Patent ID: 7908618
Filing Date: 2011-03-15
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An interactive enabling system for managing a viewer's interactive viewing experience, the system comprising: one or more interactive enabling devices coupled for receiving a broadcast stream generated by a broadcast sponsor, the broadcast stream including at least one of time-based and event-based state-saving triggers for saving a state of the viewer's interactive viewing experience, said state including collected information about said viewer's participation in interactive program broadcasts; and at least one interactive content server coupled through a communication link for receiving the viewer's interactive state from the interactive enabling device and storing the viewer's interactive state; wherein upon receipt of each state-saving trigger, the interactive enabling device being used by the viewer communicates the viewer's interactive state to the at least one interactive content server; and wherein upon receipt of a request from the interactive enabling device to restore the viewer's interactive state, the at least one interactive content server is programmed for communicating the viewer's interactive state back to the interactive enabling device.