System And Method In A Television System For Providing Advertising Information Associated With A User-Selected Object In A Television Program

Abstract

A system and method in a television system for providing commerce (or advertising) information associated with a user-selected object in a television program, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, in a television system, for responding to user selection of an object in television programming, the method comprising:
 determining an identity of a user-selected object in a television program being presented to a user, where the user-selected object corresponds to a consumer good and/or service;   determining, based at least in part on the determined object identity, one or more actions to perform associated with the consumer good and/or service; and   performing the determined one or more actions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining one or more actions comprises determining one or more potential actions, and presenting the determined one or more potential actions to the user for user-selection of at least one of the determined one or more potential actions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined one or more actions comprise providing commerce information to the user regarding the consumer good and/or service. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the commerce information comprises information describing the consumer good and/or service. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the commerce information comprises information concerning acquiring the consumer good and/or service. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said step of providing commerce information to the user comprises outputting the commerce information on a television screen. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said step of providing commerce information to the user comprises communicating the commerce information to the user via a second type of communication network that is different from a first type of communication network over which the television program is being communicated to the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined one or more actions comprise:
 acquiring, via a communication network, information regarding the consumer good and/or service; and   presenting the acquired information to the user.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said acquiring comprises communicating with an information server associated with an enterprise that provides the consumer good and/or service. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the communication network comprises a general-purpose data communication network. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined one or more actions comprise communicating information to a commercial enterprise regarding the user's selection of the user-selected object. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said communicating information to a commercial enterprise comprises communicating information about the user to the commercial enterprise. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined one or more actions comprise managing two-way communication between the user and a commercial enterprise regarding the consumer good and/or service. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identity determining, said action determining, and said action performing are performed in a user's local television system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said identity determining, said action determining, and said action performing are performed in television system component separate from a television. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising providing a user interface by which the user may control the manner in which the determined one or more actions are performed. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving data associating a user-selectable object in the television program with a network address of a commercial enterprise; and   storing the received data in memory of a user's local television system.   
     
     
         18 . A television system for responding to user selection of an object in television programming, the television system comprising:
 at least one module operable to, at least:
 determine an identity of a user-selected object in a television program being presented to a user, where the user-selected object corresponds to a consumer good and/or service; 
 determine, based at least in part on the determined object identity, one or more actions to take associated with the consumer good and/or service; and 
 perform the determined one or more actions. 
   
     
     
         19 . The television system of  claim 18 , wherein said at least one module is operable to determine one or more actions by, at least in part, operating to determine one or more potential actions, and present the determined one or more potential actions to the user for user-selection of at least one of the determined one or more potential actions. 
     
     
         20 . The television system of  claim 18 , where the determined one or more actions comprise providing commerce information to the user regarding the consumer good and/or service.