Method and system for improved interactive television processing

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.

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.

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.

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.