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United States Patent
5697844
Von Kohorn
December 16, 1997
Title
System and method for playing games and rewarding successful players
Abstract
A system and method 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 television signals. At each of a plurality of remote receiving stations, one or more members of a remote audience has the opportunity to respond to a task or situation presented in the television program by entering a response vocally or on a keyboard. The system may include a video game machine suitable for playing commercially available games such as an NINTENDO game or a SEGA game, and wherein such game may be played back from a recording. The system includes response evaluation circuitry, 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. Electronic circuitry for evaluation and scoring purposes may be located at a remote station and/or a central location. Multiple players at a common game may be ranked in their performance, and games may be interrupted for a sponsor's message, and wherein a response to the message may serve as a basis for an enhanced score.
Inventors:
Von Kohorn; Henry
(Vero Beach,
FL
)
Assignee:
Response Reward Systems, L.C.
(Vero Beach,
FL
)
Appl. No.:
615472
Filed:
March 8, 1996
Current U.S. Class:
463/40
Field of Search:
370/310,345,346 371/67.1,68.1,68.2 463/40,41,42,43,17,25 348/13,14,17 379/90,92 455/2,4.1,5.1
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Other References
Rand Report No. R-88-MF, Bear, Nov. 1971. .
Sync (catalog), pp. 2 and 3, Advertisement entitled "Now You Can Beat The Contestants On TV's Most Popular Game Show", 1988..~
Primary Examiner:
Manuel; George
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Perman & Green, LLP
Parent Case Text
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/226,073 filed Apr. 11, 1994 which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/025,397 filed Feb. 25, 1993 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,731, which 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. 07/192,355, filed May 10, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,255, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 06/837,827 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.: 06/837,827.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for playing a game sponsored by an advertiser and for rewarding successful players with a prize, comprising the steps of:
transmitting from a central location a first signal group comprising signals conveying a game including a task to which players at their locations are intended to respond, said signals of said first signal group further conveying response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to a task by a successful player and governing a scoring of a response of the successful player, the player responding to a task;
scoring a player's response in accordance with said response criteria to determine a successful player's first prize value;
transmitting information regarding the player's first prize information to the advertiser;
following receipt of said information, the advertiser formatting players' prize enhancing instructions;
transmitting to players' locations a second signal group comprising signals conveying product information of the advertiser and prize enhancing instructions of the advertiser to determine a player's total prize value;
enhancing a player's first prize value in accordance with said instructions to determine the player's total prize value;
providing at a location of the player a recording device programmable by signals of said second signal group;
programming said recording device by said signals; and
said recording device generating a record displaying said product information and the player's total prize information.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said recording device is a printer.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said recording device is a generator of magnetized, optic, or electric-circuit chip-containing cards.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of responding by a player is accomplished vocally by means of voice activation circuitry.
5. A game playing system including a player rewarding system at least partially controlled by an advertiser, comprising:
audio-visual means for presenting a recorded video game including a task to which players are intended to respond;
individual player's means for playing the video game and responding to the task;
means for formatting response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to the task and for determining a player's response score;
means for storing formatted response criteria;
means for scoring a player's response in accordance with response criteria to determine the value of a successful player's first award;
means controlled by an advertiser for formatting value adding instructions for adding value to a successful player's first award value;
means for adding value to a successful player's first award value in accordance with value adding instructions to determine the player's total award value;
means for communicating the players total award information to token generating means at a location of the player; and
means for generating a successful player's award token indicating the total award value.
6. A system according to claim 5 wherein said response criteria storing means are located at a central location.
7. A system according to claim 5 wherein said storing means stores scoring criteria at the location of a player.
8. A system according to claim 5 wherein said means for playing the video game comprises voice activation means for entering a play vocally on the playing means.
9. A game playing system including a player rewarding system at least partially controlled by an advertiser, comprising:
audio-visual means for presenting a recorded video game including a task to which players are intended to respond;
individual players' means for responding to the game and to the task;
means for formatting response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to the task, and for determining a player's response score;
means for storing formatted response criteria;
means for scoring a player's response in accordance with the response criteria to determine the value of a successful player's first award;
means controlled by an advertiser for formatting value adding instructions for adding value to the successful players first award value;
means for adding value to the successful player's first award value in accordance with the value adding instructions to determine a player's total award value;
means for storing an advertiser's promotional information suitable for display on a coupon;
a coupon generator at a player's location;
means for communicating promotional information and a player's total award value information to said coupon generator at the player's location; and
wherein said coupon generator generates a successful player's award coupon displaying the advertiser's promotional information and indicating the player's total award value.
10. A system according to claim 9 wherein the response criteria are stored at a central location.
11. A system according to claim 9 wherein the response criteria are stored at players' locations.
12. A system according to claim 9 wherein a player's response is scored at a central location.
13. A system according to claim 9 wherein a player's response is scored at the player's location.
14. A system according to claim 9 wherein said responding means includes voice activation means enabling a player to provide a response vocally.
15. A system for playing a game and rewarding successful players with a promotional award coupon, the system comprising:
audio-visual means for presenting a recorded video game including a task to which players are intended to respond;
individual players' means for responding to the game and the tasks;
means for formatting response criteria for scoring a player's response to determine a successful player's award;
means for scoring a player's response in accordance with said response criteria to determine a successful player's award;
means for storing at a central location an advertiser's formatted promotional information suitable for display on a coupon;
a central transmitter for transmitting signals conveying the promotional information;
means at players' locations for receiving the promotional information signals;
a coupon generator at a player's location, and means for communicating a successful player's award information to the coupon generator; and
wherein said coupon generator is responsive to the promotional information signals for generating a successful player's award coupon, displaying promotional information and indicating the value of an award.
16. A system according to claim 15 wherein said response criteria are stored at a central location.
17. A system according to claim 15 wherein said response criteria are stored at players' locations.
18. A system according to claim 15 wherein a player's response is evaluated and/or scored at a central location.
19. A system according to claim 15 wherein a player's response is evaluated and/or scored at the player's location.
20. A system according to claim 15 wherein said responding means includes voice activation means enabling a player to provide a response vocally.
21. A game playing and player rewarding system, comprising:
means at the locations of a plurality of players for playing back and presenting a recorded video game;
a recording of a video game including at least one task to which players are intended to respond, the recording including response criteria useful for scoring players' responses;
means for computing a player's score based on the response criteria and a first award value based on the player's score;
means at a central facility for formatting value adding instructions to add value to a first award of an individual one of said players;
means for adding value to the player's first award in accordance with value adding instructions to determine the value of a players total award;
token generating means at a location of the player, and means for communicating total award information to the token generating means; and
wherein said token generating means generates a player's award token indicating the value of the total award.
22. A system according to claim 21 indicating means of communicating a player's first award value to said central facility.
23. A system for playing a game and rewarding successful players with a promotional award coupon, the system comprising:
means for storing formatted promotional information suitable for displaying on a coupon;
a central transmitter for transmitting signals conveying the promotional information;
means for receiving signals carrying the promotional information;
means at players' locations for storing the promotional information;
audio-visual means for presenting a recorded video game including a task to which players are intended to respond;
individual players' means for responding to the game and the task;
means for storing formatted response criteria for evaluating and scoring player's responses to determine a successful player's award;
means for evaluating and for scoring a player's response in accordance with said response criteria to determine a successful player's award;
a coupon generator at a player's location, and means for communicating the promotional information and a player's award information to the coupon generator; and
wherein the coupon generator generates a successful player's award coupon displaying the promotional information and indicating the value of the award.
24. A system according to any one of claims 5, 9, 15, 21 and 23 wherein said game comprises a multiplicity of tasks, and said scoring means is operative to score player responses to said multiplicity of tasks.
25. A system according to any one of claims 21 and 23 further comprising;
first playback means for playing back the recorded video game at a first central location;
means at a second central location for transmitting signals carrying the recorded video game to the players' locations over the air or by cable;
means for receiving the transmitted video game signals at the players' locations;
means for storing the received video game signals at the players' locations; and
second playback means for playing back the stored video game at the players' locations.
26. A video game playing system comprising:
a game machine for presenting to a player a play-back recording of a task-containing game;
individual players' means for responding to a task;
means for formatting, by a host, response criteria defining at least one acceptable response;
a microprocessor for determining a player's first award for an acceptable response;
means, under an advertiser's control, for formatting instructional signals for enhancing the player's first award;
means for storing said instructional signals;
means for transmitting an advertiser's instructional signals for enhancing the player's first award following a determination of the first award;
means for receiving and for storing said instructional signals at a player's location;
means for enhancing the player's first award in accordance with said instructional signals; and
a token generator for generating a player's token having recorded thereon a player's enhanced award.
27. A system according to claim 26 wherein said responding means includes voice activation means enabling a player to provide a response vocally.
28. A video game playing system comprising:
a game machine for presenting to a player a played-back recording of a game including a task;
individual players' means for responding to the task;
a microprocessor for computing a player's game playing score and for determining a player's award;
means for providing an advertiser's instructional signals;
means for transmitting the advertiser's instructional signals to enable enhancement of the player's award;
a receiver operably coupled to said microprocessor for receiving said instructional signals;
means coupled to said receiver for enhancing the player's score in accordance with said instructional signals; and
a token generator for generating a player's token having recorded thereon the player's score enhanced in accordance with the advertiser's instructions.
29. A system according to claim 28 wherein said responding means includes voice activation means enabling a player to provide a response vocally.
30. A system according to any one of claims 26 and 28 wherein said game is a video game comprising a multiplicity of tasks, and said microprocessor is operative to enlarge said first award in correspondence with player responses to said multiplicity of tasks.
31. A video game system comprising:
a game machine for presenting a game containing a task to which players are to respond, players' response means for responding to the task, and computing means for tallying a player's award based on a response to the task;
central means under an advertiser's control for transmitting instructional'signals;
means governed by said instructional signals for enhancing the player's award;
a token generator, and a communication link between said enhancement means and said token generator, said token generator being at a player's location; and
wherein said token generator records on a token the player's award computed in accordance with the advertiser's instructions, thereby enabling advertisers to promote products and services.
32. A system according to claim 31 wherein said game is a video game comprising a multiplicity of tasks, and said computing means is operative to enlarge said award in correspondence with player responses to said multiplicity of tasks.
33. A video game system comprising:
a game machine for presenting a game containing a task to which players are to respond, the game machine including players' response means and computing means for tallying a player's score;
central means under an advertiser's control for transmitting instructional signals;
means for receiving the instructional signals;
microprocessor means operably connected to said receiving means and governed by said instructional signals for translating the player's score into command signals capable of controlling a token generator; and
a token generator for recording on a token a player's score inputted in accordance with the advertiser's instructions.
34. A system according to claim 33 wherein said game is a video game comprising a multiplicity of tasks, and said computing means is operative to enlarge said player's score in correspondence with player responses to said multiplicity of tasks.
35. A system according to any one of claims 5, 9, 15, 28, 31 and 33 further comprising;
first playback means for playing back the recorded video game at a first central location;
means at a second central location for transmitting signals carrying the recorded video game to players' locations over the air or by cable;
means for receiving the transmitted video game signals at the players' locations;
means for storing the received video game signals at the players' locations; and
second playback means for playing back the stored video game at the players' locations.
36. A system according to claim 35 wherein said first central location coincides with said second central location.
37. A system according to claim 35 wherein said first central location coincides with said second central location.
38. A method for dispensing promotional award coupons sponsored by an advertiser, comprising the steps of:
presenting a task to players at their individual locations, to which task the players are intended to respond;
players responding to said task;
formulating at a central location response criteria to determine a successful player's first award for responding to said task;
determining the successful player's first award;
formulating by an advertiser a successful player's additional award to result in a total award;
formulating product information by an advertiser;
providing a coupon generator at a player's location;
communicating award information to said generator;
communicating product information to said generator; and
generating a successful player's promotional award coupon displaying an advertiser's product information and the player's total award, said award coupon being provided by said generator.
39. A method according to claim 38 wherein a player's response is to be made on electronic equipment having voice activation circuitry, and said responding step is accomplished vocally by means of the voice activation circuitry.
40. A method according to claim 38 wherein said step of presenting said task includes a step of playing back a recorded video game at a central location, and a carrying of the recorded video game over the air or by cable transmission; and
wherein the method further comprises steps of receiving transmitted video game signals at the players' locations;
storing the transmitted video signals at the players' locations; and
playing back a stored video game at respective ones of said players' locations.
41. A method for playing a game sponsored by an advertiser and for rewarding successful players with a prize, comprising the steps of:
transmitting from a first location a first signal group comprising signals conveying a game including a task to which players at remote locations are intended to respond, and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to a task and governing the scoring of a successful player's response;
a player responding to the task;
scoring a player's response in accordance with the response criteria to determine a player's first prize value;
transmitting information regarding the player's first prize value to a central location communicatively connected to an advertiser's location;
transmitting from a second location communicatively connected to an advertiser's location a second signal group comprising signals conveying an advertiser's product information and an advertiser's instructions governing the enhancing of a successful player's first prize value to determine a total prize value;
providing means for receiving said second signal group;
providing means for enhancing the player's first prize value in accordance with said instructional signals;
enhancing the player's first prize value in accordance with said instructional signals to determine the player's total prize value;
providing a device for displaying the player's total prize value and;
displaying the player's total prize value.
42. A method according to claim 41 wherein said device for displaying the total prize value is a generator of tokens displaying the total prize value.
43. A method according to claim 41 wherein said device for displaying the total prize value is a generator of coupons displaying product information and a player's total prize value.
44. A method according to claim 41 wherein said first location coincides with said second location.
45. A method according to claim 41 wherein said first location is distant from said second location.
46. A method according to claim 41 wherein a player's response is to be made on electronic equipment having voice activation circuitry, and said responding step is accomplished vocally by means of the voice activation circuitry.
47. A method for playing a game and for rewarding successful players at their locations with a prize, comprising the steps of:
transmitting from a central location a first signal group comprising signals conveying a game including a task to which players are intended to respond, and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to the task and governing the scoring of a successful player's response;
a player responding to the task;
scoring a player's response to the task in accordance with the response criteria to determine a first prize value;
transmitting toward the players' locations a second signal group comprising signals conveying an advertiser's product information, and an advertiser's instructions governing an enhancing of the successful player's first prize value to determine a total prize value;
enhancing the players first prize value in accordance with said instructions to determine the player's total prize value; and
informing the player of said total prize value.
48. A method for playing a game and for rewarding successful players at their locations with a prize, comprising the steps of:
transmitting from a central location a first signal group comprising signals conveying a game including a task to which players are intended to respond, and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to the task and governing the scoring of a successful player's response;
a player responding to the task;
scoring a player's response to the task in accordance with the response criteria to determine a first prize value;
transmitting toward the players' locations a second signal group comprising signals conveying an advertiser's product information, and an advertiser's instructions governing an enhancing of the successful player's first prize value to determine a total prize value;
enhancing the player's first prize value in accordance with said instructions to determine the player's total prize value; and
creating a record of the player's total prize value.
49. A method for playing a game and for rewarding successful players at their locations with a prize, comprising the steps of:
transmitting from a central location a first signal group comprising signals conveying a game including a task to which players are intended to respond, and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to the task and governing the scoring of a successful player's response;
a player responding to the task;
scoring a player's response to the task in accordance with the response criteria to determine a first prize value;
transmitting toward the players' locations a second signal group comprising signals conveying an advertiser's product information, and an advertiser's instructions governing an enhancing of the successful player's first prize value to determine a total prize value;
enhancing the players first prize value in accordance with said instructions to determine the player's total prize value; and
making the benefit of said prize available to the player.
50. A method according to any one of claims 1, 41, 47, 48 and 49 wherein said game is a video game comprising a multiplicity of tasks, said method including additional steps of responding to said multiplicity of tasks.
51. A method for playing a game and for rewarding successful players at their locations with a prize, comprising the steps of:
transmitting from a central location a first signal group comprising signals conveying a game including a task to which players are intended to respond, and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to the task and governing the scoring of a successful player's response, said game being a video game or a radio game;
a player responding to the task;
scoring a player's response to the task in accordance with the response criteria to determine a first prize value;
transmitting toward the players' locations a second signal group comprising signals conveying an advertiser's product information, and an advertiser's instructions governing an enhancing of the successful player's first prize value to determine a total prize value;
enhancing the players first prize value in accordance with said instructions to determine the player's total prize value;
providing a token generator at the player's location; and
recording by the generator on a token of said generator the product information and the successful player's total prize value.
52. A method according to claim 51 wherein said game comprises a multiplicity of tasks, said method including additional steps of responding to said multiplicity of tasks.
53. A method according to any one of claims 41, 47, 48, 49 and 51 wherein the game has been stored, there being additional steps of generating played back signals for conveying the game, there being a further step of transmitting the played back signals at least partially by a TV station for reception at players' locations.
54. A method according to any one of claims 1, 41, 47, 48, 49 and 51 wherein said step of transmitting said first signal group includes a step of playing back a recorded video game at a central location, and a carrying of the recorded video game over the air or by cable transmission; and
wherein the method further comprises steps of receiving transmitted video game signals at the players' locations;
storing the transmitted video signals at the players' locations; and
playing back a stored video game at respective ones of said players' locations.
55. A system for a game to be played by a plurality of players, the game including a task to which players are intended to respond, the system comprising:
a recording of a program comprising a game including at least one first task;
a device in each player's location for playing back said program recording;
activating means operable by first instructional signals for activating and deactivating a playing back of said program recording by said device;
means at player's locations for presenting a played-back program to the players;
players' means for responding to a first task;
means for scoring a player's response to the first task;
central means for transmitting the first instructional signals to inhibit a presentation of said program;
means at players' locations operably connected to the playback devices at respective players' locations for receiving instructional signals;
means for transmitting signals conveying a second task to which the players are intended to respond;
means at each player's location for presenting the second task to the players;
means for transmitting second instructional signals defining at least one acceptable response to the second task and for scoring a player's response;
means for initiating a transmission of said second task signals and of said second instructional signals at essentially a time of deactivation of said playback devices;
players' means for responding to the second task;
means for scoring a player's response to the second task in accordance with said second instructional signal; and
means for transmitting third instructional signals permitting the presentation of said program.
56. A system according to claim 55 further comprising means for communicating a player's score, achieved by responding to the first task, to an operator's central location.
57. A system according to claim 55, wherein the system serves for rewarding successful players with a promotional award coupon, the system further comprising:
means at a central location for storing formatted promotional information suitable for displaying on a coupon;
a central transmitter for transmitting signals conveying said promotional information;
means at the players' locations for receiving promotional information signals;
buffer storage means at players' locations for storing promotional information;
coupon generators at respective ones of said players' locations, and means for communicating the promotional information and a player's award information to one of said coupon generators at the player's location; and
wherein each of said coupon generators serves for generating a successful player's award coupon, displaying promotional information, and indicating the value of an award.
58. A system for a game to be played by a plurality of players, the game including a task to which players are intended to respond, the system comprising:
a recording of a program comprising a game including a first task;
a device in each player's location for playing back said program recording;
activating means operable by first instructional signals for activating and deactivating a playing back of said program recording by said device;
means at player's locations for presenting a played-back program to the players;
players' means for responding to a first task;
means for scoring a player's response to the first task;
central means for transmitting the first instructional signals to inhibit a presentation of said program;
means at players' locations operably connected to the playback devices at respective players' locations for receiving said first instructional signals;
means for transmitting signals conveying a second task to which the players are intended to respond;
means at each player's location for presenting the second task to the players;
means for transmitting second instructional signals defining at least one acceptable response to the second task and for scoring a player's response;
means for initiating a transmission of said second task signals and of said second instructional signals at essentially a time of deactivation of said playback devices;
players' means for responding to the second task;
means for scoring a player's response to the second task in accordance with said second instructional signal;
means for determining the value of a player's award based on a player's scores achieved by the player's responding to the first task and to the second task;
means for transmitting third instructional signals permitting the presentation of said program;
means for storing formatted promotional information suitable for displaying on a coupon;
a central transmitter for transmitting signals conveying said promotional information;
means at the players' locations for receiving promotional information signals;
a buffer storage for receiving promotional information signals;
coupon generators at respective ones of said players' locations, and means for communicating the promotional information and a player's award information to said coupon generators; and
wherein each of said coupon generators serves for generating a successful player's award coupon, displaying promotional information, and indicating the value of an award.
59. A system for playing a game in conjunction with advertising activity, comprising:
a plurality of player locations each of which has a game playing apparatus including a display for presenting a status of the game to players, and means for entering into the apparatus plays of the game by the players;
a central station remote from said plurality of player locations, said central station having means for transmitting instructional signals to each of said player locations, said instructional signals including commands directing the playing apparatus at each of said player locations to operate in concert with advertising material for presentation of both game material and the advertising material to the players at respective ones of said locations;
wherein said advertising material includes a task to be performed by the players at respective ones of the player locations; and
said system further comprises means for scoring a player's plays on the game playing apparatus at each of the plurality of the player's locations to provide a score, said scoring means being operative to score responses of the players to said task to provide a task score, said scoring means being operative further for outputting an enhanced score based on the player score and the task score.
60. A system according to claim 59 wherein said task is incorporated within the game.
61. A system according to claim 59 wherein said task is transmitted to said player locations to be separate from said game.
62. A system according to claim 59 wherein said scoring means is operative at each of said player locations.
63. A system according to claim 59 wherein said scoring means is located at a central facility remote from said player locations, and said system includes means for communicating game plays and task responses from players at respective ones of said players locations to said central facility for scoring.
64. A system according to claim 59 further comprising a coupon generator coupled to said scoring means for outputting the enhanced score in conjunction with a message from said advertising material.
65. A system according to claim 59 wherein the direction of the playing apparatus to operate in concert with the advertising material is accomplished by presentation of the game status and the advertising material on said display by a split screen technique.
66. A system according to claim 59 wherein the direction of the playing apparatus to operate in concert with the advertising material is accomplished by presentation of the game status and the advertising material on said display by a window technique.
67. A system according to claim 59 wherein the direction of the playing apparatus to operate in concert with the advertising material is accomplished by presentation of the game status and the advertising material on said display by superposition.
68. A system according to claim 59 wherein the direction of the playing apparatus to operate in concert with the advertising material is accomplished by presentation of the game status and the advertising material on said display by interruption of a presentation of the game status for alternate display of game and advertising material.
69. A system according to claim 59 wherein said entering means comprises voice activation means for entering a play vocally on the game playing apparatus.
70. A system according to any one of claims 55, 58 and 59 wherein said game is a video game comprising a multiplicity of tasks, and said scoring means is operative to enlarge said player's score in correspondence with player responses to said multiplicity of tasks.
71. A system according to any one of claims 5, 9, 15, 21, 23, 26, 28, 55, 58 and 59 wherein there are played back signals for conveying the game, the played back signals being transmitted at least partially by a TV station for reception at players' locations.
72. A method for playing a game and for rewarding successful players at their locations with a prize, comprising the steps of:
transmitting from a central location game signals conveying a game including a task to which players are intended to respond, and response criteria defining at least one acceptable response to the task and governing the scoring of a successful player's response;
a plurality of players responding to the task at their respective locations remote from the central location;
scoring responses of the players to the task in accordance with the response criteria to determine first prize values for respective ones of said players;
ranking individual ones of said players against other ones of said players in accordance with their responses to tasks;
enhancing a player's first prize value in accordance with said ranking; and
assigning an award in accordance with an enhanced value of said first prize value.
73. A method according to claim 72 wherein said game signals comprise instructional signals and data signals setting forth a status of the game, said instructional signals including instructions for scoring a player's response to said task, and wherein said method comprises a step of transmitting said instructional signals by a burst transmission prior to transmission of said data signals.
74. A method according to claim 72 further comprising steps of grouping said players among a set of teams, and ranking performance of individual ones of said teams against other ones of said teams.
75. A method according to claim 74 further comprising steps of establishing a sequence of response intervals for players in respective ones of said teams, and alerting respective ones of the players in each of said teams to respond in designated ones of said response intervals.
76. A method according to any one of claims 72 and 75 further comprising steps of interrupting a game being played by said players at a specific time, storing positions of the players and a status of the game at said specific time, and resuming play in the game at a time subsequent to said specific time, resumption of the game being based on the stored positions and stored status.
77. A method according to claim 76 wherein, between said steps of interrupting and resumption of a game, there is inserted a further step presenting an advertising task to said players, said method further comprising steps of evaluating responses of the players to the advertising task, and enhancing a scoring of the players and of their respective teams in accordance with a scoring of the players' responses to the advertising task.
78. A method according to claim 72 or 75 wherein one of said games prescribes a task comprising a plurality of mini-tasks to be performed by said players, said method further comprising steps of performing a sequence of said mini-tasks by individual ones of said players, and scoring responses of the players to each of said mini-tasks to obtain a composite score for completion of said task.
79. A method according to claim 72 wherein said step of transmitting said game signals includes a step of playing back a recorded video game at a central location, and a carrying of the recorded video game over the air or by cable transmission; and
wherein the method further comprises steps of receiving transmitted video game signals at the players' locations;
storing the transmitted video signals at the players' locations; and
playing back a stored video game at respective ones of said players' locations.
80. A system for playing a game, comprising:
a central station and a plurality of stations remote from said central station;
two-way communication means interconnecting said central station with each of said remote stations;
data means at said central station for providing data pertaining to the conduct of a game via said communication means to each of said remote stations;
means at each of said remote stations for presenting said data to a player;
entry means at each of said remote stations for an entering of a response by a player to a game situation described by said data;
processing means including computer means at said central station for updating the game situation based on responses by players at respective ones of said remote stations;
wherein said processing means further comprises:
means responsive to player identifications entered at the entry means of respective ones of said remote stations for identifying a player's response;
means for scoring responses of respective ones of the players, and means responsive to player scores for ranking the players; and
means coupled to said scoring means for enhancing the scores of respective ones of said players based on a ranking provided by said ranking means.
81. A system according to claim 80 further comprising a source of instructional signals at said central station, said instructional signals being transmitted by said communication means to individual ones of said remote stations for directing individual ones of said players to enter their responses.
82. A system according to claim 81 wherein said communication means transmits said instructional signals via burst transmission prior to the inception of the game.
83. A system according to claim 81 wherein said communication means transmits said instructional signals via burst transmission prior to the inception of a series of games.
84. A system according to claim 80 further comprising download means located at respective ones of said remote stations for downloading instructional signals at said remote stations, said instructional signals directing individual ones of said players to enter their responses.
85. A system according to claim 80 wherein said players are grouped in teams, and said ranking includes scores obtained by teams of said players.
86. A system according to claim 80 further comprising advertising means at said central station for disseminating advertising material via said communication means to the players at said remote stations, and wherein said computer means is operative to interrupt said game for presentation of said advertising material, said computer means including memory for storage of player positions and identities of players during an interruption of said game for resumption of play of said game by said players upon a termination of said interruption.
87. A system according to any one of claims 80 or 85 or 86 further comprising timing means for designating to respective ones of said players intervals of time for entering a response.
88. A system according to claim 80 further comprising game machines located at respective ones of said remote stations and including said presenting means and said entry means of the respective ones of said remote stations, wherein at individual one of said remote stations, the game machine provides a visual representation of images movable about a display of said presenting means, and said game machine is operative to update said images in accordance with responses of the player at said individual remote station.
89. A system according to any one of claims 80 or 85 or 86 or 88 further comprising download means located at respective ones of said remote stations for downloading instructional signals and imaging signals at said remote stations, said instructional signals directing individual ones of said players to enter their responses, and said imaging signals providing pictorial representations of images to be presented to respective ones of said players during the conduct of said game.
90. A method for playing a game by a plurality of players and for evaluating players respective game playing, the method comprising:
providing a central station and a plurality of player stations remote from said central station;
providing two-way communication means interconnecting said remote stations with each other through a central station;
transmitting from said central station via said communication means data pertaining to the progress of a game played by participating players;
receiving at a player's station data pertaining to the progress of a game played by another participating player;
presenting to a participating player said data pertaining to the progress of the game played by another participating player;
providing at player's stations game playing means operated by participating players in response to another participating player's game playing;
a participating player playing the game in response to another participating player's game playing;
a participating player playing the game in response to another participating player's game playing;
providing computer means, at said central station for evaluating individual player's comparative game playing;
evaluating individual players' comparative game playing transmitted from players' remote stations to said central station;
providing means for identifying participating players' remote stations;
identifying participating players' remote stations;
formulating at a central station response criteria governing the scoring of the game playing of participating players;
storing said response criteria at a central station;
providing means for scoring the game playing of respective ones of participating players based on said response criteria;
scoring the game playing of respective ones of participating players based on said response criteria;
providing means responsive to players' scores for ranking participating players; and
ranking participating players on the basis of players' scores.
91. A system for playing a game by a plurality of players and for evaluating players' respective game playing, the system comprising:
a central station and a plurality of player stations remote from said central station;
two-way communication means interconnecting said remote stations with each other through said central station;
means at said central station for transmitting and receiving data pertaining to the progress of a game played by participating players via said communication means;
means at each of said remote stations for presenting to a participating player data pertaining to the progress of the game;
game playing means at said remote stations for playing the game by a participating player in response to another participating player's game playing;
processing means, including computer means, at said central station for evaluating individual players' comparative game playing transmitted from players' remote stations to said central station via said communications means; and
means responsive to player identifications associated with respective ones of said remote stations for identifying a player's response.
92. A system for playing a game by a plurality of players and for evaluating players' respective game playing, the system comprising:
a central station and a plurality of player stations remote from said central station;
two-way communication means interconnecting said remote stations with each other through said central station;
means at said central station for transmitting and receiving data pertaining to the progress of a game played by participating players via said communication means;
means at each of said remote stations for presenting to a participating player data pertaining to the progress of the game;
game playing means at said remote stations for playing the game by a participating player in response to another participating player's game playing;
processing means, including computer means, at said central station for evaluating individual players' comparative game playing transmitted from players' remote stations to said central station via said communications means;
means responsive to player identifications associated with respective ones of said remote stations for identifying a player's response;
means for scoring the game playing of respective ones of participating players; and
means responsive to player scores for ranking participating players.
93. A system for playing a game by a plurality of players and for evaluating players' respective game playing, the system comprising:
a central station and a plurality of player stations remote from said central station;
two-way communication means interconnecting said remote stations with each other through said central station;
means at said central station for transmitting mad receiving data pertaining to the progress of a game played by participating players via said communication means;
means at each of said remote stations for presenting to a participating player data pertaining to the progress of the game;
game playing means at said remote stations for playing the game by a participating player in response to another participating player's game playing;
means for continuously storing respective players' game positions;
processing means, including computer means, at said central station for evaluating individual players' comparative game playing transmitted from players' remote stations to said central station via said communications means;
means responsive to player identifications associated with respective ones of said remote stations for identifying a player's response;
means for scoring the game playing of respective ones of participating players; and
means responsive to player scores for ranking participating players.
94. In a communication system comprising:
at least one central station including a first computing system; and a plurality of stations remote from the central station in duplex communications with the central station;
each of the remote stations including a second computing system being operable for receiving and transforming electronic data defining a computer game into a game suitable for a player at a remote station; being operable to provide information to said first computing system as to a player's progress in playing a game; and being operable to identify the respective second computing systems to said first computing system;
each of said second computer system being operable for generating a hard copy of a report;
the improvement comprising;
said first computing system establishing duplex communications with respective second computing systems to enable the identification of respective second computing systems to said first computing system and to provide electronic data to said respective second computing systems to enable each of said second computing systems to generate a game for a player at respective remote stations; said electronic data including the capability enabling said second computing systems to provide information to said first computing system as to the progress and identification of respective second computing systems participating in the respective games;
said first computing system being operable to establish criteria for scoring the games of respective players and for establishing updates on the status of participating players in playing the game; and
said respective second computing systems being operable to use said electronic data to produce a hard copy showing the score of player at the associated second computing system based on the criteria established by the first computing system.
95. A method for evaluating responses to task setting messages transmitted from a central station to respondents distant from said central station, the method comprising steps of:
transmitting to said respondents data accompanied by task-setting messages defining tasks to be performed by individual ones of said respondents;
establishing response criteria for judging responses of respective ones of said respondents and ranking criteria for ranking respective ones of said respondents according to their respective responses;
enabling individual ones of said respondents to enter responses to said task-setting messages by performing at least one of said tasks;
applying the response criteria to the responses of respective ones of said respondents to obtain a set of evaluations of performances of the respective respondents in their responding to said tasks;
applying the ranking criteria to the evaluations of the performances; and
ranking said respondents based on said evaluations.
96. A method according to claim 95 further comprising a step of allowing interaction between a plurality of said respondents and said central station by means of communication links between the respective respondents and said central station.
97. A method according to claim 96 further comprising steps of
altering the response criteria in accordance with said interaction;
permitting further response by said respondents in accord with altered response criteria; and
repeating said ranking step with said altered response criteria.
98. A method according to claim 97 further comprising a step of modifying at least one of said tasks prior to said repeating of said ranking.
99. A method according to claim 98 further comprising a step of timing the responses of said respondents, elapsed time of said timing step being a factor in said evaluations.
100. A method according to claim 95 wherein, in said enabling step, each of a plurality of said respondents enters a sequence of responses and, in said ranking step, an individual one of said plurality of respondents obtains a rank based on a set of evaluations for the responses in the sequence of responses, thereby ranking a respondent against his own responses.
101. A method according to claim 95 wherein, in said ranking, there is a comparing of the evaluations of respective ones of said respondents, thereby ranking a respondent against other ones of said respondents.
102. A system for evaluating responses to task setting messages transmitted from a central station to respondents distant from said central station, the system comprising:
means for transmitting to said respondents data accompanied by task-setting messages defining tasks to be performed by individual ones of said respondents;
response means for enabling individual ones of said respondents to enter responses to said task-setting messages by performing at least one of said tasks;
evaluation means for evaluating the responses of respective ones of said respondents to obtain a set of evaluations of performances of the respective respondents in their responding to said tasks;
ranking means operative with the evaluations of the performances for ranking the respondents; and
criteria means for providing response criteria and ranking criteria, said criteria means providing said response criteria to said evaluation means for use by said evaluation means in judging responses of respective ones of said respondents, said criteria means providing said ranking criteria to said ranking means for use by said ranking means in ranking respective ones of said respondents.
103. A system according to claim 102 further comprising communication means enabling interaction between a plurality of said respondents and said central station; and
wherein said criteria means includes means for altering the response criteria provided to said evaluation means based on said interaction, said interaction enabling further responses by individual ones of said respondents;
said ranking means updates the ranking of said respondents in accordance with altered response criteria.
104. A system according to claim 103 wherein said transmitting means is operative to transmit a modified version of at least one of said tasks prior to an updating of said ranking.
105. A system according to claim 104 wherein each of a plurality of said respondents enters a sequence of responses and, by operation of said ranking means, an individual one of said plurality of respondents obtains a rank based on a set of evaluations for the responses in the sequence of responses, thereby ranking a respondent against his own responses.
106. A method according to claim 104 wherein, by operation of said ranking means, there is a comparing of the evaluations of respective ones of said respondents, thereby ranking a respondent against other ones of said respondents.
107. A method of presenting a scenario by a set of central stations to plural respondents distant from each central station of said set of central stations, said scenario relating to acquisition of an object by at least one of said respondents and including descriptive data of the object and conditions for acquisition of the object, comprising the steps of:
said set of central stations presenting to the respondents said scenario by providing data describing the object, said data including physical details of the object and criteria for acquisition of the object;
individual ones of said respondents generating respectively responses to said scenario, said responses including respectively conditions for the acquisition of the object;
individual ones of said respondents selecting at least one of said central stations for enabling each of said respondents to respond to at least one selected station of said set of central stations;
individual ones of said respondents communicating to respective ones of said selected stations their respective responses including said respective conditions for the acquisition of the object;
comparing said conditions to said criteria to determine if said conditions meet said criteria;
altering at least one of said conditions and said criteria to obtain a match;
dispensing a coupon to a successful respondent having submitted a condition meeting said criteria, said coupon having a monetary value serving at least as a partial payment by said successful respondent upon an acquisition of said object by said successful respondent.
108. A method according to claim 107 wherein, in said altering step, said criteria is altered by one of said central stations independently of another of said central stations.
109. A method according to claim 107 wherein, in said altering step, a condition of one of said respondents is altered independently of a condition by another of said respondents.
110. A method according to claim 109 wherein, in said altering step, said criteria is altered by one of said central stations independently of another of said central stations.
111. A method according to claim 107 wherein, in said step of generating responses, said condition includes a cost of acquisition.
112. A method according to claim 107 wherein, in said presenting step, said criteria include a time of response by one of said respondents and, in said dispensing step, there is a plurality of successful respondents;
said method further comprises a step of ranking respondents based on a time of response, a respondent having made a response in a lesser amount of time being awarded with a higher rank than a respondent having made a response in a greater amount of time, and said dispensing step provides a coupon to a winning one of said successful respondents having a rank higher than the rank of a further one of said plurality of successful respondents.
113. A method according to claim 112 further comprising a step of announcing said winning respondent to all of said respondents.
114. A method according to claim 107 further comprising a step of announcing said successful respondent to all of said respondents.
Description
This invention relates to transmission by electronic media including radio and television broadcasting programs, as well as recordings of such programs, to listeners and viewers of the programs and, more particularly, to the provision of signals designating questions or tasks including wagering and game playing situations, to the provision of advertising material and response criteria for evaluating responses of the listeners and viewers of the broadcast or prerecorded programs concurrently with a playing of electronic games, and to the dispensing of awards to individual listeners and viewers having provided answers meeting the response criteria and/or succeeded in an electronic game.
The invention also particularly relates to the transmission of signals conveying scenarios of events about to take place or taking place and to outcome criteria for evaluating predictions of listeners and viewers of the broadcasts of such events, wagering on outcomes of events, and to the dispensing of awards to individual listeners and viewers having provided predictions meeting the outcome criteria.
A common form of program transmitted by the broadcast media is the quiz program. Typically, in such a program, a panel of people provide answers to questions arising from the subject matter of the quiz. Often, the answers are indicated by use of a keyboard with electronic circuitry. The answers may be provided in response to questions which are asked directly, or in response to a situation such as a chess game, or task presented by the program such as in the solving of a puzzle. Other situations such as in sports, call for predictions of outcomes of events.
A characteristic of such quiz programs is the fact that the responses to the questions are limited to participants in the studio audience. The much larger external audience, namely the listeners of radio and viewers of television, are generally excluded from participation except for those few people who, on occasion, may have the opportunity to call in a response via telephone to a situation arising in the program. Letter writing has also been employed as a means of response to questions and other matters raised by the program.
Thus, it is apparent that a problem exists in that a large percentage of the external audience is essentially excluded from active participation in the broadcast programs. In view of the fact that the studio audiences can provide their responses electronically, it is clear that personal involvement, such as conversation among participants, is not necessarily required. It is, therefore, apparent that such programs should be open to participation by the larger external audience in addition to the studio audience.
Also, as is well known, it is common practice for such programming to be paid for by advertisers who use a part of the program time for advertising. Today, with the popularity of electronic games, which might be down loaded from a cassette or possibly from a central source such as an electronic bulletin board, it would be desirable to provide an interface between game players and advertisers whereby the game players would have the opportunity to win coupons carrying special features awards based upon a player's response to an advertising situation and the quality of play in the game. This would be mutually beneficial to both the players and the advertisers.
Such programming is not limited to quiz programs only, but that other forms of programs in the areas of education and research might also be conducted in a fashion allowing active public participation if a suitable system were available to make such public participation possible. A desirable feature of such a system would be the capability for evaluating and recording the responses, a feature that would be very useful in the case of educational programs because such a feature would permit a teacher to grade or otherwise evaluate papers and examinations dispensed to students by the broadcast media. Such a system would also be useful in commercial ventures wherein a prize is to be given to a participant providing an acceptable answer. In such a case, the participant would bring the recorded answer, which might be in the form of a coded credit card, to a store or other establishment for receipt of the prize. This would be a great convenience in the implementation of a sales and advertising program. Responses by the listening or viewing audience can also be used in conducting a survey of public opinion. However, in spite of the advantages which would be provided by such a system, for including the listening and viewing audience, and for interfacing with electronic game players by advertisers, existing systems do not provide adequately the desired advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing problem is overcome, and other advantages are provided by a system for the evaluation of responses to a broadcast or a prerecorded program wherein a response may include the entry of a wager on a possible outcome of a situation presented in the program. In accordance with the invention, the system provides for the transmission of signals designating conditions of the game playing and, in the case of scenarios, games or other events upon which a person may wish to bet. The system provides questions and response criteria along with a transmission of the broadcast program. In the event of questions or similar tasks, signals may be recorded prior to transmission, and may be transmitted at a fixed predetermined time, or upon request of a person who will respond to the program and/or questions.
Tasks which would be useful by advertisers for sounding out persons having a possible interest in an advertiser's products and services may be transmitted to persons engaged in the playing of electronic games to be presented to the players in concert with a presentation of a game. Such a task, in accordance with a feature of the invention, may be transmitted from a central location to the remote location of a game player, or may be incorporated within prerecorded game material such as may be down loaded from a cassette or from a central facility. The invention includes both method and system aspects which create added interest and excitement among listeners and viewers, and thus tend to increase the audience of stations carrying programs of the type to be described hereinafter.
In accordance with the theory of the invention, two groups of signals are broadcast, wherein each of the two signal groups may be divided in two portions designated as first and second signals. In the first signal group, the first of the two signals includes the program signal itself which may be broadcast from a radio station or television station to the listening or viewing audience. The second signal of the first group is a signal transmission setting forth a task, such as the answering of one or more questions which may be viewed on a television screen and/or listened to over radio or the audio portion of the television transmission. For simplicity in describing the invention, an audience viewing a televised program is presumed. It is understood that the description of the invention in terms of the viewing audience applies also to the listening audience of a radio broadcast.
The second of the two signal groups is in the nature of an instructional signal group identifying the amount of time available for an answer, the proper content and form of an acceptable answer, and a mode of scoring the answers. In one embodiment of the invention, the first signal of the second signal group sets forth the desired acceptable answer or answers, and the second signal provides the mode of scoring responses, such as the parameters, formulas and other response criteria to be employed in the scoring of the answers. Therefore, in this one embodiment of the invention, the two signal groups include at least four sets of signals which are transmitted, each of which can be varied independently of the other, and which may be transmitted concurrently or at different times. It is noted also that the first signal group may include an advertising presentation, and that the second signal group may include special instructions for enhancing a game score for a successful response to an advertiser's task, as well as instructions to a printer, recorder, or other output device, to produce a token or coupon with a special advertising message thereon.
Included at the site of each viewer in the external or remote audience is a television set, plus electronic response equipment having circuitry for reception of the instructional signal group transmitted from a central station, the response equipment also including a keyboard for designating answers or responses to the questions, timing circuitry, circuitry for comparing a response to one or more designated answers to determine acceptability of a response, scoring circuitry, and a recording device for recording answers to the question. The recording device includes preferably a dispenser for dispensing a record such as a printout, or a magnetizable card, or card containing an electric circuit chip, providing a person's responses to the questions and/or a person's score in answering the questions. Such records may be validated electronically at a location for dispensing a prize.
A particular advantage of the invention is the capacity for interaction between a person conducting a broadcast program and the external audience. This may be illustrated by way of example wherein a sportscaster is describing a sporting event such as a football game. The questions asked by the sportscaster may pertain to the winning team, to plays that have been accomplished, as well as to questions which may be called in by telephone from the listening/viewing audience. During the program, commercials may be aired, and various products and/or services may be described and offered to the viewing audience.
In the practice of the invention, it is noted that signals of the instructional signal group, Group Two, may be transmitted before, concurrently, or subsequent to the transmission of the program signals in accordance with the nature of the questions and responses required. For example, in the event that the program situation deals with a college professor giving an examination, the correct or acceptable answers to the various questions and the procedure for scoring answers to individual ones of the questions can be transmitted before the lecture in which the professor asks the questions. In the event that a limited period of time is available for response to each of the questions, then, at least a portion of the instructional signals, Group Two, must be sent concurrently with the program data, this portion being a timing signal which the professor would initiate when he asks the question. The timing signal would initiate operation of a timer in the electronic equipment at each of the receiving stations which are tuned to the broadcast program, the timer then clocking a requisite amount of time in accordance with an instructional signal which has been previously transmitted or is concurrently transmitted with the program data. In yet a further example, in the case of an interactive situation wherein the professor is responding to a comment made by a student in the classroom or, possibly in response to a telephoned inquiry, the professor may then ask a question for which the instructional signal designating the nature of the response would be transmitted after the question has been asked.
At a receiving station the electronic equipment includes a response unit having a keyboard by which a viewer of the broadcast program enters a response. The response should be a desirable or correct response, or at least an acceptable response in order to receive credit. The response is stored in a buffer store for comparison with a correct or acceptable response which is stored in a data memory. One or more acceptable responses are provided as a data input to the data memory by the instructional signal group. The comparison is provided by comparison circuitry which outputs a signal via timing circuitry to a score counter to provide a score at the conclusion of responses to a question. The timing circuit, under control of a program memory, is activated upon request from the host of the transmitted program. In one embodiment of the invention, instructional signals transmitted by the host are modulated onto the audio portion of the transmitted signals and, subsequently at a receiving station, are demodulated and decoded to provide the data signals for the data memory, synchronization signals for operation of the timing circuitry, and instructional signals for operation of the program memory. Alternatively, the instructional signals may be transmitted at television frequencies by known methods, such as the use of vertical blanking intervals or other unused parts of a television transmission. The resulting score from the score counter may be recorded in a readout device which, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, provides a printout or a card with an encrypted value of the score in a magnetic strip that is readily read by automatic card readers. According to one embodiment, a register may be included for the storage of responses which are printed or typed out in the form of a message. The message may be passed on to the readout device under instruction of the program memory.
At each of the remote receiving stations, circuitry responsive to the third signals is provided for implementing the response criteria. In particular, provisions are made to evaluate responses to the same question at different difficulty levels. For example, different amounts of credit can be given based on the speed at which a viewer responds to the question. Also, answers showing a more detailed, accurate or comprehensive understanding can be weighted to provide greater credit for responding to the question. If desired, a set of response criteria may include only one difficulty level.
The readout or dispensing device provides a printout having at least two sets of information. The information may be provided on a tape or card in printed lettering and/or in a bar code format to show the value of any award which might be given, and a verification of the fact that the award has been made. The printout may also verify the identity of the person answering the question. The verification may be provided either by a signal transmitted from a central station as part of the instructional group of signals to be stored at the remote location or, alternatively, by use of a validation code taking the form of alphanumeric data and/or other symbols, such as a machine readable code, which the dispenser is capable of printing. The value of the award is printed preferably in alphanumeric form so as to be readily understandable by the participant.
In the event that a two-way cable system is available, such system may be used to advantage in the practice of the invention by providing for transmission of the television program to a remote audience while also enabling members of the remote audience to communicate responses or other commentary back to the broadcasting station.
It is recognized that there may be situations wherein it is impractical to have communication of receiving stations with a studio at the central station at the time when the program is being generated. The invention would then be practiced by use of a further embodiment in which the program and instructional signals, including response criteria and scoring criteria, would be recorded for playback to the receiving stations at a later time. Such a situation might arise in the case of an educational program to be employed in a school, or to a program of general public interest which might be employed in a vehicle for public transportation, such as an aircraft. A further example is the case of electronic games which are to be down loaded from a central facility for playing by players at remote locations. In such a situation, advertising messages and special instructions for the outputting of awards by advertisers may be included with the prerecorded game material. In the event that television is available at the receiving stations, the transmission and receiving equipment would be the same as that employed for the embodiment of the invention as disclosed above. However, in the event that only audio reception is possible, as by the use of earphones in an aircraft, then a verbal description of the task-setting situation would be provided, both the task setting and instructional verbal signals being recorded in an audio tape recording. Each of the receiving stations may be provided with a dispenser of a hard-copy presenting results to responses to the task-setting message or, alternatively, a central dispenser may be used as in a classroom or aircraft. The central dispenser would communicate preferably via a digital communication system to response units at each of the receiving stations.
The transmission of a program, such as the playback of an audio-visual tape, may be initiated by a member of the remote audience though cable communication, including telephone. In such instances, a member of the home audience calls a dedicated number, such as a 900-number, and requests the playing of a tape. Such request may be made through a central operator or by dialing further digits of a dedicated number, associated with a specific tape or program selected by the caller.
In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, participants in the remote audience can designate an area of interest. This is particularly important with respect to an award received by individual ones of the participants, such that the award is related directly to a participants area of interest. Thus, in the case of a game show wherein advertiser's products are displayed in various areas of interest, a participant of the remote audience can select a product area of interest and, subsequently, receive an award in the form of a coupon allowing him to purchase a product in the area of interest. This greatly increases a participant's interest in the game show. This feature of the invention also greatly increases the chance that a participant will employ his coupon, as by visiting the store of an advertiser to redeem his coupon.
A further advantage of this feature of the invention is that it can be implemented using the electronic communication systems employed in various embodiments of the invention, including the use of a central station to broadcast program material with its set of instructional signals and directives on the imprinting of a coupon. Furthermore, this can be employed using the electronic systems of the embodiments of the invention wherein the program and the instructional signals are prerecorded. This includes the prerecorded format in which recording apparatus may be located, for example, in an aircraft, or may be employed with participants in the home interconnected with a central station by means of a telephone network.
In terms of utilization of the foregoing electronic equipment, questions, instructions, and coupon imprinting directives are transmitted from the central station to the remote stations in a plurality of categories of interest. These categories of interest are presented by the host in the communication transmitted from the central station. For example, in the case of a televised program, the categories of interest may be presented directly on the television screen. In cases wherein the program is transmitted by an audio channel only, then the categories of interest would be listed audibly by the host. A participant at the remote station, by use of his response unit, presses a key on the keyboard indicating his selection of a desired category or area of interest. Thereupon, the response unit is responsive only to those questions, instructions, and coupon printing directives pertaining to the selected category of interest, and ignores the remaining questions, instructions, and coupon-printing directives as being irrelevant to the operation of the response unit. This is implemented readily by transmitting to the remote response unit, to be stored in a memory therein, the set of acceptable responses and the accompanying scoring criteria and advertising information for each area of interest. Then a respondent need only signal the response unit as to his desired area of interest, the signal serving to address the corresponding region of the memory. The response unit then operates with the data for the desired area of interest.
Normally, broadcast contests presently conducted are sponsored by manufacturers or retailers of products. Successful respondents may receive prize coupons entitling them to a discount on merchandise promoted by a sponsor. However, winners often receive coupons carrying a discount on merchandise they do not intend to purchase at the time they receive such a coupon. Discount coupons tied in this manner to an unwanted product will not be redeemed and are useless to both the public and the sponsor. It is a weakness of the coupon system presently in use that the overall coupon redemption rate is less than 4%.
The disclosed system and methodology provide for a dispensing of coupons to members of a broadcast audience for redemption, and enable members of the audience who have acceptably responded to a task presented in a broadcast to win a prize coupon carrying a discount deductible from the price of a product selected by such a member for purchase. Local sponsors thereby may promote the sale of products.
The foregoing coupons may be issued in conjunction with a broadcast television and/or radio program and video games requiring an audience response wherein a part or all of the program is conducted in the form of a lottery, or other wagering situation, in which case the coupon identifies the winning entity which may be a lottery number, or the identity of horse in a horse race, or the identity of a player in a sports event. This is accomplished in accordance with a further aspect of the invention in which the aforementioned equipment can be employed for conducting a lottery game in a fashion which is resistant to forgery.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a central data storage facility in which all player responses and, when desired, the winning response(s) are stored. Player entries can be authenticated electronically prior to storage at the central facility, and are transmitted either electronically (as by two-way cable, or by modem over a telephone line) from remote sites of players to the central facility. Authentication is accomplished by comparing numbers or names assigned to players, including serial numbers of player entry devices, with reference data previously stored in the central facility. Further authentication is provided by storing at the central facility data, such as the player's response and the winning number(s), which appears also on the coupon presented for redemption. At a redemption center, an electronic communication link with the central facility permits instant comparison of the two sets of data to verify the authenticity of the coupon and prevent fraud. The central facility may be connected to the remote stations and to a credit agency by means of a telephone network which permits verification of a player's line of credit, and a charging of lottery fees against a preestablished credit limit.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, numerous central stations, such as television and/or radio stations, may be linked together with a common base station and numerous telephone hubs by a communications system to form a network of broadcast stations serving a much enlarged audience wherein members of the audience are located at their respective remote receiving stations. The network is ideally suited for presentation of network programs of general interest, such as a sweepstakes and other prize events, to the enlarged audience by interspersing relatively short programs in time slots between segments of regularly scheduled disparate broadcast programs from the central stations. The base station provides program material for retransmissions via the central stations of the network. The network program, for any one time slot, may be in any one of a number of forms, particularly a contest having a duration in a range of time extending from less than one minute up to possibly several minutes for presentation on television or radio. The network broadcast may take the form of a well-known network communication commonly employed today for news programs communicated across the country from the base station simultaneously to local broadcasting stations for retransmission to home radios and televisions.
The individual programs are transmitted one after the other from the base station in a sequence extending for the duration of a program, or throughout the day. Each of the network programs occupies a predetermined time slot within a program sequence wherein the times of occurrence of the various programs as well as, possibly, the contents of programs, have been made known previously to the manager of the central station. Each central station is free to select specific ones of the network programs for rebroadcast in accordance with the program scheduling of the individual central station. This provides freedom for the host of the central station to employ network program material which may be live or previously prepared.
A great advantage of the invention is that the use of the network program material interspersed among local programming material allows people across the country to participate simultaneously in a common contest, or a common learning experience, or in a common national survey, by way of example. The use of alternative network programs inserted in opportune time slots allows the central stations to insert the network programs within the regular broadcasting schedules of the respective central station in a manner similar to that of the usual interruption of a broadcast program for a message from an advertiser or sponsor. Thereby, the invention allows for the simultaneous participation of people from across the country to be accomplished without need for any significant rescheduling of local programming.
Many people in the broadcast audience can participate by responding to tasks or questions set forth in the network program by use of electronic or telephone hubs which facilitate entry of the large number of responses, as well as to evaluate and authenticate the responses. Furthermore, valid responses meeting response criteria may also be communicated by telephone link from each electronic hub to a central station for conduction of a sweepstakes. Responses can be evaluated at one or more central sites by use of evaluation equipment which may be located in the electronic hubs or, alternatively, evaluation can be accomplished at the individual receiving stations by a response unit. The use of the central evaluation is particularly advantageous because a common evaluation facility allows the sweepstakes or other form of network program to be conducted without need for specialized equipment, other than a radio or television and a telephone, at a participant's receiving station.
In accordance with a feature in the practice of the invention, it is noted that equipment provided for evaluating and/or scoring a task may be provided at the remote location of a respondent or, alternatively, may be provided partly at the remote location and partly at a central station. In the case wherein a fully equipped response unit is provided at the remote location, the equipment of the response unit includes a keyboard, a comparator, scoring circuitry, a memory, as well as other circuitry which may include a computer, and circuitry for applying point credits and displaying information, the equipment including also a printer as well as a modem for communicating via a telephone line. However, it is acknowledged that such equipment may represent an excessive expense to participants at remote locations, in which case the complexity and expense of the equipment at the remote locations can be reduced by placing some of the equipment, such as circuitry involved in comparing and scoring participants' answers at a central facility remote from the respondents' locations. Thus, response criteria and scoring criteria which are transmitted via a communications link to the remote receiving locations, in the case of a fully equipped response unit, would be diverted, in the case of a partially equipped remote station, to a central evaluation facility to enable circuitry within the facility to identify acceptable answers, to score the answers, and to credit or weight the answers with additional points appropriate to a difficulty level.
There are other reasons for which equipment, employed in responding to a task, may be located partially at the central evaluation facility. For example, it may be desired to score responses in the order in which responses are received, or it may be desired to alter programming of comparison and scoring circuitry in accordance with the amount of traffic in responses coming in to the evaluation facility. Also, it may be desirable to insure that there can be no tampering with equipment used in evaluating responses, in which case the equipment, for security reasons, is best located at the central facility. Also, it is noted that it may be desirable to rank the scores of the participants, as by time of response, or by magnitude of score, or by geographical region of the respondent, or upon some other basis, in which case ranking can be accomplished best by use of comparison and scoring circuitry at the central evaluation facility. Also, it is noted that a printing facility, for printing coupons, tokens, or other indicia of a proper response may be located at the central evaluation facility or at the response unit at the remote respondent's location. Thus, in the general sense of the invention, the various circuits and equipment can be located as required at either the remote locations or the central evaluation facility. Communication between a central studio, the remote response equipment and the central evaluation facility may be accomplished by dedicated communication lines, by a telephone system, via a television and radio transmission, via satellite communication, or a plurality of different forms of communication systems as may be convenient.
In the situation wherein advertising material is presented to players of electronic games in concert with a presentation of a game scenario, or game status, upon a display by the game apparatus, which display may be a television screen also employed for viewing television programs, there are various modes of presenting the advertising material. These modes include use of a split screen technique, use of a window technique, superposition of a message of an advertiser directly upon a game scene, and momentarily interrupting presentation of the game material for a brief showing of the advertising material. It is anticipated that the advertising material would include a task ranging from a simple task such as selecting a choice of color for a gift to a complex task which might involve a mathematical calculation. Two scores would then evolve, one for playing the game and one for responding to the task. The invention provides for an enhancement of the game score by virtue of a player's participation in the advertiser's task. Accordingly, instructional signals provided by the advertiser provide for the outputting of a token or coupon including the enhanced game score with an increased award to the player, which award may be utilized by the player in obtaining goods and services from the advertiser.
The invention is practiced preferably in a television environment providing both audio and visual presentation of a scenario, but may be practiced also via radio, telephone, or via computers linked for communication by a network. Frequently, in the practice of the invention, a game is prerecorded on a tape or disk for subsequent play back and transmission from a central location to players at remote locations distant from the central location. At a remote location having a game machine, it is convenient to employ a memory into which one or more games which are downloaded from transmissions of the central station for playing on the game machine. Games may be played on home computers with the aid of game material provided by on-line operation with computers of the central station, and/or with game material stored on various forms of storage media including the storing optically on CD-ROMs (compact disk read only memory), by way of example. Alternatively, numerous players at their remote locations may participate concurrently in games via television, as by use of converters and adapters frequently employed by TV sets operating with transmission by cable. A game may be used as a task presented to a participating player, in which case the player's reaction time to action on the TV screen or the player's answer is evaluated and scored. Coupons awarded to players for their participation in a game may be provided at a printer conveniently by use of a paper roll or other matrix from which the coupon is severed, and upon which an advertisement may be written. Coding of coupons by the players' printers permits a tracing of coupons to the respective players to prevent forgeries and unauthorized redemptions.
Messages from advertisers may be incorporated with the coupons by providing, in the aforementioned second signal group, an additional signal set for conveying an advertiser's discount information of a general or specific nature, by way of example. Such discount information may include statements as to the amount of a discount as well as stating situations wherein the coupon may be used to obtain a further monetary bonus, thereby to facilitate special promotions. Marketing strategy may be implemented by signals of the additional signal set instructing the printers at the remote locations to issue coupons with an increased amount of a bonus at some time of day. The printers may even be used to print a bonus coupon to be used with a previously issued coupon to encourage participation in promotions of an advertiser. Thereby, an advertiser can replace or enhance an award, or substitute a new award for a previous award. Enhancement may be by a fixed amount or by a percentage increase from the previous award. Alternatively, additional responses of a player need not result in receipt of an additional award, but may result only in an additional advertising message, this depending on the marketing strategy of the advertiser. Instead of printing a coupon, some other form of hard copy may be employed such as a sheet of paper correcting a student's response to a problem solving situation. On the other hand, in the case of a child's participation, it may suffice to provide a message on an electronic display. These alternatives may be combined with transmission of players' responses to a central crediting facility for immediate crediting of an award to the players' respective accounts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The aforementioned aspects and other features of the invention are described in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:
FIG. 1 is a simplified diagrammatic view of a system incorporating the invention and configured to show two embodiments of receiving stations, one receiving station employing simulcast radio and television signals of a program produced in a studio, and the second receiving station employing a television receiver system modified to receive an instructional signal from the studio;
FIG. 2 shows the audio spectrum and a portion thereof designated for an instructional signal;
FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electronic response unit in each remote receiving station of FIGS. 1 and 3;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing details of a dispenser of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention, similar to that of FIG. 3, the system Of FIG. 6 employing the transmission of two signal groups each having plural sets of signals, wherein first and second signals of the first signal group are transmitted by video and audio portions of a television program, the first and the second signals presenting respectively a studio scene and a task for respondents, and wherein two sets of signals of the second group, an instructional group, are combined with an audio signal of the first group;
FIG. 7 is an alternative embodiment of the system of FIG. 6 wherein the signals of the second group are interleaved with the video signal of the first group by use of the vertical retrace time slot of a television transmission;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a response unit for use with either of the systems of FIGS. 6 and 7;
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a timing unit of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 shows the audio spectrum and a portion thereof designated for instructional signal bands of the second signal group utilized, respectively, for answers and criteria for evaluating answers;
FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of receiving stations of the invention installed, as a further embodiment of the invention, in an aircraft with separate receiving stations located at each passenger seat, this embodiment employing a recording of a game situation with instructions for response, each receiving station being equipped for both audio and video;
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing interconnection of electric components of the system of the invention for the installation of FIG. 11, the system of FIG. 12 employing response units having components disclosed in FIG. 8;
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a modification of the central station of FIG. 6 to provide for an audio-only recording of the game program for use by the receiving stations of FIG. 11;
FIG. 14 is an alternative embodiment of FIG. 12 for use of an audio recorder, the system of FIG. 14 employing a recording provided by the system of FIG. 13, the system of FIG. 14 employing response units having components disclosed in FIG. 8;
FIGS. 15 and 16 show a modification of the systems of FIGS. 13 and 14, respectively, wherein the central station and the response units of the receiving stations have been modified to be operative with response-criteria and scoring signals transmitted as unintelligible audio signals in the same audio band employed by the recorded audio-description of a task-setting program and the audio instructions for response to the task;
FIG. 17 is a simplified diagrammatic view of the invention showing both the central station and a receiving station in which an audio recorder having four separate channels is employed, the channels communicating audio signals for task and instructions, for synchronization, for response criteria, and for scoring criteria;
FIG. 18 shows additional equipment which may be incorporated in the response units of FIGS. 11, 12, 14, and 16 for communication of scoring results by a digital communication system to a central dispenser for a hard-copy output of game results;
FIG. 19 is a timing diagram showing burst transmissions of response and scoring criteria between voice signals for an audio-only recording employing a single recording track;
FIG. 20 is a timing diagram showing simultaneous transmission of voice, synchronization, response and scoring criteria signal in an audio-only system employing a multiple track recording medium;
FIG. 21 shows schematically an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the tape recorder is provided with five channels to allow separate and independent recordation of a verbal description of a scene and verbal instructions for responding to tasks presented in the scene;
FIG. 22 shows diagrammatically a further embodiment of the invention wherein a respondent can activate a prerecorded program by use of a telephone, the prerecorded program including a task, questions, instructions for responding, response criteria, and signals enabling automatic comparing of answers to predetermined responses and a scoring of responses by a response unit;
FIG. 23 shows diagrammatically a further embodiment in the transmission of an instructional signal from a central station to a remote receiving station by use of an optical link in combination With the video portion of a television transmission;
FIG. 24 is a diagram explaining operation of a telephone system of FIG. 22 for use in debiting and crediting a respondent;
FIG. 25 shows diagrammatically the storage of information in two of the memories of the response unit of FIGS. 8 and 26;
FIG. 26 is a block diagram of a response unit which is a modification of the response unit of FIG. 8;
FIG. 27 is a flow chart for operation of a computer in the response unit of FIG. 26;
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a sequence of steps in the practice of the method of the invention;
FIG. 29 is block diagram of a further embodiment of the invention wherein a central station and a set of remote playing stations are employed to conduct a wagering game including the issuance of coupons, or other form of wagering record, in a forgery proof system;
FIG. 30 is a block diagram of a playing station of the system of FIG. 29;
FIG. 31 is a flow chart showing method steps employed at various components of the system of FIG. 29 for practicing the forgery proof wagering game;
FIG. 32 shows diagrammatically a network of central stations and telephone hubs connected via a communications system to a base station with facilities for conduction of a sweepstakes;
FIG. 33 shows diagrammatically a transmission via satellite of a network program from the base station to the central stations of FIG. 32;
FIG. 34 is a timing diagram showing the generation of tasks of a base station network program in a sequence of time slots for interposition between regularly scheduled programs broadcast by central stations of FIG. 32;
FIG. 35 is a timing diagram showing the generation of network programs at the base station of FIG. 32 in synchronized time slots of differing lengths;
FIG. 36 is a block diagram of record playback and transmission equipment for use in the base station of FIG. 32;
FIGS. 37-40 are flow charts showing different configurations in a process of utilizing the equipment of the network of FIG. 32;
FIG. 41 shows diagrammatically a generalized system concept of the invention incorporating various embodiments of the preceding figures;
FIG. 42 shows diagrammatically a telephone incorporating circuitry of a response unit to accomplish various functions set forth in FIG. 41;
FIG. 43 shows diagrammatically a system for studying and selecting merchandise combined with receipt of awards, the system employing equipment and techniques of the preceding embodiments;
FIG. 44 is a block diagram showing components and functions of a polling system;
FIG. 45 is a block diagram summarizing various modes of communication between a central station and a remote station for the playing of a game;
FIG. 46 is a block diagram showing a mo