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| United States Patent | 5905865 |
| Link to this page | http://www.wikipatents.com/5905865.html |
| Inventor(s) | Palmer; Shelton L. (New York, NY);
Palmer; Jason M. (Huntington Bay, NY) |
| Abstract | A method and apparatus is provided for connecting a computer to electronic
addresses in sync with an audio/video broadcast. Simultaneously with the
broadcasting of audio/video programming, an address transmitter transmits
an address, such as a URL, identifying an on-line service which contains
information about the audio or video programming. This address is received
by a computer and used to automatically access the on-line service.
Preferably, the process is repeated with different addresses corresponding
with different programming. It is also preferred that the addresses be
sent via a paging system. |
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Title Information  |
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Drawing from US Patent 5905865 |
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Apparatus and method of automatically accessing on-line services in
response to broadcast of on-line addresses |
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| Publication Date |
May 18, 1999 |
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| Filing Date |
October 30, 1996 |
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| Parent Case |
This application claims benefit of provisional application Ser. No.
60/008,111 filed Oct. 30, 1995. |
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Title Information |
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Claims |
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What is claimed is:
1. A method for connecting a computer with one or more on-line services
providing information corresponding to audio or video programming being
broadcasted comprising:
a) providing a computer located at a first location and an on-line service
located at a second location remote to said first location,
b) broadcasting from a programming transmitter audio or video programming
to one or more audio or video receivers,
c) receiving an address identifying said on-line service at an address
transmitter from said programming transmitter or from a central office,
d) transmitting said address identifying said on-line service from said
address transmitter at a third location remote from said first and second
locations, said on-line service providing information corresponding with
the audio or video programming being broadcast from said programming
transmitter at the time said address is transmitted,
e) coordinating said step of transmitting to occur simultaneously with said
step of broadcasting, independent of user interaction with said on-line
service,
f) receiving said transmitted address at said computer, and
g) automatically accessing said on-line service by said computer using said
address identifying said on-line service.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said address is a Universal Resource
Locator and said on-line service is a website.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said on-line service further comprises an
Internet Service Provider providing access to said website.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said on-line service at said address sends
information to said computer.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of automatically accessing said
on-line service comprises sending said address via telephone lines to
connect with said on-line service.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of accessing comprises
connecting said computer to said on-line service via a modem connected to
said computer.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said address identifies a portion of the
information contained in said on-line service, and wherein said step of
connecting said computer to said on-line service occurs before said step
of receiving.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the amount of times
said computer accesses said on-line service.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmission of addresses occurs via
electromagnetic waves.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said address transmitter is a paging
system.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein said address transmitter further
transmits television or radio signals.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said address transmitter is an audio or
video playback device.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said address transmitter is a website and
said step of transmitting comprises sending said address to said computer
via the Internet.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving said address
occurs in relative synchronicity and in real-time with the step of
broadcasting said audio or video programming.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of receiving said address
occurs simultaneously with said step of broadcasting said audio or video
programming.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving said address
includes receiving a predetermined schedule of programming of said audio
or video programming.
17. A method of automatically directing computers located at a plurality of
different first locations to communicate with an on-line service providing
information corresponding to audio or video programming being broadcasted,
said on-line service being located at a second location remote from said
first locations, comprising:
a) receiving an address identifying said on-line service at an address
transmitter from a programming transmitter or from a central office,
b) transmitting said address from said address transmitter at a third
location independent of said on-line service to said plurality of said
computers, said third location being remote from said first and second
locations and said address identifying said on-line service,
c) broadcasting from said programming transmitter audio or video
information corresponding with said on-line service,
d) coordinating said step of transmitting to occur simultaneously with said
step of broadcasting, independent of user interaction with said on-line
service,
e) simultaneously receiving said transmitted address at said plurality of
computers, and
f) automatically accessing said on-line service by at least some of said
plurality of computers using said address identifying said on-line
service.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of transmitting includes
transmitting said address by modulating an electromagnetic wave which has
a carrier frequency associated with a television or radio signal.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein said audio or video information is
broadcast at said same carrier frequency.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein said steps of transmitting includes
transmitting said address by modulating an electromagnetic wave which has
a first carrier frequency, and further comprising the step of transmitting
audio and/or video information at a second carrier frequency different
than said first carrier frequency.
21. The method of claims 18 or 20 wherein said audio or video information
is provided to said computer before said step of accessing.
22. The method of claims 18 or 20 wherein said audio and/or video
information is provided to said computer during said step of accessing.
23. The method of claims 18 or 20 wherein said audio and/or video
information is provided to said computer after said step of accessing.
24. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of receiving said address
occurs in relative synchronicity and in real-time with the step of
broadcasting said audio or video programming.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of receiving said address
occurs simultaneously with said step of broadcasting said audio or video
programming.
26. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of receiving includes
receiving a predetermined schedule of programming of said audio or video
programming.
27. A method of automatically directing computers located at a plurality of
different first locations to communicate with an on-line service providing
information corresponding to audio or video programming being broadcasted,
said on-line service being located at a second location remote from said
first locations, comprising:
a) receiving an address identifying said on-line service at an address
transmitter from a programming transmitter or from a central office,
b) transmitting said address from said address transmitter at a third
location to said plurality of said computers, said third location being
more remote from said first and second locations and said address
identifying the on-line location of said on-line service,
c) simultaneously receiving said transmitted address at said plurality of
computers,
d) broadcasting from said programming transmitter audio or video
information corresponding with said on-line service,
c) coordinating said step of transmitting to occur simultaneously with said
step of broadcasting, independent of user interaction with said on-line
service,
f) at least one of said computers using said address to automatically
access said on-line service, and
g) sending response information from said computer to said on-line service
after said computer accesses said on-line service.
28. The method of claim 27 further comprising modifying said audio or video
information in response to said response information.
29. The method of claim 27 further comprising repeating said steps of
transmitting and receiving by using different addresses identifying
different on-line services, and storing a plurality of said different
addresses in said computer before said step of accessing.
30. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of receiving said address
occurs in relative synchronicity and in real-time with the step of
broadcasting of said audio or video programming.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of receiving said address
occurs simultaneously with said step of broadcasting said audio or video
programming.
32. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of receiving includes
receiving a predetermined schedule of programming of said audio or video
programming.
33. A method of directing a computer at a first location to automatically
communicate with a first on-line service identified by a first address and
with a plurality of subsequent on-line services identified by subsequent
addresses, said first and subsequent addresses providing information
corresponding to audio or video programming being broadcasted, each
on-line service being located at a location remote from said first
location, said method comprising:
a) receiving said first and subsequent addresses identifying said on-line
services at an address transmitter from a programming transmitter or from
a central office,
b) transmitting said first address from said address transmitter located
remotely from said computer and said on-line services,
c) broadcasting from said programming transmitter first audio or video
programming corresponding with said first on-line service,
d) coordinating with step of transmitting said first address to one or more
audio or video receivers to occur simultaneously with said step of
broadcasting first audio or video programming, independent of user
interaction with said on-line service,
e) receiving said first address at said computer,
f) transmitting said subsequent addresses from said address transmitter,
g) broadcasting from said programming transmitter second audio or video
programming corresponding with said plurality of subsequent on-line
services,
h) coordinating said step of transmitting said subsequent addresses to
occur simultaneously with said step of broadcasting second audio or video
programming,
i) receiving said subsequent addresses at said computer, and
j) said computer automatically accessing said first on-line service by
using said first address and automatically and continually accessing said
plurality of on-line services by using said subsequent addresses.
34. A method of directing a computer to automatically access information
related to audio or video programming simultaneously with the audio or
video programming being broadcast from one or more programming
transmitters comprising:
a) receiving an address identifying said on-line service at an address
transmitter from said programming transmitters or from a central office,
b) transmitting said address identifying said on-line location of said
on-line service from a paging system,
c) coordinating said step of transmitting to occur simultaneously with the
broadcasting of the audio or video programming,
d) receiving said address at said computer,
e) automatically accessing said on-line service by said computer using said
address, and
e) receiving information related to said radio or television programming at
said computer.
35. A system for automatically connecting a computer with multiple on-line
services providing information corresponding to audio or video programming
being broadcasted comprising:
a) an audio or video programming broadcaster,
b) an address transmitter for receiving an address identifying said on-line
services from a programming transmitter of from a central office and for
transmitting on-line locations of said on-line services,
c) a computer connectable to multiple on-line service, and
d) a receiver connectable to said computer for receiving transmissions of
different addresses from said address transmitter via a communications
channel identifying said on-line locations of said on-line services, said
address transmitter sending said addresses simultaneously with the
programming being broadcast by said broadcaster and said on-line services
contain information corresponding with said programming.
36. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said address transmitter
comprises a paging system.
37. The system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said address transmitter
comprises a web site.
38. The system as claimed in claim 37 wherein said communications channel
is the Internet. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Although both television programming and the Internet have undergone an
explosion of content, the two have essentially expanded and developed
independently. There have been relatively few successful attempts to marry
these two areas of communication. Accordingly, despite the vast business
opportunities afforded by television, the potential of exploiting or
enhancing revenues via the Internet has been largely untapped. The same is
true with respect to radio stations, which are being all but left out of
the information revolution.
Although some efforts have made to made to link these two areas, these
efforts have suffered from disadvantages. Users can often obtain more
information about their favorite programming or station by accessing a
website on the World Wide Web which is dedicated to that programming.
However, while the website may contain useful information which is of
interest to the user, the user has to overcome a number of obstacles to
get to that website. The user must first obtain an electronic address such
as a Uniform Resource Locators ("URL") for the website and enter that
electronic address exactly into the user's computer. These addresses are
often long and complicated. These inconveniences can dissuade those who
would otherwise be interested in finding programming information on the
Internet.
Another manner in which broadcast programming and the Internet have been
linked is allowing user | | |
