Integrated virtual telecommunication system for E-commerce

• US 5,864,823 A
• Filed: 06/25/1997
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Virtel Corporation
• Inventors: Levitan, Gutman
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAUDLE, PENNY L
• Application Number:
  US08/881,934
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/14.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/03 Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system for distribution of advertisements to interested recipients only via one-way nonaddressable television media and for transmission of orders from recipients to advertisers via two-way addressable Internet media. A system for electronic delivery of newspapers, magazines, books, music, video and computer software to authorized recipients only via nonaddressable television media with recipients'"'"' authorization via addressable Internet media. As a result, usage of slow and overcrowded Internet in e-commerce is limited to relatively low-volume communications that need to be addressable while all high-volume information is transferred through fast one-way television lines to bypass the Internet and reach simultaneously an unlimited number of recipients.

Claims

1. A system for distribution of advertisements to interested recipients only, comprising:

a one-way nonaddressable communication medium;

a transmitter at a distribution center connected to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium for transmission of advertisements presenting various products and services;

a transmitter at said distribution center connected to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium for transmission of preliminary messages about said advertisements scheduled for transmission, each message specifying content of an advertisement and its access data including a time of transmission;

a receiver of said preliminary messages at a recipient'"'"'s site coupled to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium in such a way as to receive said preliminary messages about said advertisements scheduled for transmission;

selection means storing recipient'"'"'s data determining recipient'"'"'s interests in certain products and services, said selection means coupled to said receiver of preliminary messages for comparing said recipient'"'"'s data with data included in said preliminary messages, selecting those advertisements whose content matches the recipient'"'"'s interests, and storing access data of said selected advertisements;

a receiver of said advertisements coupled at said recipient'"'"'s site to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium;

a recoder connected to said receiver of advertisements;

control means coupled to said selection means for obtaining said access data of said selected advertisements, and coupled to said receiver of said advertisements and said recorder for providing reception and recording of each selected advertisement at the time of its transmission as determined by said access data; and

means for presentation of advertisements coupled to said recorder for presenting recorded advertisements to recipient at a recepient'"'"'s request.

2. A system of claim 1;

and further comprising a connection to a network for two-way addressable data communication and enabling, at a receipient'"'"'s request, to automatically compose orders for products and services presented by said selected advertisements using a recipient'"'"'s name and address included in recipient'"'"'s data, and send the orders via said network using advertisers'"'"' network addresses included in data of advertisements.

3. A system of claim 1;

and further comprising a connection to a network for two-way addressable data communication and enabling, at a receipient'"'"'s request, to automatically link a recipient to advertisers'"'"' network sites using advertisers'"'"' network addresses included in data of advertisements, and to automatically compose orders for products and services presented at those sites using a recipient'"'"'s name and address included in recipient'"'"'s data.

4. A system for distribution of advertisements to interested recipients only, comprising:

a one-way nonaddressable communication medium;

a transmitter at a distribution center connected to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium for transmission of advertisements presenting various products and services;

a transmitter at said distribution center connected to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium for transmission of preliminary messages about said advertisements scheduled for transmission, each message specifying content of an advertisement and its access data including a time of transmission;

a network for two-way addressable data communication;

a receiver of preliminary messages at a site on said network coupled to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium in such a way as to receive preliminary messages about said advertisements scheduled for transmission;

a receiver of advertisements at the same site on said network coupled to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium;

a server computer at the same site on said network storing data of a group of recipients determining interests of each recipient in certain products and services, said server computer being connected to said receiver of preliminary messages for comparing recipients'"'"' data with data included in preliminary messages, selecting each advertisement whose content matches interests of at least one recipient, assigning said advertisement to all interested recipients and storing access data of said selected advertisements;

said server computer further being connected to said receiver of advertisements for providing reception and recording of each selected advertisement at the time of its transmission as determined by said access data; and

a computer at a recipient'"'"'s site having access to said server computer via said network for viewing recorded advertisements assigned to the recipient.

5. A system of claim 4;

and further comprising means enabling, at a recipient'"'"'s request, to automatically compose orders for products and services presented by said selected advertisements using recipient'"'"'s name and address included in recipient'"'"'s data, and send said orders via said network using advertisers'"'"' network addresses included in data of advertisements.

6. A system of claim 4;

and further comprising means enabling, at a recipient'"'"'s request, to automatically link a recipient to advertisers'"'"' network sites using advertisers'"'"'s network addresses included in data of advertisements, and to automatically compose orders for products and services presented at those sites using a recipient'"'"'s name and address included in recipient'"'"'s data.

7. A system for electronic delivery of info products such as newspapers, magazines, books, music, video and computer software to authorized recipients only, comprising:

a one-way nonaddressable communication medium;

a transmitter at a distribution center connected to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium for transmission of a file carrying a product;

a network for addressable communication between said distribution center and recipients'"'"' sites;

authorization means at said distribution center connected to said network for sending an authorization message to said recipients'"'"' sites using network addresses of recipients to be authorized for reception of said product, said message being sent prior to transmission of said file carrying said product and containing access data of the file including a time of its transmission;

a network interface device coupled to said network at a recipient'"'"'s site for reception of said authorization message;

a receiver coupled at the recipient'"'"'s site to said one-way nonaddressable communication medium for reception of said file carrying said product;

a recorder connected to said receiver; and

control means coupled to said network interface device for obtaining access data included in said authorization message, and coupled to said receiver and said recorder for providing reception and recording of said file carrying said product at the time of its transmission as determined by said access data.