Wireless transmission from the television set to the television station

• US 4,591,906 A
• Filed: 05/29/1985
• Issued: 05/27/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TV Answer Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fernando Morales-Garza, Jorge E. Ortiz-Salinas, Oscar Morales-Garza
• Inventors: Morales-Garza, Fernando, Ortiz-Salinas, Jorge E., Morales-Garza, Oscar
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/739,083
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/147, 455/2, 455/4, 455/5, 370/96
• US Class Current: 725/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/17372 the upstream transmission being initiated or timed by a signal from upstream of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6162 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/002 Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/085 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Query signals are transmitted by wireless means from the television station to the television set. Response units at receiver locations have a radio frequency transmitter send a response to the station inquiry sent on horizontal lines of the T.V. signal at controlled times identifying each station. This response is a simple r-f beep synchronized with the T.V. signal, in such a way that each set transmitter emits the beep only in its unique time slot. Simplified response units are tuned to the standard intermediate frequency of the T.V. sets and thus need not be wired in and need not have a channel selector.

Claims

1. In a bi-directional television system permitting television stations to ask questions and television signal receivers to answer those questions wherein the questions are codified synchronously on the television video signal, the improvement permitting a large number of receivers to be questioned for response from simplified responders, comprising in combination,

means at a transmission site for transmission of a video signal having coded signal queries constituting coded bits superimposed in selected horizontal line video positions and spaced at times permitting responses to be received from receiver responder units in a predetermined geographic area, and

responder units at television set locations tuned to said video signal for processing the coded queries and responding thereto to signify an answer with a single r-f burst timed to coincide with a designated horizontal line uniquely identifying each responder unit wherein all units respond with a burst of the same frequency at a unique time slot following each query wherein each responder unit and the transmitted video signal provide identification of the distance (travel time) of the responder unit from the transmission site of the video signal, and the responder units provide a response beep at a time compensating for signal transit time from the transmission site to the responder unit locations and back.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein each responder unit processes the video signal from an i-f frequency signal of the television receiver, thereby not requiring channel selection means.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein each responder unit derives the i-f frequency signal from the television receiver by radiation.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein one television receiver is coupled to a plurality of responder units.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising at the transmission site means for processing the signals from all responder units through a single amplifier channel tuned to a single frequency.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising at the transmission site computer means for analyzing the answer beeps to determine the answers from each individual response unit.

7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the transmission site transmits a single query to all response units at the same time.

8. The system defined in claim 1 wherein each responder unit receives video signals from the television receiver by radiation.