Patent ID: 8484670

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, by a set-top box comprising a processor, a television program stream; presenting, by the set-top box, the television program stream; detecting, by the set-top box, a coupon tag in the television program stream; retrieving, by the set-top box, the coupon tag from the television program stream; transmitting, by the set-top box, to a remote server a request for coupon information, the request comprising at least a portion of the coupon tag, an identifier of the set-top box, and descriptive information about the television program stream, wherein the coupon information received from the remote server comprises one of a first coupon and a second coupon, wherein the remote server selects the first coupon responsive to determining from a scheduled presentation date of the television program stream and an approximate time when the request was received by the remote server that the television program stream is consistent with the scheduled presentation date, and wherein the remote server selects the second coupon responsive to determining from the scheduled presentation date of the television program stream and the approximate time when the request was received by the remote server that the television program stream is being presented from a recording thereof; receiving, by the set-top box, coupon information associated with a coupon without receiving the coupon itself responsive to a determination that a coupon offer is available at approximately a time when the request was transmitted; presenting, by the set-top box, the coupon information contemporaneously with at least a portion of the television program stream; and transmitting, by the set-top box, to the remote server a coupon request initiated by a remote controller of the set-top box, wherein the coupon request is transmitted responsive to the remote controller initiating the coupon request within a predetermined time, and wherein transmitting the coupon request causes the remote server to store the coupon at a remote database associated with a user of the set-top box.