Product information storage, display, and coupon dispensing system

• US 5,249,044 A
• Filed: 05/05/1992
• Issued: 09/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quest NetTech Corporation (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Henry Von Kohorn
• Inventors: Von Kohorn, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): URBAN, EDWARD F
• Application Number:
  US07/878,642
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/86, 358/85, 455/2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/6.3, 455/45, 455/66, 455/158.5, 455/186.1, 455/186.2, 364/403, 364/485, 364/401
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00098 via a television channel, e.g. for a series of still pictures with or without sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A system for generating product coupons at remote locations. The system includes an apparatus for receiving and storing product information signals broadcast from a central location. The apparatus is connected to a television at the remote location and has a coupon generating unit. The coupon generating unit can generate a product coupon having selectively entered product information thereon. The system further comprises a switch such that stored product information signals can be displayed on the television.

Claims

1. A system for generating product coupons comprising:

means, at a central location, for transmitting electronic signals to remote locations of members of a broadcast audience, the signals including product information signals and television program signals;

a television at each of the remote locations for presenting product information and television programs;

an apparatus for receiving and storing product information signals, the apparatus being connected to the television and comprising means for receiving the product information signals, means for storing received product information signals, and means for selectively transmitting stored product information signals to the television, the means for selectively transmitting being selectively operable by individual members of the broadcast audience; and

a coupon generating unit at each of the remote locations, the unit comprising means for selectively entering product information and means for dispensing product coupons having at least a portion of the selectively entered product information thereon.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the means for selectively transmitting stored product information signals also includes means for selectively interrupting reception of television program signals by the television.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for selectively transmitting live signals conveying product information to the television.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the system further comprises means for directly transmitting product information from the apparatus to the coupon generating unit.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes means for simultaneously transmitting both television program signals and stored product information signals to the television for display of both a television program and product information on the television at the same time.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes means for automatically selectively storing product information signals based upon predetermined information.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein the apparatus includes means for comparing a portion of a live signal conveying product information to a predetermined product information signal and, upon correlation of at least a portion of the live and predetermined product information signals automatically store the live signals conveying product information.

8. A system as in claim 6 wherein the apparatus includes means for inputting at least a portion of predetermined product information signals into the apparatus.

22. A system as in claim 1 including:

means, at a central location, for transmitting electronic product information signals over telephone communication means, and

means in said apparatus for receiving said telephonic product information signals.

9. A system for generating product coupons, the system comprising:

a television located at a remote location;

means, located at the remote location, for receiving electronic product information signals transmitted from a central location;

a storage device connected to the means for receiving, the storage device having means for storing product information signals received at the means for receiving;

means for selectively transmitting stored signals from the storage device to the television for display on the television; and

a coupon generating unit at the remote location for generating coupons, the unit having means for selectively entering product information therein that is displayed on the television and for generating the coupons with at least a portion of the product information thereon that has been entered into the unit.

10. A system as in claim 9 further comprising means for selectively switching transmission of stored signals and live signals conveying product information to the television.

11. A system as in claim 9 wherein the means for selectively transmitting stored signals to the television includes means for simultaneously displaying stored signals on a first portion of a screen of the television and a television program on a second portion of the television screen.

12. A system as in claim 9 further comprising means for transmitting at least a portion of the stored product information signals directly to the coupon generating unit in conjunction with transmission to the television.

13. A system as in claim 9 further comprising means for inputting predetermined product information comparison data into a memory of a comparison device connected to the means for receiving, the comparison device being adapted to compare the input predetermined comparison data to live product information signals.

14. A system as in claim 9, wherein said receiving means is adapted to receive product information signals transmitted over telephone wires.

15. A system as in claim 13 wherein the comparison device includes means for automatically activating the storage device upon correlation of a portion of the comparison data with the live signals conveying product information.

18. A system as in claims 15, 16 or 17, wherein said means for receiving electronic product information signals includes a radio signal receiving means.

19. A system as in claims 15, 16 or 17, wherein said means for receiving electronic product information signals includes a telephone signal receiving means.

16. A system for selectively generating product coupons, the system comprising:

means for receiving and storing electronic product information signals transmitted from a central location, the means for receiving and storing being located at a remote location with a television;

means, operable by a viewer of the television, for selectively transmitting said product information signals stored in said means for receiving and storing to the television for presenting to the viewer; and

a coupon generating unit at the remote location, the unit having means for selectively entering product information presented on the television to the viewer therein and dispensing product coupons with the selectively entered product information thereon.

17. A system as in claims 16, wherein said means for receiving electronic product information signals includes a television signal receiving means.

20. A system for generating product coupons for products intended for purchase, the system comprising:

means, located at a remote location, for inputting and storing a product identification code, the code identifying a product intended for purchase;

means, at the remote location, for receiving electronically transmitted product information signals from a central location, said information signals pertaining to products available for purchase;

means for comparing the stored product identification code to at least a portion of the product information signals; and

means, located at the remote location, for automatically generating a product coupon based upon a predetermined correlation between the stored product identification code and the product information signals, the means for automatically generating being adapted to generate product coupons with at least a portion of the product information code recorded thereon.

21. A system for displaying product information and for generating product coupons, the system comprising:

means, at a central location, for transmitting electronic signals including product information to members of a remote broadcast audience;

means, at a central location, for transmitting electronic signals including a television program to said members;

means at said members'"'"' remote locations for receiving and storing said product information signals;

a television receiver at each of said remote locations having means for displaying a television program and product information;

switching means at each of said remote locations, operable by individual ones of said members, for selectively displaying a television program or said stored product information on said television receiver;

means, operable by an individual one of said members, for selectively entering product information;

coupon generating means connected to said selected product information entering means, said generating means including;

storing means for at least a portion of said selectively entered product information;

a removable matrix adapted to record information thereon;

means operable by individual ones of said members for recording on said matrix at least a portion of said entered product information; and

means for generating from said matrix a coupon having at least a portion of said selected product information recorded thereon.

23. A method of recording product information signals comprising steps of:

transmitting product information signals from a central location to remote locations, the product information signals including an identifier code;

providing, at least at one of the remote locations, a system for receiving and storing transmitted product information signals and, for inputting predetermined identifier codes; and

automatically activating the system to record transmitted product information signals upon the identifier code transmitted with the signals corresponding to a predetermined identifier code previously input and stored in the system such that when a user of the system inputs a predetermined identifier code into the system, the system automatically activates and records product information signals when the system senses a correspondence between the input code previously stored in the system and the identifier code transmitted with the product information signals.

24. A method of displaying product information signals at remote locations, the method comprising steps of:

transmitting electronic product information signals from a central location to the remote locations;

providing, at the remote locations, a system for automatically receiving and storing transmitted product information signals, the system including means for signaling people that transmitted signals have been received and stored, means for inputting an activation code, and means for activating the storing of transmitted signals upon at least a portion of the transmitted signals matching the activation code;

automatically receiving and storing transmitted product information signals by the system upon at least a portion of the transmitted signals matching the activation code;

signaling people, at least at one of the remote locations, by the means for signaling that product information signals have been recorded by their system; and

activating the system, by a person at the remote location, to display recorded signals.

25. A method of recording and displaying information signals comprising steps of:

providing a system at a remote location for recording product information signals conveyed over a telephone line and, for displaying the signals on a television at the remote location;

a person, at the remote location, contacting a central location by means of a telephone and entering a code;

transmitting product information signals from the central location to the remote location over telephone wires in response to entering of the code;

recording the transmitted product information signals at the remote location on the system; and

displaying the recorded signals on the television at the remote location.

26. A method for generating tokens comprising steps of:

electronically transmitting program signals and product data signals from a central location;

providing an apparatus at remote locations for generating a token, the apparatus generating tokens with the product data thereon that has been input to the apparatus;

providing members of an audience with a list of identification data of products;

entering selected identification data from the list by at least one of the members of the audience into a storage device at the member'"'"'s remote location, the device having means for storing entered identification data and comparison means;

receiving the transmitted signals at least at some of the remote locations;

automatically comparing received product data signals to stored identification data by the comparison means; and

automatically storing select received product data signals in the storage device upon the comparison means detecting a predetermined correlation between the received product data signals and the stored identification data.

28. A method as in claims 26 or 27 wherein the step of electronically transmitting comprises transmitting the product data signals on a sub-carrier of the program signals.

29. A method as in claims 26 or 27 wherein the step of electronically transmitting comprises transmitting the product data signals on a frequency separate from a frequency of the transmission of the program signals.

30. A method as in claims 26 or 27 wherein the apparatus comprises means for compiling a cumulative record of predetermined activity of the generating apparatus.

31. A method as in claims 26 or 27 further comprising providing forgery preventive steps including storing a verification code into the generating apparatus and the code being printed by the generating apparatus when product data signals are printed.

27. A method for generating coupons comprising steps of:

electronically transmitting program signals and product data signals from a central location;

providing an apparatus at remote locations for generating coupons, each apparatus comprising means for entering product data, means for storing entered product data, comparison means, and means for generating coupons with entered product data thereon;

providing members of an audience with a list of identification data of products;

entering selected identification data from the list, by at least one of the members of the audience, into the apparatus at the member'"'"'s remote location, the entered identification data being stored in the means for storing;

receiving the transmitted signals at least at some of the remote locations;

automatically comparing received product data signals to stored identification data by the comparison means; and

generating a coupon from the apparatus having at least a portion of the received product data signals recorded thereon when the received product data signals correspond to the stored identification data.