Interactive access to supplementary material related to a program being broadcast

• US 20030022622A1
• Filed: 03/05/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winmore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lee Weinblatt
• Inventors: Weinblatt, Lee S., Langer, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for, interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed, enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program from a broadcast signal that is a combination of a programming signal and a supplementary materials signal. The broadcast output signal is received at a location of an audience. The programming signal of the received output signal is performed for the audience, with reproduction equipment. A signal related to the supplementary material signal is extracted from the received broadcast signal. Access to the supplementary material corresponding to the supplementary material signal is enabled in response to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of the audience tuned to the programming signal being performed, and based on the extracted signal.

Claims

1. A method for interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program, comprising:

obtaining a programming signal;

obtaining a supplementary material signal that identifies the program-related supplementary material;

combining said programming signal and said supplementary material signal into an output signal;

broadcasting said output signal from a program signal source;

receiving said broadcast output signal at a location of an audience;

performing for the audience said programming signal of the received output signal, with reproduction equipment;

extracting a signal related to said supplementary material signal from the received broadcast signal; and

responding to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed, and based on said extracted signal, to enable access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said supplementary material is at least one of supplementary information and an incentive reward coupon, and wherein said supplementary material signal is a code for at least one of said supplementary information and said incentive reward coupon.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said access to said stored supplementary material comprises outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form comprises printing said supplementary material at the audience location.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form comprises transmitting said extracted signal to a location, remote from the audience location, where data for outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form is stored, and sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location comprises at least one of mail and email.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the steps of transmitting said extracted signal to the remote location and sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location comprises using a global communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said control signal is generated by a handheld, remote control device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising interactively generating an indication responsive to said supplementary material signal being received at the audience location to alert the audience that access to such supplementary material is available.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said indication is visual.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein data for printing said supplementary material is pre-stored at said audience location.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing personal identification data in a plurality of portable devices to be carried by a plurality of individuals, respectively;

transmitting said identification data from the portable devices of said individuals who are audience members at the audience location;

detecting said transmitted identification data; and

wherein said step of enabling access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal is based on the detected identification data of the audience member tuned to said programming signal being performed who actuated the control signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of detecting said transmitted identification data comprises:

periodically emitting a trigger signal at the audience location;

in response to said trigger signal, transmitting said identification data from the portable devices of said individuals who are audience members at the audience location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the access to the supplementary material that is enabled based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal comprises determining which of several types of available supplementary materials to provide.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the access to the supplementary material that is enabled based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal comprises determining where the supplementary materials should be sent.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising producing an audience survey based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal and the supplementary material signal associated with said programming signal being performed when the control signal was actuated.

17. A method for interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program from a broadcast signal that is a combination of a programming signal and a supplementary materials signal, said method comprising:

receiving said broadcast output signal at a location of an audience;

performing for the audience said programming signal of the received output signal, with reproduction equipment;

extracting a signal related to said supplementary material signal from the received broadcast signal; and

responding to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed, and based on said extracted signal, to enable access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said supplementary material is at least one of supplementary information and an incentive reward coupon, and wherein said supplementary material signal is a code for at least one of said supplementary information and said incentive reward coupon.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said access to said stored supplementary material comprises outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said step of outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form comprises printing said supplementary material at the audience location.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said step of outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form comprises transmitting said extracted signal to a location, remote from the audience location, where data for outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form is stored, and sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location comprises at least one of mail and email.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the steps of transmitting said extracted signal to the remote location and sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location comprises using a global communication network.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said control signal is generated by a handheld, remote control device.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising interactively generating an indication responsive to said supplementary material signal being received at the audience location to alert the audience that access to such supplementary material is available.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said indication is visual.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein data for printing said supplementary material is pre-stored at said audience location.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing personal identification data in a plurality of portable devices to be carried by a plurality of individuals, respectively;

transmitting said identification data from the portable devices of said individuals who are audience members at the audience location;

detecting said transmitted identification data; and

wherein said step of enabling access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal is based on the detected identification data of the audience member tuned to said programming signal being performed who actuated the control signal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of detecting said transmitted identification data comprises:

periodically emitting a trigger signal at the audience location;

in response to said trigger signal, transmitting said identification data from the portable devices of said individuals who are audience members at the audience location.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the access to the supplementary material that is enabled based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal comprises determining which of several types of available supplementary materials to provide.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the access to the supplementary material that is enabled based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal comprises determining where the supplementary materials should be sent.

32. The method of claim 17, further comprising producing an audience survey based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal and the supplementary material signal associated with said programming signal being performed when the control signal was actuated.

33. A method for interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program, comprising:

obtaining a programming signal;

obtaining a supplementary material signal that identifies the program-related supplementary material;

combining said programming signal and said supplementary material signal into an output signal;

broadcasting said output signal from a program signal source;

receiving said broadcast output signal at a location of an audience;

performing for the audience said programming signal of the received output signal, with reproduction equipment;

extracting a signal related to said supplementary material signal from the received broadcast signal; and

responding to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed, and based on said extracted signal, to output the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal in human-perceptible form.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of outputting said supplementary material comprises printing said supplementary material at the audience location.

35. An apparatus for interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program, comprising:

means for obtaining a programming signal;

means for obtaining a supplementary material signal that identifies the program-related supplementary material;

means for combining said programming signal and said supplementary material signal into an output signal;

means for broadcasting said output signal from a program signal source;

means for receiving said broadcast output signal at a location of an audience;

means for performing for the audience said programming signal of the received output signal, with reproduction equipment;

means for extracting a signal related to said supplementary material signal from the received broadcast signal; and

means for responding to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed, and based on said extracted signal, to enable access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal.

36. An apparatus for interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program from a broadcast signal that is a combination of a programming signal and a supplementary materials signal, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving said broadcast output signal at a location of an audience;

means for performing for the audience said programming signal of the received output signal, with reproduction equipment;

means for extracting a signal related to said supplementary material signal from the received broadcast signal; and

means for responding to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed, and based on said extracted signal, to enable access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said supplementary material is at least one of supplementary information and an incentive reward coupon, and wherein said supplementary material signal is a code for at least one of said supplementary information and said incentive reward coupon.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said means for enabling access to said stored supplementary material comprises means for outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said means for outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form comprises means for printing said supplementary material at the audience location.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said means for outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form comprises means for transmitting said extracted signal to a location, remote from the audience location, where data for outputting the supplementary material in human-perceptible form is stored, and means for sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said means for sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location comprises at least one of mail and email.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein at least one of the means for transmitting said extracted signal to the remote location and means for sending the outputted supplementary material to the audience location uses a global communication network.

43. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said control signal is generated by a handheld, remote control device.

44. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising means for interactively generating an indication responsive to said supplementary material signal being received at the audience location to alert the audience that access to such supplementary material is available.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said indication is visual.

46. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for storing data for printing said supplementary material at said audience location.

47. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising:

means for storing personal identification data in a plurality of portable devices to be carried by a plurality of individuals, respectively;

means for transmitting said identification data from the portable devices of said individuals who are audience members at the audience location;

means for detecting said transmitted identification data; and

wherein said means for enabling access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal is based on the detected identification data of the audience member tuned to said programming signal being performed who actuated the control signal.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein said means for detecting said transmitted identification data comprises:

means for periodically emitting a trigger signal at the audience location; and

in response to said trigger signal, means for transmitting said identification data from the portable devices of said individuals who are audience members at the audience location.

49. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the means for enabling access to the supplementary material based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal comprises means for determining which of several types of available supplementary materials to provide.

50. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the means for enabling access to the supplementary material based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal comprises means for determining where the supplementary materials should be sent.

52. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising means for producing an audience survey based on the detected identification data of the audience member who actuated the control signal and the supplementary material signal associated with said programming signal being performed when the control signal was actuated.

53. An apparatus for interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program, comprising:

means for obtaining a programming signal;

means for obtaining a supplementary material signal that identifies the program-related supplementary material;

means for combining said programming signal and said supplementary material signal into an output signal;

means for broadcasting said output signal from a program signal source;

means for receiving said broadcast output signal at a location of an audience;

means for performing for the audience said programming signal of the received output signal, with reproduction equipment;

means for extracting a signal related to said supplementary material signal from the received broadcast signal; and

means for responding to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed, and based on said extracted signal, to output the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal in human-perceptible form.