Method and system for allowing viewers to purchase program products

Abstract

To allow viewers to easily purchase products shown in entertainment programs, the viewers call an operator terminal. The operator terminal is networked to a central controller, which is also networked to remote terminals. Remote terminal operators enter data about props used in programs, copies of which are to be offered for sale. These remote terminals transmit this data to the central controller for storage in a database. Operators at the operator terminals can access the data stored at the central controller to respond calls from viewers seeking to purchase products.

1 - 40 . (canceled)  
     
     
         41 . A method, comprising: 
 providing a web interface via which a viewer of an entertainment program may purchase a plurality of props used in the entertainment program;    receiving, from the viewer, an indication of one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase;    determining, based on the received indication, information associated with the desired one of the plurality of props;    providing the information to the viewer;    receiving, after the providing of the information, a verification that the viewer desires to purchase the desired one of the plurality of props; and    selling the desired one of the plurality of props to the viewer.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising: 
 providing the viewer with one or more programmed queries.    
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the indication of the one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase is received in response to the providing of the one or more programmed queries.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein one or more programmed queries are provided via the web interface.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising: 
 providing the viewer with an offer to purchase a recording of the entertainment program.    
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the indication of the one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase comprises information identifying the entertainment program.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the information identifying the entertainment program comprises an entertainment program recording identifier.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the information identifying the entertainment program comprises a description of a scene in the entertainment program.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the information identifying the entertainment program comprises an indication of one or more of a date, a time, a channel, and a genre associated with the entertainment program.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the indication of the one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase comprises information identifying the one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the information identifying the one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase comprises a description of how the one of the plurality of props was used in the entertainment program.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the information identifying the one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase comprises an indication of a time code associated with when the one of the plurality of props that the viewer desires to purchase was used during the entertainment program.  
     
     
         53 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving, via a web interface and from a viewer, an indication of an entertainment program recording identifier associated with an entertainment program;    receiving, via the web interface and from the viewer, an indication of a prop from the entertainment program that the viewer desires to purchase;    identifying, based on the received indications, the entertainment program and the desired prop; and    selling the desired prop to the viewer.    
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising: 
 broadcasting the entertainment program.    
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the entertainment program comprises a cable television program.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the entertainment program does not comprises advertisements.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the selling comprises transmitting an order for the prop to a vendor associated with the prop.  
     
     
         58 . A system, comprising: 
 a processor; and    a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to: 
 perform the method of  claim 41.