Method and apparatus to invoke a shopping ticker

A method, comprising:

• presenting a television program, corresponding to a television program signal, on a display screen;
• receiving a user command;
• determining if the received user command can result in interaction with the presented television program;
• and
• if the received user command is determined to be unable to result in interaction with the presented television program, presenting a ticker on the display screen.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon to:
• determine if a received user command is applicable to interactivity with a television program presented on a display screen;
• and
• if the received user command is determined to be inapplicable to the interactivity with the presented television program, invoke a ticker having an advertisement therein and present the invoked ticker on the display screen.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a means for receiving a television program signal having a television program and for presenting the television program on a display screen;
• a means for receiving a user command;
• a means for determining if the received user command is applicable to interactivity with the presented television program;
• and
• a means for invoking a ticker having an advertisement therein and for presenting the invoked ticker on the display screen, if the received user command is determined to be inapplicable to the interactivity with the presented television program.

An apparatus for a video casting system, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one communication interface to receive a signal having a television program;
• a wireless interface to receive a user command;
• a storage medium coupled to the wireless interface to store a software program;
• a processor, coupled to the storage medium and to the communication and wireless interfaces, to cooperate with the software program to determine if the received user command is applicable to interactivity with the television program and to invoke a ticker having an advertisement therein if the received user command is determined to be inapplicable to the interactivity with the television program;
• and
• an output section to provide the invoked ticker having the advertisement to a display screen.

A video casting system, comprising:

• a source of ticker data;
• and
• an apparatus coupled to the source, the apparatus including:
• at least one communication interface to receive a signal having a television program;
• a wireless interface to receive a user command;
• a storage medium coupled to the wireless interface to store a software program;
• a processor, coupled to the storage medium and to the communication and wireless interfaces, to cooperate with the software program to determine if the received user command is applicable to interactivity with the television program and to invoke a ticker having an advertisement and ticker data therein if the received user command is determined to be inapplicable to the interactivity with the television program;
• and
• an output section to provide the invoked ticker having the advertisement and ticker data to a display screen.

A method usable in a video casting system, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal having a television program and presenting the television program on a display screen,
• wherein the display screen comprises part of a television for the video casting system,
• wherein a client terminal for the television is coupled to the display screen,
• wherein the video casting system includes a plurality of sources, which provide ticker data for a ticker capable of being rendered on the display screen, the plurality of sources being communicatively coupled to a plurality of broadcast centers,
• wherein at least one of the broadcast centers is coupled to a server capable to provide the ticker data from the sources to the client terminal, and
• wherein the video casting system is capable to provide the ticker data to the client terminal via different communication channels, including at least one of a plurality of television broadcast channels, an out-of-band channel, and a communication channel with a communication network;
• receiving a user command at the client terminal;
• determining if the received user command is applicable to interactivity with the television program;
• and
• if the received user command is determined to be inapplicable to the interactivity with the television program, invoking the ticker having an advertisement and ticker data therein and presenting the invoked ticker on the display screen.

A video casting system, comprising:

• a source of ticker data including:
• a feed server to receive a plurality of feeds of ticker data and having a feed engine to manipulate the ticker data received from the feeds;
• a production server coupled to the feed server to receive the ticker data manipulated by the feed engine, and coupled to a database having tables for the manipulated ticker data received from the feed server, the production server being capable to change a format of the manipulated ticker data to a format compatible with client terminals configured to present a screen interface on a display screen;
• and
• a distribution server to send the manipulated ticker data having the format compatible with the client terminals;
• and
• an apparatus coupled to the distribution server of the source, the apparatus including:
• at least one communication interface to receive a signal having a television program;
• a wireless interface to receive a user command;
• a storage medium coupled to the wireless interface to store a software program;
• a processor, coupled to the storage medium and to the communication and wireless interfaces, to cooperate with the software program to determine if the received user command is applicable to interactivity with the television program and to invoke a ticker having an advertisement and ticker data therein if the received user command is determined to be inapplicable to the interactivity with the television program, the software program including code to select the advertisement to be in context with subject matter of the television program;
• and
• an output section to provide the invoked ticker having the advertisement and ticker data to a display screen.