Method and apparatus for controlling a computer from a remote location
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a computer, comprising the steps of:
- generating a broadcast program at a broadcast station;
inserting into the broadcast program an analog signal comprising a product identifier which is in close association with a product such that it identifies the associated product;
receiving the broadcast program at a source location disposed on a network and extracting the product identifier therefrom;
inputting the product identifier at the source location;
appending routing information to the product identifier, which routing information defines the location of a remote location on the network; and
transmitting the product identifier from the source location to the remote location over the network in accordance with the appended routing information, which routing information defines a network connection between the source location and the remote location on the network, wherein information regarding the associated product can be returned to the source location from the remote location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for controlling a user computer is disclosed wherein a broadcast program is operable to transmit a broadcast to the user in the form of an audio/visual program, in addition to an encoded tone. This encoded tone is detected by the user computer and this information then transmitted to an intermediate node, an ARS (308). This tone is compared in a relational database (1704) to determine is there is matching information therein. This matching information is in the form of routing information to a destination node (1706) over the data network (306). This routing information is transmitted back to the user computer (1702) over the network (306). The user PC (1702) then utilizes this information to complete a connection with the destination node (1706). The tone is injected into the broadcast program by a program director at the broadcast station. This is effected through an input to a console (1606) which selects one of a plurality of tones in a tone database (1602). Therefore, the user can determine which of a plurality of destinations nodes (1706) on the network (306) are to be selected.
390 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a computer, comprising the steps of:
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generating a broadcast program at a broadcast station;
inserting into the broadcast program an analog signal comprising a product identifier which is in close association with a product such that it identifies the associated product;
receiving the broadcast program at a source location disposed on a network and extracting the product identifier therefrom;
inputting the product identifier at the source location;
appending routing information to the product identifier, which routing information defines the location of a remote location on the network; and
transmitting the product identifier from the source location to the remote location over the network in accordance with the appended routing information, which routing information defines a network connection between the source location and the remote location on the network, wherein information regarding the associated product can be returned to the source location from the remote location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
accessing a database of product routing information which provides an association between a predetermined product identifier and a remote product information location on the network, there being a plurality of such product routing information stored in the database;
accessing the database in response to receiving at the secondary location a transmitted product identifier from the source location;
comparing the received product identifier with the stored product routing information in the database;
if there is a match between the received product identifier and any of the stored product routing information, transmitting the matching product routing information back to the source location; and
at the source location, in response to receiving the matching product routing information, interconnecting the source location with the product information location over the network and receiving product information therefrom.
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3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a global communication network that provides a universal resource locator (URL) for each location on the network and the routing information is comprised of the URL for the location.
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4. The method of claim 3, wherein a processing system is provided running a program that receives input in the form of keystrokes for routing of information thereto, and the step of appending routing information comprises the step of forming a keystroke string that emulates the combination of the routing information and the product identifier in keystrokes and transmits the emulated keystrokes to the program in the same manner that a user would key the strokes in, and the step of transmitting is performed in response to the appended routing information and product identifier transmitted to the program with an appended command associated therewith that instructs the program to perform a transmit operation in a manner similar to a user interacting with the program to transmit routing information.
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5. The method of claim 4, wherein the appended routing information includes instructional information as to how the remote location is to handle the transmitted product identifier.
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein the program is a web browser which is automatically launched in response to receiving the product identifier.
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7. A method for effecting a connection between a user node on a network and a destination node on the network, comprised in the steps of:
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broadcasting a program over an audio/visual network for receipt at a user location, the user location associated with the user node;
generating a unique code at the source of a broadcast program, which unique code is associated with the location of the destination node on the network wherein the step of generating is not predetermined and is generated in response to independent generation of the unique code and summing thereof with the broadcast program which constitutes a triggering event therefore;
summing the generated unique code with the broadcast program;
detecting the presence of the unique code in the broadcast program at the user location with a processing system disposed on the user node and operable to interface with the network;
in response to detecting the unique code being present in the broadcast program, transmitting information regarding the unique code over the network to an intermediate node on the network;
matching the received information regarding the unique code with routing information stored in a database at the intermediate node, which routing information defines the location on the network of a plurality of destination nodes, the database having stored therein a correspondence between unique codes and select ones of the destination nodes; and
if there is a match between the receiving decode and a unique code stored in the database, causing the destination node and the user node to be connected over the network with the corresponding routing information, such that the destination node can transmit information to the user node. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
transmitting back to the user node the routing information determined to be stored in the database and corresponding unique code as associated with the information regarding the unique code at the intermediate node;
the user node utilizing the received routing information to effect a connection to the destination node from the user node; and
the destination node, in response to being connected to the user node via the routing information, operable to transfer information to the user node.
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13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user node further includes user ID information that uniquely identifies the user node, and wherein the database at the intermediate node includes a stored profile which is associated therein with the user ID information of the user node, and wherein the step of transmitting information regarding the unique code over the network to the intermediate node also includes transmitting the user ID information to the intermediate, and the step of matching information regarding the unique code with the routing information in the database further comprises matching the received user ID information of the user node with stored profile information associated with the received user ID information, and wherein the step of transmitting back to the user node the routing information further includes appending to the routing information the stored profile information, wherein the stored profile information is transmitted to the destination node via the user node.
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14. The method of claim 7, wherein a plurality of unique codes are stored in a database and one or more of the unique codes are selected by a program director and output to a selection device.
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15. A system for controlling a computer, comprising:
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a broadcast program generated at a broadcast station;
an analog signal inserted into said broadcast program, and comprising a product identifier which is in close association with a product such that it identifies said associated product;
a source location disposed on a network for receiving said broadcast program and extracting said product identifier therefrom, said product identifier input at said source location;
routing information appended to said product identifier, which said routing information defines the location of a remote location on said network; and
wherein said product identifier is transmitted from said source location to said remote location over said network in accordance with said appended routing information, which said routing information defines a network connection between said source location and said remote location on said network, and wherein information regarding the associated product can be returned to said source location to said remote location. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for effecting a connection between a user node on a network and a destination node on the network, comprising:
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a program broadcast over an audio/visual network for receipt at a user location, said user location associated with said user node;
a unique code generated at said source of a broadcast program, which said unique code is associated with said location of the destination node on the network, said generated unique code summed with said broadcast program wherein said generated unique code is not pre-determined and is generated in response to independent generation of said unique code and summing thereof with said broadcast program which constitutes a triggering of that therefore;
wherein the presence of said unique code is detected in said broadcast program at said user location with a processing system disposed on said user node and operable to interface with the network, the destination node connected to the user node to receive information therefrom in response to the unique code being detected; and
wherein said information regarding said unique code is transmitted over the network to an intermediate node on the network in response to said unique code being detected in said broadcast program, said received information regarding said unique code is matched with said routing information stored in a database at said intermediate node, which said routing information defines said location on the network of a plurality of destination nodes, said database having stored therein a correspondence between unique codes and select ones of the destination nodes, wherein if there is a match between the receiving decode and a unique code stored in said database, the destination node is caused to be connected to the user node over the network with said corresponding routing information such that the destination node can transmit information to the user node. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification