Interactive advertising system for on-line terminals

• US 5,305,195 A
• Filed: 03/25/1992
• Issued: 04/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gerald and Leona R Singer Family Trust
• Original Assignee: Gerald Singer
• Inventors: Murphy, Arthur J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/856,250
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 364/400, 364/401, 364/402, 364/405, 364/407, 364/410, 235/375, 235/381, 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

There is disclosed a new system for providing advertising information into an interactive system having a plurality of remotely located terminals. Each terminal includes a video display unit, logic and a video storage medium such as a hard disc in addition to the normal functions of the interactive system of which an ATM is an example. A remote centrally located commercial computer capable of transmitting digitized signals representing commercial offerings and compressed digitized video signals for display on the video unit communicates with each of the remotely located terminals. The compressed digitized video signals are stored on the hard disc of each terminal for display on the video unit at times determined by the use of the terminal. The user selects the services or goods offered by the terminal in the conventional manner. During the waiting time inherent in the operation of the terminal a high quality video advertising message is displayed on the video unit from the hard disc. The message will last for less then 15 seconds and the user selected function will continue at the conclusion of the message. The advertising message will be changed, updated and varied directly from the central computer.

Claims

1. A system for inputting and accessing information comprising:

a terminal comprising in part a video display unit for storing and displaying full motion video sequences;

means remote to said terminal for imputting changeable full motion video sequences of advertising information to said video display for storage and display at the terminal;

said terminal connected to other on-line services;

means for selecting desired information offered by said on-line services at the terminal;

printing means for printing the information selected at the terminal on a hard copy in man readable form,

means responsive to a delay in displaying the desired information at said terminal for generating an interrupt signal, and

means for controlling the display of said stored full motion video sequences of advertising information at said terminal with said interrupt signal.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which said stored full motion video sequences of advertising information is displayed only after the generation of said interrupt signal.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which said video display unit is capable of displaying full motion high definition video sequences in full color.

4. A combination according to claim 1 in which said video display unit displays said other on-line services selected by said user.

5. A combination according to claim 1 in which said visual display unit is a cathode ray tube for visually displaying video information.

6. A combination according to claim 1 in which said means for selecting includes a touch screen overlay operated by the user for selecting desired information being offered at the terminal.

7. A combination according to claim 1 in which said means for selecting includes a keyboard operated by the user for accessing the terminal and selecting desired information being offered.

8. A combination according to claim 1 in which said printing means includes means for printing in both letter format and strip format.

9. A combination according to claim 1 in which said printing means includes means for encoding information in machine readable format.

10. A combination according to claim 1 in which all video information transmitted from said remote means for display by said video display unit is transmitted as compressed digitized signals.

11. A combination according to claim 10 in which said terminal includes a video storage medium for storing said compressed digitized video information, and

means for decoding said stored video information and displaying said information.

12. A combination according to claim 1 which includes;

a magnetic stripe card reader for reading recorded information on a card to uniquely identify the card holder, and

means responsive to said card reader for generating an access signal for said on-line services.

13. A combination according to claim 12 in which said full motion video sequences of information is advertising information displayed only during a delay in the operation of the terminal.

14. An interactive network system comprising:

a terminal comprising in combination a video display unit, printing means, keying means, and a video storage medium,

said video display unit consisting of a high definition full color display for displaying full motion video sequences,

means for inputting full motion video sequences of information in digitized compressed format for storage in said video storage medium to be displayed on the video display unit,

said terminal connected to a plurality of other on-line services capable of being accessed by the user,

said keying means under the control of a user for selecting desired information offered by the terminal,

said printing means for printing the information selected by the user on a hard copy in man readable form, and

means responsive to a delay in displaying the desired information at the terminal for displaying said recorded information from said video storage medium on said video display unit.

15. A college network interactive advertising system comprising:

a plurality of terminals located on campus each comprising in combination a video display unit, printing means, keying means and a video storage medium;

said video display unit consisting of a high definition full color display for displaying full motion video sequences;

a remotely located external commercial computer for generating a plurality of different full motion video sequences of commercial messages concerning goods and services in digital form and for generating video advertising copy in digitized compressed format,

at least one server located on each campus receiving an input from said commercial computer and connected to each of said terminals on said campus;

said video information in digitized format being stored on said video storage medium located in each terminal for display on the video display unit of each terminal;

at least one single school main frame computer under independent control connected directly to each terminal located on said campus and controlling all school information available to the user;

said keying means under the control of a user for selecting desired information offered by the commercial computer and the school main frame computer;

said printing means for printing the information selected by the user on a hard copy in man readable form, and

means responsive to a delay at the terminal in displaying the information selected for displaying the recorded full motion video sequences of information from said video storage medium for visual display on said video display unit.

16. A combination according to claim 15 in which said changeable video information is advertising copy displayed only during a delay in the operation of the terminal.

17. A combination according to claim 15 in which said visual display unit is a cathode ray tube for visually displaying selected video information and commercially offered information from said external commercial computer.

18. A combination according to claim 17 in which said keying means includes a touch screen overlay operated by the user for selecting desired information being offered.

19. A combination according to claim 15 in which said keying means includes a keyboard operated by the user for selecting campus information and commercial information.

20. A combination according to claim 15 in which said printing means includes means for printing in both letter format and strip format for printing commercial information and campus information.

21. A combination according to claim 15 in which said video storage medium stores compressed digitized video information, and further comprising

decoder means fed by said video storage medium recording means for playing said stored video information on said video display.

22. A combination according to claim 15 which includes;

a magnetic strip card reader for reading recorded information on said card to uniquely identify the card holder,

means responsive to said card reader for generating an authorization control signal, and

said printing means for printing said authorization control signal on all printed information supplied to said user.

23. A system for inputting and accessing information comprising:

a terminal comprising in part a video display unit for displaying full motion video sequences and video recording means;

means remote to said terminal for imputting changeable full motion video sequences of advertising information to said video display unit for recording on said video recording means;

said terminal connected to one or more other on-line services;

means for selecting desired information in real time offered by said on-line services;

printing means for printing the information selected at the terminal on a hard copy in man readable form, and

means responsive to any delay in said on-line services being energized for causing said recorded full motion video sequences of advertising information to be displayed on said video display unit.

24. A method for displaying a full color, full motion video sequences of advertising message at a terminal having video recording and display capability comprising the steps of:

imputting changeable full motion video sequences of advertising information from a remote source to the terminal for recording;

connecting the terminal to at least one other on-line services;

selecting desired information offered by the on-line services at the terminal;

printing the information selected at the terminal on a hard copy in man readable form, and

displaying said recorded full motion video sequences advertising information on the video display unit during any delay in displaying the desired on-line services at the terminal.