Method and apparatus for enabling purchase of or information requests for objects in digital content

A client computing system for processing digital content comprising:

• a user input mechanism for entering user input data;
• a display;
• and
• a processor adapted to render digital content, to accept user input data from a user via the user input mechanism to select at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames of the digital content being rendered, to send the user input data to a server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel, to receive information about an object corresponding to the selected object image from the server, and to cause the display of the object information on the display.

A computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on a processor of a client computing system configure the processor to process digital content by

• rendering digital content;
• accepting user input data from a user selecting at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames of the digital content being rendered;
• sending the user input data to a server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel;
• receiving information about an object corresponding to the selected object image from the server;
• and
• causing the display of the object information on a display of the client computing system.

A method of processing digital content comprising:

• rendering digital content by a first application on a client computing system;
• accepting, by the first application, user input data from a user selecting at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames in the digital content being rendered;
• storing the user input data in a secure storage within the client computing system;
• sending the user input data to a second application on a server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel;
• comparing, by the second application, the user input data to entries in a content object information database on the server;
• when the user input data matches an entry in the content object information database, obtaining and storing, by the second application, information about an object corresponding to the selected object image;
• sending the object information, by the second application, to the first application over the secure communications channel;
• and
• displaying, by the first application, the object information on the client computing system.

A system comprising:

• a client computing system to render digital content, to accept user input data from a user selecting at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames in the digital content being rendered, and to store the user input data in a secure storage within the client computing system;
• and
• a server, coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel, to receive the user input data from the client computing system, to compare the user input data to entries in a content object information database on the server, when the user input data matches an entry in the content object information database, to obtain and store information about an object corresponding to the selected object image, and to send the object information to the client computing system over the secure communications channel;
• wherein the client computing system is to display the object information to the user.