Home
Patent Search
IMT Blog
REGISTER
|
SIGN IN
United States Patent
5508731
Kohorn
April 16, 1996
Title
Generation of enlarged participatory broadcast audience
Abstract
A system and method for wagering and for evaluating responses to broadcast programs, such as television programs, includes an instructional signal modulated onto a signal transmitted concurrently with the television program, or time-multiplexed with a television. At each of a plurality of remote receiving stations, one or more members of a remote audience has the opportunity to respond to a situation presented in the television program by entering a response on a keyboard. The system includes, at each remote receiving station, a response unit having a memory responsive to the instructional signal for storing acceptable responses, a comparison circuit for comparing responses entered at the keyboard with those stored in the memory, circuitry for scoring responses in accordance with commands from the instructional signal, and a recording device for providing a permanent record of the audience score at the remote station. For conducting a sweepstakes, numbers or other responses are entered at the remote stations and are stored at a central facility for verification. Evaluation of a response may be performed at a central location or by a player's response unit. The program may be presented live conducted by a host at a central station, or by a prerecorded message accessible by telephone from a remote station with regulation from a central station, and may be transmitted via satellite simultaneously to numerous central stations for rebroadcast to an enlarged participatory audience.
Inventors:
Kohorn; Henry V.
(Vero Beach,
FL
)
Assignee:
Response Reward Systems L.C.
(Vero Beach,
FL
)
Appl. No.:
025397
Filed:
February 25, 1993
Current U.S. Class:
725/24
725/116
725/131
725/133
725/134
725/23
Field of Search:
348/13,12,1,3,5,14,20,10,8 358/84,86 455/2,4.1,4.2,5.1,6.3
U.S. Patent Documents
3095653
July 1963
Corrigan
3546791
December 1970
Koos et al.
3599221
August 1971
Baer
3606688
September 1971
Zawels et al.
3671668
June 1972
Reiffel
3810627
May 1974
Levy
3848082
November 1974
Summers
3910322
October 1975
Hardesty, Jr. et al.
3964179
June 1976
Bennett
3993861
November 1976
Baer
3999307
December 1976
Tsuda et al.
4044380
August 1977
Justice et al.
4052798
October 1977
Tomita et al.
4141548
February 1979
Everton
4264924
April 1981
Freeman
4268744
May 1981
McGeary
4271351
June 1981
Bloodworth
4286323
August 1981
Meday
4329684
May 1982
Monteath et al.
4339798
July 1982
Hedges et al.
4377870
March 1983
Anderson et al.
4388008
June 1983
Greene et al.
4494197
January 1985
Troy et al.
4541806
September 1985
Zimmerman et al.
4573072
February 1986
Freeman
4592546
June 1986
Fascenda et al.
4593904
June 1986
Graves
4608601
August 1986
Shreck et al.
4611996
September 1986
Stoner
4614342
September 1986
Takashima
4630040
December 1986
Haertling
4630108
December 1986
Gomersall
4671772
June 1987
Slade et al.
4689742
August 1987
Troy et al.
4723212
February 1988
Mindrum et al.
4745468
May 1988
Von Kohorn
4760527
July 1988
Sidley
4807031
February 1989
Broughton et al.
4833710
May 1989
Hirashima
4842278
June 1989
Markowicz
4856787
August 1989
Itkis
4875164
October 1989
Monfort
4876592
October 1989
Von Kohorn
4896791
January 1990
Smith
4907079
March 1990
Turner et al.
4908761
March 1990
Tai
4910672
March 1990
Off et al.
4922522
May 1990
Scanlon
4926255
May 1990
Von Kohorn
4926256
May 1990
Nanba
4937853
June 1990
Burle et al.
4949256
August 1990
Humble
4959783
September 1990
Scott et al.
4972504
November 1990
Daniel, Jr. et al.
5034807
July 1991
Von Kohorn
5048833
September 1991
Lamle
5057915
October 1991
Von Kohorn
5063610
November 1991
Alwadish
5069453
December 1991
Koza et al.
5083272
January 1992
Walker et al.
5111927
May 1992
Schulze, Jr.
5119294
June 1992
Kapur
5120076
June 1992
Luxemberg et al.
5128520
July 1992
Rando et al.
5128752
July 1992
Von Kohorn
5159549
October 1992
Hallman, Jr. et al.
5227874
July 1993
Von Kohorn
5285278
February 1994
Holman
Other References
Rand Report No. R-888-MF, Baer, Nov. 1971..~
Primary Examiner:
Groody; James J.
Assistant Examiner:
Hsia; Sherrie
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Perman & Green
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/763,672 filed Sep. 19, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,734 which is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 07/603,882 filed Oct. 25, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,915, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/424,089 filed Oct. 19, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,807, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 192,355, filed May 10, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,255, which is continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 837,827 filed Mar. 10, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,468. Related material is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,592 which is also a continuation-in-part of said application Ser. No.: 837,827.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for eliciting responses from members of a broadcast audience comprising:
a plurality of broadcast stations including means at individual ones of said broadcast stations for generating a set of disparate local programs for broadcast from said plurality of broadcast stations, each of said broadcast stations broadcasting a sequence of segments of said local programs separated by time slots;
a multiplicity of receiving stations for receiving the local programs from said broadcast stations and for presenting said local programs to the members of the broadcast audience;
means for transmitting a sequence of network programs to each of said broadcast stations for broadcast to said members of the audience, programs of said sequence of network programs having a duration shorter than or equal to individual ones of said time slots, said network programs including tasks to be performed by the members of the audience;
means at said broadcast stations for selecting individual ones of said network programs to be interspersed among successive ones of said local program segments for broadcast to said audience;
means at each of said receiving stations for enabling the members of the audience to enter a response to said tasks;
means for providing an instructional signal including response criteria to enable evaluation of responses of the members of the audience;
means for evaluating the responses of the members of the audience in accordance with the response criteria to identify individual members of the audience who have entered acceptable responses;
a station for designating a winner among the members of the audience who have entered acceptable responses; and
wherein said response criteria have been established prior to entry of the responses by the members of the audience, said evaluating means includes means for altering a mode of evaluation in response to said instructional signal, and wherein said instructional signal can be generated to activate said altering means of said evaluation means independently of a communication of said sequence of network programs.
2. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of telephone hubs for receiving the responses of the members of the audience and for communicating acceptable ones of said responses to said winner-designating station.
3. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of telephone hubs wherein said response-enabling means includes a telephone.
4. A system according to claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of said evaluating means, individual ones of said evaluating means being located at respective ones of said receiving stations.
5. A system according to claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of said evaluating means, individual ones of said evaluating means being located at sites remote from said receiving stations.
6. A system according to claim 5 wherein individual ones of said evaluating means are located at said telephone hubs.
7. A system according to claim 6 wherein each of said telephone hubs includes means for storing data including the response criteria for use by said evaluating means.
8. A system according to claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of said evaluating means, individual ones of said evaluating means being located at individual ones of said receiving stations and including means for outputting a print-out record of a response entered by a member of the audience.
9. A system according to claim 8 wherein each of said evaluating means includes means for storing the response criteria, and means for comparing the entered response with an acceptable one of said responses.
10. A system according to claim 9 wherein said transmitting means includes a base station for transmitting the network programs and a communication means coupling said base station to said broadcast stations, said instructional signal-providing means being located at said base station for transmission of a scoring criteria via said communication means to said broadcast stations, said broadcast stations transmitting said response criteria to said receiving stations for use by said evaluating means.
11. A system according to claim 2 wherein said local programs and said network programs are synchronized to allow for a network program to be broadcast within one of said time slots.
12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the network programs include an additional network program longer than one of said time slots, at least a portion of said additional network program being broadcast concurrently with a portion of a local program via a television broadcast incorporating a split-screen technique.
13. A system according to claim 2 wherein said transmitting means includes a base station for transmitting the network programs, and a communication means coupling said base station to said broadcast stations.
14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said communication means comprises a satellite communication link or a fiber optic communication link.
15. A system according to claim 13 wherein said criteria-providing means is located at said base station, and said transmitting means transmits said instructional signal and the response criteria from said criteria-providing means to said broadcast stations for transmission to said telephone hubs.
16. A system according to claim 13 further comprising a telephone link connecting said telephone hubs to said base station.
17. A system according to claim 16 wherein said instructional signal-providing means are located at said base station, and said telephone link provides for communication of said instructional signal and the response criteria from said instructional signal-providing means to said telephone hubs.
18. A system according to claim 16 wherein said winner-designating station is included within said base station, and said telephone link provides for communication of the acceptable responses and identification of persons making said acceptable responses to said winner-designating station.
19. A system according to claim 2 further comprising means for recording said instructional signal prior to transmission of a corresponding network program, a recording of said instructional signal being provided to each of said telephone hubs and identified as to the corresponding network program.
20. A system according to claim 19 wherein there are a plurality of said evaluating means, individual ones of said evaluating means being located at respective ones of said telephone hubs.
21. A system according to claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of said evaluating means, individual ones of said evaluating means being located at respective ones of said receiving stations.
22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said evaluating means includes a printer for outputting a print-out of a response of a member of the audience including identification of the member of the audience and identification of the evaluating means.
23. A system according to claim 21 wherein each of said evaluating means includes means for storing the response criteria, and means for comparing the entered response with an acceptable one of said responses.
24. A system according to claim 23 wherein transmitting means includes a base station for transmitting the network programs and a communication means coupling said base station to said broadcast stations, said instructional signal includes scoring criteria, said instructional signal-providing means being located at said base station for transmission of the scoring criteria via said communication means to said broadcast stations, said broadcast stations transmitting said response criteria to said receiving stations for use by said evaluating means, said communication means communicating said instructional signal from said base station to said broadcast stations for transmission to said receiving stations.
25. A system according to claim 1 wherein said local programs and said network programs are synchronized to allow for a network program to be broadcast within one of said time slots.
26. A system according to claim 25 wherein the network programs include an additional network program longer than one of said time slots, at least a portion of said additional network program being broadcast concurrently with a portion of a local program via a television broadcast incorporating a split-screen technique.
27. A system according to claim 1 wherein said transmitting means includes a base station for transmitting the network programs, and a communication means coupling said base station to said broadcast stations.
28. A system according to claim 27 wherein said communication means comprises a satellite communication link or a fiber optic communication link.
29. A system according to claim 28 wherein said criteria-providing means is located at said base station, and said transmitting means transmits said instructional signal and the response criteria from said criteria-providing means to said broadcast stations for transmission to said receiving stations.
30. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a base station coupled by said transmitting means to said broadcast stations, means located at said base station for generating said network programs, and wherein said means for providing said instructional signal and said response criteria is located at said base station, and said transmitting means transmits said instructional signal in conjunction with said network programs to said broadcast stations.
31. A system according to claim 1 wherein said network programs and said instructional signal are prerecorded prior to communication of said network programs and said instructional signal to said broadcast stations, said local programs and said network programs and said response criteria being synchronized to allow for a network program to be broadcast within one of said time slots.
32. A system for eliciting responses from members of a broadcast audience comprising:
a plurality of broadcast stations including means at individual ones of said broadcast stations for transmitting a sequence of local programs or segments of the local programs;
a multiplicity of receiving stations for receiving the local programs from said broadcast stations and for presenting said local programs to the members of the broadcast audience;
means for providing a sequence of network programs to each of said broadcast stations, each of said network programs including a task to be performed by the members of the audience;
means at each of said broadcast stations for inserting a network program of said sequence of network programs between the segments of said local programs;
means at each of said receiving stations for enabling the members of the audience to enter a response to the task provided by the network program;
means for providing a response criteria to enable evaluation of responses of the members of the audience;
means employing said response criteria for evaluating the responses of the members of the audience in accordance with the response criteria to identify individual members of the audience who have entered an acceptable response; and
a station for designating a winner among the members of the audience who have entered the acceptable response.
33. A system according to claim 32 wherein said inserting means includes means for selecting one or more of said network programs to be transmitted concurrently with a sequence of the local program segments.
34. A system according to claim 33 wherein a concurrent transmission is accomplished via interspersing at least a portion of the network program among successive local programs or successive segments of a local program in said sequence of transmitted local programs.
35. A system according to claim 33 wherein a concurrent transmission of said local and said network programs is accomplished by transmitting said local and said network programs via a television transmission, and by providing at least a portion of the network program in split-screen format with at least a portion of a local program.
36. A system according to claim 32 further comprising a plurality of telephone hubs for receiving the responses of the members of the audience and for communicating acceptable ones of said responses to said winner-designating station.
37. A system according to claim 36 wherein said inserting means includes means for selecting individual ones of said network programs to be transmitted concurrently with the sequence of said local programs at an individual one of said broadcast stations, and wherein a concurrent transmission of the sequences of local and network programs by one of said broadcast stations is accomplished by either an interspersing of the network program between successive segments of a local program or by transmission of said local and said network programs as a split-screen television broadcast.
38. A method for eliciting responses from members of a broadcast audience comprising:
the broadcasting from each of a plurality of broadcast stations, distant from each other, a set of local programs;
receiving said local programs at a multiplicity of receiving stations by the members of the broadcast audience;
providing said broadcast stations with a sequence of network programs, said network programs including tasks to be performed by the members of the audience;
selecting, at individual ones of said broadcast stations, a network program from said sequence of network programs to be interspersed between the successive local programs or the successive segments of a local program in the set of local programs;
interspersing the selected network program among successive local programs or successive segments of a local program broadcast from an individual one of said broadcast stations;
enabling the members of the audience to enter responses to a task of one of said network programs;
providing apparatus for evaluating a response of one of the members of the audience;
generating an instructional signal including response criteria for use by said evaluating apparatus in evaluating the responses of audience members to determine the presence of a correct response;
providing a station for selection of a winner among the members of the audience who have entered correct responses; and
communicating identities of the members of the audience who have entered correct responses to said winner-selection station.
39. A method according to claim 38 wherein said response criteria have been established prior to entry of the responses by the members of the audience, said evaluating apparatus includes means for altering a mode of evaluation in response to said instructional signal, and the method further comprises a step of employing said instructional signal for activating said altering means of said evaluation apparatus independently of the providing of said sequence of network programs.
40. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of communicating identities is accomplished by means of at least one telephone hub interconnecting said receiving stations with said winner-selection station.
41. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of providing a sequence of network programs includes a step of prerecording the sequence of network programs as a network-program recording.
42. A method according to claim 41 wherein said step of providing the sequence of network programs further comprises a step of positing copies of the network-program recording at various ones of said broadcast stations for synchronized playback of the copies of the network-program recording at said plurality of broadcast stations.
43. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of providing said sequence of network programs includes a step of transmitting said sequence of network programs via a communication system to said plurality of broadcast stations.
44. A method according to claim 38 wherein there is a plurality of evaluating apparatuses, individual ones of said evaluating apparatuses being located at individual ones of said receiving stations, said method further comprising a step of transmitting said instructional signal from said broadcast stations to said receiving stations to accomplish said evaluating of the responses at the individual ones of said receiving stations.
45. A method according to claim 38 wherein said evaluating apparatus is located at a site remote from a plurality of said receiving stations for evaluating the responses of the audience members located at said plurality of receiving stations.
46. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of communicating identities of the audience members is accomplished by at least one telephone hub interconnecting a plurality of said receiving stations with said winner-selection station, there being a plurality of evaluating apparatuses with one evaluating apparatus being located at each of said at least one telephone hub for evaluating the responses communicated from individual ones of said receiving stations to said at least one telephone hubs, and wherein the method includes a step of communicating said instructional signal to each of said at least one telephone hub for use by respective ones of said evaluating apparatuses to accomplish evaluation of audience response at a location remote from said receiving stations.
47. A method according to claim 46 wherein said step of generating the instructional signal includes a step of recording said instructional signal as a response-criteria recording prior to an evaluating of audience response, there being a step of keying the response-criteria recording to a network task for applying correct response criteria to a specific task.
48. A method according to claim 38 further comprising a step of printing out a hard-copy record of a response of an individual one of the audience members, said evaluating of audience response including a scoring of the response by the individual audience member, the scoring appearing in the hard copy.
49. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of interspersing is accomplished by separating successive ones of said local programs or segments of said local programs by time slots, and inserting the selected network program in one of the time slots.
50. A method according to claim 49 further comprising a step of synchronizing the network program of the sequence of network programs with the occurrences of the time slots in a sequence of the local programs of the broadcast stations, thereby allowing for a presentation of the network program concurrently to the audience members receiving broadcast transmissions from numerous ones of said broadcast stations.
51. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of interspersing the selected network program is accomplished by transmitting said network and said local programs as television signals having a split-screen presentation.
52. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of interspersing the network program includes a step of selecting, at each of said broadcast stations, the network program out of the sequence of network programs to be inserted within a sequence of the local programs.
53. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of communicating identities is accomplished via means of a telephone hub interconnecting a plurality of said receiving stations to said winner-selection station, said evaluating apparatus and a storage unit being located in said telephone hub, said method further comprising evaluating the responses of the audience members at the telephone hub by means of said evaluating apparatus, and a step of storing correct answers in the storage unit at the telephone hub during an interval of time subsequent to the presentation of a task to the audience, said step of communicating identities employing data stored within said storage unit.
54. A method for attracting large audiences to program disseminating stations comprising the steps of:
disseminating programs concurrently from a plurality of stations wherein individual ones of said programs may differ from other ones of said programs;
inserting different questions at different times in different ones of said programs, there being the audiences for the programs of said stations;
receiving said questions at different times by members of the audiences;
answering said questions at different times by the members of said audiences;
determining acceptable answers submitted by the members of the audiences;
identifying successful members of the audiences who have answered the questions acceptably;
storing the acceptable answers from identified members of the audiences in a storage means during an interval of time subsequent to a posing of the questions to the members of the audiences; and
based on information stored in said storage means, entering the successful members of the audiences in a sweepstakes or prize event.
55. A method for attracting audiences to broadcast stations comprising the steps of:
transmitting from one or more locations a plurality of task sets at relatively short intervals, a task set including a question and accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable answer;
forming a network of a plurality of broadcast stations from the class of stations consisting of television and radio stations, said broadcast stations concurrently broadcasting individually scheduled programs, said programs being at least partially disparate;
receiving said task sets at said stations;
rebroadcasting, by individual ones of said stations, one or more tasks sets at a time convenient to an individual one of said stations;
providing members of the audiences at their locations means for entering an answer to a task;
providing means operatively connected to said entering means for receiving said response criteria and for comparing an entered answer with the accompanying response criteria;
determining whether an audience member has entered an acceptable answer; and
entering into a sweepstakes or prize event the audience member who has entered the acceptable answer.
56. A method for attracting audiences to broadcast stations comprising the steps of:
transmitting from one or more locations a plurality of task sets at relatively short intervals, a task set including a question and accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable answer;
forming a network of a plurality of broadcast stations from the class of stations consisting of television and radio stations, said broadcast stations concurrently broadcasting individually scheduled programs, said programs being at least partially disparate;
receiving said task sets at said broadcast stations;
rebroadcasting, by an individual one of said broadcast stations, one or more task sets at a time convenient to the individual broadcast station;
providing members of the audience of said one station at the members' locations means for entering an answer to a task;
providing means operatively connected to said entering means for receiving said response criteria and for comparing an entered answer with the accompanying response criteria, so as to determine whether an audience member has entered an acceptable answer; and
acknowledging the audience member who has entered the acceptable answer in a sweepstakes.
57. A method for generating very large broadcast audiences comprising the steps of:
providing a first electronic signal transmitting system comprising a network of stations broadcasting programs to the members of the audiences, said stations broadcasting individually scheduled programs, said stations being equipped to receive and retransmit the quiz signals to the members of the audiences;
providing a second electronic signal transmitting system for transmitting quiz signals for a quiz to said stations, the quiz comprising a task, and response criteria accompanying said task defining at least one acceptable response;
formulating at a central location at least one quiz;
transmitting by said second system the at least one quiz to said stations, said stations receiving at least one quiz;
retransmitting by a network station the quiz to members of the audience of the network station;
providing a response unit with response-entering means to the individual members of said audiences, said response unit being capable of receiving and storing response criteria signals, said response unit being capable of evaluating the entered response in accordance with said response criteria and determining the acceptable response;
entering a response to a quiz by the members of said audiences;
evaluating a member's response by the member's response unit to determine the acceptable response;
providing means at the central location for identifying a member having entered the acceptable response;
providing means at said central location for receiving responses and for storing accepted responses by the members of said audiences for a sweepstakes pool;
conveying the accepted responses by identified audience members to said sweepstakes pool;
storing identifications of said identified audience members in said sweepstakes pool;
providing means at the central location for determining at least one winner from among said identified audience members entered in said sweepstakes pool; and
informing said winner of said determination.
58. A method for generating large broadcast audiences comprising the steps of:
organizing a plurality of broadcast stations to create a broadcast network, said broadcast stations being from the class of stations consisting of television and radio stations;
providing at least one central facility for transmitting electronic signals to said broadcast stations;
providing at said broadcast stations means to receive and to rebroadcast the electronic signals received from a central location;
broadcasting by said stations regularly scheduled and disparate programs to members of a remote broadcast audience;
receiving said programs by the members of the remote audience;
formulating a plurality of task sets, a task set comprising signals conveying a task, including a question, the task set including also response criteria defining at least one acceptable response including an answer and instructions for scoring acceptable responses;
providing response units to individual members of said audience, a response unit comprising means for entering a response to the task by an audience member and means for receiving response criteria signals, said response unit further comprising means for identifying and scoring the acceptable responses by the individual audience members;
providing means for informing a winning audience member of an acceptable scored response;
sequentially transmitting by said at least one central facility signals conveying the plurality of task sets to said broadcast stations;
receiving task set signals at said broadcast stations;
interrupting the programs of individual ones of said broadcast stations to create a time gap between program segments;
rebroadcasting the task set by an individual one of said broadcast stations during said individual station's time gap;
receiving during a station's time gap, by the audience member, signals rebroadcast by one of said broadcast stations and conveying the task set;
entering the responses to the task by individual ones of said audience members via the response units;
identifying, by said response units, the acceptable responses entered by the individual audience members;
storing the acceptable responses by means of said response units;
entering the acceptable response in a prize event;
informing winning audience members of entrance of the acceptable response in the prize event.
59. A method for generating large broadcast audiences comprising the steps of:
providing a first electronic signal transmitting system comprising a network of stations broadcasting programs to members of a remote audience, said stations broadcasting individually scheduled programs;
providing a second electronic signal transmitting system for transmitting a quiz to said network stations, said stations being equipped to receive and to transmit quiz signals of the quiz to the members of the remote audience, the quiz comprising a task and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
formulating at a central location at least one quiz;
transmitting the at least one quiz to said network stations;
receiving the at least one quiz at said network stations;
retransmitting the quiz, by said network stations, to the members of said remote audience at points in time determined by individual ones of said network stations, which points in time can vary between the stations;
providing to individual members of said remote audience response units for receiving and for storing response criteria signals, and for entering a response to the quiz by a member of said remote audience, each of said response units evaluating an entered response in accordance with said response criteria, said response units identifying the member of the remote audience having entered an acceptable response;
entering a response, by a member of the remote audience, to the quiz;
evaluating the member's response by a member's response unit;
providing data storage means at the central location;
providing a sweepstakes facility at the central location;
providing a communications link between said response units, said storage means and said sweepstakes facility;
conveying identifications of identified audience members to said storage means;
conveying the identifications of the identified audience members to said sweepstakes facility;
determining at least one sweepstakes winner from among the identified audience members; and
informing said winner of a determination.
60. A method for attracting large broadcast audiences to individual stations in a network of stations by entering successful respondents to a task in a sweepstakes or prize event, said method comprising the steps of:
forming a network composed of a multiplicity of broadcast stations concurrently broadcasting scheduled and at least partially disparate programs,said broadcast stations being from the class of stations consisting of television and radio stations, each of the stations of said network broadcasting a program of said disparate programs to members of its audience;
broadcasting a plurality of task sets from a central location, each of said task sets comprising the task and accompanying response criteria defining an acceptable response to the task;
receiving said task sets at said network stations and selecting, at individual ones of said network stations, a task set for retransmission at a time fitting into the program structure of each of said individual ones of said network stations;
retransmitting via a network station a selected task set;
receiving said selected task set by the members of the audience of the network station;
providing to each audience member a response unit identified with said audience member, the response unit comprising means for receiving and for storing the response criteria, means for entering a response to the task, means for comparing an entered response to the task to the accompanying response criteria, and means for determining whether an entered response is the acceptable response;
entering a response to the task of said selected task set by the response unit, said entering step being accomplished by a member of the audience of the network station desiring to be a respondent;
determining by the response unit whether a respondent's entered response is the acceptable response;
providing a central sweepstakes or prize event facility;
providing a communications link between said response unit and said sweepstakes or prize event facility for conveying the identity of the respondent having successfully responded to a task to said sweepstakes or prize event facility; and
entering a successful respondent in the sweepstakes or prize event.
61. A method for generating a large advertising market, including the combined audiences of a multiplicity of broadcasting stations, said method comprising the steps of:
forming a network composed of a multiplicity of broadcast stations concurrently broadcasting scheduled and at least partially disparate programs having different program structures, said broadcast stations being from the class of stations consisting of television and radio stations;
broadcasting, via individual ones of said stations of said network, respective programs to members of said combined audiences, said network stations broadcasting messages interspersed in respective ones of said programs, said message being drawn from the class of broadcast messages comprising advertising and promotional messages;
broadcasting a plurality of task sets from a central location, a task set comprising a task and accompanying response criteria defining an acceptable response to task;
receiving said task sets at said network stations;
selecting, at respective ones of said network stations, at least one task set for retransmission at times fitting into the program structures of the respective ones of said network stations;
retransmitting selected task sets by the respective ones of said network stations;
receiving an individual one of said at least one task set by each of a plurality of response units located at locations of the members of said audiences, wherein an individual one of said response units comprises means for entering a response to the task, and comparison means for determining whether an entered response is the acceptable response;
entering the response to a task by a member of said combined audiences by use of one of said response units;
determining, at a member's response unit, whether an entered response of the member of said audience is the acceptable response; and
entering a member, who has entered the acceptable response, into a sweepstakes.
62. A method for encouraging participation in surveys or polls comprising the steps of:
transmitting electronic signals eliciting responses to questions from a central facility to members of an audience to be polled;
receiving elicitations at locations of said members;
providing means for entering a response to individual ones of said members;
entering responses by individual ones of said members;
providing means for communicating response data from the locations of responding members to a central data storage facility;
communicating said response data to said central facility;
storing members' response data at said central facility;
providing means at said central facility for identifying the responding members;
entering responding members in a sweepstakes;
conducting said sweepstakes to determine at least one winning responding member; and
informing winning members about a result of said sweepstakes.
63. A method for conducting a sweepstakes event for audience members of a plurality of stations broadcasting chronologically disparate segments of programs, said method comprising the steps of broadcasting tasks received by stations to stations' audiences, wherein the audience members enter responses and members' responses are compared to response criteria to determine winning members, the improvement comprising the steps of:
selecting, by an individual station, a task from a stream of the tasks successively received at relatively short intervals compared to a program, the tasks being chronologically suitable for insertion into said stations programs;
transmitting a selected task by the station;
receiving and responding to the selected task by audience members of said station;
entering the winning members in a sweepstakes; and
determining a sweepstakes winner.
64. A method for conducting a sweepstakes event for audience members of broadcast stations, comprising the steps of:
formulating a task and an accompanying acceptable response;
broadcasting a program by a station, the program including at least one task;
providing an audience member with a telephone having an entering device connected to caller identification means;
responding, by the audience member, to said task by entering a response in the entering device of the telephone connected to the caller identification means;
providing a central evaluation facility having means for receiving an acceptable response and means for comparing a member's entered response with the acceptable response to identify a winning member;
storing acceptable responses accompanying each task in said evaluation facility;
communicating entered responses to said evaluation facility;
comparing the entered response to an acceptable response to determine an acceptable entered response;
identifying the winning member through the caller identification means;
entering winning members in a sweepstakes; and
randomly determining a sweepstakes winner.
65. A method for conducting a sweepstakes event for audience members of broadcast stations, comprising steps of:
broadcasting, by a plurality of stations, the stations' individual and disparately scheduled program segments;
supplying to said stations a stream of successive tasks at relatively short intervals as compared to durations of said program segments, each task having an accompanying winning response;
selecting, at an individual station, from the task stream a task chronologically suitable for insertion into the individual station's program structure for retransmission to the station's audience members;
retransmitting a selected task by a station;
receiving the selected task by an audience member;
responding to the task by the audience member by entering a response in an entering device, the audience member being provided with a response evaluating means;
transmitting winning responses to the tasks from a central location to the response evaluating means;
comparing a member's entered responses with a winning response to determine a member's winning entered response;
entering a winning member in the sweepstakes event; and
randomly determining a sweepstakes winner.
66. A method for conducting a sweepstakes for members of the audiences of broadcast stations, comprising the steps of:
broadcasting, by means of a plurality of stations, individual programs from respective ones of the stations;
conveying mechanically or electronically or optically, to said stations, at least one task of a task set to be broadcast to said stations' audiences;
selecting, by an individual one of said stations, at least one point in time fitting into said station's program structure for broadcasting a task;
broadcasting, by said station, to said station's audience the at least one task at a selected time;
receiving said task by the audience members of said station;
providing to individual audience members a response unit comprising response entering means and means for electronically receiving response criteria defining an acceptable response to an accompanying task, the response unit including a memory for storing the response criteria and evaluation means including means for determining an acceptable response by comparing an entered response to accompanying response criteria, said response unit being operable by an identified respondent;
entering a response by an individual member of the audiences;
determining the acceptable response by the response unit for a successful respondent;
providing a central storage facility for successful respondents' identifications;
providing a communications link between said response unit and said storage facility;
communicating a successful respondent's identification to said central facility for storing;
entering successful respondents in a sweepstakes or prize event;
determining a winner; and
informing a winning respondent.
67. A method of conducting a sweepstakes for members of the audiences of broadcast stations, comprising the steps of:
broadcasting, by a plurality of stations, individual programs of respective ones of the stations;
conveying mechanically or electronically or optically to said stations at least one task to be broadcast to said stations' audiences;
transmitting signals conveying response criteria defining an acceptable response to said at least one task;
selecting, at an individual one of said stations, at least one point in time fitting into said station's program structure for broadcasting a task of said at least one task;
broadcasting, by said station, to said station's audience said at least one task at a selected time;
receiving said task by the members of said audiences;
entering, by an individual audience member, a response to said task in an entering means;
providing a central response evaluation facility having a memory for storing the response criteria electronically received;
electronically programming said memory by transmitting the response criteria accompanying said at least one task to the evaluation facility;
providing a communications link between said response entering means and said response evaluation facility;
communicating, via said communications link, to said evaluation facility a respondent's response and identification;
determining, at said evaluation facility, a successful respondent by comparing a respondent's entered response to accompanying response criteria;
entering successful respondents in the sweepstakes;
conducting the sweepstakes by randomly determining a winner; and
informing a winning respondent.
68. A method for conducting a game for members of the audiences of broadcast stations, comprising the steps of:
broadcasting by a plurality of stations individual programs which differ in program content;
conveying to said stations at least one task to be broadcast to said stations' audiences, a task comprising instructional response criteria to determine an acceptable response;
selecting, by respective ones of said stations, at least one point in time fitting into said stations' program structures for broadcasting the task;
broadcasting to the audience of each of said stations the task at a selected time in the course of a respective one of programs broadcast by said station;
providing to individual audience members means for receiving the task, a response entering means, means for receiving the instructional response criteria, a memory for storing the response criteria, and an evaluation means having means for determining the acceptable response by comparing an entered response to accompanying response criteria; and
associating an entering means identifiably with an audience member.
69. A method for conducting a game comprising the steps of:
broadcasting, by each of a plurality of broadcast stations, a scheduled program, at least some of a plurality of programs broadcast by said plurality of broadcast stations being disparate;
taping a plurality of tasks;
successively transmitting said plurality of taped tasks from a first central facility;
receiving said tasks at each of said broadcast stations;
selecting, at an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations, a task for retransmission at a convenient time to an audience of said individual one of said broadcast stations;
retransmitting a selected task by said one broadcast station during a program of said individual broadcast station;
receiving a retransmitted task by audience members of said individual broadcast stations;
recording a plurality of response criteria, the response criteria accompanying the task and defining an acceptable response to said task;
providing a second central facility having means for electronically communicating with individual ones of said audience members and for successively playing back said record of response criteria accompanying each task, said second central facility including means for receiving a response from the individual ones of the members of said audience and for identifying the acceptable response by an audience member meeting the response criteria, said second central facility also including means for identifying the audience member having entered the acceptable response;
entering a response to the task, by the audience member, in an entering means at a location of the audience member, said entering means being operatively connected by said communication means to said second central facility;
receiving, at said second central facility, the response entered by the member of the audience;
evaluating, at said second facility, an entered response in accordance with said response criteria;
identifying, at said second facility, an acceptable entered response; and
identifying, at said second facility, the member of the audience having entered the acceptable response.
70. A method for conducting a game comprising the steps of:
broadcasting scheduled programs by individual ones of a plurality of broadcast stations, at least some of said programs being disparate;
recording tasks of a plurality of task sets, a task set including a task, such as a question, and an accompanying response criteria, including an acceptable response;
recording a plurality of response criteria, said response criteria accompanying said tasks;
playing back one of said recorded tasks to said broadcast stations;
selecting, at the individual ones of said plurality of broadcast stations, the tasks for retransmission to the respective audiences of said broadcast stations at convenient times;
retransmitting, via the individual ones of said broadcast stations, selected tasks during the respective programs of said broadcast stations;
receiving a retransmitted task by members of an audience of an individual one of said broadcast stations;
providing a central facility having means for electronically communicating with individual ones of the members of the audience of said plurality of broadcast stations, and playing back recorded response criteria accompanying the task, said central facility having further means for receiving a response from the individual ones of the members of said audience of said plurality of broadcast stations, said central facility also having means for identifying the acceptable response by comparing said response with the accompanying response criteria and identifying a member of the audience of said plurality of broadcast stations having entered the acceptable response;
entering, by the member of the audience of said plurality of broadcast stations, the response to the task in an entering means located at an individual one of the locations of the members of said audience of said plurality of broadcast stations, said entering means being operatively connected by said communication means to said central facility;
receiving, at said central facility, an entered response of the member of the audience of said plurality of broadcast stations;
identifying, at said central facility, an acceptable entered response; and
informing, via said central facility, the member of said audience of said plurality of broadcast stations having entered acceptable response.
71. A method for conducting a game comprising the steps of:
broadcasting scheduled programs at respective ones of a plurality of broadcast stations, the programs at at least some of said broadcast stations being disparate;
successively transmitting a plurality of task sets at a transmitting facility, each of said task sets including a task and an accompanying response criteria with an acceptable response;
receiving tasks of said task sets at said broadcast stations;
selecting the task, by each of said plurality of broadcast stations, for retransmission to an audience of each of said broadcast stations at a convenient time;
retransmitting, via each of said broadcast stations, a selected task during a program of each of said broadcast stations;
receiving a transmitted task by members of the audiences of the respective broadcast stations;
providing a central facility having means for electronically communicating with individual ones of said audience members and receiving the response criteria from said transmitting facility accompanying the task, said central facility having further means for receiving a response from the individual ones of the members of the audiences of the respective stations and for identifying the acceptable response by an audience member and identifying the audience member having entered the acceptable response;
entering the response by the member of said audience to the task in an entering means at a location of said member, said entering means being operatively connected by said communication means to said central facility;
receiving an audience member's entered response at said central facility;
identifying an acceptable entered response at said central facility; and
identifying, at said central facility, the member having entered the acceptable response.
72. A method for conducting a game and determining game winners, comprising the steps of:
concurrently transmitting scheduled programs of each of a plurality of first transmitters of stations during a program period;
receiving the scheduled programs of a station, said receiving being accomplished by members of a remote audience tuned to the station;
successively transmitting, by at least one second transmitter, a plurality of task sets at relatively short intervals, as compared to the duration of a program, during said program period, a task set comprising a task and accompanying response criteria defining an acceptable response thereto;
receiving tasks of said task sets at said stations;
selecting from a plurality of tasks at least one task for retransmission at a time during the program period so as to fit into a chronological sequence of program portions of said station;
retransmitting, via individual ones of said stations, a selected task to the remote audience;
receiving, by the members of the remote audience, a retransmitted task from the station to which the members are tuned;
providing response units at members' locations, a response unit including means for entering a member's response, means for receiving the response criteria and means for comparing such entered response to the accompanying response criteria;
entering, by a member of said audience, a response to a received task in said entering means;
receiving the response criteria by said response units; and
comparing a member's entered response to the task with the accompanying response criteria, so as to determine whether the member's entered response is the acceptable response.
73. A method for broadcasting and rewarding tasks, comprising:
providing facilities for the broadcast transmission of signals conveying a plurality of programs to members of remote audiences;
formatting program contents and program structures for broadcasting by the operators of said facilities, the formatting of said programs providing for at least one interruption in the broadcasting of said programs, so as to create at least one break in the continuity of each program structure and at least one time interval between program portions;
synchronizing said at least one interruption so that said at least one time interval between portions of all station programs occurs at essentially the same time;
broadcasting said programs interrupted by said synchronized time intervals;
receiving said programs by the members of remote audiences;
providing means for the transmission of signals conveying a task set to the members of said remote audiences;
formatting at least one task set for transmission to the members of said remote audiences wherein the task set comprises signals conveying a task including a question and accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response including an answer to the task;
providing to individual members of said remote audiences response units each of which comprises means for entering a response to the task and means for receiving and storing the response criteria, the response unit further including means for identifying the acceptable response;
broadcasting by said signal transmission means the at least one task set to the members of said remote audiences, wherein the broadcasting of said task set occurs essentially during a time interval separating said program portions;
entering, via respective ones of said response units, a response to the task by individual ones of said audience members;
identifying the acceptable response by each of said response units; and
notifying the audience members who have entered the acceptable response.
74. A method for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, comprising the steps of:
broadcasting, via transmitters of a plurality of broadcast stations, a plurality of disparate programs;
sequentially transmitting, via a further transmitter, at least one task and accompanying response criteria;
receiving said task by individual ones of said broadcast stations;
selecting, at one of said broadcast stations, a time for retransmitting the task so as to chronologically fit into the program structure of said one broadcast station;
retransmitting, via said one broadcast station, the task at the selected time to the members of the broadcast audience of said one broadcast station; and
receiving the response criteria accompanying said task to permit evaluation of members' responses to the task at locations of said members or a location of a common evaluation facility.
75. A method for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the method comprising:
sequentially transmitting, via a transmitter, a plurality of task sets, a task set comprising a first portion having the task and a second portion having the response criteria accompanying the task for defining at least one acceptable response;
broadcasting disparately structured programs, via a plurality of broadcast stations, to the audiences of respective ones of said plurality of broadcast stations;
receiving, at said broadcast stations, said first and said second portions of each of a plurality of tasks;
selecting, at an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations, one of said plurality of tasks for retransmission of the first portion of a selected task set to the audience of the broadcast station;
transmitting, via the individual one of said broadcast stations, said first portion of the selected task set at a time fitting into a program structure of said individual broadcast station;
receiving, by said audience members, a program and said first portion of said selected task set transmitted by said individual station, said audience members being tuned to said broadcast stations;
providing means for an entering, by individual audience members, of a response to the task;
providing means for an evaluation of an audience member's response, including means for receiving the second portion of the selected task set;
entering the response, via an audience member, to the task; and
evaluating an entered response to determine whether said entered response is an acceptable response.
76. A method for conducting a game by a plurality of stations broadcasting programs including a task requiring an acceptable response, comprising the steps of:
concurrently broadcasting, via a plurality of broadcast stations, a plurality of disparate programs to members of respective audiences of said broadcast stations during a determined time period;
dividing individual ones of said programs into two or more program segments;
chronologically separating a broadcasting of at least two of said segments so as to create a break in a continuity in respective ones of said programs;
determining at least one time gap between two of said segments broadcast by respective ones of said plurality of stations, the occurrence of time gaps at the respective ones of said stations being substantially synchronized;
broadcasting, via said plurality of broadcast stations to the members of the respective audiences during one of said time gaps, a task set comprising electronic signals conveying the task and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to said task;
providing response units to individual ones of the members of said respective audiences, each of said response units comprising means for entering a response to the task, means for receiving and for storing the response criteria and means for evaluating a member's response to identify the acceptable response;
entering the response, by a member of each of said respective audiences, to the task via one of said response units;
evaluating, at individual ones of said response units, responses entered by the members of respective ones of said audiences;
providing means for informing the members of respective ones of said audiences who have entered acceptable responses; and
informing the members of individual ones of said audiences who have entered the acceptable response.
77. A method for conducting a game for members of an audience and for entering successful members of the audience in a sweepstakes, the method comprising:
formulating a question to be answered by members of a broadcast audience;
formulating response criteria to accompany the question and to define an acceptable answer to said question;
providing the question to a broadcast station;
selecting, at said station, a time slot fitting into a program structure of said station for broadcasting said question to said broadcast audience;
broadcasting said question, via said station, to said broadcast audience at a selected time;
receiving said question by a member of said broadcast audience;
providing answer entering means to the members of said broadcast audience, said entering means being associated with an identified member of said audience;
providing at a communications hub, means for obtaining the acceptable answer to the question by a member of said audience by comparing an entered answer to an accompanying response criteria;
providing said response criteria accompanying the answer to said hub;
entering the answer to the question by a member of said broadcast audience;
providing means for communicating a member's answer and identification to said hub;
communicating a member's entered answer and identification to said hub;
comparing the entered answer to the accompanying response criteria so as to determine the acceptable answer by an identified successful member;
storing the identifications of successful members of said broadcast audience;
entering the identifications of successful members of said broadcast audience in the sweepstakes;
conducting the sweepstakes; and
informing winning members of a result of the sweepstakes.
78. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
transmitters of a plurality of broadcast stations for broadcasting a plurality of disparate programs;
means for sequentially transmitting a plurality of tasks and accompanying response criteria defining an acceptable response;
means at individual ones of said broadcast stations for receiving said tasks and said accompanying response criteria;
means at said individual broadcast stations for selecting one of said tasks, and means for storing a selected task and the task's accompanying response criteria;
means at said individual broadcast stations for retransmitting a stored task and the response criteria at a convenient determined time;
means at locations of said members of the broadcast audience for receiving a retransmitted task and retransmitted response criteria;
means at locations of individual ones of said members for entering responses to the task; and
means at said members' locations for comparing a response of an individual one of said members to the response criteria to determine whether a member's response is the acceptable response.
79. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a transmitter for sequentially transmitting a plurality of task sets, each of said task sets comprising a first portion providing the task and a second portion providing accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
a plurality of broadcast stations for receiving said first portion of the task set and for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of the audience, wherein an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations includes means for selecting one of said plurality of task sets for retransmission of the first portion of said task set to the audience members at a time fitting into a program structure of said broadcast station;
means provided to said audience members for receiving the program and the first portion of the task set transmitted by the individual one of said broadcast stations to which the audience members are tuned;
means provided to the audience members for entering a response to the task;
means for receiving the second portion of a transmitted task set for obtaining the response criteria; and
means for evaluating an entered response of an audience member in accordance with the response criteria to determine whether the entered response is an acceptable response.
80. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a transmitter sequentially transmitting a plurality of task sets, each of said task sets comprising a first task portion conveying the task and a second task portion defining at least one acceptable response and scoring instructions;
a plurality of broadcast stations for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of said broadcast audience, said broadcast stations receiving the first and the second portions of said task sets;
wherein individual ones of said broadcast stations include means for selecting one of a plurality of said task sets for retransmission of the first task portion of a selected task set to the members of said broadcast audience;
the individual ones of said broadcast stations retransmitting the first task portion of a selected task set at times fitting into program structures of respective ones of said broadcast stations;
means provided to the members of the broadcast audience for receiving the program and the first task portion transmitted by an individual one of said broadcast stations to which said members are tuned;
means for entering responses by individual audience members to the task; and
means for evaluating and for scoring the responses of the members of said broadcast audience in accordance with said second task portion of a transmitted task set.
81. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a transmitter for sequentially transmitting a plurality of task sets, each of said task sets comprising a first portion providing the task and a second portion providing accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
a plurality of broadcast stations for receiving said task sets and for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of the audience, wherein an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations includes means for selecting one of said plurality of task sets for retransmission of the first portion of a selected task set to the members of the audience at a time fitting into a program structure of said one broadcast station;
means provided to the audience members for receiving a program and the first portion of the selected task set transmitted by one of said broadcast stations to which the audience members are tuned;
means provided to individual audience members for entering responses to the task;
means at a central location for receiving and for storing the second portion of a transmitted task set to obtain the response criteria; and
means at said central location for evaluating an entered response of an audience member to determine whether the entered response is an acceptable response.
82. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a transmitter for sequentially transmitting a plurality of task sets, each of said task sets comprising a first portion providing the task and a second portion providing accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
a plurality of broadcast stations for receiving said task and for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of the audience wherein an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations includes means for selecting one of said plurality of task sets for retransmission of the first portion of a selected task set to the audience members at a time fitting into a program structure of said one broadcast station;
means provided to the audience members for receiving a program and the first portion of the selected task set transmitted by one of the broadcast stations to which the audience members are tuned;
means provided to individual audience members for entering responses to the task;
means for transmitting the responses of audience members to a central location;
means at said central location for receiving and for storing the second portion of a transmitted task set to obtain the response criteria; and
means at said central location for evaluating, including a scoring of, an entered response of an audience member to determine whether the entered response is an acceptable response for determination of an award to the audience member.
83. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a transmitter for sequentially transmitting a plurality of recorded task sets, a task set comprising a first portion providing the task and a second portion providing accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response, said transmitter including a playback device for playing back said recorded task sets;
a plurality of broadcast stations for receiving the first portions of said task sets and for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of the audience wherein an individual one of said broadcast stations includes means for selecting one of said plurality of task sets for retransmission of the first portion of a selected task set to the members of the audience at a time fitting into a program structure of said one broadcast station;
means provided to individual ones of said audience members for receiving a program and the first portion of the selected task set transmitted by an individual one of said broadcast stations to which the audience members are tuned;
means provided to individual audience members for entering a response to the task;
means at a central location for receiving and for storing the second portion of the selected task set; and
means at said central location for evaluating an entered response to determine whether the entered response is an acceptable response.
84. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a transmitter for sequentially transmitting recorded tasks of a plurality of task sets, a task set comprising the task and accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
a taped record of tasks;
a playback facility operatively coupled to said transmitter for playing back said taped record;
a plurality of broadcast stations for receiving said tasks and for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of the audience, wherein an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations includes means for selecting one of said tasks for retransmission of the task to the audience members at a time fitting into a program structure of the one broadcast station;
means provided to the audience members for receiving the programs and the tasks transmitted by an individual one of said broadcast stations to which the audience members are tuned;
means provided to individual audience members for entering responses to the task;
a taped record of the response criteria directed to at least one of said tasks;
means at a central location for evaluating an entered response to the task in accordance with said response criteria to determine whether the entered response is an acceptable response;
means for communicating the entered response to said evaluation means;
the playback facility operatively coupled to said evaluating means for playing back said response-criteria record to said evaluating means; and
means for informing results of a response to an audience member who has entered acceptable response.
85. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a plurality of transmitters for transmitting disparate programs of a plurality of broadcast stations;
a further transmitter for sequentially transmitting a plurality of tasks and accompanying response criteria defining acceptable responses;
means at individual ones of said broadcast stations for receiving said plurality of tasks;
at the individual ones of said stations, means for selecting and means for storing a received task;
means at the individual ones of stations for retransmitting a stored task at a convenient determined time;
means at locations of said audience members for receiving a retransmitted task;
means at said members' locations for entering responses to the task; and
means operatively connected to said entering means for receiving said response criteria and for determining whether the member's response is an acceptable response.
86. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a plurality of transmitters for transmitting disparate programs of a plurality of broadcast stations;
a further transmitter for sequentially transmitting a plurality of tasks and accompanying response criteria defining acceptable responses;
means at individual ones of said broadcast stations for receiving said plurality of tasks;
means at the individual ones of said stations for selecting and storing a received task;
means at the individual broadcast ones of said stations for retransmitting a stored task at a convenient determined time;
means at locations of said audience members for receiving a transmitted task;
means at said members' locations for entering a response to the task;
means at a central location for receiving said response criteria;
mean for transmitting a member's entered response to said central location; and
means at said central location for comparing the member's entered responses to the accompanying response criteria to determine whether the member's entered response is an acceptable response.
87. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
transmitting facilities for sequentially transmitting a plurality of recorded task sets, each of said task sets comprising a first portion providing the task and a second portion providing accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
means at each of said transmitting facilities for playing back said recorded task sets;
a plurality of broadcast stations for receiving portions of said task and for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of said audience, wherein an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations includes means for selecting one of a plurality of tasks for retransmission of the first portion of one of said task sets to the members of said audience at a time fitting into a program structure of said individual broadcast station;
means provided to the members of said audience for receiving a program and the first portion of each task set transmitted by one of said plurality of broadcast stations, individual members of the audience being tuned to individual ones of said broadcast stations;
means operable by the individual audience members for entering the response to the task;
means for receiving the second portion of a transmitted task set for use of the response criteria of said second portion for evaluating the member's response; and
means for evaluating entered responses of the members of the audience to determine whether a response is an acceptable response.
88. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
a transmitter for sequentially transmitting recorded tasks of a plurality of task sets, each of said task sets comprising the task and accompanying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
a taped record of tasks;
a playback facility operatively coupled with said transmitter for playing back said taped record of tasks;
a plurality of broadcast stations for receiving said tasks and for broadcasting disparately structured programs to the members of said audience, wherein an individual one of said plurality of broadcast stations includes means for selecting one of said tasks for retransmission of the task to the audience members at a time fitting into a program structure of said individual one of the broadcast stations;
means provided to the audience members for receiving a program and the task transmitted by the individual one of said broadcast stations to which the audience members are tuned;
means provided to the members of the audience for entering responses to the task;
the taped record of response criteria pertaining to one or more of said tasks;
a playback facility for playing back said taped record of response criteria;
means for receiving said response criteria from said playback facility; and
means for evaluating the responses entered by the audience members in accordance with said response criteria to determine whether individual ones of entered responses are acceptable responses.
89. A system for conducting a game for members of an audience and for entering successful ones of the members in a sweepstakes, the system comprising:
means at a central location for transmitting by cable or over the air a task to the members of the audience, said task calling for an acceptable response defined by response evaluation instructions;
means at locations of said members for receiving said task;
response means operable by a member of said audience for entering a response to the task;
at the central location, an evaluation facility having evaluation means including a memory storing the response-evaluation instructions to determine the acceptable response by a successful member of the audience;
means at the central location for transmitting by the cable or over the air the response-evaluation instructions to said evaluation facility;
means for communicating an audience member's entered response to said evaluation facility;
means for identifying a member through use, by said member, of said response means;
means for storing identifications of successful members;
means for entering identified successful members in the sweepstakes;
means for conducting the sweepstakes to determine at least one winner; and
means for informing winners of said sweepstakes.
90. A system for conducting a sweepstakes for members of the audiences of broadcast stations, comprising:
a plurality of broadcast stations broadcasting respective individual programs;
means for conveying to said broadcast stations at least one of a task set for broadcasting by an individual one of said stations to an audience of the one station at a point in time fitting into a program structure of said individual broadcast station;
means at the locations of individual audience members of said broadcast station for receiving a task of the task set;
means at the locations of the members of the audience of said individual broadcast station for entering a response to the task;
a central response evaluation facility having a memory for storing response criteria electronically received, said response criteria defining an acceptable response to an accompanying task;
a communications link between said response entering means and said response evaluation facility for communicating a respondent's response and identification to said evaluation facility;
means at said evaluation facility for determining a successful respondent by comparing a respondent's entered response to accompanying response criteria;
means for entering the identification of successful respondents in the sweepstakes;
means for conducting the sweepstakes by randomly determining a winner; and
means for informing a winning respondent of a result of the sweepstakes.
91. A system for conducting a sweepstakes for members of the audiences of broadcast stations, comprising:
a plurality of broadcast stations broadcasting respective individual programs;
means for conveying to said broadcast stations at least one task for broadcasting, by an individual one of said broadcast stations, to an audience of the one station at a point in time fitting into a program structure of said one broadcast station;
means at the locations of individual ones of said audience members of said individual broadcast stations for receiving a task;
at each of said members' locations, a response unit operable by an identified audience member comprising means for entering a response to the task, a memory for storing a response criteria electronically received, said response criteria defining an acceptable response to an accompanying task, and means for evaluating the response by comparing an entered task with accompanying response criteria to determine the acceptable response by an identified successful respondent;
a central storage facility for respondent's identification;
a communications link between said response unit and said storage facility for communicating a successful respondent's identification to said storage facility;
means for entering the identification of successful respondents in the sweepstakes;
means for conducting the sweepstakes by randomly determining a winner; and
means for informing a winning respondent of a result of the sweepstakes.
92. A system for conducting a survey or poll comprising:
means for transmitting electronic signals eliciting responses to questions by members of a polling audience at remote locations;
signal receiving means at the locations of said audience members;
means at said members' locations, for entering the responses to survey questions;
a central response data storage facility;
means for electronically communicating response data from members' locations to said data storage facility;
means at a central location for identifying responding members;
means at the central location for entering the responding members in a sweepstakes;
means for conducting the sweepstakes; and
means for informing the responding members of the audience who are sweepstakes winners.
93. A method according to any one of claims 54, 55, and 60 wherein successful respondents' identifications are stored at a storage location prior to being entered in the sweepstakes or prize event, the method further comprising steps by respondents of
granting or withholding authorization to an operator of the sweepstakes or prize event to announce the identities of winners of the sweepstakes or prize event on the air by including such granting or withholding information in an entered response; and
rewarding respondents who have entered an acceptable answer at a higher level of difficulty with two or more entries into the sweepstakes or prize event.
94. A method according to claim 56 further comprising a step of erasing the response criteria in accordance with programming signals received from a central location, wherein all of said task sets differ, and the program structures of stations differ.
95. A method according to any one of claims 70 and 71 wherein the stations receive the tasks and response evaluation criteria, further comprising a step of
transmitting the tasks by the broadcast stations to the broadcast station's audiences and transmitting, by the broadcast stations, the response evaluation criteria to said central facility, wherein there is more than one acceptable response to one of the tasks, the acceptable response is further rewarded with a prize printed on a hard copy record such as a monetary coupon, and the broadcast stations include radio stations and over the air and cable TV stations.
96. A method according to any one of claims 58, 59, 60 and 61 further comprising a step of rewarding the acceptable response with higher scores with two or more entries into the sweepstakes or the prize event, wherein said response unit includes comparing, evaluating, scoring and printing means at the locations of the audience members.
97. A method according to any one of claims 56, 66, and 76 further comprising a step of presenting said task in a pictorial, schematic, or graphic form understandable by people speaking different languages, wherein said entering means comprises a keypad or a touch screen.
98. A method according to any one of claims 62 and 66 further comprising a step of providing response criteria with an indication of the time allowed for responding to a task, wherein said central facility is a telephone hub or telephone exchange, and a broadcast transmission includes a plurality of different radio program signals.
99. A method according to any one of claims 57, 58, 66 and 67 wherein said informing step includes notifying the audience member who has entered the acceptable response by means of a taped voice message automatically conveyed to said member on a telephone line, the method further comprising
identifying the audience member having entered the acceptable response via automatic number identification; and
storing the identities of the audience members having entered the acceptable response.
100. A method according to any one of claims 58 and 70 wherein said step of informing of audience members is done through broadcasting, or is done visually or audibly by a member's response means, and wherein a task set does not exceed a determined time interval in length.
101. A method according to claim 76 wherein said informing step provides information of the audience members, and is done by dispensing hard copy records generated by respective ones of said response units.
102. A method according to claim 101 wherein each of said hard copy records is a coupon, and the method includes a step of providing a value to a record commensurate with knowledge or skill displayed by an audience member.
103. A method according to claim 102 wherein said step of determining at least one time gap provides for a plurality of time gaps at each station of said plurality of broadcast stations, said record has monetary value, said hard copy records are numbered or coded by said response units, there are a plurality of said time gaps, there are further task sets to be broadcast during said time gaps, and said task sets differ.
104. A method according to claim 101 further comprising a step of printing each of said hard copy records in the form of a coupon or voucher, wherein said hard copy record is prenumbered or precoded, and wherein a task question in a sponsored quiz relates to a commercial, products, or an institutional advertisement of the quiz sponsor.
105. A method according to claim 101 wherein individual ones of said hard copy records are numbered or coded by respective individual ones of said response units in accordance with instructional signals, each of said response units includes means for scoring the acceptable response in accordance with the response criteria, the programs of said plurality of broadcast stations differ with the programs of different ones of said stations providing different television programs, and said method includes a further step of scoring the acceptable response.
106. A method according to any one of claims 61 and 64 further comprising a step of rewarding an audience member having entered an acceptable response to the task, in addition to an entry into the sweepstakes, with a prize or a printout or a monetary coupon, generated at the location of the audience member entering the acceptable response.
107. A method according to claim 73 wherein each of said time intervals is of predetermined duration, the response criteria portion of the task set is received by the audience members' response units, the method further comprising a step of evaluating the response by the response unit at the location of an audience member.
108. A method according to claim 73 wherein each of said time intervals has a duration at least equal to a time required for the transmission of the task set and, wherein, in the case of the task set involving a prediction of an event, the method further comprises a step of storing predictions by the audience members, and said event takes place before the end of one of the programs broadcast by a station, results are made known followed by a step of entering correct or acceptable responses in a sweepstakes.
109. A method according to claim 73 wherein each of said time intervals has a duration of the order of 15-120 seconds, there being more than one acceptable response to the task, the method further comprising a step of evaluating the response by the response unit at the location of an audience member.
110. A method according to any one of claims 57 and 59 further comprising steps of coding or scrambling the quiz prior to said step of transmitting the quiz, and decoding or descrambling of said quiz by an individual network station prior to retransmitting said quiz to the individual network station's audience.
111. A method according to any one of claims 57, 58 and 59 further comprising steps of entering the audience member having entered an acceptable response in the sweepstakes, the programs of the various stations differing with respect to at least one of the program materials consisting of program content and the chronological structure of program segments.
112. A method according to any one of claims 54 and 62 further comprising steps of receiving response criteria at a central evaluation hub, and evaluating responses of the audience members at said hub in accordance with said response criteria.
113. A method according to claim 73 further comprising a step of establishing a time allowed for generating the response, wherein a task set and time allowed do not exceed said at least one time interval in length and, wherein said broadcast facilities includes television and radio stations, there being a further step of rewarding acceptable responses with higher scores with two or more entries in a sweepstakes.
114. A method according to any one of claims 55, 60 and 61 wherein there is a time required for transmitting the task set to be between 15 and 120 seconds, the method includes a further step of announcing winners of sweepstakes prizes on the air prior to an end of a program presenting the task and, wherein, the task set is part of a sponsored quiz and a task question in the sponsored quiz relates to a commercial, a product, or an institutional advertisement of a quiz sponsor.
115. A method according to any one of claims 58, 60 and 61 further comprising steps of scoring the acceptable response by means of said response unit, and coding response criteria signals.
116. A method according to any one of claims 71, 72, 73 and 75 wherein transmission of the task set is accomplished by transmission over the air or by cable.
117. A method according to claim 71 wherein, in said transmitting step, said transmitting facility transmits successive task sets 24 hours per day, the tasks of the task set being transmitted by satellite.
118. A method according to claim 69 wherein, in said transmitting step, said first central facility transmits successive tasks 24 hours per day, the tasks being transmitted by satellite.
119. A method according to any one of claims 58, 59, 60, 61 and 66 wherein the response unit includes means for generating a record of the acceptable response, and said method includes a further step of generating a record of a member's scored response by means of said response unit.
120. A method according to claim 67 wherein, in said step of determining at said evaluation facility, said evaluation facility stores first acceptable answer signals received until the receipt of subsequent second acceptable answer signals of a respondent, said second answer signals superseding said first answer signals.
121. A method according to claim 120 further comprising a step, following a determination of a winning response, of erasing the response criteria in accordance with programming signals from a central location.
122. A method according to claim 54 wherein said step of inserting questions includes inserting a task with one of said questions, said task requiring a prediction of an event by the audience members, said event taking place before the end of a program broadcast by a station, and wherein outcome data of said event are determined after the occurrence of said event.
123. A method according to claim 54 wherein said step of inserting questions includes inserting a task with one of said questions, said task requiring a prediction of an event by the audience members, said event taking place before the end of a program broadcast by a station, and wherein outcome data of said event are determined prior to the occurrence of said event.
124. A method according to any one of claims 60 and 61 wherein said step of broadcasting task sets includes inserting the task requiring a prediction of an event by the audience members, said event taking place before the end of a program broadcast by a station, and wherein outcome data of said event are determined after the occurrence of said event.
125. A method according to any one of claims 60 and 61 wherein said step of broadcasting task sets includes inserting the task requiring a prediction of an event by audience members, said event taking place before the end of a program broadcast by a station, and wherein outcome data of said event are determined prior to the occurrence of said event.
126. A method according to any one of claims 62 and 66 wherein said central facility is a central telephone facility, the method further comprising a step of electronically debiting participating ones of the audience members with amounts charged for use of said central facility or crediting participating individual ones of the audience members who have been awarded a monetary prize for acceptable responses.
127. A method according to claim 126 further comprising a step of storing identifications of responding successful audience members at a central location prior to being entered in said sweepstakes.
128. A method according to any one of claims 60 and 61 wherein said step of broadcasting task sets includes inserting the task requiring a prediction of an event by the audience members, and said determining step occurs prior to said event taking place.
129. A method according to claim 128 further comprising a step of including in responses of the audience members a granting or withholding of authorization to an operator of the broadcasting from the central location to announce identities of the audience members on the air by including such notification in audience members' entered responses.
130. A method according to claim 129 further comprising a step of conveying the identities of sweepstakes winners to said network stations for announcing winners on the air prior to the ends of the programs.
131. A method according to any one of claims 60 and 61 wherein said step of broadcasting task sets includes inserting the task requiring a prediction of an event by the audience members, and said determining step occurs following said event having taken place.
132. A method according to any one of claims 57 and 59 further comprising steps of storing all entered members in the central receiving and storing means for the duration of a program, and entering all stored members in the sweepstakes near the end of the program and, wherein the quiz is retransmitted by a station prior to or following a commercial, station break or other program interruption.
133. A method according to claim 66 further comprising steps of storing all entered members in the central facility for the duration of a program, and entering all stored members in the sweepstakes near the end of the program and, wherein a task is retransmitted by a station prior to or following a commercial, station break or other program interruption.
134. A method according to any one of claims 60, 61, 70, 71 and 72 wherein the response criteria portion of the task set is received by a station and retransmitted by said station with the task portion of the task, set the method further comprising a step of evaluating responses at locations of the audience members.
135. A method according to any one of claims 60, 61, 70, 71 and 72 wherein the task sets of said plurality of task sets are disparate, the method further comprising steps of presenting the task sets in at least two languages, and including trivial questions within the task set wherein the trivial questions relate to commercials, products, or other aspects of an advertiser or institutional advertising.
136. A system according to any one of claims 80, 81, 82, 83 and 84 further comprising means for coding or scrambling a task portion of the task set prior to transmission, and means connecting with said evaluation means for descrambling said task portion.
137. A system according to any one of claims 80, 81, 82 and 84 wherein said receiving means and said entering means share a common touch-sensitive display screen which serves for presentation of data and for entering responses.
138. A system according to any one of claims 78, 79, 80 and 81 further comprising means at locations of said audience members for generating a hard copy record containing successful response information.
139. A system according to claim 138, wherein said record is in the form of a magnetic card or a token having monetary value.
140. A system according to claim 80 further comprising
means coupled to said transmitter for coding or scrambling a portion of the task set and means at the individual ones of said broadcast stations for decoding or descrambling said portion of the task set;
means for presenting a question from the task at remote locations of the audience members at least partially in visual form; and
wherein said entering means is operative with an enhanced telephone having visual presentation means.
141. A system according to claim 85 further comprising
means coupled to said further transmitter for coding or scrambling task portions and means at the individual ones of said broadcast stations for decoding or descrambling said portions;
means for presenting a question from the task at remote locations of the audience members at least partially in visual form; and
wherein said entering means is operative with an enhanced telephone having visual presentation means.
142. A system according to claim 90 further comprising:
means coupled to said conveying means for coding or scrambling task portions and means at individual ones of said broadcast stations for decoding or descrambling said portions;
means for presenting a question from the task at remote locations of the audience members at least partially in visual form; and
wherein said response entering means is operative with an enhanced telephone having visual presentation means.
143. A system according to claim 91 wherein said response unit includes means for outputting a record of the response and an indication of acceptability of said response.
144. A system according to claim 143 wherein said record has the form of a token having value, or a discount coupon, and wherein said communications link includes an enhanced telephone incorporating a touch-sensitive display screen.
145. A system according to claim 144 wherein said coupon carries discounts on a plurality of alternative products, said coupon being suitable for earmarking by a shopper of a preferred product selected from a plurality of products.
146. A system according to claim 143 wherein said record is a hard copy record.
147. A system according to claim 146 wherein said hard copy record has monetary value, said system being adapted to dispense said record at a central location.
148. A system according to any one of claims 84, 87 and 88 wherein there is a recorded program including said tasks, and wherein the system includes a central facility for storage of a plurality of acceptable responses to said tasks in a memory.
149. A system according to any one of claims 81, 82 and 84 further comprising means coupled to said entering means and responsive to signals of said response criteria for limiting participants to a predetermined period of time for entering responses.
150. A system according to any one of claims 81, 82 and 83 further comprising means at the central location coupled to said evaluating means for rewarding a responding audience member for an acceptable entered answer by crediting an awarded amount to the account of the responding audience member.
151. A system according to claim 150 including means, coupled to said rewarding means, for debiting a participant's account with an amount charged for participating in the game.
152. A system for conducting a game for members of a broadcast audience in which a member's response to a task is evaluated in accordance with response criteria, the system comprising:
transmitters for transmitting disparate programs of a plurality of broadcast stations to a plurality of audiences in different geographic locations;
central transmitting means for sequentially transmitting a plurality of tasks and accompanying response criteria defining acceptable responses;
means at said broadcast stations for receiving said plurality of tasks;
means at individual broadcast stations for retransmitting tasks selected from said plurality of tasks at convenient determined times, said tasks being followed by accompanying, machine-readable response criteria, said tasks and the response criteria being retransmitted by at least some of said stations at different times;
means at said members' locations for receiving a retransmitted task and the response criteria from the individual broadcast stations to which the members are tuned for the time of retransmission;
means at said members' locations for entering a response to the task received from one of said stations, and means operatively connected to said entering means for receiving and reading the response criteria and means for determining whether a member's response is an acceptable response by comparing an entered response to the acceptable response.
153. A method for conducting a game for members of a plurality of different broadcast audiences in which members' responses to a task are evaluated in accordance with response criteria, comprising the steps of:
by means of a plurality of broadcast stations, transmitting signals concurrently conveying a plurality of different programs having different program structures to different audiences;
providing to said plurality of stations a plurality of different task sets, a task set including the task and accompanying response criteria defining an acceptable response;
by means of individual ones of said broadcast stations, selecting and transmitting to their respective audiences the task chronologically fitting into a station's program structures, which transmissions by different individual stations occur at different times;
by means of the individual ones of said broadcast stations, transmitting machine-readable response criteria accompanying the task;
receiving by audience members the task at the tim