Television signal activated interactive smart card system

• US 5,953,047 A
• Filed: 10/21/1996
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, NATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US08/734,499
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 348/12, 348/13, 348/473, 348/475, 348/456, 348/477, 348/478, 348/497, 348/460, 348/552, 348/10
• 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

Disclosed is a system for a) transmitting an value/benefit including a recordable product identification and offer of value, b) recording the product identification and value and c) reading the product identification and value at a point of purchase location and/or benefit redemption venue.

Claims

1. For use in conjunction with a television set and a bar code and/or light scan reader, a smart card comprising:

a card resembling a credit card, said card including

means for reading signals directly from said television display at a variety of distances and geometries and storing said signals;

means for converting said signals into stored data; and

means for converting said stored data into signals readable by said bar code and/or light scan reader.

2. The smart card of claim 1 wherein said readable signals comprise a bar code and/or light scan readable signals displayed on an LCD.

3. The smart card of claim 2 wherein said LCD includes the capability of selectively displaying alpha numeric and bar code indicia.

4. The smart card of claim 3 wherein said means for reading television signals includes means for collecting and concentrating optical light.

5. The smart card of claim 1 wherein a TV cardholder'"'"'s identity is read from the card and the cardholder is able to purchase merchandise via a credit card transaction if the proper personal identification number is entered.

6. The smart card of claim 1 wherein a TV cardholder'"'"'s identity is read from the card and the cardholder is able to purchase merchandise via an identity card transaction.

7. The smart card of claim 1 wherein a TV cardholder'"'"'s identity is read from the card and the cardholder is able to purchase merchandise via a debit card transaction.

8. The smart card of claim 1 wherein a TV cardholder'"'"'s identity is read from the card and the cardholder is able to purchase merchandise via an affinity card transaction.

9. The smart card of claim 1 wherein the benefit offered on large value items and point of purchase venues which do not have point of sale terminals, the TV card can be read by human to obtain authority via telephone confirmation.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for storing a TV cardholder'"'"'s identity in the form of a code and means for providing said identity code to a card reading device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the TV cardholder'"'"'s identity is read from the card and the cardholder is able to purchase an item via an Identity card transaction.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the TV cardholder'"'"'s identity is read from the card and the cardholder is able to purchase an item via a debit card transaction.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the TV cardholder'"'"'s identity is read from the card and the cardholder is able to purchase an item via an affinity card transaction.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for interacting with a user to provide an authorization code.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said interacting means comprises buttons and a display for displaying a security/fraud prevention number to be read over the phone verifying a valid transaction.

16. 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 encoded promotion data directly from said display at a variety of distances and geometries;

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

a decoding means disposed on said card for decoding said encoded promotion data;

a memory means disposed on said card and coupled to said CPU for storing said promotion data.