Video cassette rental system and method and record playback counter therefor
First Claim
1. A video record rental system, said system comprising in combination, a plurality of computer rental terminals each located at a separate rental site, a central computer, a data transmission link between each of said rental terminals and said central computer a plurality of computer terminals, each located on the premises of an entity entitled to share in the proceeds of renting a number of records, data links connecting said central computer with each of the latter computer terminals, and means enabling the recording of rental transactions at the rental terminals, including the number of plays of each record rented, and for transmitting said rental data to said central computer, means for enabling said central computer to compile rental data from the rental terminals into a report and transmit the report to the appropriate one of said entities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computerized video record rental system and method in which a video record unit such as a tape cassette is provided with an integral counting device for counting the number of times the record is played. Upon rental and return of the record, the counts are recorded in computer memory, together with an identification of the record unit, and the computer computes the rental fee due based on the net play count for the record unit. A central computer is provided at a location remote from the rental sites. The computers at the rental sites are connected to the central computer periodically by way of modems and telephone lines. The central computer is similarly linked to computer terminals located at the record owners'"'"' places of business. Rental information is gathered from the rental sites in the central computer, which reports rental figures to the owners. An electronic funds transfer network is provided to electronically transfer funds from accounts maintained by the rental retailers to the owners by way of the central computer. The preferred counting device in the video cassette uses caliper arms to detect the position of one of the tape rolls in the cassette at two points on opposite sides of the roll and drives a counter in proportion to changes in the distance between the points. This virtually immunizes the mechanism from false counts due to lateral shifting of the tape reels in the cassette housing during handling of the cassette of a cassette playing machine. An alternative is a hybrid system using a mechanical tape motion sensor and an integral electronic counter and memory, with an LED read-out in a form which is readable by a bar-code scanner.
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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A video record rental system, said system comprising in combination, a plurality of computer rental terminals each located at a separate rental site, a central computer, a data transmission link between each of said rental terminals and said central computer a plurality of computer terminals, each located on the premises of an entity entitled to share in the proceeds of renting a number of records, data links connecting said central computer with each of the latter computer terminals, and means enabling the recording of rental transactions at the rental terminals, including the number of plays of each record rented, and for transmitting said rental data to said central computer, means for enabling said central computer to compile rental data from the rental terminals into a report and transmit the report to the appropriate one of said entities.
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7. A computerized revenue sharing video record rental system, said system comprising, in combination,
computer means related to a video record rental site for recording and storing record identification information taken from each video record unit being rented, means for identifying an entity which is entitles to share in the proceeds of renting a number of said record units, said computer means being adapted to compute and record the rental fees due to each rental of a record unit, said computer means also being adapted to separate from one another the rental fees due to each such entity for a plurality of rentals, and for preparing reports of such separate rental information for each such entity.
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13. A computerized revenue sharing video record rental method, said method comprising the steps of;
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using computer means related to a video record rental site for recording and storing record identification information taken from each video record unit being rented. identifying an entity which is entitles to share in the rental fees from each record unit rented, using said computer means to compute and record the rental fees due for each rental of a record unit, using said computer means to separate from one another the rental fees due to each such entity for a plurality of rentals, and for preparing reports of such separate rental information for each such entity. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 20. A video record rental method, said method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of computer rental terminals, each located at a separate rental site, providing a central computer, providing a data transmission link between each of said rental terminal and said central computer, providing a plurality of computer terminals, each located on the premises of an entity entitled to share in the proceeds of renting a number of records, providing data links connecting said central computer with each of the latter computer terminals, recording rental transactions at the rental terminals, including the number of plays of each record rented, and selectively transmitting said rental data to said central computer, and using said central computer to compile rental data from the rental terminals into a report and transmit the report to the appropriate one of said entities.
Specification