pause of the digital content, or at another time as discussed herein.

[0122] Referring to the schematic diagram 400 of FIG. 4, a selection frame (or selection frame or section) of digital content is transmitted from an electronic device 410 (presentation device 410) presenting the digital content to a recognition server 420 that executes the above-described computer vision methodology or other suitable image processing / analysis. The processor of the recognition server performs one or more main processes depending on the situation. For example, when a frame of video content is received, different potential articles are first identified, and then specific information regarding each identified article needs to be verified. Also, there may be cases where one or more articles have already been identified, but more information regarding each article is needed.

[0123] recognition server ba wa , executes appropriate software within an embedded ASIC circuit, and for each Product (i.e., Product 's image), compares it with the visual images of products in various available databases. Additional searches on the Internet 430 may be performed as needed to find similar images having the same or similar visual characteristics. For example, an article can be specifically identified based on a number of characteristics including the color / shape / contour of patterns in the image, edge characteristics, density, arrangement of elements in the image, and / or other features and characteristics that can be used for product identification purposes.

[0124] Details of various types of such processes are described in U.S. Patent No. 6,240,217 titled "Digital Image Processing", U.S. Patent No. 6,763,148 titled "Image Recognition Method", U.S. Patent No. 5,983,237 titled "Visual Dictionary", U.S. Patent No. 5,893,095, titled "Similarity Engine for Content-Based Retrieval of Images", U.S. Patent No. 5,852,823, titled "Image Classification and Retrieval System using a Query-by-Example Paradigm", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0273013, titled "Systems and Methods of Product Recognition Through Multi-Model Image Processing", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0318405, titled "Product Identification in Image with Multiple Products", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0197223, titled "System and Method of Image-Based Product Identification", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0005294, titled "Product Identification Based on Image Matching", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0371557, titled "Image-Processing Apparatus, Date Identification Apparatus, Image-Processing Method, and Computer Program Product", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0260057, titled "Product Identification via Image Analysis", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0188634, titled "Product Identification via Image Analysis",U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0027091, titled "Product Identification Based on Location Associated with Image of Product", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0174195, titled "Systems and Methods of Image Searching", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0183185, titled "Product Identification using Image Analysis and User Interaction", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0002535, titled "Non-Product Image Identification", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0086192, titled "Product Identification using Image Analysis and User Interaction", which are hereby incorporated by reference. Some of these documents discuss the recognition of actual products (not just their digital representations), and their applications are discussed in the following specific embodiments.,

[0125] The product identification methodology is further available through third-party websites, apps, and services including Google's reverse image search ( www.images.google.com) , Google's API Cloud Vision (https: / / cloud.google.com / vision); TinEye's reverse image search ( tineye.com); Eyeem's computer vision API ( Eyeem.com) ; and IBM's Watson Image Recognition system / service ( https: / / www.ibm.com / cloud / watson-visual-recognition )wo ), which are hereby incorporated by reference. Other methodologies / systems that may be adopted are yet to be known and are described in other patents, published applications, and published papers.,

[0126] In certain embodiments, a brand may be associated with a product / element. For example, the brand may be presented visually in relation to the product, may be represented while the product is being presented to the viewer, may be provided within metadata or other information embedded in digital content, or in some other way. In such cases, the search / analysis performed by recognition server 420 (or by another server involved in the process) communicates with the brand owner's server 440, the server 450 of a licensee of that brand, and / or the server 460 of a retailer and other authorized sellers of that brand, and / or other databases containing information related to that brand.

[0127] By communicating with any of the aforementioned entities / databases, the recognition ser ba wa ver is ultimately attempting to identify (1) one or more retailers or other sellers from whom the product can be purchased, (2) cost information, (3) availability information (e.g., whether currently available, if not, shipping times, etc.), (4) relevant information about the product itself (e.g., color, size, material, and other relevant specifications regarding the product), (5) available options related to the product (e.g., different colors, sizes, etc.), and (6) alternative products.

[0128] As will be discussed further below, part of the search / analysis may be based on the user's preferences and / or other information about the user. For example, the user's location may be relevant to the delivery of a product of interest, in which case a search for sellers of the product relatively close to the viewer may be performed.

[0129] As further discussed in accordance with the present invention, during the evaluation and selection of a product, the viewer's preferences, including the viewer's physical characteristics, are taken into account. In the context of clothing and other items where the viewer's physical characteristics are relevant, the user's 3D image and / or other relevant data will be employed.

[0130] recognition ser ba wa、To identify products / elements within digital content and / or to identify specific products related to what is being perceived by the viewer, artificial intelligence (AI) software can be employed in the process. Some of the documents incorporated herein by reference discuss the use of AI.

[0131] Based on product type, user preferences, and other criteria, the recognition service ba wa identifies one or more specific products that are available for purchase for subsequent presentation to the viewer. Specific aspects (s) of the presentation to the viewer will be described in the following section.

[0132] In one embodiment, the recognition service ba wa selects one product for presentation. In other embodiments, multiple products are selected for presentation. In one embodiment, information regarding multiple suppliers of the product is provided.

[0133] In each case, all data related to each product is captured and sent to a presentation device or another electronic device. As further discussed, the perceived product can be purchased via the use of another electronic device such as via the viewer's smartphone. The various ways of purchasing and the different devices that can be employed in the various embodiments of the present invention will be discussed.

[0134] As previously mentioned, AI may be employed in certain embodiments. For example, the processor may execute software that includes a self - learning AI algorithm that performs a comparative analysis comparing the products presented in the digital content to images or descriptions within various product databases. In some embodiments, the comparison generates additional search requests. In this iterative process, the AI analysis determines and evaluates highly similar appropriate alternative products for the viewer to purchase. If a number of potential alternatives are established, the AI analysis is employed based on the user's preferences to establish the ones that are closest and / or most preferred to those user preferences.

[0135] For example, a substitute refers to something that has all but one of the features of the presented product. Characteristics may include size, style, color, pattern, type of fabric / material, year of manufacture, upgraded (or downgraded) version, etc. If it is determined to be acceptable, the substitute can include things that differ with respect to one or more characteristics. If there is no suitable substitute that has all but one of the features of the presented product, search for a substitute with fewer common characteristics and evaluate the compatibility. The viewer's preferences may also result in a suitable alternative product that is different from the presented product.

[0136] Taking into account the viewer's purchasing habits, acceptable alternatives Product may be considered. Additionally, positive (or negative) feedback from other consumers may be adopted.

[0137] In addition to the above, in certain embodiments, the present invention analyzes the context in which a product is presented and uses that context for product search. For this purpose, AI specifically designed for context may be employed. As one simple example, in the evaluation of the present invention where a program related to a trip to a specific destination provides one or more potential services that a viewer may choose to purchase and / or be provided with more information, the month or season in which the program was conducted may be employed.

[0138] The AI software / system can further refer to evaluations and recommendations by respected third-party services such as travel rating companies, publishers of travel guides, etc., and reviews by individuals who have purchased the product (or service) related to the ongoing search.

[0139] Service Content

[0140] The present invention enables a viewer to purchase services presented within digital content. Common services include travel to a specific destination, travel forms (e.g., airline services; cruise ship services, etc.), restaurant services (e.g., a specific restaurant), hotel services, entertainment services (e.g., tourist attractions), etc. For such types of services, the information and purchase possibilities relate to travel packages for the destination, travel reservations / purchases, restaurant reservations, hotel reservations, etc.

[0141] As another example, while watching an educational program such as a cooking program or many other types of educational programs, educational-related services can be provided to the viewer. Also, service-related things such as providing related classrooms that are relatively close to the viewer's current location are possible.

[0142] Further, the present invention enables a viewer to consider and purchase services that are related in some way (but not necessarily strictly directly related) to the presented digital content. For example, while watching a broadcast concert (whether live or not), in certain embodiments, the present invention checks information related to the purchase of tickets for future concerts by those performers. Such tickets may be for directly attending a future concert, or for remote attendance, or for other services related to the performer (e.g., meeting directly in another function). As another example, services (and / or products) related to future performances at that specific venue may be presented for purchase.

[0143] In the sports-related area, while watching a sports event or a news program reporting on that sports event, etc., it can be provided so that both sports-related Product and sports-related services can be purchased. Date-related services can be provided in any number of types of digital content, such as watching a dating program, a love-related program, etc. For example, the present invention system can direct a viewer to an appropriate dating service such as Tinder, Grindr, Bumble, etc.

[0144] Provided to the viewer Product To evaluate the type of service, viewer preferences, past purchases and past viewing habits, as well as the current location may be employed. For example, the type of restaurant presented to the viewer may be based on the viewer's preferences (e.g., favorite foods, cuisines, types and ethnicities, allergies, etc.) and past activities. The viewer's place of residence or current location is employed when evaluating the type of service to be provided for purchase.

[0145] Similar to checking for alternative products when the presented product is not available (or when the viewer wishes to view alternative products based on the viewer's preferences or past activities), the present invention searches for alternative services and presents them to the viewer. The use of AI is particularly useful in this context when considering potentially numerous alternative services (or products in certain cases) that are not identical but are somewhat similar to what is specifically presented to the viewer. The user's preferences, past purchase history, past viewing activities, demographics, and other features and characteristics may be considered.

[0146] Furthermore, with respect to services (and in some cases products) where the date and time are relevant, the date and time may be considered ru 。Current season, weather, etc. may be employed. In particular, this tendency is strong in travel-related services, restaurant services, etc. Additionally, the price range that the viewer desires / can tolerate for the product and service, desired perks (if any), etc. are considered.

[0147] Viewer 3D Image Set and Similar Data

[0148] As described above, in accordance with the present invention, the viewer's 3D image may be considered for the selection of products suitable for purchase, or for the selection of size or other characteristics. Thus, the present invention may utilize any data regarding the physical characteristics of the viewer, such as body scans, contour information, color tone, hair color, style, and length, size, height, dimensions, etc. Such information may be stored by the present invention or may be stored on a third-party site accessible by the present invention. As previously mentioned, such information may be presented within digital content in certain embodiments. Product is employed at the time of selection of Product (and in some cases services).

[0149] If such data is unavailable or restricted, the present invention, in certain embodiments, will query the viewer for relevant information at a later time, such as during the user setup of an account or when presenting related products for purchase. The responses to the queries, and / or past purchase activities, will be included in the viewer profile.

[0150] Cloud Sourcing and Auction

[0151] In accordance with the present invention, in certain embodiments, products are identified or further information about the products is verified by posting queries to a "crowdsourcing" platform, appropriate social media channels, and / or chat rooms (e.g., we-talk.com) that are likely to provide useful feedback. In a "crowdsourcing" posting, participants will be asked to identify unknown items based on an image or description of the product (if known), provide additional information about the product, and / or provide potential suppliers of the product. Further, the query may include candidates for recommended or alternative products, and useful information about the product itself or the candidates for alternative products can be obtained.

[0152] In certain embodiments of the present invention, any of the searches described herein can include searches of online auction databases and / or related websites such as eBay, TheRealReal.com, Alibris books, etc., among other suitable online auction platforms, and in particular searches of databases and websites related to antique dealers or auctioneers such as 1stdibs.com. Auctions, etc., may be used to obtain products that are no longer available for purchase, or products that are no longer available from the original manufacturer or retailer.

[0153] 3. User Interaction - Identification of Products for Viewers

[0154] In the foregoing section, in accordance with the present invention, it has been described to identify products within digital content and to obtain information about the products including their availability. All of this information is presented to the viewer in various ways in accordance with the present invention (Figure 1, step 140).

[0155] According to a set of embodiments, products are identified to the viewer in response to the viewer's actions. As will be further discussed below, the viewer action may be a pause in the presentation of the digital content. In another version, the viewer uses a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, remote control, etc.) to point to or hover over a particular product of interest. Such viewer actions present one or more purchasable products to the viewer. Other scenarios and versions will also be described.

[0156] According to another set of embodiments, products are identified to the viewer without viewer action. In one version, purchasable products are automatically presented to the viewer as the digital content is viewed, and there are several conventions for how the products are actually presented in accordance with the present invention. In another version, the selected Product is sent to another electronic device. A plurality of other versions are also described and included within the present invention.

[0157] 3A. Viewer Action

[0158] In certain embodiments of the present invention, while the viewer is perceiving the presented digital content, the purchasable products are not distinguished from other things presented to the viewer until the system receives some viewer action (Figure 1, step 130). For example, while the viewer is enjoying a movie being played on their television (or other electronic device), the movie is presented as is. After the viewer takes some action, the purchasable Product presentation / identification is performed.

[0159] In one embodiment, the viewer action is to pause the presentation of the digital content. For convenience, the viewer action that causes the presentation of one or more purchasable products is also referred to herein as a "viewer trigger" action. Thus, when the viewer simply selects the pause button on the television remote control, selects the pause of the digital player, or performs an equivalent action (including a verbal command to pause the presentation of the digital content), it constitutes a viewer trigger ー action according to the present invention.

[0160] Another type of viewer trigger operation in certain embodiments is the use of a pointer device to point to or hover over a specific product within the digital content. This may include physical contact with a touch screen displaying the digital content, or a touch screen associated with another device presenting the digital content. A television remote control with a pointing function can similarly be used. Voice instructions, a computer mouse, and other devices can also be used for this purpose.

[0161] According to the present invention, when the user triggers ーdongWhile performing the operation, the user can select one or more presented products and evaluate whether the product (or products) is / are purchasable. Using a certain type of pointer (e.g., a mouse, a remote control, touching a specific part of a touch screen, etc.), the product specifically indicated (i.e., selected) within the digital content is then determined by the present invention to evaluate whether the specific product is purchasable.

[0162] In other embodiments, the viewer can verbally describe the product, which is heard by an appropriate system that converts it into a computer language understandable by voice. Systems that receive voice instructions, voice inquiries, etc. are well known in the art and will not be further described except where necessary for understanding the present invention.

[0163] For example, when watching a movie or a program, the viewer can verbally say "pause" or other appropriate commands to pause the movie (or program, etc.), and then the viewer can verbally give subsequent instructions to identify one or more presented products. For example, the viewer can say "blue dress" or "shoes" or other products, whereby the system can identify such products within the presented image, check information about such products, and proceed to check whether those products are purchasable in the manner described above. In order to prevent the system from "hearing" words that are not intended, appropriate command words can be employed before identifying each product of interest.

[0164] In another embodiment, when pausing the presentation of a program, all products within the paused digital content are evaluated by the present invention. For convenience, evaluating all products (and services) within the paused digital content is referred to herein as "snapshot" processing. In the context of a video, the paused digital content corresponds to a video frame.

[0165] As described above, the viewer can select the product for evaluation by other means, such as pointing with an appropriate pointer. For example, in a touch screen device, the viewer can simply touch that part of the display containing the product of interest. Depending on the user's preference (or pre-set), it is possible to pause the program or continue the program. On the other hand, the system of the present invention Product grasps information regarding, especially its Product availability for purchase.

[0166] The viewer can select multiple products simultaneously or sequentially. For example, the viewer can draw a circle (or ellipse, box, etc.) around a part of the presentation (with their finger or pointer or other device), and all the products within the area enclosed by that circle are identified and evaluated for their availability for purchase.

[0167] In any of the described embodiments, the digital content can be appropriately paused until the viewer completes the purchase of one or more products. In other embodiments / variations, the digital content continues while the information is being provided to the viewer and while there is a subsequent possibility of purchase by the viewer. For example, the digital content continues and information about the product (e.g., its price) is simultaneously displayed to the viewer (e.g., on a separate screen or in another way that is being discussed). Thus, the present invention enables the viewer to select products within the digital content simultaneously and then purchase them while allowing continuous viewing of the digital content. As will be explained, information about the selected products can be presented to the viewer via another electronic device.

[0168] 3B. Identification of Products without Viewer Action

[0169] According to other embodiments of the present invention, without the viewer's action, it is possible to identify Product for the viewer.

[0170] In certain embodiments, when digital content is presented, products such as those described above are identified along with information regarding their purchasability. Methods for presenting such information regarding purchasability are described in the following section. In these particular embodiments, products that are pre-placed and / or dynamically placed to appear within the presented digital content are identified, and data regarding such products is collected for presentation to the viewer. Information regarding those types of products is often readily available, so product availability information can be presented almost instantaneously along with the presentation of those products. top Racemen toki In certain embodiments, the system specifically identifies those products that are relevant to the user's preferences. For example, a viewer can pre-select products of interest before viewing digital content. Such pre-selection can be done at any time and may or may not be related to the specific digital content being viewed. For example, a viewer may wish to check the availability of a dress in a selected color. There are countless other examples. Thus, when digital content is presented to a viewer, products that are the same (or similar) or products related to pre-set user preferences in other ways are automatically identified by the system, information regarding the availability of the products is checked, and subsequently, the system presents that information to the viewer.

[0171] In certain embodiments, the system specifically identifies those products that are relevant to the user's preferences. For example, a viewer can pre-select products of interest before viewing digital content. Such pre-selection can be done at any time and may or may not be related to the specific digital content being viewed. For example, a viewer may wish to check the availability of a dress in a selected color. There are countless other examples. Thus, when digital content is presented to a viewer, products that are the same (or similar) or products related to pre-set user preferences in other ways are automatically identified by the system, information regarding the availability of the products is checked, and subsequently, the system presents that information to the viewer. Product availability. There are countless other examples. Thus, when digital content is presented to a viewer, products that are the same (or similar) or products related to pre-set user preferences in other ways are automatically identified by the system, information regarding the availability of the products is checked, and subsequently, the system presents that information to the viewer.

[0172] In other embodiments, a catalog of purchasable products is created when digital content is presented, and then such a catalog is presented to the viewer in one form or another at a later time. Given the fairly large number of purchasable products presented within a digital content of a certain length (e.g., within a 2-hour movie), specific filters may be employed to limit the number of products presented to the viewer for purchase. As described above, this can be achieved via user preferences. Also, the viewer can identify specific products or select classes of products that are of no interest. Thus, the viewer can pre-select the products (or classes of products) to be filtered.

[0173] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the present invention system / method is designed to analyze digital content before presenting it for viewing to confirm products for purchase. For example, when digital content is first presented, or before presentation (e.g., while downloading, streaming), portions of the digital content to be presented at a later time (e.g., later segments of a show or movie) are analyzed before being presented to the viewer. To facilitate such analysis, the present invention in certain embodiments can employ multiple external systems / servers that perform the same analysis function, but each external system / server will analyze different portions of the digital content presented. Thus, the present invention in various embodiments takes into account the temporal nature of digital content.

[0174] In such embodiments, the digital content is divided into multiple segments or sections, each segment being of some appropriate length of time or alternatively some amount of digital data. And each segment is analyzed separately from the other segments, either by the same system or a different system. Thus, different segments of the same digital content are processed by different processors / servers / systems Analysis such that the digital content has a fairly large number of items for purchase ProductEven when including Product Following identification, the item for purchase Product and, if there is relevant data, it can be presented.

[0175] In certain embodiments, if the system cannot promptly indicate whether the presented product is available for purchase, such information can be presented to the viewer later (once it is obtained). Based on user preferences or default settings, once obtained, information regarding the availability of a particular product can be presented while the digital content is still being presented (however, after the time when the product has been presented), or when the entire presentation of the digital content is completed.

[0176] 4. Method of Displaying Identified Products to Viewers

[0177] While it has been described to identify products presented (or to be presented) within digital content and to obtain information regarding those products including their purchasability, the present invention, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, displays those products to the viewer in different manners (Figure 1, step 140).

[0178] As will be explained, in various embodiments, the manner of displaying products for purchase can be preset by default, preset via user selection, or established in other ways.

[0179] The present invention in certain embodiments changes the visual display of purchasable products. As shown in exemplary Figure 5A, information identifying the product for purchase is superimposed on the image along with other information such as its price (which may also be referred to as auxiliary information herein). Different information may be provided, and the manner and mode of presenting such information may be different from that shown in Figure 5A.

[0180] In other examples, each product may be highlighted, brightened, darkened, colored, made monochromatic, or otherwise have its appearance changed as compared to the rest of the presented digital content. 。hen In an exemplary form, the rest of the digital content is changed in appearance, such as being darkened or made monochromatic, so as to stand out to the viewer as compared to all the other things the product for purchase is presented with. FIG. 5B is an example where the images other than the artwork are darkened and the price of the artwork is further displayed to make the artwork stand out.

[0181] In yet other versions, the appearance of the product for purchase can be changed in one way (or multiple ways), and the rest of the digital content can be changed (in different ways), so as to make the product for purchase stand out even more to the viewer. For example, the product for purchase Product is brightened while at the same time the other digital content is darkened.

[0182] According to other embodiments, visual indicators recognizable by the viewer can be presented around the product for purchase. For example, the product can be surrounded by special graphics or simple graphics as shown in exemplary FIG. 5C. The graphics can be any symbol such as a circle, ellipse, box, star-shaped item, etc. that is visually recognized by the viewer so that the viewer can easily see the purchasable product.

[0183] According to further embodiments, the product is identified in a field or location different from where the digital content is presented (which may also be referred to herein as an auxiliary field or location). In one version, the size of the presented digital content is reduced to correspond to a side (or top or bottom) field, and the product for purchase (or products for purchase) is identified within that other field along with other information about the product (such as its price). FIG. 6 is an example of identifying the item for purchase Product in the field 610 adjacent to the digital content 600.

[0184] In other embodiments, the purchasable product is presented by other electronic devices that do not present digital content. FIG. 7 is a block diagram 700 showing an electronic device 710 (referred to herein as a "presenting device") that presents digital content, along with other exemplary electronic devices that can present the purchasable product.

[0185] In accordance with the present invention, a viewer presets the identity of an electronic device for presenting the purchasable product. For example, the viewer can specify his / her smartphone 720 (e.g., by providing the mobile phone number of the smartphone). The viewer can specify his / her computer 730. Any other type of electronic device can be specified. Additionally, or alternatively, the viewer can specify his / her email address, mobile phone number, social media account, or other personal indicators (account name / ID in other applications) to enable the viewer to obtain purchasable product information on other electronic devices that the user is using or intends to use.

[0186] The viewer can purchase ProductTo receive information, multiple devices can be specified. Thus, a viewer can specify a portable electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) being carried, along with another device such as a computer. As described above, instead of specifying an electronic device, a viewer can specify an email address, an account associated with an app, a social media platform, or other desired recipient devices or platforms. Information / data representing purchasable products can be distributed via the Internet 740 (or other networks) by email communication, by text message, as an HTML or XML web page, or by other suitable communication technologies (e.g., via a third-party server 750). Thus, purchasable products are presented to the receiving device via email, text message, an app suitably programmed in accordance with the present invention to enable selection / purchase of the identified product, or other software and / or hardware vehicles.

[0187] Along with the viewer's own electronic device, the viewer can specify a friend's electronic device, such as a friend's smartphone 760 (e.g., the friend's mobile phone number). To receive purchasable product information, additional electronic devices and / or accounts and / or social media platforms can be specified.

[0188] Purchasable products can be provided to any of the aforementioned specified devices, platforms, accounts, etc. for a particular product specifically identified by the viewer. For example, the present invention can be employed to create a gift registry (e.g., a bridal registry, a baby registry, etc.). The gift registry can be created in accordance with the present invention in various ways.

[0189] In one aspect, the viewer designates to create a specific gift registry, and then browses digital content and selects products to add to the gift registry (without designating that the products be purchased). Browsing of the various digital content, which can include the retailer's website and any other digital content mentioned herein, may occur over time, such as over several days or weeks. When the viewer is ready, the viewer then associates the gift registry with a specific social platform, guest list, service provider (e.g., a third-party gift registry fulfillment company), etc., and sends out the products designated to be included in the gift registry to the designated recipient or recipients.

[0190] In the case of a social media platform, the products in the gift registry are identified and can be quickly selected by friends, family, guests, and other people for purchase. In the case of a guest list, each guest receives the gift registry (via their email, text message, appropriate app, social media, or other communication technology) ru . Similar to an existing gift registry, when a gift is purchased, the available gifts may change.

[0191] The gift registry may be created in a different manner than described above. In particular, instead of first selecting the desired gifts, the viewer can first specify the distribution method of the gift registry and then proceed to select gifts over a period of time. The desired products (or services) are then automatically added to the presented gift registry as the viewer proceeds to add the desired gifts. Multiple people (e.g., future bride and groom) can also separately add the gifts they desire to the same gift registry.

[0192] The viewer can select charities to which friends and other people can donate i na items that are not generally defined as gifts. ru Charities i wa related to the digital content may also be selectedwana 。

[0193] In embodiments related to charity, a list of charities seeking to provide support or assistance in relation to a worthy cause is displayed, so that viewers can easily donate to the selected charity they wish to support. For example, during a program or news report about a particular tragedy, a list of appropriate charities designed to support the people injured in the tragedy (or to prevent similar future tragedies, etc.) can be automatically presented to the viewer, or presented after a user action, at which point the viewer can select the desired charity and specify the amount to donate, thereby quickly initiating the donation. The viewer can pre-set the amount to donate (e.g., $100). Also, if necessary, objective data and reviews regarding each charity listed can be provided to enable the viewer to make an appropriate donation decision.

[0194] In those embodiments that employ a device different from the electronic device presenting the digital content, the viewer or the viewer's friends or other people such as friends, social networks, etc. do not need to modify or otherwise obscure the presentation of the original digital content. Thus, these embodiments are very suitable for use during presentations such as shows, movies, etc. in private events with multiple viewers, public events where there may be many viewers, or other situations.

[0195] Subsequently, each viewer can (presumably) receive different data identifying the purchasable products on his / her selected device according to his / her select preset settings. In such a case, each viewer can indicate the specific digital content being viewed on a separate electronic device (e.g., within an app on his / her smartphone or other electronic device). Next, an app that communicates with an appropriate system / server operates as described herein to facilitate the identification and selection of purchasable products presented within the digital content presented by another electronic device.

[0196] In certain embodiments, an app on an individual user's electronic device can automatically identify the digital content being viewed via the use of the device's camera and / or microphone. Next, by using techniques known to identify the presented digital content (with the help of a remote server), the app can quickly identify the presented digital content, then identify the presented products, collect data, and ultimately initiate the processes described herein to provide purchasable products. ba no With the help of), the app can quickly identify the presented digital content, then identify the presented products, collect data, and ultimately initiate the processes described herein to provide purchasable products.

[0197] In a variant, an individual user's electronic device checks the digital content being viewed via data transmission between the user's device and a display device that displays the digital content. The data transmission can be direct (e.g., via Bluetooth®) or indirect (via Wifi or other indirect techniques). In that case, the user's device can request the display device to identify the presented digital content or to identify the broadcaster, streaming service, or other source of the digital content along with other relevant information. Such information sent to the user's device must be sufficient to enable the user's device to identify the presented digital content (with the help of a third-party server). ba no With the help of) the presented digital content.

[0198] In another embodiment / variant, the viewer can take a photo of the digital content presented by another electronic device and use that photo to identify the product(s) available for purchase. A custom app may be developed to facilitate these functions, and the viewer can simply press a virtual button on their smartphone (or other device), after which the app can perform the remaining steps with the assistance of a remote server / system as already described herein. As a simpler example, the viewer can take a photo and send it (by email, text message, or other means) to another entity for processing. Data regarding the product(s) available for purchase is then sent to the viewer, who can then purchase one or more products if desired. Photos / images of standard printed images (i.e., not digital images) such as normal labels (e.g., drawn or printed items) can also be taken and the products therein analyzed.

[0199] QR Code (Registered Trademark)

[0200] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, each product available for purchase is identified on the device presenting the digital content, along with a QR code (registered trademark) that can be read by a different electronic device of the viewer to initiate a purchase. In one implementation, as shown in the exemplary image 800 of FIG. 8, when digital content is being presented, a set of products available for purchase is identified in different fields 810 on the device presenting the digital content, and each product available for purchase is provided with its own unique QR code (registered trademark) (820a, 820b, 820c, 820d).

[0201] Thereafter, the viewer can use their electronic device (e.g., smartphone) to scan the QR code (registered trademark) using an appropriately programmed app. ruThen, the app sends data related to the QR code (registered trademark) to an external server that can process communications to ultimately purchase the product related to the QR code (registered trademark). The external device in this example is communicating with one or more of the above servers that associate purchasable products with the data defined by their respective QR codes (registered trademarks). Instead of using QR codes (registered trademarks), other suitable indicators may be employed. ba no In various embodiments, including the foregoing embodiment where each product employs a QR code (registered trademark), the present invention is well-suited for public or private use where there are multiple viewers of the same digital content (e.g., presented on the same electronic device). Each viewer can individually select / purchase what they wish to purchase using their respective electronic devices (e.g., smartphones).

[0202] In various embodiments, including the foregoing embodiment where each product employs a QR code (registered trademark), the present invention is well-suited for public or private use where there are multiple viewers of the same digital content (e.g., presented on the same electronic device). Each viewer can individually select / purchase what they wish to purchase using their respective electronic devices (e.g., smartphones). Product It is possible to select / purchase.

[0203] In another embodiment, a QR code (registered trademark) (or other unique display) may be employed together with a program guide that identifies a series of programs. In such an embodiment, each program listed has its own QR code (registered trademark), and when one of the displayed QR codes (registered trademarks) is selected (or imaged), the identification of the purchasable product presented / associated with the selected program is performed. In one version, selection of a program (or scanning of the associated QR code (registered trademark)) presents all Product (within the program) ru Also, based on the viewer's preset settings, a smaller number of selected Product may be presented.

[0204] In another embodiment, the viewer uses a properly programmed app to image / scan a QR code (registered trademark) (or other unique indicator including a watermark) printed on or otherwise presented on an actual product (i.e., not a digital version of that product) and uses their electronic device to purchase that product. For example, certain manufacturers, importers, retailers, etc. can choose to enable purchases to be made via the use of the present invention by people in the physical vicinity of products that can be purchased. As an example, a business operator can have a "store" of products for sale, and each product has a unique QR code (registered trademark) provided on the product (e.g., on a sticker on the product, on a hangtag, etc.). The store can be fixed in one location, mobile (e.g., a traveling store), within a temporary exhibition, a permanent exhibition, or either a temporary or permanent exhibition. By adopting the present invention, retailers can sell products that are actually displayed and viewable by potential customers, and those retailers can include digital content presenting the same products that can be purchased by viewers of that digital content. The same QR code (registered trademark) can be used by the actual product and displayed on an electronic device in the manner described above.

[0205] In a variation of the above embodiment, instead of using QR codes (registered trademarks) or other codes on actual products that are visually viewable, those products may include RFID tags or other passive or active tags / technologies that are detected by a suitable electronic device. Suitable technologies include near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth (registered trademark), iBeacon (registered trademark), etc. Thus, such embodiments can sense the product without the need to visually image a visual indicator on or near the product or product.

[0206] Each viewer using his or her own electronic device may take advantage of establishing his or her own pre-set preferences so that he or she can customize the products displayed for purchase, customize other information related to those products, and customize the purchasing process. Product , or your choice Product Additional information regarding the above may be provided to individual viewers upon request.

[0207] In certain embodiments, a viewer's preferred mobile device is triggered to receive product information based on the proximity of that mobile device to an electronic device presenting the digital content. ーsa Thus, when a person is walking around (or traveling in another mode of transportation, such as in a car), and the person is within a certain proximity (e.g., 10 feet) of a presentation device, the person's electronic device is triggered to receive selected product information being presented by the presentation device. When the person moves away a sufficient distance, the transmission of product information to the viewer's electronic device stops. Thus, certain embodiments of the present invention may be particularly useful for certain commercial establishments, such as shopping malls, shopping centers, and the like. As an example, each store in a shopping center may present advertisements on electronic devices where multiple advertisements are presented over a period of time, and people in the vicinity of those electronic devices are provided with the immediate ability to easily purchase the particular product being advertised at a given moment.

[0208] In the above embodiments involving a person's proximity to an electronic device, a retail store (or other entity selling products / services) can employ the present invention in lieu of a cashier "checking out" a customer. For example, a retail store may have multiple departments, and each department may contain electronic devices that present the products sold within the respective department. As a consumer walks through one of those departments, the consumer's electronic device is presented with the products in that department. ProductIt may be presented within an advertisement (e.g., a digital advertisement) or may include any Product thereof. Consumers can select to purchase the identified product via the app described herein. The purchased product can be obtained by the consumer in various ways, such as (1) the consumer picks up the product (e.g., from a shelf); (2) the product is mailed to the consumer; (3) the product is collected by staff and given to the consumer at the end of shopping; or (4) other techniques such as methods of providing the purchased product to the consumer.

[0209] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the product provided to the consumer via the electronic device can be specifically tailored to what is digitally presented in a retail store (or even outside the retail store). Other aspects of adopting the present invention in a physical store environment can also be employed.

[0210] According to the present invention, by transmitting product information to a second electronic device, the presented digital content is not interrupted by any transmission of product information, nor will its speed decrease otherwise. For example, the digital content may be displayed on a TV being watched by multiple viewers. One viewer designates their smartphone as the preferred device for obtaining information about an Product of Product interest introduced in the digital content. Another viewer designates their internet-connected wristwatch as the device for receiving information about an Product of Product their interest. Similarly, other viewers have each pre-selected their respective electronic devices individually according to the type of Product interest.

[0211] In such embodiments, even if there is a delay in providing product information to a particular viewer, there is no delay in the presentation of the digital content. Further, an individual viewer can choose to request additional information regarding a particular product of interest, and such a request for additional information does not affect the original presentation of the digital content. Other advantages are described herein.

[0212] Products can be identified for purchase at different times. In certain embodiments, it can be done simultaneously with the presentation of the product within the digital content. In other embodiments, it can be done at a later time. For example, in a presentation that includes commercials (such as during broadcast television), purchasable products can be identified (along with other data such as price) during those commercials. Purchasable products can be identified at the end of a particular video segment or at the overall end of the digital content (such as after the completion of a show or movie). In other versions, purchasable products can be presented at a preset date and / or time such as 30 minutes after the completion of the digital content, or at a date / time selected by the viewer.

[0213] In embodiments where information about the product is presented on or with the product that is actually displayed, various embedding techniques can be employed. Methods of embedding or overlaying text and / or other visual information within digital content are well known, and no further discussion will be provided except where necessary for an understanding of the present invention. For illustrative purposes, various techniques are discussed in U.S. Patent No. 10,542,326 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2016 / 0165314 and 2019 / 0373337, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Other techniques for embedding or overlaying text or other visual information are discussed in other incorporated documents specified herein.

[0214] In various embodiments, any of the foregoing identification data for a particular product can be presented along with its price, brand, etc., together with an indicator for purchase such as "Buy Now" or other suitable equivalent language, phrase, symbol (e.g., "B" symbol in a particular font, size, color, etc.) that the viewer can recognize and understand. In the case of a gift registry, a "G" symbol (or other suitable indication) can be adopted and the viewer can select to add the identified product to the gift registry.

[0215] Figure 9 is an example of using symbols with products available for purchase or products to be added to a gift registry. There are also many other examples. In a variant, by the viewer selecting what is presented, the system further presents additional information to the viewer.

[0216] Optionally, rather than purchasing the identified product immediately (regardless of whether via an electronic device that displays digital content or another electronic device in various embodiments), the viewer can visit a website or other server (e.g., of the brand owner) to obtain additional, supplementary information about the product and / or information about local retail stores for the product and / or information about alternative products. The option to visit a website or obtain other information can be presented to the viewer in various ways. For example, a "W" symbol (or other suitable symbol or word / phrase such as "Visit Website") can be presented next to the product identified for purchase. Visiting a website, etc. can be set according to the preset preferences of the user such that the viewer's selection of a product automatically takes the viewer to a website, etc.

[0217] In some embodiments, the delivered product information can also include possible discounts, rewards of loyalty programs, information about limited offers, along with customized or viewer-specific information that the viewer may be interested in related to the selected and identified product or the merchant offering the product, or the closest alternative product selected according to one or more embodiments.

[0218] As described above, in various embodiments, social media platforms can be employed for identifying products presented within digital content, for retrieving and obtaining information regarding those products, and / or for enabling individuals (e.g., friends and other people) to purchase a particular product. Particular social platforms (and other places where information is sent) may be provided as viewer preset preferences / settings and / or may be provided "on the fly" when a particular viewer is using the present invention. For example, a viewer may be watching a program and at that time decide to send information about a selected product identified within that program to a particular social rume di apu platform. Using a suitably programmed app within the viewer's electronic device (e.g., a smartphone), the viewer designates a particular social platform for sending only the product information presented within that particular program. Thus, the viewer settings may be universal settings (applicable to any program being viewed / presented to the viewer) or may be made only with respect to the currently presented digital content.

[0219] The viewer may specify that it be at a particular time (e.g., 1 hour, 2 days, 1 week, etc.) or may set it based on other criteria such as selecting and designating topics or products of interest. As another option, the device that sends the product information may be specialized for the selected product. For example, clothing items can be selected and sent to a first device / receiver, and non-clothing items can be selected and sent to a second device / receiver. Then, when digital content is presented, viewed by the viewer, and products are identified in any of the manners described herein, those identified products related to the first category (e.g., clothing) are sent to the viewer's designated first set of devices / receivers (e.g., close friends), and similarly, the second category ri(For example, identified products related to non-clothing, jewelry, vacation-related, etc.) are sent to a second set of devices / recipients specified by the viewer (e.g., spouse, etc.). Two or more categories may be specified, and the categories may overlap with each other. Thus, in the present invention, the viewer can finely set to select and send information about interesting Product / services encountered during viewing of content such as videos by an individual.

[0220] 5. Viewer Environment Settings

[0221] As already described above, various embodiments of the present invention described herein may employ viewer preferences. Viewer preferences can be set in advance by the viewer, such as during the setup of the viewer's account with the entity / system that manages the present invention. For example, during account setup, the viewer can receive a series of questions about the types of products that are particularly desired to be identified and presented for purchase, and the types of products that the viewer has no interest in.

[0222] In one version, the viewer can specify, for each group / type of product, the amount of interest on a scale (e.g., 1 - 5) in the possibility of purchasing products within that group / type. Thus, for products that the viewer has no interest in Product at all, the viewer can so indicate, and accordingly, in the future, the viewer will not be presented with those types of Product products for purchase. Conversely, products of high interest Product and Product types are identified each time they are included in the digital content experienced by the viewer and are presented for purchase. As described above, the same applies to services and other things / experiences that are generally not Product considered as such.

[0223] Viewers can provide more preference information so that the system / process / invention can filter out (or filter in) selected products within a category. For example, a viewer can specify that they prefer to see clothing of a selected brand while at the same time preferring not to see clothing of other selected brands. As another example, a viewer can specify a preferred cost range for each specific product. According to the present invention, among the products in the digital ruko content, those that are far outside that range are not presented for purchase, while products within the cost range are presented for purchase. Products that are outside the range but close to it may be presented for purchase based on other factors and the preferences of other viewers.

[0224] Viewers' preferences may be set based on the viewers' demographics, such as geography (where the viewer lives), whether they have a spouse, whether they have children, whether they own or rent a home, and socioeconomic data.

[0225] Preferences can be further established based on the viewer's past activities, such as purchase patterns, patterns of requesting more information about the products selected. Other historical activities of the viewer include other purchase / shopping patterns at physical stores or other online methodologies / platforms (e.g., via Amazon), as well as purchase habits employed during the use of the present invention. Still, additional historical data that can be employed includes browsing activities, social network interactions, auction bidding activities, searches, interests specified on social networks, etc. Preferences can also include the types of apps the viewer has installed, downloaded, or purchased, and their frequency of use, and / or other activities on the viewer's electronic device.

[0226] By using artificial intelligence, the viewer's preferences can be fully established based on information about the viewer's electronic devices, the viewer's accounts, the above information obtainable from public information sources, or other types of information about the viewer ru .

[0227] Viewers can preset / specify the types and amounts of data presented for purchase. The types and amounts of data may vary according to the Product category. Whether the viewer's preferences are set in advance by the viewer or set using the viewer's data, they can be set at any time and may change (i.e., evolve) over time. Product category ri ni Viewers who wish to purchase clothing and / or other products where size and other attributes of the product (e.g., color, material, etc.) are important can establish a personal profile that includes information about the viewer to make it easier to automatically select product characteristics at the time of purchase. The personal profile may accordingly include any data about the viewer relevant to the purchase of clothing, etc. Such data includes all sizes related to specific products, such as shoes, all types of clothing, hats, rings, etc. Relevant sizes include chest, waist, hip, inseam, neck, sleeve, finger, foot length, foot width, etc.

[0228] If available, the present invention can obtain such personal profile data from a third party such as a clothing retailer that may already have such information about a particular viewer. In certain embodiments, the present invention can employ digital imaging / 3D modeling of the viewer using an image of the viewer. Other known methodologies for obtaining data for use within the personal profile data may also be employed.

[0229] In addition to the viewer's physical characteristics, the viewer can further provide preference data as described above for each specific type of product. Such preference data may include, for example, the style, color, fabric, type of fit (tight, loose, etc.) of each piece of clothing. Also, to reduce the potential number of products presented to the viewer for purchase, unwanted styles (s), colors, fabrics, etc. may be provided.

[0230]

[0231] ​Viewers can provide preference information regarding various types of services, including any of the types of services mentioned herein. For example, viewers can identify the types of cuisine they like (and dislike), preferred types of hotels, brands and styles, preferred types of destinations to visit, preferred interests and hobbies, etc. Information regarding these and other types of services can also be generated by AI applications that utilize the viewer's past behavior. Similar to products, the present invention can employ AI to identify the optimal or appropriate alternative services to offer.

[0232] The viewer can pre-set payment methods to facilitate the automatic purchase of the products selected for purchase. Optionally, the viewer can enable the use of already provided payment methods such as Apple Pay or PayPal, or payment methods identified on various platforms such as Amazon. Any known suitable payment method can be employed, including the use of cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin), EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer), etc.

[0233] Each user (i.e., viewer) of the present invention can establish their account along with their set of preferences, as described herein. In certain embodiments, each viewer using their electronic device receives uniquely customizable products for purchase based on the products presented within the digital content being viewed by that respective viewer. Thus, each viewer can enjoy the ability to easily purchase products for purchase, often with a single action, without the need to search for those products, manually obtain information regarding those products, or identify the sellers or vendors of those products, and can enjoy other advantages described herein.

[0234] Multiple viewers of the same digital content (whether presented on a single electronic device or multiple electronic devices that they view) may be provided with (and will likely be) a set of products uniquely established for each viewer for purchase. For example, at home (or elsewhere), multiple viewers are watching the same program, and each viewer can adopt the present invention via their smartphone. Although each viewer is watching the same program, due to each viewer's settings, preset preferences, and other reasons described herein, the types of purchases shown to be available to each viewer may be different. Product The types of purchases may be different.

[0235] 6. Regarding Selection / Purchase of Specific Products by Viewers

[0236] Viewers can select products identified for purchase using any number of devices in a variety of ways (Figure 1, step 150). For many embodiments, the viewer will adopt the input device of the electronic device that specifically identifies the product for purchase. As previously explained, this may be the electronic device presenting the program or other digital content. In other situations, it may be a different electronic device, such as the viewer's smartphone.

[0237] Accordingly, the input device includes any typical input device of a variety of electronic devices, including keyboards, mice, remote controls, touchscreens, gaming consoles, joysticks, etc. In a system that includes (or communicates with) a voice recognition system (e.g., Amazon Alexa and Echo, Apple's Siri personal assistant, Microsoft Cortana, etc.), the input may be a verbal instruction.

[0238] In a system that employs or communicates with a camera system or other type of visual and / or motion sensor system, the input may be a hand or body gesture (or other form of gesture). The present invention may be employed with a game and / or virtual (or augmented) reality system, and the input may be language, a hand gesture, a body gesture, or any type of input typical of such systems. Thus, gestures, verbal instructions, game consoles, joysticks, use of holographic consoles / keyboards, VR headset inputs (iris, eye movement, etc.), and other devices used with such systems and / or within game systems may be employed as the input to initiate a purchase.

[0239] In various embodiments, the input device includes the use of a camera and / or microphone of an electronic device. For example, in an embodiment that employs a QR code (registered trademark), the camera of the electronic device captures an image of the QR code (registered trademark) to facilitate the purchase of a specifically identified product.

[0240] In accordance with the present invention, a viewer uses an appropriate input device to select one or more products to purchase. In an environment where an electronic device presenting digital content also identifies products for purchase, such as by a television, the viewer can use the television remote control, via an app or other software being executed by the television, to select products, particularly for immediate purchase. However, the input may also be via another device that communicates with the television (e.g., any voice recognition system).

[0241] In an electronic device equipped with a touch panel, simply touching the touch panel where the product to be purchased Product is presented initiates the purchase of Product the product ruThere are numerous other examples. Further, since the specific software that would be employed in the various systems and embodiments referred to herein is within the capabilities of one of ordinary skill in the art considering the discussion herein, specific discussion of software / code is not provided except where particularly necessary for understanding the present invention.

[0242] When a product(s) is selected, the system / method of the present invention proceeds to initiate a purchase (Figure 1, step 160). For the purchase Product The electronic device employed by the viewer to select for ba no receives remote server support and proceeds to initiate a purchase. Based on the user's preference, the selection by the user may be a single action where the action operates as an "instant purchase" function.

[0243] Optionally, after the user's selection, one or more requests are made for either further information from the viewer or further confirmation for purchasing the selected product(s). For example, if information such as color, style, size, etc. has not been pre-set by the viewer, or has been pre-set by other means (e.g., using past activity), the viewer may be requested to identify it. Also, if not pre-set, and / or for types of products where multiple units are likely to be purchased (e.g., cosmetics, hair treatment products, and other regularly consumed / used products, etc.), the viewer may be requested to select a quantity.

[0244] Also, if not pre-set, the viewer may be asked to indicate a delivery method (e.g., same day, next day, 2-day, regular, express, etc.). Product It may be pre-set to be delivered in different ways depending on the type of

[0245] The method of monetary payment is preferably pre-set such that the approval of payment is fully automated. As described above, any suitable payment method can be adopted, such as credit cards, debit cards, etc. The necessary financial information may be provided in advance by the viewer (e.g., during account setup). The viewer may pre-approve the system to adopt other already-known payment methods such as Apple Pay, PayPal, etc. The manner of payment, pre-approval, and the process / system for implementing the monetary payment of products in online orders are well-known and thus no further explanation is provided. For example, the payment approval process is described in U.S. Patent No. 8,627,379 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0100989, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Numerous other systems / processes / methodologies are known and any of them can be adopted within the present invention.

[0246] In most cases, the purchase step / process is controlled by an electronic device / digital device / server separate from the electronic device presenting the digital content and the electronic device (if different) that the viewer uses to request the purchase. Advantageously, the digital content presented by the presenting device continues to present the digital content without interruption. Further, in those embodiments where the viewer uses a different electronic device to initiate a purchase from the presentation device, the viewer's privacy is maintained. That is, other people (regardless of whether they are viewing the digital content or not) cannot know the actual purchases being made by the viewer. According to the various embodiments and options presented herein, if product information is provided to other individuals (e.g., the viewer's friends, guests, etc.), those other individuals can similarly specify the purchase of one or more products. In yet another embodiment, another individual designated to receive product information can pre-set themselves to receive further other products of interest viewed by the first viewer.

[0247] The final processes necessary for the completion of a purchase, such as delivery by the supplier of the purchased product, are well known and will not be described in this specification.

[0248] The present invention employs standard secure transmission methods and other functions within the online purchasing system. For example, the present invention may employ public key encryption and message identification codes (hash-based MACs) for the authentication of the transmission and reception of messages, particularly those containing an individual's financial information or requests for financial information, or may employ other protocols acceptable in the industry.

[0249] The system / process of the present invention utilizes industry-acceptable methods for verifying the identity of viewers / purchasers or other purchasers during the use of the present invention. In certain embodiments, the present invention identifies the viewer and employs face recognition of the viewer to enable the automatic use of the present invention without the viewer having to take additional steps to log in or otherwise slow down the process. As another option, voice recognition may be employed, or other biometric data (e.g., fingerprints) may be obtained to identify and / or verify the identity of the viewer and / or other users of the present invention. Face, voice, and other biometric recognition systems / processes are well known. For example, U.S. Patent No. 9,530,048 discloses various face recognition processes, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. As another example, azure.microsoft.com ni Certain Microsoft Azure products employ face recognition, particularly using skin color and color, to improve matching, and the content on this website is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.

[0250] 7. Games and Virtual Reality Environments

[0251] As briefly described above, the present invention is particularly suitable for use within games and / or virtual reality environments. The content presented to a user / viewer within a virtual reality environment (the "VR digital content") is very likely to include products (and services) that exist in the real world, and the present invention enables viewers of VR digital content to easily purchase the real versions of the VR products presented within the VR digital content. Thus, the foregoing discussion of identifying products within digital content (regardless of whether part of a product placement campaign), obtaining information regarding those identified products, and then determining whether those products are available for purchase is equally applicable to the VR digital content environment.

[0252] Furthermore, products within VR digital content can be automatically identified for purchase (i.e., their real-world counterparts), and / or manually selected by the viewer. Viewer preferences, including preset preferences of the viewer, can be employed in the selection of products presented within VR digital content. Thus, the various embodiments described above with respect to viewer preferences, filtering, etc. may be applied to the VR environment. Gui ering, Gua filtering out, etc. may be applied to the VR environment.

[0253] In connection with viewer selection of VR presented products of interest, the viewer can utilize any suitable input device / method for selecting products within the VR digital content. Various selection devices include a console, mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc., or virtual representations of any of these devices, wrist input, verbal instructions, hand / body movement / gesture, iris movement, head tracking, or other known input methodologies within the VR system.

[0254] Any suitable VR system for presenting VR digital content can be employed. Exemplary devices / systems include holographic projectors, VR glasses, VR visors, VR suits, and the like. The operation of many types of VR systems and the technologies enabling VR presentations are well known, as discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2019 / 0347858, 2019 / 0235619, and 2019 / 0369555, as well as U.S. Patent No. 8,487,980, and these disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.

[0255] Whether the product within the VR digital content is automatically identified or manually selected by the viewer, the corresponding real-world product that is purchasable (if actually purchasable) is presented to the viewer in any of the ways described herein. For example, the visual representation of the identified VR product may be changed so that the viewer can immediately confirm that the identified product is purchasable in the real world. Other techniques for visually differentiating products may also be employed.

[0256] The purchasable product The product can be presented as a separate element within the VR environment (i.e., "VR space") (e.g., in a different view or location as the original VR digital Ruko content). Further, the identified purchasable product can be presented in a VR space different from the original VR digital content. For example, the purchasable Product can, at the discretion of the viewer, be presented within the viewer's VR space. As an example, the viewer can enter the VR space indicating the purchasable Product by making an appropriate gesture or instruction. In one version, when such an instruction is given, the Product is presented in the viewer's VR space without the original VR digital content Ru . In another version, the original VR digital content remains and the Product is either overlaid on the original VR digital content or arranged horizontally (or above, etc.) Ru .

[0257] Taking into account the extent of the VR environment, purchasable Product can be sorted in different ways and then presented to viewers in different VR spaces Ru . For example, purchasable clothing items (in the real world) can be provided in one VR space, and purchasable non-clothing items can be provided in another VR space Ru . And the viewer can "switch" views while experiencing the original VR digital content, the VR space showing purchasable clothing items, and the VR space showing purchasable non-clothing items. The view switching can be realized in any way. Furthermore, Product can be organized in various ways, and such organization can be preset by the viewer. Furthermore, any number of VR spaces showing purchasable products can be created as appropriate or desired.

[0258] Similar to the above-described real-world embodiments, a viewer within the VR environment can immediately purchase one or more products presented for purchase, request additional information about any product, or perform other activities described herein (e.g., going to the website of the retailer selling the real-world version of the product, adding the product to a gift registry, sending the product to another electronic device, adding the product to a social media platform, etc.).

[0259] In certain embodiments, purchasable real-world products can be provided to and presented on other electronic devices. Any of the embodiments described above regarding the adoption of an electronic device in addition to the device presenting the digital content can be adopted in the VR embodiments of the present invention. For example, a viewer may specify that the identified product be provided on their smartphone (e.g., via a suitable app, text, email, etc.). And after enjoying the VR experience, the viewer can Product select a particular

[0260] The present invention may be applied in other virtual systems and environments including game environments and non-game environments. The present invention may be employed in online systems / environments related to virtual games, virtual fantasy / worlds, virtual shopping, virtual-related education, etc. (regardless of whether it is a 2D environment or a 3D environment). For example, in a virtual world environment, it is common for users to create avatars to represent themselves within the virtual environment. In certain embodiments of the present invention, a user (viewer) can purchase real-world versions of clothing and other products that the viewer's avatar wears or experiences in other ways.

[0261] As an example, during virtual reality heli-skiing, a user of a VR system can purchase real-world versions of clothing, footwear, headgear (e.g., ski masks), skis, and other items that the avatar wears or uses. As another example, in the online Nro role-playing Guge game "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood", players seek virtual fame and purchase clothing and accessories for their avatars (using real money), among other things. By adopting the present invention, real-world versions of clothing and other items experienced by the player's avatar can be purchased, and clothing and other items of other players who become views Wa to in the game can also be purchased.

[0262] As yet another example, players within a VR world can purchase real-world services experienced within the digital realm, such as travel packages to the virtual locations experienced, among many other types of services commonly experienced in many VR systems, apps, etc. Ru .

[0263] 8. Other Application Examples

[0264] As described, the present invention selects or automatically identifies / selects products and services within digital content such as movies and programs, checks whether they are purchasable, and enables viewers (and other individuals) toProduct to enable easy purchase of one or more of them.

[0265] The present invention may be employed among a number of scenarios not limited to viewing movies and shows. For example, the present invention may be employed while viewing or otherwise participating in activities for yoga, exercise, meditation, and other fitness exercises for physical, mental, spiritual, entertainment, or other purposes. The digital content presented to the viewer may sometimes be pre-recorded / created like a movie, but the present invention may be employed during live performances such as live concerts, live religious presentations / services, live broadcasts (e.g., news reporting). The present invention may be employed during digital presentations targeted at a relatively small number of viewers, such as subscription-based services, concerts, and other performances that require prior purchase, pre-registration, etc. The present invention may be employed within industrial-type events such as trade show presentations, video conference-type presentations (e.g., Zoom meetings), etc.

[0266] As mentioned above, the present invention is well-suited for the fields of games and virtual reality. Furthermore, the present invention is suitable for being employed in the field of augmented reality (integration of the real world and the digital world), and the present invention identifies products seen within the purchasable real world and / or purchasable virtually created products.

[0267] 9. E-books

[0268] The present invention is not limited to audiovisual digital presentations. Each of the aspects, features, steps, methods, etc. as described herein may be employed visually, including text-only presentation systems / devices such as E-Books, along with digital signage, digital displays, and other similar environments.

[0269] In particular, different types of pro Top RacemenToki The campaign can be employed within E - Books and the other types of environments described above. Within the text description Product Placement The use of the campaign and products other than the campaign is identified in certain embodiments of the present invention. Further, visual images of the products may accompany the text description or may be presented without the text description. In either of these situations, the present invention identifies the products that can be purchased in the manner described herein.

[0270] Regarding the text description of products (and services), hyperlinks within the text may be used to identify the products and their purchasability. Similarly, metadata and other data stored / delivered along with the text data are utilized for this purpose. Regarding the text description of products, the present invention employs an AI - driven context - based analysis methodology / system to identify the products being discussed within the text. Since such methodologies / systems are well - known, no further discussion is provided unless particularly necessary for the understanding of the present invention.

[0271] When a viewer "flips" through pages within an e - reader device that employs the methodology of the present invention, the information on the newly presented page is analyzed to identify, describe, and / or display the products, and then proceed to check their availability. In certain embodiments (or based on user preferences), the entire content of the e - book is pre - analyzed so that product availability information is presented to the viewer immediately when flipping pages or at another timing (e.g., at the end of each chapter, section, etc.). Thus, Product Variations in the timing of presentation are applicable not only to e - books but also to video - only content.

[0272] ProductIt may be automatically identified by an e - book device (or other electronic device) adopting the present invention, or may be manually selected by a viewer. In the case of manual selection, the viewer can manually specify one or more products in a previously identified manner. For example, the viewer touches a word or words related to the product (i.e., touches the screen at the position where the product is identified), and then the system can proceed to check its availability.

[0273] For common products, by using AI and the viewer's preferences, the system (in any of the embodiments discussed herein) can better identify specific products or products that the viewer may be interested in purchasing. In certain situations, there are too many types of products of interest, and in a particular embodiment, and perhaps based on user presets, the present invention presents multiple forms of those products for the viewer to select. Next, the viewer selects one form, and the system proceeds to check the purchasability of the selected form of the product. Thus, through the viewer's selection, sub - selection, and, if necessary, further sub - selection, the system / process of the present invention enables presenting a particular form of a purchasable product to the viewer. For example, the product chandelier may be presented in text, but further information is needed from the viewer to identify one or more specific chandeliers for purchase.

[0274] Products identified as purchasable may be presented to the viewer in various ways. The text and / or graphic representation of the product may be superimposed on the text (applicable in the e - book reader embodiment, but also in any other arbitrary embodiment), and / or presented in different fields of the display device (e.g., in the left, upper, or other margins). Various modes (modes using audio - visual types of electronic devices) for presenting purchasable products as described above may be adopted. Also, as described in the above embodiments, Product and the likeProduct Information regarding Product may be supplied to other electronic devices (e.g., the viewer's smartphone, computer, etc.), and then those devices may be employed to initiate a purchase.

[0275] Any of the methods described herein may be employed to select one or more products presented within an e - book (or other visual device). For example, touch - screen - based Product In addition to touch - screen - based selection for purchase, the viewer may verbally identify the Product to be purchased. E - books and other electronic devices using speech recognition technology may then execute the subsequent purchase operation. Also, a code (such as a QR code (registered trademark)) displayed in the e - book may be read by another device to identify the Product to be purchased. Product The other functions and variations described above may be employed in this context to initiate the selection / purchase of Product .

[0276] Similar to the embodiments described above, the e - book reader communicates with a third - party device such as any of the servers described herein to facilitate the functions of the present invention.

[0277] In addition to audio - visual content and visual content alone, the present invention is applicable to audio content such as audio books and voice - over electronic devices.

[0278] 10. Other Uses: Other than Digital Presentation Content

[0279] In certain embodiments, the present invention may be employed to determine whether a "real - world" product (i.e., not digitally reproduced) is available for purchase. In accordance with the present invention, the viewer uses their portable electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) to take a photograph of the actual item or scene they are viewing, and then an appropriately programmed app operating on the smartphone employs the processes / steps described herein to identify whether the product within the photograph is available for purchase.

[0280] Similarly, a viewer may take a video of what they saw (i.e., a motion video), and then, as described herein, the present invention may be employed to identify products that are purchasable throughout the video.

[0281] For example, a viewer can see another person wearing something of interest (e.g., a handbag, a dress, shoes, etc.), and by simply taking a photo of that person, can identify the worn product that is purchasable and, in most cases, immediately purchasable. As another example, a viewer can see a product in a museum, an office building, among the guests in someone's home, or within other locations, and the viewer can take a photo of the product of interest and determine its purchasability.

[0282] As a further example, the present invention can be employed by a viewer using their smartphone (or other portable electronic device) to facilitate the purchase of products worn or otherwise presented during a live show such as a fashion show. In such an example, a viewer can purchase clothing, jewelry, footwear, headgear, etc. that a model wears, otherwise holds, or uses during the fashion show. Further, the present invention can also be employed to enable the purchase of certain products that may not be readily identifiable by the viewer themselves, such as hair and makeup products used by a model during a performance. In the case of a live performance, the present invention employs other data provided beforehand (or during or after) to facilitate proper identification of such Product and to facilitate the purchase of products worn or otherwise presented during a live show such as a fashion show. In such an example, a viewer can purchase clothing, jewelry, footwear, headgear, etc. that a model wears, otherwise holds, or uses during the fashion show. Further, the present invention can also be employed to enable the purchase of certain products that may not be readily identifiable by the viewer themselves, such as hair and makeup products used by a model during a performance. In the case of a live performance, the present invention employs other data provided beforehand (or during or after) to facilitate proper identification of such

[0283] In the case of a show presented via digital content (whether live or not), the present invention enables viewers to purchase products such as cosmetics and hair products worn by individuals within the digital content that are not easily recognizable to the viewer, or in some cases, also through computer processing. Data regarding such products may be embedded within the digital content to enable their identification and availability (e.g., source), or other techniques discussed herein may be employed to identify such products.

[0284] In yet another embodiment, the present invention enables a viewer to check whether items such as those already displayed in a still image or video that has already been taken (e.g., a photo album, home movie, etc.) are purchasable. In such an embodiment, the viewer can use their electronic device to obtain a still image(s) or video that can be done in various ways, and transmit that photo or video to a service that processes the photo or video according to the present invention. The device may obtain the photo by photographing a photo that has already been printed. A viewer, etc. may scan the photo, or digitize a printed photo in other known ways. In the case of a video, the video is transmitted (either directly or indirectly, depending on its form and storage location) to the service, and then the video is processed according to the present invention. Product

[0285] 11. Purchase / Obtaining of Goods for Use in the Digital World

[0286] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, as described in any of the embodiments presented herein, articles and / or services that are purchased or otherwise obtained (e.g., through donation, gift, or other means) may be adopted for use in the digital world. As used herein, the digital world includes the virtual reality realm, whether it appears artificial, life-like, or partially life-like, and further includes a digital replica of the real world. Some embodiments and examples thereof will be described below.

[0287] According to certain embodiments, viewers of television programs, movies, advertisements, etc. (or other digital or non-digital sources) can utilize the present invention to purchase products for use with their avatars. The avatars may be those used within digital games, digital experiences, or other digital representations. Here, Product by "products" is meant anything that the avatar can use, wear, or be associated with, Product and it may be anything. For example, any clothing item can be purchased. Other examples include jewelry, weapons (for a suitable type of game or other digital experience), etc. As one specific example, while watching a video showing a person swinging a certain type of sword, the present invention enables the viewer to purchase (or license) a digital representation of that sword for later use during a digital game or other digital experience where the viewer's avatar holds that specific type of sword.

[0288] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the purchased product(s) are for use within social media and other digital platforms to present the viewer (or their friends, relatives, or other designated people). For example, in a web-type business meeting (e.g., WebEx, Zoom, etc.), the web meeting provider superimposes or otherwise digitally embeds the digital product within a digital image to show the person to other viewers such that it appears the person is wearing, holding, using, or otherwise possessing the product they purchased. Typical examples of products include all forms of clothing products, footwear, jewelry, hats, glasses, etc. Examples of purchasable products that a viewer could have include pens, watches, etc.

[0289] According to further embodiments, products for purchase intended for human use are employed by the present invention to change a person's appearance according to the intended use of such products. For example, when a viewer purchases a digital version of a real-world cosmetic according to the present invention, the viewer's display will be presented in designated social media and other digital platforms and environments as if the viewer were wearing the purchased cosmetic. As an example, the purchase of a digital version of lipstick in a certain shade will automatically cause the viewer to appear as if wearing that lipstick (in that certain shade) in the digital realm. In such embodiments (and other applicable embodiments), digital platforms, social media, and other digital environments (including digital business negotiations, social experiences, etc.) can be preset or otherwise specified to present the viewer as if the product(s) were applied to modify the viewer's visual appearance during use of such digital environments.

[0290] As a specific feature of this embodiment (and other embodiments as appropriate), the viewer can specify when, where, and / or how to apply the product to change the visual appearance of the viewer (or other designated person). For example, the viewer can specify to use / apply the purchased product only at night. It can also be specified to use only in social settings (not in business scenarios). In addition, various categorization methods can be adopted, such as event category, date and time category, location category, etc.

[0291] According to the present invention, products viewed in any of the embodiments described herein may be purchased (as digital products) for use as background items or for other purposes while the products are not worn or applied to the viewer. For example, digital representations such as paintings, chairs, bookshelves, etc. may be purchased for use in the viewer's background (e.g., side, back, front, top, or bottom).

[0292] In addition to purchasing digital representations of individual products, the present invention can be employed to purchase a set of products that a viewer uses or that are displayed with the viewer. As an example, while watching a particular movie, a viewer can purchase a digital representation of a room within the home that is shown in the movie. Next, in accordance with the present invention, the digital representation is appropriately purchased or licensed for the intended use by the viewer in a suitable digital scenario. The viewer can then provide the purchased (or licensed) room as their virtual background in digital media. As another example, a viewer can purchase (or license) an exterior scene being viewed for later use.

[0293] Modifying digital representations of people, places, and things to embed or otherwise include other digital products, and modifying digital representations of people for enhancement of appearance or other modifications (e.g., applying cosmetics), is well understood and well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus a description of digital image processing for modifying digital representations is not provided herein except where necessary for an understanding of the present invention. For illustrative purposes, the following patents and published applications, U.S. Patent No. 9,014,509, U.S. Patent No. 10,269,100, U.S. Patent No. 10,200,652, U.S. Patent No. 10,116,901, U.S. Patent No. 9,384,384, U.S. Patent No. 9,232,18, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0266778, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0169827, relate to modification of digital images and the like. These are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Many other published documents similarly describe processes / structures that can be employed within the present invention.

[0294] Many of the embodiments and variations discussed herein relate to purchasing real-world products and / or services (i.e., for use in the real world) based on real-world products that are viewed or presented within digital media (e.g., television programs, movies, etc.). The present invention also includes embodiments related to purchasing products and / or services for real-world use based on those that are strictly viewed or presented in the digital world (e.g., purchasing real-world products based on those worn by digital characters / avatars). The present invention also includes embodiments related to purchasing (or licensing) digital representations of real-world products that are viewed, displayed, or otherwise included within a presentation (e.g., a television program). The present invention further includes embodiments related to purchasing (or licensing) digital representations of virtual-type products that are strictly presented in the digital world. It is understood that the features and variations described for any one embodiment may be applied (so long as they are not contradictory) to another described embodiment. A viewer may purchase / license a product for themselves or for another person.

[0295] In addition to the above, the above embodiments can be modified to enable a viewer to purchase the selected product(s) and simultaneously purchase (or license) the digital representation of the selected product. In yet another variation, at the time of product selection, the viewer is prompted to indicate whether they wish to purchase the real-world version of the product and / or the digital representation of the product. Additional embodiments and variations can be employed with respect to the selection of clearly real-world products such as objects presented in a movie or television program, or with respect to the selection of virtual-type products presented strictly within the digital world. As used herein, the expression presented strictly within the digital world includes items that are not available in the real world at the time of selection, but also includes items that are available in the real world but are not necessarily related to items presented digitally. In the case of obtaining items that are not readily available in the real world, the present invention optionally includes additional steps / functions that seek to determine whether one or more third parties can manufacture or otherwise obtain the appropriate real-world version of the selected virtual-type product.

[0296] Thus, the viewer can set presets and preferences for how the purchased product is to be used, such as where (e.g., on which digital platform), when (e.g., time of day, day of the week, season, private or business, etc.), and how (e.g., to what extent the viewer's appearance is changed, specifying the size or other changes to the product, etc.). Given such presets and preferences, the viewer can establish a variety of controls over how the purchased product is employed, whether during the use of digital games, social media platforms, and other social experiences, in the business field (such as between business e-meetings and business functions), among family and / or friends, for purely enjoyable purposes (beyond games and gaming), and in other purchases and / or other digital areas. Ru 。

[0297] 12. Use of Viewing Location / GPS

[0298] The present invention often utilizes the viewer's current location and, in some cases, the viewer's home or villa to determine what should be offered for purchase Product and the type of service.

[0299] The position of the presentation device is identified based on many factors, such as the digital content to be presented, the service provider of that digital content, GPS data provided by the electronic device that presents the digital content if available, and other information that the presentation device can obtain. When the purchasable Product is provided to another electronic device, when the viewer is using another electronic device, the location information of that other electronic device can be obtained in various ways. In the case of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, such devices have a GPS function, and the present invention accordingly obtains the current location of those devices in use.

[0300] Location information is necessary to evaluate delivery costs and time frames. The viewer may wish to visit a retail store location that offers a specific product, and accordingly, the present invention identifies the retail store location closest to the viewer's current location.

[0301] The viewer's location information is particularly effective for service-related offers. Restaurants, entertainment services (shows, sports events, etc.), tourism services, etc. are location-specific. When traveling, the present invention provides services specific to the viewer's current location or the intended location if the viewer is planning to travel in the near or distant future, as well as Product enables viewers with the immediate ability to purchase. Based on the viewer's input or with the assistance of AI, and based on the digital content presented to the viewer, specific region / location-specific Product and services can be provided to the viewer.

[0302] In embodiments where the viewer's mobile device is employed to image content (regardless of digital or real), the viewer's current position (i.e., the position of the mobile device) is particularly useful for the system of the present invention to Product and identify the availability of services. According to the present invention, a viewer may be provided with the option of receiving Product while traveling (i.e., when not at home) or receiving the Product purchased at home.

[0303] If traveling, the present invention can Product be translated into the viewer's native language or preferred language. Even if not traveling, a translation service can be employed when identifying Product / services within a program presented in a language different from the viewer's preferred language. Product information can be provided in multiple languages as needed.

[0304] As described above, various processes and concepts are well-known, so their detailed description is not provided. For the purpose of explanation, various published documents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition to those specifically identified above, the following published documents disclose and describe other functions that may be referenced and / or employed within various embodiments of the present invention or otherwise used. The above-mentioned published documents are U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0104325 entitled "Event Streaming with Added Content and Context", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0245103 entitled "Systems and Methods for Identifying, Interacting with, and Purchasing Items of Interest in Video", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0215674, titled "Interactive Streaming Video", U.S. Published Patent Application 2019 / 0041797, titled "Holographic Projector", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0062968, titled "Three-Dimensional Image Projection Device", each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0305] As shown, the present invention employs a plurality of devices, and regardless of the specific type of the devices employed, and regardless of the type of the platform, the operator of the platform, the manufacturer of each device, etc., purchases by viewers are realized. That is, the present invention is not limited to the use of a single operator, a single platform, a single type of device, etc. For the sake of convenience of explanation, one may view a show on a device on a certain platform (for example, via a platform controlled by Amazon), and then, via different platforms controlled by different operators, present a presentation of purchasable products on another device. Therefore, the present invention is applicable to any type of device (within related embodiments) that can perform various functions as described herein, and is applicable to any operator.

[0306] Furthermore, the present invention has been described from the perspective of a viewer or viewers viewing (or otherwise perceiving) digital content (and in various embodiments, non-digital content in the real world), but the present invention can actually be employed even if a particular viewer (or particular viewers) does not view any amount of digital content. That is, a user of the present invention can identify a particular digital content (for example, select a particular content within a menu such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, or other sources), and then request that products / services (and preferences, presets, etc. if any) presented within that digital content be presented for purchase by the user. For example, a user of the present invention may desire to be offered jewelry (or other products / services) for purchase presented within a movie that the user has no interest in viewing, or perhaps the user may want to see such products before viewing the digital content, or there may be other desired reasons.

[0307] Although the present invention and many of its features and advantages have been described, it should be understood that the present invention includes any and all possible combinations of the disclosed subject matter. Thus, even if a particular embodiment is not described as including features from different embodiments, the present invention may embody such features in any suitable embodiment, and accordingly, the particular embodiment may optionally include such particular features of the different embodiments.

[0308] Also, various steps and sub-steps may be omitted, and various steps & sub-steps may be added.

[0309] Unless otherwise specified, in further variations of the particular described embodiments, features, elements, steps or other things described herein, the singular form includes the plural form, and in other further variations, the plural form includes the singular form.

[0310] Unless otherwise specified, communication between two devices includes direct communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication directly between two devices) and indirect communication. Also, terms such as "coupled" include both direct coupling and indirect coupling.

[0311] Discussions related to computers, servers, processors, electronic devices, computing devices, etc. shall be taken to include combinations of multiple devices. Expressions related to computers, computing devices, electronic devices, etc. include any suitable combination of computing devices, including servers, systems, databases, controllers, engines, interfaces - faces, etc., and other types of devices generally recognized as being used within or related to a computing device.

[0312] Computers, computing devices, and electronic devices employ a processor configured to execute software instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Computers, computing devices, and electronic devices, together with their associated processors and tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, are well known in the art.

[0313] The present invention has also been described in various embodiments as performing certain processes or steps. Such processes or steps are performed by a suitable computer, computing device, electronic device, processor, or other known components capable of implementing those processes or steps. Thus, although structural devices are not necessarily mentioned within each of the various sections presented herein, the aforementioned structural devices such as processors, computers, computing systems, electronic devices, etc., represent structures that may be used in the present invention.

[0314] Furthermore, the present invention describes numerous processes in terms of functions, steps, objectives, etc., and in view of the discussion herein, one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can generate the corresponding code, software application, and "app".

[0315] To achieve such functionality, a custom app can be developed so that the viewer only needs to press a virtual button on their smartphone (or other device), and then the app can, with the help of a remote server system, perform as already described herein. Ba / The system can be made to be able to perform as already described herein with the help of the system.

[0316] Although the present invention has been described with various features and their variations, the appended claims are intended to be construed as including the embodiments described herein, the aforementioned alternatives, and all their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automated method for identifying one or more products for purchase within digital content, comprising: a receiving step of receiving, at a distribution server, a trigger action made by a viewer while video content is being presented to the viewer; an analyzing step of analyzing the video content with one or more processors of the distribution server to identify a product displayed within the video content at the time of the trigger action; a confirming step of confirming viewer preferences by the distribution server, wherein at least one of the products is displayed within the video content based on viewer preferences of the viewer of the video content, or data related to the product is selected based on viewer preferences; a promoting step of promoting purchase or licensing of the product by the distribution server by delivering data related to the product to the viewer's device; An automated product identification method including the above steps.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the video content is displayed on a display device different from the viewer's device, the trigger action from the viewer includes scanning a code related to the product by the viewer's device, and the data related to the product is selected based on viewer preferences.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the trigger action causes the viewer's device to display a pause of the video content, as a result of which the device continuously displays a single frame of the video content, and the analyzing step identifies one or more products displayed within the single frame of the video content.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the trigger action causes the display device to display viewer identification of the product displayed within the video content, and the analyzing step identifies the product.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the viewer identification of the product is performed by the viewer using a remote control, a touch on the display of the display device, or a voice command.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the viewer identification of the product is performed by the viewer using a hand or body gesture during use of a virtual reality device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the viewer's device is the virtual reality device. **Claim 8**: The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving step, the analyzing step, and the verifying step are performed without input from the viewer while the video content is being displayed to the viewer. **Claim 9**: The method according to claim 8, wherein the analyzing step of analyzing the video content to identify the product is performed before the video content is presented to the viewer. **Claim 10**: The product is displayed in the video content based on the viewer's preferences, and the video content includes an advertisement, the method according to claim 1. **Claim 11**: The method according to claim 10, wherein the trigger action is detected on the viewer's device. **Claim 12**: The method according to claim 1, further comprising constructing the viewer's preferences based on the viewer's previous actions. **Claim 13**: The analyzing step of analyzing the video content to identify the product includes performing a comparison and analysis of one or more different features of the video content displaying the product, and accessing a database of products corresponding to the brand and comparing the digital content with the characteristics of the products in the database to identify one of the products in the database as the identified product, the method according to claim 1. **Claim 14**: The method according to claim 13, wherein accessing the database of products includes accessing a website of the brand owner or brand license seller to obtain data regarding products corresponding to the brand. **Claim 15**: The method according to claim 13, wherein analyzing the video content further includes accessing an external server to obtain auxiliary information regarding the product, the auxiliary information including at least the price of the recognized product. **Claim 16**: The product placement data associated with the product includes the brand, and analyzing the video content to identify the product includes accessing a server operated on behalf of the brand owner or official licensee to obtain auxiliary information regarding the product, the method according to claim 1. **Claim 17**: The method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing the video content to identify the product is performed according to an iterative process of artificial intelligence. The method according to claim 1, wherein promoting the purchase of the product includes receiving at the distribution server, responding to data associated with the product displayed to the viewer, and a request to purchase the product. The method according to claim 1, including the preferences of the viewer. The method according to claim 19, wherein the preferences of the viewer include the preset preferences of the viewer. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data associated with the product is selected by accessing product placement data associated with the product. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the preferences of the viewer includes using a database including physical characteristic data of the viewer. The method according to claim 22, wherein analyzing the video content to identify the product includes using three-dimensional model information of the viewer. The method according to claim 1, including displaying, on the viewer's device, auxiliary information related to the identified product and related to the display of the product. Promoting the purchase or license of the product includes the appearance of the product changed in response to the trigger operation, and the appearance of other products in the video content changed in response to the trigger operation, The method according to claim 1, including displaying at least one of them. The method according to claim 1, wherein promoting the purchase or license of the product includes displaying a visual indicator around the product in response to the trigger operation. The method according to claim 1, wherein the product includes a service. The method according to claim 1, wherein the video content is displayed on a display device different from the viewer's device, the trigger operation from the viewer includes scanning a code associated with the product by the viewer's device, The method according to claim 1, wherein the data related to the product is selected based on the preferences of the viewer. The method according to claim 28, wherein the display device is a non-portable display and the viewer's device is the viewer's smartphone.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the code is a QR code (registered trademark).

31. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an input from a viewer to specify addition of the product to a gift registry, the gift registry being suitable for use by a group of individuals to select and purchase products on the gift registry.

32. The data associated with the product is a version of the product selected based on the viewer's preference, a recommended alternative for the product selected based on the viewer's preference, The method according to claim 1, including at least one of the above.

33. Selecting data related to the product based at least in part on the viewer's preference includes a version of the product within a specified price range based on the viewer's price preference, a recommended alternative for the product within a specified range based on the viewer's price preference, The method according to claim 32, including selecting at least one of the above.

34. The viewer's preference includes preferred material, preferred color, preferred style, preferred brand, including at least one of the above, Selecting data related to the product based at least in part on the viewer's preference includes a version of the product including at least one of the preferred material, the preferred color, the preferred style, the preferred brand, or a recommended alternative for the product including at least one of the preferred material, the preferred color, the preferred style, the preferred brand, The method according to claim 32, including selecting the above.

35. Distributing data related to the product includes The method according to claim 1, including distributing regular updates regarding the identified product until the identified product becomes available for purchase.

36. The data associated with the product includes information related to rewards of a royalty program, limited offers regarding the identified product, or discounts for the identified product. The method according to claim 1.

37. The step of identifying the identity of the social platform by the viewer and To enable a user of the identified social platform to selectively purchase the identified purchasable product, a step of distributing data related to the product to the identified social platform; The method according to claim 1, comprising: **Claim 38**: The method according to claim 1, wherein promoting the purchase or license of the product includes displaying a visual indicator around the product in response to the trigger operation. **Claim 39**: Obtaining a set of viewing preferences of a viewer regarding a plurality of products or product categories, The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of viewing preferences of the viewer includes the viewer's preferences. **Claim 40**: The method according to claim 39, wherein obtaining a set of viewing preferences of the viewer includes obtaining a set of products or product categories that the viewer is not interested in. **Claim 41**: Promoting the purchase or license of the product includes the appearance of the product changed in response to the trigger operation, and the appearance of other products in the video content changed in response to the trigger operation, The method according to claim 1, including displaying at least one of them. **Claim 42**: The method according to claim 1, further including receiving an input from the viewer to start a purchase. **Claim 43**: The method according to claim 42, wherein the purchase is executed by a single action of the viewer. **Claim 44**: Identifying the current position of a portable electronic device held by the viewer to identify the viewer's current position, wherein analyzing the video content to identify the product is a function of the viewer's identified current position. The method according to claim 1. **Claim 45**: Analyzing the video content to identify the product includes identifying at least one of a restaurant service and a tourism service located near the viewer's identified current position, and the method includes distributing data related to at least one of the identified restaurant service and tourism service to the viewer's device. The method according to claim 44. **Claim 46**: Promoting the purchase or license of the product includes distributing data related to the product by distributing a catalog of a group of products including the product. The method according to claim 1. **Claim 47**: The method according to claim 46, wherein the product is displayed in the video content as part of a pre-placed product placement advertisement. **Claim 48**: The product is displayed in the video content as part of a product placement advertisement that is dynamically placed so as to be selected for display based on the preferences of the viewer, and the method comprises: receiving a trigger action performed by the additional viewer while the video content is being displayed to the additional viewer; selecting an alternative product for the product based on the preferences of the additional viewer; causing an alternative product for the product to be displayed in the video content when the video content is being displayed to the additional viewer, such that the additional viewer can view the alternative product instead of the product; facilitating purchase or licensing of an additional product by delivering data related to the additional product to the device of the additional viewer; The method according to claim 46. **Claim 49**: The method according to claim 46, wherein receiving the trigger action includes identifying the product within the video content. **Claim 50** The method according to claim 46, including identifying a recognized product determined to be purchasable in a margin of a display within an e-book environment. **Claim 51** The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes determining whether the recognized product is purchasable as a virtual product for use in a digital environment. **Claim 52** The method according to claim 51, including enabling use of the virtual product in the digital environment after purchase or licensing of the virtual product. **Claim 53** The method according to claim 52, including enabling display of the purchase or licensing of the virtual product on or with the digital avatar of the person who purchased or was licensed for the virtual product. **Claim 54** The method according to claim 52, including enabling modification of the digital avatar of the person who purchased or licensed the virtual product, the modification including modifying the appearance of the digital avatar during display of the digital avatar in the digital environment. **Claim 55** The method according to claim 54, wherein modifying the appearance of the digital avatar includes modifying the appearance of the digital avatar according to the intended cosmetic purpose of the recognized product.

56. The method according to claim 52, including enabling display of a purchase or license of a virtual product as a background scene behind, above, or beside the digital avatar of the person who purchased or licensed the virtual product.

57. The method according to claim 52, including enabling display of a purchased or licensed virtual product so as to overlap or be juxtaposed with a displayed depiction of an actual person, wherein the displayed depiction of the virtual product and the actual person appears realistic.

58. The method according to claim 52, including enabling modification of a digital replica of an actual person according to the intended purpose of the recognized product.

59. The recognized product is a cosmetic intended to change a person's appearance, and the step of enabling modification enables modification of a digital replica of an actual person according to the intended purpose of the cosmetic. The method according to claim 58.

60. An automated system for identifying for purchasing one or more products in digital content A first device having a processor, a memory, and a display for displaying digital content, wherein the digital content represents at least one product, the first device; A second device having a processor and an input interface, which is portable, and is adapted such that a viewer of the digital content displayed by the first device operates via the input interface to select a product related to or appearing in the digital content displayed by the first device. The second device; A server having a processor and a memory, and having a server that communicates with at least one of the first and second devices via a computer network. At least one processor of the first device, the second device, and the server causes the system to Identify a viewer; Identify the at least one product included in the digital content; Verify product placement data related to the identified product; When there is no product placement data related to the specified product, electronically communicating data representing the specified product or data corresponding to the product with at least one external server representing a recognition server via the computer network; Receiving the recognized product from a recognition server that has performed a product recognition process on the communicated data; Confirming whether the recognized product is purchasable via data from one or more external servers; Receiving an input from a viewer of the digital content to initiate a purchase of the recognized purchasable product; An automated system that executes as a computer instruction.

61. An automated method for identifying one or more products within digital content for purchase, comprising: Displaying digital content representing at least one product on a display of a display device; Analyzing the digital content with one or more processors to identify the product; Checking, via the one or more processors, any product placement data related to the product; When there is no product placement data related to the product, electronically communicating data representing the specified product or data corresponding to the product with at least one external server representing a recognition server via a computer network; Performing a product recognition process on the communicated data and receiving the recognized product from a recognition server that grasps the recognized product; Confirming, via data from one or more external servers, whether the recognized product is purchasable or licensable as a virtual product; Receiving an input from a viewer of the digital content to initiate a purchase or license of the virtual version of the recognized product; An automated method having the above steps.

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