Interactive media transmission method and system for direct purchase of goods and services over a TV-broadcast network
First Claim
1. An interactive media transmission method comprising the steps of:
- broadcasting a composite signal comprising a TV-signal component and an associated data signal component which includes information pertaining to entities represented by the TV-signal component, receiving the composite signal in at least one subscriber receiver, decoding the TV-signal component and the associated data signal component in the at least one subscriber receiver, receiving, in a first subscriber receiver of the at least one subscriber receiver, a user generated ordering instruction relating to at least one entity represented by the TV-signal component, generating, based on the ordering instruction, an order message in the first subscriber receiver, transmitting the order message to a central control unit, receiving the order message in the central control unit, and generating in response thereto an order confirmation message, transmitting the order confirmation message to a first communication unit associated with the first subscriber receiver, receiving the order confirmation message in the first communication unit, and presenting therein corresponding order confirmation information to a user, producing, based on the order confirmation information and a user re-confirmation input, a re-confirmation message in the first communication unit, and transmitting the re-confirmation message to the central control unit.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a solution for communication of interactive media, wherein a central control unit (100) broadcasts a composite signal (S(C, D) including a TV-signal component (C) and an associated data signal component (D), which pertains to entities represented by the TV-signal component (C), such as products and/or services. The composite signal (S(C, D) is transmitted from a transmission resource (130), via a primary signal distribution medium (140, 150), to at least one subscriber receiver (111a, 112a, 113a), which each is associated with at least one user. A database (110), connected to the central control unit (100), contains user-specific authorization data pertaining to each of at least one user of the system, such that the users may effect purchases by specifying relevant authorization data to the central control unit (100). A supplementary signal distribution medium (160) is arranged to transmit order messages (msgo) to the central control unit (100), which are generated in the subscriber receivers (111a) on basis of corresponding ordering instructions from the users and relate to entities (E) that are represented by the TV-signal component (C). Order confirmation messages (cf1) generated by the central control unit (100) in response to the order messages (msgo) are also transmitted over the supplementary signal distribution medium (160), however in the opposite direction. A communication unit (111b) is associated with each user, and is adapted to receive the order confirmation messages (cf1) and based thereon present corresponding order confirmation information to the user, receive a user confirmation input containing the user-specific data for the user, produce re-confirmation messages (cf2) based on the order confirmation messages (cf1) and the user confirmation input, and transmit the re-confirmation message (cf2) to the central control unit (100).
22 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An interactive media transmission method comprising the steps of:
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broadcasting a composite signal comprising a TV-signal component and an associated data signal component which includes information pertaining to entities represented by the TV-signal component, receiving the composite signal in at least one subscriber receiver, decoding the TV-signal component and the associated data signal component in the at least one subscriber receiver, receiving, in a first subscriber receiver of the at least one subscriber receiver, a user generated ordering instruction relating to at least one entity represented by the TV-signal component, generating, based on the ordering instruction, an order message in the first subscriber receiver, transmitting the order message to a central control unit, receiving the order message in the central control unit, and generating in response thereto an order confirmation message, transmitting the order confirmation message to a first communication unit associated with the first subscriber receiver, receiving the order confirmation message in the first communication unit, and presenting therein corresponding order confirmation information to a user, producing, based on the order confirmation information and a user re-confirmation input, a re-confirmation message in the first communication unit, and transmitting the re-confirmation message to the central control unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for interactive media communication comprising
a central control unit adapted to broadcast a composite signal comprising a TV-signal component and an associated data signal component which pertains to entities represented by the TV-signal component, a database containing user-specific authorization data pertaining to each of at least one user of the system, a primary signal distribution medium adapted to transmit the composite signal from a transmission resource to at least one subscriber receiver which each is associated with at least one user, and a supplementary signal distribution medium in addition to the primary signal distribution medium, the supplementary signal distribution medium being adapted to transmit an order message being generated in a first subscriber receiver on basis of a user'"'"'s ordering instruction relating to at least one entity which is represented by the TV-signal component to the central control unit, and return an order confirmation message generated by the central control unit in response to the order message, wherein a communication unit is associated with each user, the communication unit being adapted to receive the order confirmation message and based thereon present corresponding order confirmation information to the user, receive a user confirmation input containing the user-specific data for a first user which is associated with the first subscriber receiver, produce a re-confirmation message based on the order confirmation message and the user confirmation input, and transmit the re-confirmation message to the central control unit.
Specification