EP2016546A1

EP2016546A1 - Apparatus and method for ordering

Info

Publication number: EP2016546A1
Application number: EP07723820A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cosmin-Gabriel Ene
Original assignee: Ene Cosmin-Gabriel
Current assignee: Ene Cosmin-Gabriel
Priority date: 2006-04-05
Filing date: 2007-03-30
Publication date: 2009-01-21
Also published as: WO2007112973A1; JP2009532963A; RU2008143551A; DE102006019842A1; US20090119186A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for ordering an article from a multiplicity of articles. The apparatus or the method merely has a straightforward set of identifiers. These identifiers are added to a given audio/video signal which advertises a particular article and is emitted. If a receiver of the audio/video signal wishes to purchase the relevant article, this article can be identified by the identifier. Preferably, this identifier is a coloured marker. Since the cardinality of the set of identifiers is kept relatively straightforward, a plurality of articles are provided with the same identifier, that is to say the same colour marker. The apparatus or the method is able to distinguish between articles with the same identification by comparing the time at which the article was advertised with the time at which the order was received.

Description

"Apparatus and method for ordering"

description

The invention. relates to an apparatus and a method for ordering at least one article from a plurality of articles.

The sale of goods via television, presenting products to the end user, which he can then order directly by telephone, is known. This form of sale has been enjoying a high level of popularity worldwide for some time, including in Germany.

Usually, the so-called teleshopping one or more goods is touted in a short film. At the end of the short film usually a phone number is displayed, over which the advertised product can be ordered. Frequently, several products are offered in succession, each with a different phone number to order, so that the willing buyer for each product must note or remember a different phone number.

Alternatively, it is customary to set up a call center with the same telephone number for multiple products, but the buyer must provide an article number for a swift expiry of the sales call. Which of the two variants was also chosen by the offering company, the end customer or end user must always remember or note any number columns or letter combinations. This is particularly problematic when a variety of products are advertised in fast sequential movie sequences. There are errors that either result in the end user frustratingly forgetting to buy a product, ordering the wrong product, or unnecessarily bothering the call center.

The companies that provide such services often strive to handle the ordering process as efficiently as possible. That's why there are many approaches whereby automated systems are used to handle the sale to the end user. In the simplest case, a registered user dials this automatic system, is greeted by a voice prompt and can authenticate himself to the system by means of a personal identification code. After this authentication, he can order a specific article by entering an article number. If there are problems mentioned here, either when entering the numbers via the keypad of the telephone or if incorrect sequences of numbers are entered, the automated ordering process fails. The order must either be taken manually, ie by one person, or be subsequently corrected as far as possible. To pay for such often expensive automated ordering systems, staff must be deployed as efficiently as possible. The reworking of faulty orders makes this impossible and generates considerable personnel costs.

Many consumers are also not interested in personal interaction with a seller. You want a service that takes the order of an article at any time, easily and reliably. This is especially true when ordering individual pieces of music.

Since the individual article has a relatively low value here, the buyer does not necessarily want a personal sales and consultation conversation. He just wants to place his order quickly and easily and the article, e.g. the music piece as soon as possible received.

Based on this prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device or a method for ordering at least one article, which ensures an efficient, substantially automated order, whereby the risk of a faulty order is minimized ,

This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1 or by a method according to claim 12. In particular, the object is achieved by a device for ordering at least one article from a plurality of articles, the device comprising a signal server for providing a plurality of audio / video signals, an article database for storing relations between the plurality of articles and the plurality of audio / Video signals, a tag configured to associate each audio / video signal with a tag of a predetermined set of tags and store that tag in a tag database; a communications device configured to receive the audio / video signal along with publishes the associated tag and stores the publication time in a program database and includes a communication device adapted to receive a signal from a receiver of the audio / video signal, in particular from a television viewer, a ken receives input from the label entry and the entry time using data from the article database, the identification database and the program database to order at least one article.

The central idea of the invention is thus to provide audio / video signals which praise at least one article with a relatively manageable set of markings and to publish the marked audio / video signal, ie ready for reception, in particular for television reception to deliver. During or before publication, both the assignment of a label to an audio / video signal or directly to an article is stored, as well as the time of publication. It does not matter whether the information (marking, time of publication) for an article is stored in one or more databases. The recipient of the published audio / video signal perceives the tag and can order the item via a tag entry, an entry corresponding to the tag. Since the number of markings is relatively manageable, the markings can be chosen to be very different and easily memorable. _A, faulty interaction with a provided to order communication device is thus avoided. If a large number of articles are marked with such a small cardinality of markings, then it is possible for repeated marking of different articles or different audio / video signals. The invention solves this problem by the order time, that is, the input time of the marking input and the publication time are recorded. With a timely order, therefore, even with a repetition of the marking always the right article can be determined. Alternatively, several items can be determined for ordering, so several items are proposed for ordering, with a weighting or organization of the article order can be made according to the time difference between the publication period and date of entry.

Preferably, the cardinality of the set of labels is less than or equal to ten. As already described, the individual markings can be designed very differently. The recipient, the customer, may already know this predefined set of tags and therefore has no problems memorizing them. If the cardinality is ≤ 10, it is particularly easy to perform the tag input by means of the phone. Each label corresponds to a key on the phone.

It is conceivable that the identification is an alphanumeric value which is superimposed or mixed into the audio / video signal or into the audio / video signals. However, it is more memorable if the marking comprises signals which appear in the representation of the published audio / video signal as perceivable color markings for the receiver, in particular in a traffic light-like arrangement. For example, when displaying the audio / video signal, a colored icon appears in the upper right corner. In the simplest case, this colored symbol may be a circle filled with a distinct color. Preferably, the cardinality of the tags is equal to three. The color markers thus essentially comprise the colors red, yellow and green. These color markings are perceived by the receiver, for example, displayed on the screen of his TV. To make the color markings even more distinguishable, it may be advantageous to show them at different positions. For example, the color markers red, orange and green can be arranged with one another similar to a traffic light. It is also conceivable, in addition to these color markings show an actual image of a traffic light to further increase the power of association of the label. The identification input preferably comprises a text input, in particular the input of a color designation. Thus, it is conceivable that the tag input includes the input of a word that the receiver associates with the perceived tag. This is particularly advantageous if not numerical values but geometric figures or symbols or color markings are used for the identification. The recipient can then communicate the term associated with these identifiers to the communication device either by means of the keyboard of a computer via the Internet, the keyboard of a telephone, for example a mobile telephone or as a voice input.

Preferably, the communication device comprises an SMS receiving unit that receives an identification input in the form of an SMS. The recipient of the marked video / audio signal thus writes an SMS, in which, for example, a color name such as red, yellow or green, or a symbol name such as star, circle or rectangle is included as text, and sends them to the communication device. The communication device then evaluates the tag input. For the purpose of evaluation, an automatic comparison of the identification input with a plurality of concepts saved in a database, which are each associated with a designation, can take place. The communication device is designed such that it compares the identification input with said stored concepts and accordingly determines an article. By a certain choice of terms, label inputs can be processed in any language.

Preferably, the communication device comprises a telecommunication device for receiving the identification input. In this case, for example, the telephone number via which the identification input reaches the communication device can be detected and assigned to a specific user by means of a user database. The communication device preferably comprises a user database for this purpose. This user database may include registration data of possible receivers of the designated audio / video signal.

Preferably, the plurality of articles comprises a plurality of audio signals or audio / video signals, or data carriers having at least one audio signal or Audio / Video signal. In the simplest case, it is thus possible to order exactly the audio / video signal which has already been published in a marked form via the publication device. Alternatively, only an audio signal contained in the published audio / video signal could be designated as an article and thus ordered. It is also conceivable in this context that an audio / video signal or a pure audio signal is ordered on a data carrier as an article.

Preferably, the publication device comprises a transmission unit for a television program.

Preferably, the plurality of audio / video signals comprises music videos. The marked published audio / video signals are thus music videos. As an article, a corresponding audio or audio / video file is then determined by the device.

The object is also achieved by a method for ordering at least one article from a plurality of articles, the method comprising the steps:

Designating an audio / video signal associated with the article with a tag of a fixed set of tags;

Publishing the designated audio / video signal in a publication period;

Receiving a tag input at a reception time;

Determining a set of articles whose associated audio / video signals have been tagged with a label corresponding to the tag input; and

Selecting at least the article from the set of articles at which the interval between the reception time and a start time of the publication period of the assigned audio / video signal is the smallest. The central idea of the invention is therefore similar to the device in that a label is selected from a manageable number of labels and this is mixed or combined with the audio / video signal so that the label for the recipient appears perceptible. The tagged article may then be identified via a tag entry corresponding to the tag of the audio / video signal of a respective article. Since there are only a fixed set of tags, it can be repetitive. In the course of the method, however, at least the article is determined whose marked audio / video signal corresponds to the identification input and whose publication period or its start time of the publication period is temporally closest to the reception time of the identification input.

Preferably, the method includes the step of installing an application, particularly on a mobile phone, to send the tag input, the application offering a selection of the designated set of tags. The installed application thus helps to provide the user with a tag input that corresponds to the tagged audio / video signal. So the user only has to remember which label he has perceived when receiving the audio / video signal.

The identification input preferably comprises a text input, in particular an SMS. If the application already described is installed on the mobile phone, the user can preferably generate the tag input from the application using a selection menu. The application then generates a text message or an SMS, which is sent to the communication device. Extensive interaction with a system, for example via the alphanumeric keypad of the telephone, is eliminated.

Preferably, the method additionally comprises the step of sending a bid, in particular after the step of selecting the item comprising a description and / or a price of the at least one item. So, once an item has been selected for ordering, the user receives an offer that includes a more detailed description and / or price of the item. For a purchase he must just agree to this offer. The additional information that the user receives by sending the offer avoids accidental incorrect orders.

Preferably, the cardinality of the set of labels is less than or equal to ten. This has the already described in the device advantages of clarity and memorability of the markings.

Preferably, identifying an audio / video signal includes mixing a video signal with a color mark. Color markers have a particularly high recognition value for the recipient. This type of labeling is culturally unspecific, simple and independent of education.

Preferably, the method includes the step of registering a user, wherein receiving the tag input comprises identifying a registered user. If the user had registered in advance, the time-consuming entry of name and address data is no longer necessary. The article may possibly be sent directly to the user without further interaction. During registration, in addition to the name data and address data, data for the payment of possible orders or for the use of the service can also be requested.

Further advantageous developments emerge from the subclaims.

The invention will be described with reference to several embodiments, which are explained in more detail by means of illustrations. Hereby show:

- Figure 1 is a television set;

FIG. 2 shows an identification process of an audio / video signal; FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a device for ordering an article with associated components; FIG. and - Fig. 4 different interaction options with a communication device.

In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same and like parts.

1 shows the sequence according to the invention for identifying an audio / video signal 1. This audio / video signal 1 is generated by a signal server 40. This signal server 40 includes an article database 42 in which relations between a plurality of articles and a plurality of audio / video signals 1 are stored. The signal server 40 sends one of the audio / video signals 1 from the plurality of audio / video signals 1 to an identifier 50. For the particular embodiment, the article database 42 includes a table of BLOB (BLOB) fields in which to each article an audio / video signal 1 is stored in the form of a digital data stream.

Alternatively, the signal server 40 may also send a plurality of audio / video signals 1 to the tagger 50. The marking device 50 identifies the unmarked audio / video signal 1 or the multiplicity of unmarked audio / video signals 1. For this purpose, a video signal is added to the unmarked audio / video signal 1, which is displayed as visible color marking 20 (see FIG 1) appears. The marking is done by means of an analog or digital mixer, which mixes the unmarked audio / video signal 1 with a signal for identification.

The result is a marked audio / video signal 2. The identification device 50 comprises an identification database 52, which records which audio / video signal 1 has been provided with which identification. Alternatively, an assignment of an article from the article database 42 to a label can be made. Various digital identifiers or algorithms for identification are stored or implemented on the identification device 50. The marked signal 2 is forwarded to a publication device 90. This sends the marked audio / video signal 2 to a receiving device, here a TV 10. Thus, the marked audio / video signal 2 is published. The period of publication is stored in a program database 92, which is part of the publisher 90. Often it is sufficient if, for the period of publication, only the start time of the publication is stored. On the one hand, the length of the marked audio / video signal 2 is usually known; on the other hand, the start time of the publication is sufficient to determine when which audio / video signal 2 was published.

The program database 92 establishes a relationship between the used identifier and the audio / video signal 1, 2 or the corresponding article from the article database 42. Both in the implementation of the storage mechanisms, as well as in the design of the individual databases 92, 52, 42, it is only important that a relation between article, associated audio / video signal, marking and publication period or start time of the publication can be established.

If a television set 10 (see also Fig. 1) receives the marked audio / video signal 2, a large part of the television picture 11 is determined by the unmarked audio / video signal 1. The marking makes up only a small part of the television picture 11. In the specific embodiment is located in the upper right corner of the television picture, a color marker 20, which is displayed in the form of a square in a selected color.

To distinguish multiple tags, tag 50 has a predefined set of tags. In the concrete exemplary embodiment, these are color markings 20 in the colors green, yellow and red. The viewer of the television picture 11 can memorize these color markings 20 very well and distinguish them from one another. A confusion is hardly possible with such a small cardinality of the set of markings.

The viewer of the television picture 11, ie the television viewer, can now interact with the system or the device according to the invention to buy a particular item advertised by means of the marked audio / video signal. In the present embodiment, the article is an audio CD. The unmarked audio / video signal 1 is a music video for one of the titles on the audio CD.

If a television viewer now finds that he would like to own the music track of a music video currently playing, he interacts with the device according to the invention. For example, it can communicate with a receiving unit 84 of the communication device 60 by means of a mobile telephone 82. Thus, if, for example, the music video whose audio CD the viewer wishes to purchase was marked or marked with a color mark 20 which has shown a green square in the television picture 11, the television viewer writes an SMS containing the term "green" and sends them via the receiving unit 64 to the communication device 60th

The communication device 60 can use the sender telephone number to identify the television viewer who has already registered with the communication device 60 at an earlier time. This identification takes place via the user database 66. The communication device 60 assigns an identifier to the received identification input, ie the term "green." With the identification database 52, the communication device can determine which audio / video signal 1 has been provided with the corresponding identification In the exemplary embodiment only the identifiers red, green or yellow are available, there are a multiplicity of audio / video signals 1, which have been provided with the same identification by the marking device 50. By means of the program database 92, the communication device 60 determines the audio / video signal 1, the last one by means of the article database 42, the communication device 60 determines the article that corresponds to the already determined audio / video signal 1. In effect, d The communication device 60 on the basis of the received SMS and the time of receipt of the SMS determine which article the television viewer probably wanted to order. As soon as the communication device 60 has determined this article, it also sends an offer by SMS the mobile phone 82 and thus to the television viewer, in the price and nature of the article is precisely identified. The television viewer can now accept the offer by means of another SMS. The communication device 60 then creates an order and stores it in an order database 62 connected to the communication device 60.

In the exemplary embodiment, the communication device 60 is connected to a production device 70. This production unit 70 comprises a CD burner 72 and a packaging device 74. According to the order from the order database 62, a CD is created by the CD burner 72 and packaged with the packaging device 74. In the further course, the CD can be provided with the address data of the television viewer and sent to him.

In the described embodiment, all production steps are automatically performed by the production unit 70. For other applications, i. for other articles, however, it may be preferable to manually perform some or all of the production steps. The communication device 60 creates only the order in this case.

In the present embodiment, the television viewer interacts with the communication device 60 via a mobile phone 82. In another embodiment, the receiving unit 64 may be configured to be connected to a simple telephone 80 (see Fig. 4), a PC 64, or any other suitable one Device communicates. For example, the tag input can be made via a PC 64, which sends an e-mail to the communication device 60, or communicates directly with the communication device 60 via the Internet.

In a further embodiment, the television viewer can mark several articles by means of the method described. That is, the system receives several inputs from the television viewer during a predetermined transmission period and identifies an article, eg a music title, which corresponds to the corresponding identification input. Each of these items is marked for order. At a later stage, the television viewer can view the list of noted articles, for example, over the Internet, post-processing and then finally order. In the described embodiment, this would therefore be a list of music titles that can be subsequently revised and copied from the CD burner 72 to an audio CD in the final order. It would also be conceivable to have the television viewer order until the volume of a medium, eg a CD or DVD, has been exhausted, and then finalize the ordering process.

Although the device described so far, or the method described so far, is designed to handle articles, e.g. To order pieces of music, so it is easy for the skilled person to see how the device or the method is to change to perform with this or this polls or surveys. The communication device 60 then does not designate an article to order but designates an article, product, person or service to which an additional vote is assigned by the designation input. In an interaction of a plurality of television viewers so, for example, from a variety of people, the 10 most popular can be selected.

Also, the described apparatus and the described method is suitable for providing an interactive game for the television viewer or receiver. For example, the television viewer could answer quiz questions by means of the tag input. The TV viewer who gives the most correct answers is the winner and receives a prize.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 unmarked audio / video signal

2 marked audio / video signal

10 TV

11 TV picture

20 color marking

40 signal servers

42 article database 50 marking device

52 identification database

60 communication device

62 order database

64 receiving unit

66 user database

70 production unit

72 CD burners

74 packaging device

80 phone

82 mobile phone

84 pcs

90 Publication facility

92 program database

Claims

claims

An apparatus for ordering at least one article from a plurality of articles, comprising a signal server (40) for providing a plurality of audio / video signals; an article database (42) for storing relations between the plurality of articles and the plurality of audio / video signals; an identifier (50) arranged to associate each audio / video signal with a tag of a predetermined set of tags and store that tag in a tag database (52); a publication device (90) arranged to publish the audio / video signal together with the associated identifier and to store the publication period in a program database (92); and a communication device (60) adapted to receive a tag input from a receiver of the audio / video signal, in particular from a television viewer, and based on the tag input and the input time using data from the parts database (42), the tagging database (52 ) and the program database (92) at least one article for ordering.

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cardinality of the set of labels is ≤ 10.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the marking comprises signals which appear in the representation of the published audio / video signal as perceptible to the receiver color markings (20), in particular in a traffic light-like arrangement.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in particular according to claim 3, characterized in that the color markings (20) substantially comprise the colors red, yellow and green.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification input comprises a text input, in particular the input of a color designation.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the communication device (60) comprises an SMS receiving unit which receives an identification input in the form of an SMS.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the communication device (60) comprises a telecommunication device for receiving the identification input.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the communication device (60) comprises a user database (66).

9. λ ^ device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of articles comprises a plurality of audio signals or audio / video signals or of data carriers having at least one audio signal or audio / video signal.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the publication device (90) comprises a transmitting unit for television programs.

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of audio / video signals comprises music videos.

12. A method of ordering at least one article from a plurality of articles, comprising the steps of:

Designating an audio / video signal associated with the article with a tag of a fixed set of tags; Publishing the designated audio / video signal in a publication period;

Receiving a tag input at a reception time; Determining a set of items whose associated audio / video signals have been tagged with a tag that corresponds to the tag input; and

Selecting at least the article from the set of articles at which the interval between the reception time and a start time of the publication period of the assigned audio / video signal is the smallest.

13. The method of claim 12, characterized by installing an application, in particular on a mobile phone, for sending the identification input, wherein the application offers a selection of the set set of labels.

14. The method according to any one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the identification input comprises a text input, in particular an SMS.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized by sending a bid, in particular after the step of selecting the article, which includes a description and / or a price of the at least one article.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 15, characterized in that the cardinality of the set of labels ≤ 10.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12-16, characterized in that the marking of an audio / video signal comprises a mixing in of a video signal with a color mark.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12-17, in particular claim 17, characterized in that the color marking substantially comprises the colors red or yellow or green.

The method of any of claims 12-18, characterized by the step of registering a user, wherein receiving the tag input comprises identifying a registered user.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12-19, characterized in that the publishing comprises the transmission of a television signal to at least one television set (10).

21. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 20, characterized in that the plurality of articles a plurality of audio signals or audio / video signals or from data carriers having at least one audio signal or audio / video signal.

22. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 21, characterized in that the audio / video signal comprises a music video.