Apparatus and methods for accessing information relating to radio television programs
First Claim
1. A method for providing information to a user from an information depository with memory cards, each card having a clock and a plurality of keys on its surface, each key corresponding to a station, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing over the keys a transparent overlay within an insert receiving pocket;
identifying the stations corresponding to the keys;
reproducing in the vicinity of each of a plurality of users, programs from one of a plurality of broadcast stations;
recording the value of the clock and the key pressed by a user when a user wants to record an identification of a station and a time of a program on the station for which supplemental information is desired by the user;
entering the recorded station identification and time into one of a plurality of information exchange terminals;
coupling the information exchange terminal to the information depository to transmit information therebetween; and
identifying a correspondence between the entered station identification and time and a program in a station log to obtain the desired supplemental information.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for ordering supplemental information about programs playing at a broadcast receiver. The method includes reproducing programs from one of a plurality of stations, recording an identification of a station and a time of a program, entering this information into one of a plurality of terminals, coupling the terminal to a depository and identifying a correspondence between the entered station identification and time and a program in a station log to obtain the desired supplemental information.
142 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method for providing information to a user from an information depository with memory cards, each card having a clock and a plurality of keys on its surface, each key corresponding to a station, the method comprising the steps of:
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placing over the keys a transparent overlay within an insert receiving pocket;
identifying the stations corresponding to the keys;
reproducing in the vicinity of each of a plurality of users, programs from one of a plurality of broadcast stations;
recording the value of the clock and the key pressed by a user when a user wants to record an identification of a station and a time of a program on the station for which supplemental information is desired by the user;
entering the recorded station identification and time into one of a plurality of information exchange terminals;
coupling the information exchange terminal to the information depository to transmit information therebetween; and
identifying a correspondence between the entered station identification and time and a program in a station log to obtain the desired supplemental information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
transmitting the entered station identification and time from the information exchange terminal to the information depository;
obtaining from the information depository the supplementary information;
transmitting the supplementary information from the information depository to the information exchange terminal; and
outputting the supplementary information at the information exchange terminal.
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8. The method of claim 3, in which the station log and the supplementary information are resident in the information depository, the method comprising the additional steps of:
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transmitting the entered station identification and time from the information exchange terminal to the information depository; and
merging the supplementary information into a charge card accounting statement.
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9. The method of claim 4, in which the station log is compiled at the information exchange terminals and the supplemental information is stored at the information depository, the program identifiers are transmitted from the information exchange terminals to the information depository, and the supplemental information is transmitted from the information depository to the terminals.
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10. The method of claim 4, in which the station log is compiled at the information exchange terminals and the supplemental information is stored at the information exchange terminals.
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11. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising the step of transmitting program times and program identifiers from each station to the place of compiling the station log.
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12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting program times and program identifiers from each station to the place of compiling the station log comprises the step of transmitting the program times and program identifiers from each station in a SCA FM band.
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13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting program times and program identifiers from each station to the place of compiling the station log comprises the step of transmitting the program times and program identifiers from each station in a television vertical blanking interval.
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14. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of:
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coupling the card to an information exchange terminal;
transmitting the stored station identification and time from the information exchange terminal to the information depository;
obtaining from the information depository the supplementary information;
transmitting the supplementary information from the information depository to the information exchange terminal; and
outputting the supplementary information at the information exchange terminal.
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15. The method of claim 14, in which the step of coupling the card to an information exchange terminal comprises the steps of:
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reading from the card a data and time (DT1) representing the last time the card was coupled to an information exchange terminal;
reading from the card the current time on the clock;
calculating the difference in time (T1) between the card clock time and time read from a clock in the information exchange terminal;
calculating the difference in time (T2) between DT1 and the information exchange terminal clock current time;
calculating the card clock error rate T1/T2;
applying the error rate to correct the stored time of the combination of station identification and time;
setting the clock in the card to the correct time; and
storing the current data and time (DT1) into the card memory.
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16. The method of claim 14, in which the outputting step comprises printing out the information or presenting the information on a display device.
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17. The method of claim 14 wherein the information exchange terminal comprises an automated teller machine.
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18. The method of claim 14 wherein the information exchange terminal comprises a point of sale terminal.
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19. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of:
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coupling the card to an information exchange terminal;
transmitting the stored station identification and time from the information exchange terminal to the information depository; and
merging the supplementary information into a charge card accounting statement.
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20. The method of claim 19 wherein the information exchange terminal comprises an automated teller machine.
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21. The method of claim 19 wherein the information exchange terminal comprises a point of sale terminal.
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22. The method of claim 1, in which the step of recording upon command by a user, an identification of a station and a time of a program on the station for which supplemental information is desired by the user is performed by:
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coupling a card having a memory to an apparatus for receiving stations, the apparatus having a clock, a station selection controller, and a command key for commanding the step of recording; and
storing into the memory of the card the station identification for selected station and the time read from the clock whenever the command key is activated.
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23. The method of claim 22 wherein the apparatus comprises a radio.
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24. The method of claim 22 wherein the apparatus comprises a television.
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25. The method of claim 22 wherein the apparatus comprises a remote controller.
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26. The method of claim 22 additionally comprising the steps of:
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coupling the card to an information exchange terminal;
transmitting the stored station identification and time from the information exchange terminal to the information depository; and
merging the supplementary information into a charge card accounting statement.
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27. The method of claim 26 wherein the information exchange terminal comprises an automated teller machine and further comprises the steps of:
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assigning a unique identification symbol to each user;
printing the desired supplemental information on a statement that is unique to the user; and
printing the user identification symbol on the statement.
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28. The method of claim 26 wherein the information exchange terminal comprises a point of sale terminal and further comprises the steps of:
- . assigning a unique identification symbol to each user;
printing the desired supplemental information on a statement that is unique to the user; and
printing the user identification symbol on the statement.
- . assigning a unique identification symbol to each user;
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29. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying a correspondence between the entered station identification and time and a program in a station log additionally comprises the step of recording the number of times a first program in the station log is identified as corresponding to entered station identifications and times.
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30. The method of claim 1 wherein the information depository comprises a distributed and networked depository.
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31. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying a correspondence between the entered station identification and time and a program in a station log to obtain the desired supplemental information comprises the steps of:
mapping an entered station identification for a cable channel to a second station identification by using a stored cable channel map.
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32. A method for transferring information between a plurality of users and an information depository, the method comprising the steps of:
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recording on portable memory cards user responses and the time of each response;
carrying the memory cards to information exchange terminals that have card receiving slots;
connecting the information exchange terminals to the information depository to transmit information therebetween; and
inserting the memory cards in the slots to transmit the combinations of times and user responses recorded on the cards to the information exchange terminals. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A system for ordering supplemental information about programs currently playing at a broadcast receiver having a controllable station tuner, the apparatus comprising:
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means for controlling the station to which the tuner is set;
a clock for designating current data and current time;
manual input means for issuing a store command;
a memory; and
means responsive to the controlling means, the clock, and the manual input means for storing in the memory data (SDT data) representative of the station to which the tuner is set, the current date, and the current time when a store command is issued. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
an information depository for storing the supplemental information;
means for communicating between the information depository and the memory; and
means for mapping the SDT data read from the memory into the information depository to obtain the specific supplementary information about the respective programs represented by the SDT data.
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49. The system of claim 48 wherein the means for communicating between the information depository and the memory comprises an automated teller machine (ATM).
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50. The system of claim 49 further comprising means for outputting the supplementary data at the ATM.
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51. The system of claim 49 further comprising means for merging the supplementary data onto an ATM accounting statement.
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52. The system of claim 48 wherein the means for communicating between the information depository and the memory comprises a point of sale (POS) terminal.
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53. The system of claim 52 further comprising means for outputting the supplemental data at the POS.
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54. A system for ordering supplemental information about programs currently playing at a broadcast receiver, the apparatus comprising:
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a clock for designating current data and current time;
manual means for issuing a store command designating a station on which the current program is playing on the broadcast receiver;
a memory; and
means responsive to the clock and the means for issuing a store command designating the station for storing in the memory data (SDT data) representative of the station to which the tuner is set, the current date, and the current time when the store command is issued. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58)
an information depository for storing the supplemental information;
means for communicating between the information depository and the memory; and
means for mapping the SDT data read from the memory into the information depository to obtain the specific supplementary information about the respective programs represented by the SDT data.
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57. The system of claim 56 further comprising means for outputting the supplementary data.
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58. The method of claim 54, in which the second conveying step conveys the retrieved auxiliary information electronically, the method additionally comprising the step of reproducing the retrieved auxiliary information at the receiver.
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59. A method for supplying to a user of a broadcast receiver auxiliary information about broadcast programs comprising the steps of:
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playing programs from a schedule of broadcast programs at a broadcast receiver;
mapping SDT data representative of the station, day and time of the respective programs of the schedule to auxiliary information about the respective programs in a memory at a central location remote from the receiver;
storing at the receiver SDT data for a particular program selected by the user from among the programs being played at the receiver;
conveying the stored SDT data to the central location;
retrieving at the central location the auxiliary information corresponding to the conveyed mapped SDT data;
conveying the retrieved auxiliary information to the user. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification