Home communication method and apparatus

• US 5,488,423 A
• Filed: 11/17/1994
• Issued: 01/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Narrow Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: US Narrow Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Stuart, David J., Somerville, Lorne R., Walkingshaw, M. Jay, Esdaile, Anthony R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/341,509
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 348/2-13, 348/17, 348/460, 348/473, 348/476, 348/725
• US Class Current: 725/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/20 on secondary editing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• 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: H04N 1/00098 via a television channel, e.g. for a series of still pictures with or without sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Redeemable shopping coupons for products or information printouts in categories preferred by a consumer are printed in the consumer'"'"'s premises when made available by a manufacturer or advertiser through the coupon and information service. Data identifying either or both product and information category and printout content are broadcast in conjunction with regular television programs and received in decoder-printer units in the homes of consumers subscribing to the service. If received product or information category data matches pre-programmed category data stored in the subscriber'"'"'s unit, a printer in the unit is activated to generate a printout containing the received coupon data or other information. Operation of the subscriber'"'"'s unit requires no interaction through the unit with the broadcasting service nor does operation of the unit affect operation of the subscriber'"'"'s television set.

Claims

1. A non-interactive method for providing coupon and information printouts to a consumer in the consumer'"'"'s premises wherein either or both coupon and information data is embedded in program broadcast signals, said method comprising the steps of

providing a consumer with means for detecting coupon and information data embedded in received broadcast signals, means for storing data identifying selected product and information categories desired by the consumer, and printing means,

receiving broadcast signals with embedded coupon and information data at said consumer'"'"'s location,

detecting said coupon and information data from said received broadcast signals,

comparing the detected coupon and information data with data identifying selected product and information categories previously stored at the consumer'"'"'s location, and

actuating said printing means to provide printouts of coupons and information upon correspondence of said selected product and information categories with the product and information categories of the detected coupon and information data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the coupon and information data is embedded in the video signal of a television broadcast.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said program broadcast signals including embedded coupon and information data is received by a plurality of consumers and wherein each consumer is provided with said detecting, storing and printing means, the storing means of each consumer having stored therein data identifying product and information categories selected by said consumer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of assigning each consumer a unique identification signal, storing said unique identification signal in said storing means, and detecting said unique identifier signal embedded in program broadcast signals to enable communication with a particular consumer.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of effecting changes of product and information category information in said particular consumer'"'"'s storing means by means of change data embedded in broadcast signals detected by said consumer.

6. Non-interactive apparatus for generating either or both coupons and information printouts at a consumer'"'"'s premises from coupon and information data embedded in broadcast program signals comprising:

data storage means for storing data identifying product and information categories selected by the consumer,

decoder means for detecting coupon and information data embedded in broadcast program signals,

means for supplying broadcast program signals to said decoder means,

comparison means for comparing the product and information category data in said data storage means with coupon and information category data detected by said decoder means from received broadcast program signals, and

printer means responsive to correspondence between said stored product and information category data and product and information categories of said detected product and information data to provide printouts of coupons and information in the categories selected by the consumer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said comparison means is a microprocessor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said data storage means comprises an electronically erasable memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising connector means for coupling said decoder means to a source of broadcast program signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said coupon and information data is embedded in selected picture lines of the video portion of a television broadcast signal and said decoder means detects said data from said selected picture lines.