Interactive communication system

• US 5,537,143 A
• Filed: 05/26/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harold Steingold, Robert O'Leary
• Original Assignee: Harold Steingold, Robert O'Leary
• Inventors: O'Leary, Robert, Steingold, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Application Number:
  US08/249,775
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93, 379/96, 379/97, 379/98, 348/6-13, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.3, 273/439
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An Interactive Communication System which solves the problem of enabling a participant (16) to participate in a broadcast program event (40) by using a dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) keypad (46) on an existing telephone (18) is disclosed. The broadcast program event (40) may be viewed on a television receiver (12) simultaneously with other participants (74). A computer (22) is driven by a plurality of DTMF receivers (122). The participant (16) gains access to a DTMF receiver (122) through a conventional telephone circuit (20a) terminating at a local telephone exchange (LTE). The participant (16) is prompted by the program event (40) to enter responses into the computer (22) through the DTMF receiver (122) by pressing keys (140) on the key pad (46). The DTMF receiver (122) has a digital character output (126). A microprocessor (124) processes the output (126) and sends it to a main memory (28) when enabled by associated logic (120,121,131,132,134). Viewer identification software (25) associates the responses with the participant (16) and a time stamp (50) is attached (138). Criteria software (30) sorts and evaluates the responses according to criteria instructions (35). Judging software (32) selects a winner according to judging instructions (37). Winner(s) selection software (34) supplies winner identification for announcement by the transmitting station (38). The broadcast program event (40) may include commercial messages offering incentives to purchase merchandise and services or include offers of prizes to the participant (16).

Claims

1. An interactive television system (40) involving a participant (16) comprising:

a televised program event (40) transmitted by a broadcaster (36) from a television transmitting station (38);

said participant (16) participating in said televised program event (40) simultaneously with a plurality of other participants (74);

said participant (16) and each one of said plurality of other participants (74) being remote from another;

a plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) terminating at a local telephone exchange (LTE);

said plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) including a first telephone circuit (20a);

a plurality of dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) receivers (122);

each one of said plurality of DTMF receivers (122) having an input coupled to one of said plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) through said local telephone exchange (LTE);

each of said plurality of DTMF receivers (122) having a digital character output (126) and a steering logic signal (StD) (128);

a first one of said plurality of DTMF receivers (122) being accessible by said participant (16) through said first telephone circuit (20a);

a telephone (18);

said telephone (18) having a DTMF keypad (46) having keys (140);

said telephone (18) controlled by said participant (16) and connected to said first one of said plurality of DTMF receivers (122) through said first telephone circuit (20a) when said participant (16) dials an appropriate access number on said DTMF key, pad (46);

a computer system (22) by which said participant (16) takes part in said televised program event by entering responses to said televised program event (40) into said computer system (22) by pressing said keys (140) on said DTMF key pad (46) of said telephone. (18);

a main memory (28) having a memory sequence (166) in which said digital character output. (126) is stored;

said memory sequence (166) representing at any moment a sequence of each one of said responses entered by said participant (16), including a finish character (###) (182) at the completion of a sequence of said responses, on said DTMF keypad (46) and input to one of said plurality of DTMF receivers (122) through said first telephone circuit (20a);

a plurality of microprocessor devices (124) each one of which is coupled with one of said plurality of DTMF receivers (122);

said digital character output (126) of one, of said plurality of DTMF receivers (122) being stored by one of said plurality of microprocessor devices (124) in said memory sequence (166) in said main memory (28);

each one of said plurality of microprocessor devices (124) accepting said digital character output (126) for storing when said steering logic signal (StD) (128) indicates a valid key (140) was pressed on said DTMF key pad (46);

each one of said plurality of microprocessor devices having a detector (132) for detecting a valid keypad output (19) and having an output enable logic (134) for causing said digital character output (126) to be read out into said memory sequence (166);

a microprocessor memory (131) for temporarily storing said digital character output (126) when said digital character output (126) is read out into said memory sequence (166);

said computer system (22) having a viewer identification software (25), a criteria software (30), a judging software (32), a winners'"'"' selection software (34), a set of criteria instructions (35) and a set of judging instructions (37);

a real-time reference clock (14);

said real-time, reference clock (14) providing a time synchronization signal (130);

a time stamp memory (138) for applying a time stamp (50), derived from said time synchronization signal (130), to each said memory sequence (166);

said time stamp (50) representing a time when said memory sequence (166) is completed by entry of said finish character (182) by said participant (16);

said responses being associated with said participant (16) by said viewer identification software (25);

said responses being sorted and evaluated by said criteria software (30) according to said set of criteria instructions (35);

said responses being sorted by said judging software (32) according to said time stamp (50) to determine an apparent winner;

a winner (34) of said televised program event (40) being finally selected according to said set of judging instructions (37) and an identification of said winner being recorded and notification of said winner provided to said broadcaster (36) for announcement (66,70), by said winner'"'"'s selection software (34).

2. An apparatus for use in an interactive television system involving a participant (16) comprising:

a televised program event (40);

said televised program event (40) transmitted by a broadcaster (36) from a television transmitting station (38);

a plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) terminating at a local telephone exchange (LTE);

said plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) having a first telephone circuit (20a);

said participant (16) being one of a plurality of other participants (74) each one of said plurality of participants (74) being remote from another;

said participant (16) simultaneously and, in a like manner, participating in said televised program event (40) with said plurality of other participants (74), each through one of said plurality of telephone circuits (20a-n);

a computer system (22) accessible from said plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n);

said computer system (22) having a viewer identification software (25), a criteria software (30), a judging software (32,

     34), a winner'"'"'s assignment software (34), a set of criteria instructions (35) and a set of judging instructions (37);

a telephone (18) having a DTMF keypad (46) having keys (140), said telephone (18) controlled by said participant (16) and connected to said computer system (22) through said first telephone circuit (20a) when said participant (16) dials an appropriate access number on said DTMF key pad (46);

said participant (16) participating in said televised program event (40) by entering responses into said computer system (22) by pressing said keys (140) on said DTMF key pad (46) of said telephone (18);

said viewer identification software (25) associating said responses with said participant (16);

said criteria software (30) sorting and evaluating said responses according to said set of criteria instructions (35);

said judging software (32) selecting a winner of said interactive televised program event (40) according to said set of judging instructions (37);

said winner'"'"'s assignment software (34) supplying the identification of said winner (34) to said broadcaster (36) for announcement (66,

     70).

a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) receiver (122), which is accessible by said participant (16) through said first telephone circuit (20a);

said DTMF receiver (122) having a digital character output (126) and a steering logic signal (StD) (128);

said DTMF receiver (122) having an input coupled to one of said plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) through said local telephone exchange (LTE);

a main memory (28) for storing said digital character output (126) in a memory sequence (166);

said memory sequence (166) representing at any moment a sequence of each one of said responses entered by said participant (16) on said DTMF keypad (46) and input to said DTMF receiver (122) through said first telephone circuit (20a);

said participant (16) entering a finish character (182) on said DTMF keypad (46) when said sequence of said responses is completed;

a microprocessor device (124);

said microprocessor device (124) coupled to said DTMF receiver (122) and to said main memory (28);

said microprocessor device (124) enabling storage of said digital character output (126) of said DTMF receiver (122) in said main memory (28), in said memory sequence (166);

said microprocessor device (124) accepting said digital character output (126) for storing when said steering logic signal (128) indicates a valid key (140) was pressed on said DTMF key pad (46);

said microprocessor device (124) having a steering logic signal edge detector (132) for detecting when a valid digital character output (126) resides in an output latch of said DTMF receiver (122), and having an output enable logic (134) for causing said digital character output (126) to be read out into said memory sequence (166);

a microprocessor memory (131) for temporarily storing said digital character output (126) when said digital character output (126) is read out into said memory sequence (166);

a real-time clock (172);

said real time clock (172) providing a time synchronization signal (

     130); and

a time stamp memory (138) for applying a time stamp (50), derived from said time synchronization signal (130), to each said memory sequence (166);

said time stamp (50) representing a time when said memory sequence (166) is completed by entry of said finish character (182) by said participant (16).

3. A method of conducting an interactive television communication involving a participant (16) comprising the steps of:

transmitting a televised program event (40) from a television transmitting station (38) by a broadcaster (36);

said participant (16) being one of a plurality of participants (74) and participating in said televised program event (40) simultaneously and in a like manner with others of said plurality of participants (74);

said participant (16) and each one of said plurality of participants (74) being remote from another;

providing a plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) terminating at a local telephone exchange (LTE);

said plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n) including a first telephone circuit (20a);

providing a computer system (22) accessed through said plurality of telephone circuits (20a, b-n);

said computer system (22) having at least one dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) receiver (122) and at least one microprocessor device (124);

providing a telephone (18);

said telephone (18) having a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) keypad (46) having keys (140);

said telephone (18) controlled by said participant (16);

connecting said telephone (18) to said dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) receiver (122) through said first telephone circuit (20a) when said participant (16) dials an appropriate access number on said DTMF key pad (46);

said participant (16) taking part in said televised program event (40) by entering responses to said televised program event (40) into said computer system (22) by pressing said keys (140) on said DTMF key pad (46), including a finish character (###) at the completion of a sequence of said responses;

producing a digital character output (126) and a steering logic signal (StD) (128) with said DTMF receiver (122) from said responses which are coupled to said first telephone circuit (20a);

storing said digital character output (126) in a memory sequence (166) in a main memory (28) in said computer system (22) by routing said digital character output (126) to said microprocessor device (124) which then stores said digital character output (126) in said memory sequence (166) when said steering logic signal (StD) (128) indicates a valid key (140) was pressed on said DTMF key pad (46);

said memory sequence (166) representing at any moment a sequence of each one of said responses entered by said participant (16) on said DTMF keypad (46) and input to said DTMF receiver (122) through said first telephone circuit (20a);

said microprocessor device (124) having a detector (132) for detecting said steering logic signal (128) and having an output enable logic (134) for causing said digital character output (126) to be read out into said memory sequence (166) when said steering logic signal (128) is detected;

said microprocessor device (124) having a microprocessor memory (131) for temporarily storing said digital character output (126) when said digital character output (126) is read out into said memory sequence (166);

providing said computer system (22) with a viewer identification software (25), a criteria software (30), a judging software (32), a winners'"'"' selection software (34), a set of criteria instructions (35) and a set of judging instructions (37);

providing a time synchronization signal (130) with a real-time reference clock (14);

applying a time stamp (50) with a time stamp memory (138) to each said memory sequence (166);

said time stamp (50) derived from said time synchronization signal (130);

said time stamp (50) representing a time when said memory sequence (166) is completed by entry of said finish character (###) (182) by said participant (16);

associating said responses with said participant (16) and other responses with each one of said plurality of other participants (74) with said viewer identification software (25);

sorting and evaluating all of said responses with said criteria software (30) according to said set of criteria instructions (35);

sorting all of said responses with said judging software (32) according to said time stamp (50) to determine an apparent winner;

selecting a final winner (34) of said televised program event (40) according to said set of judging instructions (37); and

recording said identification of said winner and providing notification of said winner to said broadcaster (36) for announcement (66,70) with said winner'"'"'s selection software (34).