Patent ID: 7668928

Claim:
A method for enhancing a broadcast event for a plurality of remote viewers each having a client device including a local storage device and a personal interactivity recorder (PIR) for storing and playing back interactive content along with playback of the broadcast event, the method comprising: each local storage device receiving and storing the broadcast event in a first data store as the broadcast event is being broadcast via a broadcast event signal to the plurality of remote viewers during a first time period; each PIR coupled to the local storage device receiving one or more trigger messages from a server system separately from the broadcast of the broadcast event and not embedded in the broadcast event signal, the trigger messages identifying interactive content for display by the client devices during a first time period in response to the one or more trigger messages, the interactive content being related to the broadcast event; each PIR associating the trigger messages received from the server system to the broadcast event and storing the associated trigger messages in a second data store of the corresponding client device; and during playback of the stored broadcast event by a particular one of the client devices during a second time period, retrieving the stored broadcast event from the first data store and the stored trigger messages from the second data store for providing to the user the interactive content identified by the retrieved trigger messages at one or more times during the retrieved broadcast event when the interactive content would have been displayed when the broadcast event was being broadcast during the first time period, wherein the interactive content includes trivia questions, the PIR stores a correct answer, and responsive to an answer received from a user during playback, the PIR provides to the user an indication of a correct or incorrect answer.