System and apparatus for broadcasting, capturing, storing, selecting and then forwarding selected product data and viewer choices to vendor host computers

• US 6,477,508 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1998
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clifford W. Lazar, Paul M. Meadows
• Original Assignee: Clifford W. Lazar, Paul M. Meadows
• Inventors: Meadows, Paul M., Lazar, Clifford W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/035,649
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 348/8, 348/12, 348/13, 348/17, 348/906, 348/734, 348/552, 348/10, 348/5.5, 455/5.1, 455/4.2, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 705/26, 725/141, 725/153, 725/110, 725/112, 725/133, 725/134
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A Broadcast Marketing System (BMS) creates, transmits, captures, stores and forwards selected home shopping product ordering information in a manner that increases the likelihood that a TV or radio viewer/listener will order a product promoted on a direct response commercial. A Broadcast Provider transmits an enhanced broadcast commercial that is coded with information that identifies the product being featured in the commercial, a telephone number of an order-taking computer, and the call letters of the broadcast station that broadcasts the enhanced commercial. The enhanced commercial is received by a TV or radio or other receiver and broadcast for viewing/listening by a user. The user is provided with a specially-configured Remote Unit (RU), resembling a typical TV remote control unit. The RU allows the user to select for purchase those products or services described in the enhanced commercial by simply depressing a button on a keypad of the RU during broadcast of the enhanced commercial.

Claims

1. A handheld control unit for use with a broadcast receiver, such as a radio or television, said handheld control unit comprising:

means within said handheld control unit for generating control signals that are selectively transmitted via a wireless link to the broadcast receiver, said control signals including control signals for turning the broadcast receiver ON or OFF and selecting the station/channel to which the broadcast receiver is tuned; and

memory means within said handheld control unit for storing startup control data provided by a broadcast marketer;

means within said handheld control unit for transmitting a power ON signal to the broadcast receiver via the wireless link in response to a power ON/OFF button of the handheld control unit being depressed, wherein the power ON signal causes the broadcast receiver to be turned ON;

means within said handheld control unit for automatically generating a startup control signal based on the startup control data stored in said memory means that directs the tuner of the broadcast receiver to a channel or station identified by the startup control data whenever the handheld control unit is used to turn the broadcast receiver ON; and

means within said handheld control unit for automatically transmitting the startup control signal to the broadcast receiver via the wireless link in response to the power ON/OFF button of the handheld control unit being depressed, wherein the startup control signal causes the broadcast receiver to be tuned to the channel or station identified by the startup control data.

2. The handheld control unit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

modem means for selectively establishing a telecommunications link with a computer at a remote site; and

processing means responsive to password data received from the computer at the remote site via the modem means for reprogramming the startup control data stored in the memory means;

whereby the channel or station to which the broadcast receiver is tuned when the handheld control unit is used to turn the broadcast receiver ON may be reprogrammed to a different channel or station.

3. The handheld control unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein said processing means is further responsive to second password data received from a remote computer site via the modem means for reprogramming the preferred channel data stored in the memory means;

whereby the channel or station to which the broadcast receiver is tuned when a given hot button is activated may be reprogrammed to a different channel or station.

4. The handheld control unit as set forth in claim 2 further including

means for storing polling data within said memory means, said polling data comprising data the user stores in the memory means as prompted by information received over the broadcast receiver;

and

means for selectively uploading the polling data through the modem means to a computer at a remote site.

5. The handheld control unit as set forth in claim 2 further including

means for generating viewing/listening log data that identifies those stations or channels to which the broadcast receiver has been tuned as controlled by said handheld control unit

means for storing the viewing/listening log data within said memory means;

and

means for selectively uploading the viewing/listening log data through the modem means to a computer at a remote site.

6. The handheld control unit as set forth in claim 2 further comprising:

means for storing product identifying data embedded within an enhanced broadcast commercial broadcast by the broadcast receiver;

means for reviewing the stored product identifying data at a time subsequent to its receipt;

means for selecting a particular product associated with the reviewed product identifying data which a user of the handheld control unit desires to purchase; and

means for transmitting the product identifying data associated with the product desired to be purchased through the modem means to a computer at a remote site, whereupon the computer at the remote site may facilitate completion of the sale of the product to the user.