Systems and methods for linking television viewers with advertisers and broadcasters

摘要

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as television screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer's computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV.

主权项

1. A system for causing information to be displayed comprising:
a programming information database for storing programming information including program titles; a display controller electrically coupled to programming information database for generating for display some of the programming information including program titles; an input device that is configured to:
receive a first user selection of a displayed program title; andreceive a second user selection, while a program corresponding to the selected program title is displayed, requesting that data available on a public network and related to the selected program title be displayed; a processor configured to:
search, over the public network, an information database to identify data that (1) is related to the program corresponding to the selected program title and (2) includes at least one item available for purchase; anddownload the data identified in the search using a communications device, wherein the data comprises search results obtained from the information database; and wherein the display controller causes, in response to the second user selection and without receiving further user input, the downloaded data related to the program corresponding to the selected program title to be displayed, and wherein the displayed data comprises a selectable option for purchasing the at least one item available for purchase.