System and methods for real-time access to movie information

1. A method comprising:

providing a video signal to a set-top-box for display on a television to a viewer, the video signal conveying an advertisement to the viewer, the video signal further conveying an indication that supplemental information is available regarding the advertisement;

receiving a first request for the supplemental information at the set-top-box;

generating a second request for the supplemental information regarding the advertisement from the set-top-box to a processor wherein the second request for the supplemental information further comprises a set-top-box identifier and a channel identifier indicating a currently selected display channel;

accessing a first database by the processor using the set-top-box identifier included in the second request for the supplemental information to determine a geographical location associated with the set-top-box;

accessing a second database, remote from the set-top-box, by the processor using the channel identifier included in the second request for the supplemental information to retrieve, in response to the second request for supplemental information, data identifying the advertisement that is being displayed when the first request for the supplemental information is received at the set-top-box;

using, by the processor, the geographic location accessed from the first database and the data identifying the advertisement accessed from the second database to launch a third request for supplemental information to a third database;

receiving, by the processor, the supplemental information from the third database in response to the third request;

transmitting, from the processor to the set-top-box, at least a portion of the supplemental information received from the third database; and

generating a second video signal conveying the supplemental information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication that supplemental information is available regarding the advertisement is an icon overlayed on a video image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a first request for the supplemental information at the set-top-box is generated by a viewer operating a wireless remote controller.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographical location associated with the set-top-box is based on a zip code of the viewer's residence.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of accessing a second database by the processor using the channel identifier to retrieve the data identifying the advertisement involves accessing the second database by the processor using the channel identifier and an equipment identifier to identify the advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the advertisement pertains to a movie advertisement.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the supplemental information further comprises a URL of a web page associated with subject matter associated with the program.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing of the second database by the processor further comprises using information specifying a video source associated with the set-top-box, together with the channel identifier, to retrieve the data identifying the advertisement being displayed for viewing by the set-top-box when the first request for the supplemental information is received at the set-top-box.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the equipment identifier indicates a video source providing the video signal conveying the advertisement to the set-top-box.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the supplemental information includes a name of a theater showing a movie associated with the movie advertisement.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the supplemental information further comprises a time associated with the showing of the movie.

12. A system comprising:

a set-top-box capable of generating and providing video signals associated with an advertisement for display of the advertisement, the set-top box further capable of receiving a first request for supplemental information regarding the displayed advertisement and generating, in response to the first request, a second request for supplemental information regarding the displayed advertisement, wherein the second request for the supplemental information regarding the displayed advertisement comprises a set-top-box identifier and a channel identifier associated with a selected display channel, the set-top-box further capable of receiving the supplemental information and generating a second video signal comprising a window displaying the supplemental information;

a communication network capable of transmitting the second request for supplement information from the set-top-box;

a first database, remote from the set top box, capable of receiving a request for an advertisement identifier based on in part the channel identifier included in the second request for the supplemental information, the first database retrieving, in response to the request for the advertisement identifier, the advertisement identifier associated with the displayed advertisement associated with the channel identifier;

a second database capable of receiving a request for a geographical location identifier based on in part the channel identifier and responding with the geographical location identifier;

a third database capable of receiving a third request for the supplemental information, the third request comprising the advertisement identifier; and

a processor operatively connected to the communication network and configured to:

receive the second request for the supplemental information,

generate the request for the advertisement identifier from the first database and the request for the geographical identifier from the second database,

launch the request for the advertisement identifier from the processor to the first database,

receive, in response to the request for the advertisement identifier and from the first database, the advertisement identifier,

launch the request for the geographical identifier from the processor the second database,

receive, in response to the request for the geographical identifier and from the second database, the geographical identifier,

use the advertisement identifier from the first database and the geographical identifier from the second database to generate the third request for the supplemental information to the third database,

launch the third request for the supplemental information from the processor to the third database,

receive the supplemental information from the third database in response to the third request, and

transmit at least a portion of the supplemental information received from the third database to the set-top-box.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a remote controller capable of generating the first request for the supplemental information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the set-top-box is capable of generating the second video signal comprising a window displaying the supplemental information by overlaying the window on the image produced by the video signals associated with the advertisement.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the communication network is a bi-directional cable network.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the advertisement identifier is associated with a movie.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor receives the geographical location identifier from the second database in the form of a zip code.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the advertisement identifier identifies a product for sale.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the supplemental information comprises theater information associated with showing the movie.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the supplemental information further comprises a URL of the theater associated with showing the movie.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request to purchase movie tickets.