Cable television transaction terminal

• US 5,077,607 A
• Filed: 04/20/1989
• Issued: 12/31/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Lee R., Smith, Elizabeth A., Myers, Howard L., Kuban, Curt M., Williams, Fitzroy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US07/340,642
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/86, 455/2, 455/4, 455/5
• US Class Current: 725/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0888 Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A cable television transaction terminal comprises a keyboard for entry of selection and field completion data and a teletext screen generator for actuating a visual display of teletext screens comprising selection items or completion fields. Each screen is uniquely identified and stored in terminal memory prior to display with an associated key template for defining selection and field completion data. A review of transactions is actuated by display of a first teletext screen and entry of an associated key response. Payment for transaction is actuated by display of a second teletext screen and entry of an associated key response. For example, a hotel guest may check out of a hotel room without visiting the front desk via the cable television terminal in his room or order room service for delivery at a particular time.

Claims

1. A cable television transaction terminal comprising:

a keyboard for entry of selection and field completion data;

a teletext screen generator for actuating a visual display of teletext screens comprising selection items or completion fields, each screen formed from teletext screen data comprising a unique screen identification and an associated key template for defining selection and field completion data;

a read/write memory for temporary storage of teletext screen data, and

a control unit, responsive to the first teletext screen and entry of first predetermined data, for entering a first mode of terminal operation for reviewing transactions and, responsive to a second teletext screen and entry of second predetermined data, for entering a second mode of terminal operation operation for accomplishing payment for transactions.

2. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 1 further comprising:

a printer port, responsive to the control unit, for transferring transaction data for printing.

3. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 2 wherein the printer port transfers data for a premium coupon.

4. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 1 wherein the control unit is responsive to a third teletext screen and entry of third predetermined data for entering a third mode of terminal operation for selection of items.

5. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 4 wherein the control unit is responsive to a fourth teletext screen and entry of fourth predetermined data for entering a fourth mode of terminal operation for establishing a time of delivery of items selected during the third mode of terminal operation.

6. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 1 further comprising:

a data transmitter/receiver for communication with a system manager.

7. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 6 wherein the data transmitter/receiver communicates over separate data channels for each direction of data communication with the system manager.

8. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 6 wherein the data transmitter/receiver is responsive to the control unit for requesting transaction data during the first mode of terminal operation.

9. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 1 wherein the control unit is responsive to selection data entry of a predetermined channel number selection data for actuating the teletext screen generator.

10. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 9 wherein the control unit compares an entered channel number with predetermined data stored in read/write memory, associates the channel number with a first teletext screen for a predetermined service and actuates the teletext screen generator to generate the first teletext screen for the predetermined service.

11. A method for use in a cable television transaction terminal comprising a keyboard, a teletext screen generator, a read/write memory and a control unit, the method for accomplishing a payment transaction comprising the steps of

actuating display of a first teletext screen, the first teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered first selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the first selection and field completion data with a first predetermined expected response, the first predetermined expected response related to the first teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the first entered selection and field completion data to a system manager in response to data association,

entering a first mode of terminal operation for reviewing transactions, and

actuating display of a second teletext screen, the second teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered second selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the second selection and field completion data with a second predetermined expected response, the second predetermined expected response related to the second teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered second selection and field completion data to a system manager in response to data association, and

entering a second mode of terminal operation for accomplishing payment for transactions.

12. A payment transaction method according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of

actuating display of a third teletext screen, the third teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered third selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the third selection and field completion data with a third predetermined expected response, the third predetermined expected response related to the third teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered third selection and field completion data to a system manager in response to data association, and

entering a third mode of terminal operation for selecting items.

13. A payment transaction method according to claim 12 further comprising the steps of

actuating display of a fourth teletext screen, the fourth teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered fourth selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the fourth selection and field completion data with a fourth predetermined expected response, the fourth predetermined expected response related to the fourth teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered fourth selection and field completion data to a system manager in response to data association, and

entering a fourth mode of terminal operation for scheduling delivery of items selected in the third mode of terminal operation.

14. A payment transaction method according to claim 11 comprising the preliminary step of

temporarily storing an entered channel number in the read/write memory,

comparing an entered channel number with an expected response, the expected response stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered channel number to a system manager in response to data comparison, and

actuating display of the first teletext screen, the first teletext screen being associated with a particular teletext service.

15. A payment transaction method according to claim 11 wherein the second mode of terminal operation also comprises actuating the printing of transaction data.

16. A payment transaction method according to claim 15, the printing actuation further comprising the printing of a premium coupon.

17. A cable television transaction terminal comprising:

a keyboard for entry of selection and field completion data;

a teletext screen generator for actuating a visual display of teletext screens comprising selection items or completion fields, each screen formed from teletext screen data comprising a unique screen identification and an associated key template for defining selection and field completion data;

a read/write memory for temporary storage of teletext screen data, and

a control unit, responsive to the first teletext screen and entry of first predetermined data, for entering a first mode of terminal operation for reviewing transactions, responsive to a second teletext screen and entry of second predetermined data, for entering a second mode of terminal operation for accomplishing payment for transactions, responsive to a third teletext screen and entry of third predetermined data, for entering a third mode of terminal operation for selection of items and, responsive to a fourth teletext screen and entry of fourth predetermined data, for entering a fourth mode of terminal operation for establishing a time of delivery for items selected during the third mode of terminal operation.

18. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 17, the control unit, responsive to selection data entry of a predetermined channel number selection data, actuating the teletext screen generator.

19. A cable television transaction terminal according to claim 18, the control unit for comparing an entered channel number with predetermined data stored in read/write memory, associating the channel number with a first teletext screen for a predetermined service and actuating the teletext screen generator to generate the first teletext screen for the predetermined service.

20. A method for use in a cable television transaction terminal comprising a keyboard, a teletext screen generator, a read/write memory and a control unit, the method for accomplishing a payment transaction comprising the steps of

actuating display of a first teletext screen, the first teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered first selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the first selection and field completion data with a first predetermined expected response, the first predetermined expected response related to the first teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered selection and field completion data to a system manager in response to data association,

entering a first mode of terminal operation for reviewing transactions, and

actuating display of a second teletext screen, the second teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered second selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the second selection and field completion data with a second predetermined expected response, the second predetermined expected response related to the second teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered second selection and field completion data to the system manager in response to data association,

entering a second mode of terminal operation for accomplishing payment for transactions,

actuating display of a third teletext screen, the third teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered third selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the third selection and field completion data with a third predetermined expected response, the third predetermined expected response related to the third teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered third selection and field completion data the system manager in response to data association,

entering a third mode of terminal operation for selection items,

actuating display of a fourth teletext screen, the fourth teletext screen comprising selection items and completion fields,

temporarily storing entered fourth selection and field completion data in the read/write memory,

associating entry of the fourth selection and field completion data with a fourth predetermined expected response the fourth predetermined expected response related to the fourth teletext screen and stored in the read/write memory,

transmitting the entered fourth selection and field completion data to the system manager in response to data association, and

entering a fourth mode of terminal operation for scheduling delivery of items selected in the third mode of terminal operation.

21. A payment transaction method according to claim 20 comprising the preliminary step of

comparing an entered channel number with an expected response, and

actuating display of the first teletext screen, the first teletext screen being associated with a particular teletext service.