Method and apparatus for portable storage and use of data transmitted by television signal
First Claim
1. A portable data coupon comprising:
- means for receiving encoded data;
means for storing the received data;
a timekeeping means;
said means for storing also stores current time and date from the timekeeping means with the received data;
means for selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the storing means; and
means for selectively transmitting the encoded data to a receiving apparatus.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Decoding of data included in the vertical blanking interval of a television transmission signal and storage of the decoded data on a portable data coupon allows unavailable ease of use of commercial discounts, manufactures coupons, and other cost saving devices. The portable data coupon incorporates a receiver (16) for retransmitted encoded data and a storage device (36) for the received data. A display (22) for viewing the data is present in the storage device and a transmitting device (32) is incorporated for selectively transmitting portions of the encoded data for use such as in redeeming a coupon or discount. Selection of data received in the coupon from the VBI to be saved in storage for later redemption is accomplished through interactive input by the user and automatic timing for expiration of data and deletion of data upon redemption are also provided.
453 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A portable data coupon comprising:
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means for receiving encoded data; means for storing the received data; a timekeeping means; said means for storing also stores current time and date from the timekeeping means with the received data; means for selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the storing means; and means for selectively transmitting the encoded data to a receiving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A portable data coupon comprising:
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means for receiving encoded data; means for storing the received data said storing means including; a plurality of temporary storage locations and means for addressing said temporary storage locations, said addressing means sequentially addressing each temporary storage location for storage of received encoded data, and, when all temporary storage locations are full, addressing the temporary storage location having the oldest data for storage of newly received data; a plurality of protected storage locations, and means for selectively transferring data from one of said temporary storage locations to one of said protected locations; means for selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the storing means; and means for selectively transmitting the encoded data to a receiving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A vertical blanking interval data application system comprising:
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a controller connected to receive television signal transmissions including encoded data inserted in the vertical blanking interval of the television signal, said controller having; a memory for storage of the encoded data received; means for transmitting the encoded data stored in the memory and, a portable data coupon having; means for receiving the data transmitted by the controller; means for storing the received data; means for selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the storing means, and means for selectively transmitting the encoded data to a receiving apparatus; and wherein said controller further comprises means for detecting data transmitted by said coupon, said detection means connected to the memory for storage of the received coupon data.
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18. A vertical blanking interval data application system comprising:
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a controller connected to receive television transmission signals and having a VBI decoder for extracting encoded data from the vertical blanking interval of the television transmission signal and means for retransmitting said encoded data, a memory connected to receive encoded data from the VBI decoder and a multiplexer in the VBI decoder connected to the data retransmission means and connected to the memory for selectively providing encoded data from the VBI decoder in a first state to the data retransmission means and to the memory in a second state; and
,a portable data coupon having means for receiving the retransmitted encoded data, means for storing received data, means for selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the storing means, and means for selectively transmitting the encoded data to a receiving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for data retrieval and use comprising the steps of:
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encoding data in a predetermined transmission format; broadcasting the encoded data as a .portion of a television transmission signal during the vertical blanking interval portion of the signal; receiving the television signal with a VBI decoder and extracting the encoded data from the vertical blanking interval; intermediately storing the encoded data in a memory prior to retransmission; retransmitting the encoded data; receiving the retransmitted encoded data in a portable data coupon; storing the received data in the portable data coupon; selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the portable data coupon; and selectively transmitting the encoded data from the portable data coupon to a receiving apparatus.
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43. A method for data retrieval and use comprising the steps of:
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encoding data in predetermined transmission format; broadcasting the encoded data as a portion of a television transmission signal during the vertical blanking interval portion of the signal; receiving the television signal with a VBI decoder, extracting the encoded data from the vertical blanking interval and identifying the encoded data according to predetermined categories; formatting the encoded data for retransmission corresponding to the category of the data and retransmitting the encoded data; receiving the retransmitted encoded data in a portable data coupon; storing the received data in the portable data coupon; selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the portable data coupon; selectively transmitting the encoded data from the portable data coupon to a receiving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A method for data retrieval and use comprising the steps of:
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encoding data in a predetermined transmission format; broadcasting the encoded data as a portion of a television transmission signal during the vertical blanking interval portion of the signal; receiving the television with a VBI decoder and extracting the encoded signal from the vertical blanking interval; retransmitting the encoded data; receiving the retransmitted encoded data in a portable data coupon; storing the encoded data in a temporary storage location in the portable data coupon; selecting encoded data from temporary storage for protected storage; selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the portable data coupon; and selectively transmitting the encoded data from the portable data coupon to a receiving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A method for data retrieval and use comprising the steps of:
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encoding data in a predetermined transmission format; broadcasting the encoded data as a portion of a television transmission signal during the vertical blanking interval portion of the signal; receiving the television signal with a VBI decoder and extracting the encoded data from the vertical blanking interval; retransmitting the encoded data; receiving the retransmitted encoded data in a portable data coupon; storing the received data in the portable data coupon; selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the portable data coupon; and selectively transmitting the encoded data from the portable data coupon to a receiving apparatus including transmitting a unique identification of the portable data coupon to the receiving apparatus.
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48. A method for data retrieval and use comprising the steps of:
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encoding data in a predetermined transmission format; broadcasting the encoded data as a portion of a television transmission signal during the vertical blanking interval portion of the signal; receiving the television signal with a VBI decoder and extracting the encoded data from the vertical blanking interval; retransmitting the encoded data; receiving the retransmitted encoded data in portable data coupon; storing the received data in the portable data coupon; selectively decoding and displaying the data present in the portable data coupon; and querying the portable data coupon to determine if encoded data corresponding to a desired data is present in a storage location; and transmitting the data from the storage location of the portable data coupon. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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Specification