Wireless communications system and method

• US 7,158,753 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kagan, Michael L., Rose, Charles Anthony, Gamse, Ian Elkan, Kamien, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US10/220,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/45, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/427, 455/517, 455/566, 455/3.02, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 455/12.1, 705/26, 340/825.26, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and a system for communicating with a user including wirelessly broadcasting content which is accessible to a multiplicity of users and which includes at least some non-audio enabling a user to select a portion of the content responsive to a selection by the user, capturing at least part of the non-audio content, corresponding to the portion of the content selected by the user and employing at least part of the captured content to access a contact using a mobile communicator by initially establishing contact with a non product-specific communication facility and employing product-specific information contained in the non-audio content.

Claims

1. A method for providing interaction between a multiplicity of users and at least one communication facility comprising:

receiving user non-sensible content at a mobile communicator;

providing user-sensible content to a user in synchronization with provision of said user non-sensible content to said mobile communicator;

enabling a user to capture selected user non-sensible content on said mobile communicator in response to said user-sensible content received by said user, said capture comprising capturing at least part of said content carried by a sub-carrier, corresponding to said portion of said content selected by said user, said enabling including automatically providing product specific interactive communication between said user via non product-specific communication facility with at least one product specific communication facility; and

providing interaction between said user and said at least one communication facility based on said user non-sensible content.

2. A method according to claim 1 and wherein enabling said user to capture involves input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content.

3. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content is synchronized automatically.

4. A method according to claim 1 and wherein enabling said user to capture involves input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content.

5. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content is effected automatically in response to a user capture command.

6. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content is effected in response to a user capture command specifying a broadcast channel along which the user is receiving said user sensible content and providing a time indication enabling said user sensible content on said broadcast channel to be unambiguously identified.

7. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said enabling comprises prompting a user to make a selection.

8. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to make an unprompted selection.

9. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to make a selection orally.

10. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to make a selection by a manual actuation.

11. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to preselect certain content based on user determined criteria.

12. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said providing interaction between said user and said at least one communication facility based on said user non-sensible content is via a contact, where said contact is a web site.

13. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said providing interaction between said user and said at least one communication facility based on said user non-sensible content is via a contact, where said contact is a telephone communicator.

14. A method according to claim 1 and also comprising providing communication via at least one facilitator between a broadcast facility and at least one of a product-specific communication facility and a non product-specific communication facility.

15. A method of communicating with a user according to claim 1 and wherein said enabling includes providing communication between a non product-specific communication facility and at least one product specific communication facility.

16. A method according to claim 1 and also comprising radio broadcasting said content.

17. A method according to claim 1 and also comprising television broadcasting said content.

18. A method according to claim 1 and also comprising broadcasting said content via Bluetooth.

19. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said mobile communicator includes a data communication device.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein said input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content is effected in response to a user capture command specifying a broadcast channel along which the user is receiving said user sensible content and providing a time indication enabling said user sensible content on said broadcast channel to be unambiguously identified, wherein said capture comprises capturing at least part of said content carried by a sub-carrier, corresponding to said portion of said content selected by said user.

21. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing carrying out a transaction and reporting relevant details of the transaction to a facilitator.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the facilitator doing at least one of distributing relevant information to at least one supplier and performing a financial clearinghouse functionality.

23. A system for providing interaction between a multiplicity of users and at least one communication facility comprising:

a mobile communicator operative to receive user non-sensible content;

at least one synchronized broadcast facility operative to broadcast user-sensible content to said mobile communicator in synchronization with provision of said user non-sensible content to said mobile communicator;

user capture functionality enabling a user to capture selected user non-sensible content on said mobile communicator in response to said user-sensible content received by said user via said mobile communicator, said capture comprising capturing at least part of said content carried by a sub-carrier, corresponding to said portion of said content selected by said user, said enabling including automatically providing product specific interactive communication between said user via non product-specific communication facility with at least one product specific communication facility; and

user actuable access functionality providing interaction between said user and said at least one communication facility based on said user non-sensible content.

24. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said user capture functionality involves input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content.

25. A system according to claim 24 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to preselect certain content based on user determined criteria.

26. A system according to claim 24 and wherein said providing interaction between said user and said at least one communication facility based on said user non-sensible content is via a contact, where said contact is a web site.

27. A system according to claim 24 and wherein said providing interaction between said user and said at least one communication facility based on said user non-sensible content is via a contact, where said contact is a telephone communicator.

28. A system according to claim 24 and also comprising providing communication via at least one facilitator between a broadcast facility and at least one of the product-specific communication facility and said non product-specific communication facility.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein one of the at least one facilitator distributes relevant information to at least one supplier after a transaction is carried out.

30. A system according to claim 28, wherein one of the at least one facilitator distributes relevant information to at least one supplier after a transaction is carried out.

31. A system according to claim 24 and also comprising radio broadcasting said content.

32. A system according to claim 24 and also comprising television broadcasting said content.

33. A system according to claim 24 and also comprising broadcasting said content via Bluetooth.

34. A system according to claim 24 and also comprising FM broadcasting said content.

35. A system according to claim 24 and also comprising satellite broadcasting said content.

36. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content is effected automatically in response to a user capture command.

37. A system according to claim 23 and wherein enabling said user to capture involves input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content.

38. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content is synchronized automatically.

39. A system according to claim 23 and wherein enabling said user to capture involves input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content.

40. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said input to said mobile communicator of information identifying said user-sensible content which is synchronized with said user non-sensible content is effected in response to a user capture command specifying a broadcast channel along which the user is receiving said user sensible content and providing a time indication enabling said user sensible content on said broadcast channel to be unambiguously identified.

41. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said enabling comprises prompting a user to make a selection.

42. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to make an unprompted selection.

43. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to make a selection orally.

44. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said enabling comprises enabling a user to make a selection by a manual actuation.

45. A system according to claim 23 and wherein said mobile communicator includes a data communication device.