Method and system for improved interactive television processing

Abstract

A method and system for providing an electronic shopping environment including a server and one or more set-top boxes in communication with the server. In an exemplary embodiment, the server stores product information relating to a plurality of products classified in a first category and to a plurality of products classified in a second category. As soon the server receives transaction data relating to an electronic transaction, the server updates the product information to reflect the transaction data changes. If the updated data relates to one of the plurality of products classified in the first category, the server transmits product display information towards one or more set-top boxes in real-time. Alternatively, if the updated data relates to one of the plurality of products classified in the second category, the server transmits product display information towards one or more set-top boxes on a scheduled periodic basis.

1 . A method for providing an electronic shopping environment, comprising:
 receiving electronic digital information relating to at least one product in a first category of products and to at least one product in a second category of the products;   receiving updates, on a scheduled periodic basis, to the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the second category to reflect electronic transactions for such at least one product conducted via a set-top box; and   receiving updates to the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the first category, the updates received whenever an electronic transaction conducted via the set-top box affects the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the first category.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one product in the first category is the subject of a live broadcast feed in which features of such at least one product are discussed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a plurality of user interface screens based on the electronic digital information, wherein said plurality of user interface screens has a first portion adapted for user interaction to conduct the electronic transactions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the user interface screens include a video relating to products that are not the subject of the live broadcast feed. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising transmitting at least one of said plurality of user interface screens to the at least one set-top box for display to a user. 
     
     
         6 . A method for providing an electronic transactional environment, comprising:
 transmitting a user request from a set-top box;   receiving at the set-top box a product information display responsive to the user request, the product information display including product information and order information for a product in a first category of products available for purchase and for a product in a second category of products available for purchase, at least a portion of the product information data is received from a server;   displaying the product information display on a television;   receiving product and order information updates for products in the first category on a real time basis and receiving product and order information updates for products in the second category on a scheduled periodic basis;   displaying an updated product information display on the television; and   interacting with at least one of the product information display and the updated product information display to purchase at least one of the products.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one product in the first category is the subject of a live broadcast feed in which features of such at least one product are discussed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the product information display includes a video relating to products that are not the subject of the live broadcast feed. 
     
     
         9 . A communication exchange server for facilitating television based transactions, comprising:
 memory configured to store electronic digital information relating to at least one product in a first category of products and at least one product in a second category of the products;   a first processor configured to update the electronic digital information so as to reflect electronic transactions conducted based on communications received from at least one set-top box,   wherein the first processor is further configured to transmit towards the at least one set-top box the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the first category, such transmitting occurring triggered by updates to the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the first category so as to reflect transactions conducted at the at least one set-top box on a real-time basis, and   wherein the first processor is further configured to transmit, on a scheduled periodic basis, towards the at least one set-top box the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the second category.   
     
     
         10 . The communication exchange server of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one product in the first category is the subject of a live broadcast feed in which features of such at least one product are discussed. 
     
     
         11 . The communication exchange server of  claim 9 , further comprising a second processor configured to generate user interface screens based on the electronic digital information, the user interface screens configured to be displayed on a television and navigable by a user to purchase at least one of the products. 
     
     
         12 . The communication exchange server of  claim 11 , wherein the second processor is further configured to transmit at least one of the user interface screens to the at least one set-top box in response to a request from the at least one set-top box, and wherein the transmission by the first processor towards the set-top box is conducted via the second processor. 
     
     
         13 . The communication exchange server of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one product in the first category is the subject of a live broadcast feed in which features of such at least one product are discussed, and wherein at least one of the user interface screens includes a video for products not the subject of the live broadcast feed. 
     
     
         14 . The communication exchange server of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the user interface screens includes a video regarding a product selected at the set-top-box via interaction with another of the user interface screens. 
     
     
         15 . The communication exchange server of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface screens are transmitted as an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) document. 
     
     
         16 . A set-top box comprising:
 a processor configured to facilitate television based transactions,   the set-top box configured to transmit a user request to a server and to receive from the server a product information display responsive to the user request, the product information display including product information and order information for a product in a first category of products available for purchase and for a product in a second category of products available for purchase,   the set-top box configured to display the product information display on the television,   the set-top box configured to receive product and order information updates for products in the second category on a scheduled periodic basis,   the set-top box configured to receive product and order information updates for products in the first category, such updates reflecting the television based transactions conducted via the set-top box on a real-time basis, and   the set-top box configured to display one or more user interface screens on the television, the screens navigable by a user to purchase at least one of the products.   
     
     
         17 . The set-top box of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one product in the first category is the subject of a live broadcast feed in which features of such at least one product are discussed. 
     
     
         18 . The set-top box of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one product in the first category is the subject of a live broadcast feed in which features of such at least one product are discussed, and wherein at least one of the user interface screens includes a video for products not the subject of the live broadcast feed. 
     
     
         19 . The communication exchange server of  claim 16 , wherein the user interface screens are received by the set-top box as an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) document. 
     
     
         20 . A method for providing an electronic shopping environment, comprising:
 storing electronic digital information relating to at least one product in a first category of products and to at least one product in a second category of the products;   transmitting towards a set-top box, on a scheduled periodic basis, the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the second category; and   transmitting towards the set-top box the electronic digital information relating to the at least one product in the first category and retransmitting whenever there is an update to such electronic digital information so as to reflect, in a real-time basis, electronic transactions conducted via the set-top box involving the at least one product in the first category.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a first server stores the electronic digital information and the transmitting is conducted through the first server and a second server in communication with the first server. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one product in the first category is the subject of a live broadcast feed in which features of such at least one product are discussed. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the electronic digital information is configured to be incorporated into a plurality of user interface screens, wherein said plurality of user interface screens has a first portion adapted for user interaction to conduct the electronic transactions. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the user interface screens include a video relating to products that are not the subject of the live broadcast feed.