Interactive optical cards and other hand-held devices with increased connectivity

• US 8,020,181 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advocado, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koplar Interactive Systems International, LLC
• Inventors: Ciardullo, Daniel A., Koplar, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli; Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US12/566,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20100014869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 725/23, 725/136
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• 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 21/4183 providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4185 for payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system for deriving benefits from the reception and processing of composite video signals by a hand-held device, such as a smart card. Video signals are modulated with auxiliary data creating composite video signals. The composite video signals are then transmitted to and received by a hand-held device. The auxiliary data is then detected in the modulated video signal by circuitry of the hand-held device. The user receives benefits resulting from the reception of the auxiliary data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

optically receiving a first portion of a visual representation of a video signal on a portable electronic device;

decoding on the portable electronic device the first portion to reproduce a first auxiliary data portion contained within the first portion, the first auxiliary data portion being modulated in an active portion of the first portion of the video signal, the active portion being included in the visual representation;

determining whether the first auxiliary data matches at least a first portion of stored data on the portable electronic device to identify a first data match, the stored data being stored on the portable electronic device prior to the receiving of the first portion; and

illuminating a first light-emitting device on the portable electronic device when the first data match was identified.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

optically receiving a second portion of the visual representation of the video signal on the portable electronic device, the second portion of the video optically received after the first portion;

decoding on the portable electronic device the second portion to reproduce a second auxiliary data portion contained within the second portion, the second auxiliary data portion being modulated in the active portion of the second portion of the video signal;

determining whether the second auxiliary data matches at least a second portion of stored data on the portable electronic device to identify a second data match; and

illuminating a second light-emitting device on the portable electronic device when the second data match was identified, wherein the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device are sequentially illuminated on the portable electronic device based on the illuminating of the first light-emitting device and the illuminating of the second light-emitting device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion is optically received from a display device, and wherein the first auxiliary data portion is at least substantially transparent within the visual representation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminating of the first light-emitting device provides a representation of a value available for redemption by use of the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data is stored in read only memory of the portable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is preconfigured with the stored data prior to the receiving of the first portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the video signal is an analog video signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the video signal is a digital video signal.

9. A method comprising:

optically receiving a visual representation of a video signal on a portable electronic device;

decoding on the portable electronic device auxiliary data, the auxiliary data including sporting event information and being modulated in an active portion of the video signal, the active portion being included in the visual representation;

determining whether at least a portion of the auxiliary data matches at least a portion of stored data on the portable electronic device to identify a data match, the stored data being stored on the portable electronic device prior to the decoding of the portable electronic device auxiliary data; and

displaying at least a portion of the sporting event information on a visual display of the portable electronic device based on identification of the data match.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the visual representation is optically received from a display device, and wherein the auxiliary data is at least substantially invisible within the visual representation.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the portion of the sporting event information on the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the portion of the sporting event information to a computing device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an action prediction from a user on the portable electronic device, the action prediction associated with sporting event information;

determining whether an action associated with the action prediction occurred in the sporting event based on the decoding of the portable electronic device auxiliary data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a result of an action predication determination to a computing device.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

optically receive a first portion of a visual representation of a video signal on a portable electronic device;

decode on the portable electronic device the first portion to reproduce a first auxiliary data portion contained within the first portion, the first auxiliary data portion being modulated in an active portion of the first portion of the video signal, the active portion being included in the visual representation;

determine whether the first auxiliary data matches at least a first portion of stored data on the portable electronic device to identify a first data match, the stored data being stored on the portable electronic device prior to the receiving of the first portion; and

illuminate a first light-emitting device on the portable electronic device when the first data match was identified.

16. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to digitally decode on the portable electronic device.

17. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to optically receive the first portion from a display device, and wherein the first auxiliary data portion is at least substantially transparent within the visual representation.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the illuminate instruction is to provide a representation of a value available for redemption by use of the portable electronic device.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein the value is an airline flight purchase.

20. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to digitally store the stored data in a memory of the portable electronic device.

21. The medium of claim 15, wherein the illuminate instruction is to illuminate a display.

22. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to receive radio transmissions.

23. The medium of claim 15, comprising instructions to interact with a computing device.