Patent ID: 7913285

Claim:
A method for interfacing between a set-top box and a point of deployment (POD), the method comprising: receiving, at the set-top box, an arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction inputted by a user, generating a purchase-related instruction object, and transmitting the purchase-related instruction object to the POD, said purchase-related instruction object comprising a purchasable inquiry object in response to a first input arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction, a purchase request object in response to a second input arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction, a purchase cancellation request object in response to a third input arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction, and a phone service inquiry object in response to a fourth input arbitrary program event purchase-related instruction; and receiving, at the POD, the purchase-related instruction object transmitted by the set-top box, generating an answer object based on the received purchase-related instruction object, and transmitting the answer object to the set-top box.