Televison programming information system

• US 4,449,249 A
• Filed: 09/27/1982
• Issued: 05/15/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert T. Price
• Original Assignee: Robert T. Price
• Inventors: Price, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bookbinder, Marc E.
• Application Number:
  US06/423,708
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3, 455/45, 455/53, 455/57, 455/102, 455/228, 455/205, 370/11, 370/71, 370/73, 358/116, 381/4, 381/14
• US Class Current: 455/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/00 Television systems details H04N3/00, H04N5/00; methods or arrangements, for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00; selective content distribution H04N21/00

Abstract

Up to date television programming information along with a commercial is provided for a viewer of television independent of the viewer'"'"'s television set. Such is accomplished by a radio either AM or FM which broadcasts first and second subcarrier signals carrying respectively a commercial and up to date television program information. The commercial and up to date television program information repeats after given set time periods, the later being updated every one-half hour. A viewer need only operate a specially designed radio receiver at a convenient location anytime he wishes to know which programs are coming up on his television set. The receiver is designed so that it will always play the broadcast commercial before the television program so that the system can be appropriately financed with no cost to the viewer.

Claims

1. A method of providing up to date television programming information together with a commercial to a viewer of television, independent of the viewer'"'"'s television set, including the steps of:

(a) transmitting a radio frequency carrier modulated by first and second sub-carrier signals along with a normal radio broadcast signal, said first sub-carrier signal being further modulated by said commercial which repeats at successive constant first time periods, said second sub-carrier signal being further modulated by upcoming television program information which repeats at successive constant second time periods;

(b) transmitting synchronizing pulses at the beginning of said first time periods modulated along with said commercial on said first sub-carrier signal;

(c) receiving and processing modulated radio frequency carrier at a receiver to provide said normal radio broadcast signal, said commercial and television program information and said synchronizing pulses; and

(d) playing said commercial and television program information under control of said synchronizing pulses so that said viewer always hears first said commercial and second said upcoming television program information whenever said viewer operates said receiver to receive such information.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of passing said normal radio broadcast signal to said viewer during a time period, if any, between the time the radio receiver is operated by the viewer and the time of provision of the first of said synchronizing pulses.

3. A radio receiving device for aurally reproducing up to date television programming information together with a commercial to a viewer of television, independent of the viewer'"'"'s television set, including, in combination:

(a) aural reproduction means

(b) a radio signal receiver discriminating means for deriving synchronizing pulses along with said commercial from a first broadcast sub-carrier signal and for deriving up to date television program information from a second broadcast sub-carrier signal; and

(c) control means coupled between said discriminating means and said aural reproduction means responsive to said synchronizing pulses for assuring that whenever said radio receiver is operated by a viewer for listening to program information, said commercial is coupled to said aural reproduction means before said television program information.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which said discriminating and control means enable aural reproduction of a normal broadcast signal derived from a receiver radio signal receiver during a time period, if any, between the time the radio receiver is operated to the time of the first provided of said synchronizing pulses.