Electronic redeemable coupon system via television

• US 5,285,278 A
• Filed: 05/21/1992
• Issued: 02/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael J. Holman
• Original Assignee: Michael J. Holman
• Inventors: Holman, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US07/887,450
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/86, 358/141, 358/146, 358/93, 358/142, 358/183, 455/2, 340/721
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• 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 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• 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 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

An electronic redeemable coupon generating system which comprises an encoder for encoding coupon-related data in a television signal transmission, the transmission including picture information for display on a television monitor screen; a decoder for receiving the television signal transmission and extracting the coupon-related data therefrom; and a recording device for recording the extracted coupon-related data on a recording medium for subsequent readout and redemption. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the decoder includes a display driver for displaying indicia on a television monitor screen responsive to coupon-related data being encoded in the television signal transmission. Upon observing the indicia on the television monitor screen, the user can manually and selectively extract the coupon-related data from the television signal transmission. After an optional editing function, the extracted coupon-related data is stored on a recording medium such as a magnetically striped card.

Claims

1. An apparatus for decoding and storing messages encoded in the signal of a television picture transmission, said television picture transmission containing video, audio, and message components, the video component of said television picture transmission being displayed as a picture on a video screen, said apparatus comprising:

decoding means for receiving said message component, and for decoding said encoded messages contained therein to produce a message signal containing said messages;

a logo generator for generating a logo signal to create a visible logo on the display of a video screen, said logo generator synchronized with said video component of said television picture transmission signal;

a video mixer receiving said video component of said television picture transmission signal, and receiving output from said logo generator for mixing said logo signal with said video component so as to superimpose said logo on said picture as viewed on the video screen;

means coupled to said decoding means for sensing the existence of a message signal, and enabling the coupling of said logo signal to said video mixer only during the time a message exists;

means coupled to the output of said decoding means for passing selected ones of said message signals to said video mixer for mixing said message signal with said video component so as to superimpose said selected message on said video component as viewed on the video screen;

storage means capable of storing at least a part of each message selected;

means for manually selecting ones of said displayed messages for storage in said storage means; and

means for storing said selected message in said storage means.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a memory.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage means is selected from the group consisting of magnetic cards, optical storage cards, and microchip cards, and their associated writing devices.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a printer and hard printout.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least a part of each message selected is a code representing a discount toward the purchase of an item being displayed on the video screen during the time said selected message was displayed.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

means coupled to said memory for retrieving messages stored in said memory; and

a storage card writer and storage card, said storage card writer coupled to said means for retrieving messages for writing at least portion of said messages onto said storage card.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, comprising a message editor including:

means coupled to said memory for reviewing all of said messages stored in said memory; and

means for selectively deleting undesirable ones of said stored messages before said storage card writer writes said retrieved messages onto said storage card.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

means coupled to said memory for retrieving messages stored in said memory; and

a printer and hard printout, said printer coupled to said means for retrieving messages for printing at least a part of said message onto said hard printout.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, comprising a message editor including:

means coupled to said memory for reviewing all of said messages stored in said memory; and

means for selectively deleting undesirable ones of said stored messages before said printer prints said retrieved messages on said hard printout.

10. An electronic redeemable coupon generating system comprising:

encoding means for encoding coupon-related data as part of the information contained in a standard television signal transmission, said transmission including picture information, associated with said coupon-related data, for display on a television monitor screen;

decoding means for receiving said standard television signal transmission and for extracting said coupon-related data from said standard television signal transmission during display of said associated picture information;

means for selecting portions of the extracted coupon-related data and generating representations of such selected portions; and

recording means for recording said representations of said extracted coupon-related data portions on a recording medium for subsequent readout and coupon redemption.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said decoding means comprises means for displaying indicia on a television monitor screen responsive to coupon-related data being encoded in said television signal transmission.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said decoding means comprises user means, manually operated by a person using said decoding means, for selectively enabling and disabling extraction of said coupon-related data from said television signal transmission by said means for extracting.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said decoding means comprises:

memory means for accumulating selectively extracted coupon-related data; and

wherein said recording means includes

means for storing representations of portions of said selectively extracted coupon-related data on said recording medium.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said decoding means comprises means for editing the contents of said memory means.

15. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said medium is selected from the group consisting of magnetically striped cards, optical storage cards, and microchip cards, and said recording means is a writing device for writing information on said medium.

16. A decoding unit for receiving a standard television signal transmission containing picture information for display on a television monitor screen, and further containing associated coupon-related data encoded as part of the information contained in said standard television signal transmission, said decoding unit comprising:

means for extracting said coupon-related data from said standard television signal transmission during display of said associated picture information; and

recording means for recording representations of selected portions of extracted coupon-related data on a recording medium for subsequent readout and coupon redemption.

17. The decoding unit claimed in claim 16, comprising means for displaying predefined indicia on the television monitor screen responsive to coupon-related data being encoded in said television signal transmission.

18. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 17, comprising user means, manually operated by a person using said decoding means for selectively enabling and disabling extraction of said coupon-related data from said television signal transmission by said means for extracting.

19. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 18, comprising:

memory means for accumulating selectively extracted coupon-related data; and

wherein

said recording means is coupled to said accumulating means for storing representations of portions of said selectively extracted coupon-related data on said recording medium.

20. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 19, comprising:

means for editing the contents of said memory means.

21. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein said medium is selected from the group consisting of magnetically striped cards, optical storage cards, and microchip cards, and said recording means is a writing device for writing information on said medium.

22. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 20, comprising authorization means for preventing storage of selected coupon-related data on said recording medium by said means for storing upon detection of a passed expiration date code contained in said coupon-related data.

23. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 20, comprising authorization means for preventing storage of selected coupon-related data on said recording medium by said means for storing upon detection of a time interval having passed relative to the time said selected coupon-related data was previously stored on said recording medium.

24. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 20, comprising authorization means including:

means for storing a user subscription validation date code; and

means for preventing storage of selected coupon-related data on said recording medium by said means for storing upon detection of the expiration of said user subscription validation date code.

25. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 20, comprising authorization means for preventing storage of selected coupon-related data on said recording medium by said means for storing upon detection of the number of times said selected coupon-related data is stored on said recording medium exceeding a limit code contained in said selected coupon-related data.

26. An apparatus for decoding and storing messages encoded in the signal of a television picture transmission, said television picture transmission containing video, audio, and message components, said message component being transmitted periodically, the video component of said television picture transmission being displayed as a picture on a video screen and including a visible logo in the picture area only when a message component is being transmitted, said apparatus comprising:

decoding means for receiving said message component, and for decoding said encoded messages contained therein to produce a message signal containing said messages;

a video mixer receiving said video component of said television picture transmission signal;

means coupled to the output of said decoding means for passing selected ones of said message signals to said video mixer for mixing said message signal with said video component so as to superimpose said selected message on said video component as viewed on the video screen;

storage means capable of storing at least a part of each message selected;

means for manually selecting ones of said displayed messages for storage in said storage means; and

means for storing said selected message in said storage means.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26, including means, responsive to said means for storing functioning to store a selected message in said storage means, for altering an attribute of said logo in order to give a visual indication of a successful message selection and storage.

28. A decoding unit for receiving a broadcasted standard television signal containing picture information for display on a television monitor screen, and further containing coupon-related data encoded as part of the information contained in said standard television signal, said decoding unit comprising:

means for extracting said coupon-related data from said standard television signal; and

recording means for recording representations of selected portions of extracted coupon-related data on a recording medium for subsequent readout and coupon redemption.

29. The decoding unit claimed in claim 28, comprising means for displaying predefined indicia on the television monitor screen responsive to coupon-related data being encoded in said television signal transmission.

30. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 29, comprising user means, manually operated by a person using said decoding means for selectively enabling and disabling extraction of said coupon-related data from said television signal transmission by said means for extracting.

31. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 30, comprising:

memory means for accumulating selectively extracted coupon-related data; and

wherein

said recording means is coupled to said accumulating means for storing representations of portions of said selectively extracted coupon-related data on said recording medium.

32. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 31, comprising:

means for editing the contents of said memory means.

33. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 29, wherein said predefined indicia is a logo which is displayed when said means for extracting detects that coupon-related data is encoded in the standard television signal.

34. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for extracting includes pulse detecting means and pulse decoding means for detecting and decoding coupon-related data which has been pulse encoded within the vertical blanking interval of the standard television signal.

35. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 34, wherein said pulse detecting means detects pulse coded information contained within a horizontal scan line of the vertical blanking interval of the television signal.

37. The decoding unit as claimed in claim 28, wherein:

the coupon-related data contained in said broadcasted standard television signal includes broadcast source log information; and

said recording means records a representation of said broadcast source log information on said recording medium.

36. A decoding unit for receiving a standard television signal containing picture information for display on a television monitor screen, and further containing coupon-related data encoded as part of the information contained in said standard television signal, said decoding unit comprising:

means for extracting said coupon-related data from said standard television signal;

recording means for recording representations of selected portions of extracted coupon-related data on a recording medium for subsequent readout and coupon redemption; and

means for displaying predefined indicia on the television monitor screen responsive to coupon-related data being encoded in said television signal transmission.