Television signal activated interactive smart card system

• US 5,594,493 A
• Filed: 01/19/1994
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gamut Interactive Incorporated, GIX Holdings LLC, Koplar Interactive Systems International, LLC
• Original Assignee: Smart TV LLC
• Inventors: Nemirofsky, Frank R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/183,525
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 348/12, 348/13, 348/473, 348/475, 348/476, 348/477, 348/478, 348/479, 348/486, 348/460, 348/552, 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/383, 235/385, 235/376, 364/410-412, 364/400, 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 364/406, 364/478, 364/479
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• 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: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0873 Details of the card reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17363 : at or near the user terminal

Abstract

A smart card is disclosed which includes an optical receiver for receiving promotion data encoded in a television signal and transmitted through a cathode ray tube of a television. The smart card also includes circuitry for storing the promotion data and circuitry for executing the promotions associated with the promotion data, including circuitry for displaying a promotion in the form of a UPC code on an LCD display. The smart card further includes circuitry for interacting with a user through the LCD display and a plurality of buttons.

Claims

1. A card for receiving promotion data directly from a display, said promotion data encoded within a signal presented on said display, said card comprising:

a light sensor disposed on said card to receive said promotion data from said display;

a central processing unit (CPU) disposed on said card;

a promotion memory disposed on said card and coupled to said CPU for storing said promotion data, said promotion data being stored in the form of UPC codes; and

a program memory disposed on said card and coupled to said CPU, said program memory programmed to direct said CPU to store said promotion data in said promotion memory.