METHOD FOR INTERCONNECTION OF TV AND INFORMATION SERVICE THROUGH TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

A system is provided which allows a television viewer to be quickly and easily connected to an information service while watching a program. The information service is either an advertiser of other form of information service being related to the program being viewed. The information used to connect the viewer over a telecommunications medium can come from different sources and does not interfere with regular video program viewing. The information service may be for product information or retail sales. A fee or commission for providing the automatic connection between the television viewer and the information service is collected. Control over the automatic connection between viewers and information services is exercised for the purposes of collecting fees or commissions. The telecommunications connection to the information service can be by regular audio telephone communication or by data communication to a digital data server, or a mixture of both.