The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 10, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 03, 2003
Ronald Alexander, Needham, MA (US);
Ronald Alexander, Needham, MA (US);
Index Systems, Inc., Tortola, VG;
Abstract
In one embodiment, the present invention is an improved interactive television system and method for t-commerce. The data for upcoming products is pre-loaded into the system's memory. When a product becomes available, a 'trigger' appears on the Vertical Blanking Interval ('VBI') of the shopping channel that causes the system to display special graphics with which the user can interact to order a product. The displayed special graphics may include text, graphics, and/or video about the product. A user can browse a list of upcoming products and select items that he or she wishes to purchase, as soon as the products become available. The system then monitors the VBI of the shopping channel and when a trigger for a selected product appears in the VBI, the system immediately sends a message (the order form) to the order center of the shopping channel and orders the product. The system can accomplish this function unattended while the user is asleep or otherwise occupied.