System for updating a content bearing medium

• US 20060062096A1
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Tredwell, Timothy J., Kerr, Roger S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,035,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.270
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/045 the record carrier being of the non-contact type, e.g. RFID, and being specially adapted for attachment to a disc, e.g. a CD or DVD
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems

Abstract

The invention is directed to content bearing mediums having a capacity to receive additional content and systems and methods for updating and presenting content recorded on a content bearing medium, e.g., video cassette tape, CD or DVD, digital memory, game cartridges. In one aspect of the invention, a content bearing medium is provided. The content bearing medium has a content bearing signal stored thereon and a communication circuit. The communication circuit is adapted to exchange wireless signals with a remote programming device and to store an additional content bearing signal in a memory based upon the signals exchanged. The communication circuit is further adapted to transmit the additional content signals upon request by a player of the content bearing medium so that the player can receive the additional content signals and present an output that is based, at least in part, upon the stored signals.

Claims

1. A content bearing medium comprising:

a medium having a content bearing signal stored thereon; and

a communication circuit adapted to exchange wireless signals with a remote programming device and to store an additional content bearing signal in a memory based upon the signals exchanged;

said communication circuit further being adapted to transmit the additional content signals upon request by a player of the content bearing medium so that the player can receive the additional content signals and present an output that is based, at least in part, upon the stored signals.

2. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit comprises a radio frequency circuit.

3. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is adapted to convert the additional content signals into an optical signal that is readable by an optical reading circuit of a player of the content bearing medium.

4. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit comprises a circuit for converting the additional content signals into an electro-magnetic signal that is readable by an electro-magnetic signal reading circuit of a player of the content bearing medium.

5. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the memory is of a rewriteable type and wherein said communication circuit is adapted to write an additional content signal in the memory in place or in addition to previously stored additional content signal in the memory in response to signals from the remote programming device.

6. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the additional content signals provide information that can be used to supplement the content recorded in the storage medium.

7. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the content signals recorded on the content bearing medium has at least updatable portion and wherein the additional content signals contain update information.

8. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the content signals recorded on the content bearing medium are adapted to provide predetermined applications for the additional content signal.

9. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the additional content signals provide information from which a player of the content bearing medium can determine a location from which to obtain additional content.

10. The content bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is adapted to extract power for operation from wireless signals received from the player.

11. A player for presenting a human perceptible output, the player comprising:

a first content signal reading circuit to read content bearing signals from the content bearing medium;

an additional content reading circuit adapted to read a signal received from a wireless communication circuit associated with the medium, said circuit having a memory with an additional content signal stored therein; and

a content processing system adapted to generate a human perceptible output signal based at least in part upon the additional content signal.

12. The player of claim 11, wherein the additional content signal provides information that is used by the content processing system to supplement the content on the content bearing medium.

13. The player of claim 11, wherein the content signals recorded on the content bearing medium contain updateable information, wherein the additional content signals contain update information and wherein the content processing system is adapted to present the content recorded on the content bearing medium in a manner that is updated in accordance with the update information.

14. The player of claim 11, wherein the additional content signals provide information from which a player of the content bearing medium can determine a remote location from which to obtain additional content and the player is adapted to read the additional content signals and to obtain further additional content from the remote location.

15. The player of claim 11, wherein the content signals recorded on the content bearing medium are adapted to provide predetermined applications for the content in the additional content signal, and

wherein the content processing system is adapted to present the content recorded on the content bearing medium so that the additional content signal is applied for the predetermined applications contained in the content signals recorded on the content bearing medium.

16. A method of providing updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information to a video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory bearing a wireless communication circuit having a memory, the method comprising the steps of:

updating a retailer database with updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information;

interrogating a wireless communication circuit of a returned video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory to determine the latest the movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored in the memory thereof;

determining whether the trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored in the memory of the video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory matches the updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored in the retailer database;

retrieving, at any time prior to completion of the next rental of the video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory to a rentor, the updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information; and

storing the updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information in the memory of the radio frequency transponder so that the next rentor of the video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory can observe the updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information.

17. The method of providing updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information as set forth in claim 16, wherein the interrogating, determining and retrieving steps are performed immediately upon return of the video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory.

18. The method of providing updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information as set forth in claim 16, wherein the interrogating, determining and retrieving steps are performed immediately prior to the completion of the next rental of the video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory.

19. The method of providing updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information as set forth in claim 16, wherein the presentation of the updated movie trailer information, coupon, advertisement and promotional information is in the form of at least one printed document printed at a point of rental terminal.

20. The method of providing updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information as set forth in claim 16, wherein the interrogating step is performed immediately upon return of the video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory, and the determining and retrieving steps are performed immediately prior to the completion of the next rental of the video cassette, optical disk or electronic memory.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the additional content is selected based upon at least one of a genre, type, classification, or cast member of the content recorded content bearing medium or a personal profile of an intended user of the content bearing medium.

22. A system for updating information on a content bearing medium comprising:

a content bearing medium having content signals stored thereon;

a radio frequency communication circuit attached to the content bearing medium, said radio frequency communication circuit having a memory;

a radio frequency transceiver for generating a radio frequency signal from a remote location to the radio frequency communication circuit, said generated radio frequency signal being adapted with an additional content signal, said radio frequency circuit being adapted so that the radio frequency communication circuit stores the additional content signal in the memory;

a display unit for presenting an output based upon the stored content signals; and

an information retrieving device attached to the display unit for retrieving the information from the memory and providing the additional content signals for use by the display unit;

wherein the radio frequency transceiver queries the radio frequency communication circuit to determine obtain information from which it can be determined whether the memory contains desired additional content and wherein the radio frequency transceiver transmits updated additional content when the memory does not already contain the desired additional content.

23. A system for providing updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information to a video cassette, DVD or video game cartridge bearing an a radio frequency communication circuit having memory for storing the movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information comprising:

a database containing updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information;

an interrogator for activating the radio frequency communication circuit and for interrogating the memory on the radio frequency communication circuit of a video cassette, DVD or video game cartridge;

an evaluator for determining whether the trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored on the radio frequency communication circuit of the video cassette, DVD or video game cartridge matches the updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored in the database;

a radio-frequency transmitter for transmitting updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information to the radio frequency communication circuit for storage in the memory, at any time the trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored on the memory does not match the updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored in the database; and

a display for presenting the updated movie trailer information, coupon information, advertisements or promotional information stored in the memory.