US Patent 8627379 Offering items identified in a media stream

Disclosed herein are techniques to enable users to purchase or receive information regarding items identified in a stream output by a content output device, regardless of whether the users are previously associated with the content output device or a device that monitors the stream. With these techniques, for instance, a user watching a video stream displayed on a television may see an advertisement for an item offered for purchase. In response, the user may choose to initiate a purchase of the item from an item offering service, to add the item to a shopping cart of the user at the item offering service, or to receive information regarding the item from the item offering service.