Interactive system for processing viewer responses to television programming
DCFirst Claim
1. An interactive system for processing viewer responses to television programming, said system comprising:
- a central exchange including;
a database containing a plurality of first codes uniquely identifying various television programs, a plurality of second codes, unique program data associated with each first code, and unique console data associated with each second code, anda processor; and
a plurality of consoles, each said console connected in a path of TV signals derived from the television programming to a television receiver and including;
a code reader for reading the first codes included with TV signals of programs as displayed by the television receiver,a register storing the second code uniquely identifying said console,a controller, andan actuator activated by a viewer in response to a program being displayed by the television receiver to signal said controller to transmit to said processor over a communications link the second code from said register and the first code currently being read by said code reader, whereby, said processor, in response to the received first and second codes, searches the databases to locate the first and second codes corresponding to the received first and second codes and sends the stored program data associated with the received first code to the viewer at a location of said console indicated by the stored console data associated with the received second code.
6 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive television system includes a central exchange and a plurality of consoles variously located at residences of viewers of TV programming. Each console includes a code reader capable of reading program codes, which are broadcasted with the TV signals of programs as unique identifiers thereof. A viewer, upon seeing a TV program of interest, actuates a button, and the console transmits to the central exchange an uniquely identifying console code together with the program code currently being read by the code reader. The central exchange then initiates a facsimile transmission or a datafile transmission of program data, retrieved from a database and associated with the received program code, to the console identified by the received console code.
484 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. An interactive system for processing viewer responses to television programming, said system comprising:
-
a central exchange including; a database containing a plurality of first codes uniquely identifying various television programs, a plurality of second codes, unique program data associated with each first code, and unique console data associated with each second code, and a processor; and a plurality of consoles, each said console connected in a path of TV signals derived from the television programming to a television receiver and including; a code reader for reading the first codes included with TV signals of programs as displayed by the television receiver, a register storing the second code uniquely identifying said console, a controller, and an actuator activated by a viewer in response to a program being displayed by the television receiver to signal said controller to transmit to said processor over a communications link the second code from said register and the first code currently being read by said code reader, whereby, said processor, in response to the received first and second codes, searches the databases to locate the first and second codes corresponding to the received first and second codes and sends the stored program data associated with the received first code to the viewer at a location of said console indicated by the stored console data associated with the received second code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An interactive system for processing viewer responses to television programming, said system comprising:
-
a central exchange including; a database containing a plurality of first codes uniquely identifying various television programs, a plurality of second codes, unique program data associated with each first code, and unique console data associated with each second code, a data transmitter, and a processor; and a plurality of consoles, each said console connected in a path of TV signals derived from the television programming to a television receiver and including; a code reader for reading the first codes included with TV signals of programs as displayed by the television receiver, a printer, a register storing the second code uniquely identifying said console, a controller, and an actuator activated by a viewer in response to a program being displayed by the television receiver to signal said controller to transmit to said processor over a communications link the second code from said register and the first code currently being read by said code reader, whereby, said processor, in response to the received first and second codes, searches the database to locate the first and second codes corresponding to the received first and second codes and activates said data transmitter to transmit the stored program data associated with the received first code to the console identified by the received second code for printout by said printer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification