AU723453B3

AU723453B3 - Communications systems method

Info

Publication number: AU723453B3
Application number: AU13618/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Sean Cummins
Original assignee: Cummins and Partners Aust Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Publicis Sapient Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1999-01-28
Filing date: 2000-01-28
Publication date: 2000-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2006-01-28

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT

ORIGINAL

Applicant: CUMMINS PARTNERS (AUST) PTY LTD, ACN 082 145 891 Actual Inventor: SEAN CUMMINS Address for Service: PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES 26 Ellingworth Parade Box Hill Victoria 3128 Australia Title: COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS METHOD The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- COMMUNICATION CALL-BACK METHOD This invention relates to a communication call-back method for providing initiation of a communication call-back means. It is particularly relevant to the advertising industry but is not necessarily limited thereto.

In the advertising industry it is necessary for an advertisement which is broadcast on a public communication means such as television,, radio or the like to be able to fulfil a number of requirements within a limited time span. Those requirements include providing a product image, providing details of the product, providing a company image of the manufacturer or seller of the product, and providing company details. Sometimes the advertisement needs to provide means to incite a purchaser to respond immediately and provide response mechanism such as telephone number or the like.

Clearly an important aspect of the advertisement is to provide a product image. This is usually the artistic or trademark aspect of the advertisement that is memorable. The other aspects of advertisement can sometimes degrade that image or are not of assistance to enhancing that image. In particular the use of telephone numbers in large format across an image tends to overshadow the image for the time the number is showing. For this reason the number is often not on for a long period which makes it very difficult for a viewer to record the number. The viewer may become agitated by the urgency required in recording the number and thereby the positive memorable effect of the advertisement could be destroyed.

A large part of advertising nowadays includes mechanisms to incite purchasers to respond immediately or in the very near future so that it is clearly determinable the response to particular advertisements. Also particular target groups or particular socioeconomic groups that are likely to be watching or listening to certain programs can be directly marketed and the response known by encouraging immediate response from viewers or listeners in certain time slots. It is known to have hard wiring of cable television with return signals on the same medium. However this is an expensive option making use of new technology and requiring return signal bandwidth on the cable which often is not feasible. It is therefore important to attract a large number of responses by allowing an easy response mechanism.

Also due to telephone numbers becoming longer to accommodate the growing population and to accommodate the growing number of telecommunication suppliers, it is more difficult to get a response by merely relying on the viewer recording the number and initiating a telephone call back.

It is therefore an object of the invention to assist the listener or viewer and to simplify the method of call back after broadcast of particular information.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a communication call-back method including the steps of: broadcasting an information package on a first communication means including an audible or visual second communication initiation signal; providing a second communication means of different form to the first communication means allowing communication to selected communication addresses and having a communication initiation means; selectively activating the communication initiation means of the second communication means; wherein the broadcast of the second communication initiation signal within the information package on the first communication means enables substantially automatic connection of the second communication means to a required communication address by interaction with the communication initiation means.

The communication call-back method includes the steps of transmitting an audible telephone call initiation signal within an advertisement or public announcement or the like on a first communication means, the first communication means comprising a public broadcasting communication means such as television or radio, and the audible telephone call initiation signal using a standard telephonic initiation call number audio code such as DTMF, activating the second communication means comprising a public or private communication means, such as telephone, email, internet or facsimile transmission, for communication to selected addresses, providing for the second communication means to receive the audible telephone call initiating signal directly, or indirectly through an audio recording means, to initiate the connection to a remote second communication means receiver corresponding with the particular call initiation signal, wherein the public broadcasting system can broadcast an advertisement which includes the second communication means required communication address in such a form as to substantially automatically connect the second communication means to the required communication address following activation of the second communication means.

It can therefore be seen that the invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing a communication call-back method including a first communication means for broadcasting an information package; a second communication means of different form to the first communication means for communication to selected communication addresses and having a communication initiation means wherein the first communication means enables broadcast of a second communication initiation signal within the information package that can substantially automatically connect the second communication means to a required communication address by interaction with the communication initiation means. Such communication initiation may require an initial initiation signal or action to allow selective activation.

In particular embodiments of the invention there may be a recording device which allows recording of the second communication initiation signal from the information package for later use in initiating the second communication means. In another form a decoder means may be used in order to decode the second communication initiation signal into a form which actively initiates the second communication means.

In a particular form of the invention the second communication initiation means that is broadcast by the first communication means in the information package may be a telephone tone according to a standard such as DTMF which corresponds particular frequency tones with particular digits 0, 1, 2 8, 9. In this way a distinct telephone number forms a distinct combination of audible tones. This combination of tones is able to initiate automatically a telephone call following activation of a telephone using the standard telephone tone initiation method.

The second communication initiation signal may be visual such as a written number which requires decoding into the telephone tone system to allow initiation. Similarly the second communication initiation signal could be acoustic such as a voice stating the telephone number which can be comniputer decoded. Similarly a barcode number could be recorded by a decoder and transferred into a tone for a telephone or directly to a telephone control signal The recorder and decoder can be a portable item or can be mounted to a particular location on the television so as to be able to readily receive the second communication initiation signal when broadcast within an information package and activated by an initiation signal so as to initiate the second communication means which can be connected by cable or remotely. In one form the recorder can be an audio cassette recorder for recording an audible telephone initiation signal so that the cassette can be rewound and the signal used at the required time to be played by the audio cassette recorder into the telephone receiver-set.

In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention there is provided a communication call-back method for use in advertising including a- first communication means comprising a public broadcasting communication means such as television or radio, and a second communication means comprising a public or private communication means, such as telephone, email, internet or facsimile transmission, for communication to selected addresses, wherein the public broadcasting system can broadcast an advertisement which includes the second communication means required communication address in such a form as to substantially automatically connect the second communication means to the required communication address following initiation of the second communication means. The activation of the second communication means may be by initiating a call activate by push button means, lifting the telephone receiver or other means.. To initiate the call the second communication means is placed in interactive communication with the public broadcasting system either directly, or indirectly by means of a recording and playback means.

The invention provides a communication initiation means including a receiver for receiving a second communication means required communication address from a first communication means; a recorder and/or decoder for recording the required communication address in a first form and if necessary decoding the required communication address into a second form able to substantially initiate a call to the required communication address by the second communication means; and a transmission means for transmitting to the second communication means; the required communication address able to be interpreted by the second communication address for connecting to the required communication address possibly following a call initiation signal or action.

In one form the second communication initiation signal is acoustic. In another form the signal is visual.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood embodiments will be further described with reference to the drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the invention according to a first embodiment.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the invention according to a second embodiment.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the invention according to a third embodiment.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a first embodiment of the invention comprising the use of advertisements on television requiring return calls by the viewer of the advertisement by the telephone system.

In the standard telephone system making use of touch tone telephones (19) a standard code has been devised which corresponds particular numbers to particular tones such that use of certain tones down a telephone line will be interpreted by the telephone exchange as being a distinct telephone address numbers. This system is used in a touch tone telephone so that depression of particular buttons on the telephone system console will initiate tones to be sent to the telephone exchange for interpretation of the number being called and initiation of the calls to that address.

The system works on the tones used in the international telephone standard of Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF). All individual phone numbers and keys have a tone 'attached' and are created when the buttons are pressed. The tones are a combination of two tones between the frequencies 0 khz and 9 khz. Specifically the tones (which are 2 tones overlayed) for each individual number of key are a combination of the following frequencies: Number/key Frequencies (kilo hertz) 1 697hz- 1207hz 2 697hz-1336hz 3 697hz- 1477hz 4 770 hz 1209 hz 770hz 1336hz 6 770hz 1477hz 7 852 hz 1209 hz 8 852 hz- 1336 hz 9 852 hz 1477 hz 941hz 1209hz 0 941 hz 1336 hz 941 hz 1477 hz It is possible to make use of this tone system, bypassing the touch buttons, by merely having the required standard tones relating to the address number sent directly into the receiver of the telephone after activation of a call by lifting the receiver from the telephone set or otherwise initiating the telephone call.

Advertisements broadcast on public broadcasts such as television commercials include a substantial amount of information about the product, the manufacturer and in particular advertising deals. Often they require the viewer to act upon the information to purchase the product or service.

In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention the advertisement is broadcast on the television (11) and includes a second communication initiation signal (16) in the form of an acoustic series of tones that can substantially automatically initiate the call via the telephone (19) by use of the standard tone address system. If a purchase is required by the viewer, the viewer only needs to initiate the telephone by lifting the receiver of the telephone and placing near the broadcasting of the television advertisement at the same time the acoustic signal is being sent, to immediately initiate a telephone call to the address identified by the tone signal.

It can therefore be seen that in this form the viewer does not need to record details of the telephone number in written form. If the telephone number is engaged, the normal telephone (19) mechanisms, such as last number redial, can be used later to recall and redial the same number.

It is important in broadcasting the acoustic series of tones that the tones are distinctly separate at the required separation and intensity so that the degradation of the quality of the tones during broadcast and received on various quality television or radio receivers is still sufficient to be interpreted as clear correct tones by the telephone initiation system.

Referring to Figure 2 in accordance with the second embodiment, the invention may make use of a recorder (22) which is able to record the second communication initiation signal directly from the television (11) and be transported to the telephone (19) for immediate or later initiation of the telephone. Such a recorder may be limited to a particular range of advertisements to be company independent such that a recorder (22) is provided to particular customers of particular television product selling companies.

Again it is important in broadcasting the acoustic series of tones that the tones are distinctly separate at the required separation and intensity. By the inclusion of another intermediary between the broadcast signal and the telephone initiation by the audio recorder it is necessary that the degradation of the quality of the tones during broadcast and received on various quality television or radio receivers is still sufficient to be interpreted as clear correct tones by the telephone initiation system.

In accordance with the third embodiment as shown in Figure 3, the recorder (22) may instead be a recorder and decoder (24) which is able to interpret the second communication initiation signal (16) in whatever form it is being transmitted over the television (11) and record, and if necessary decode the signal into a second form such as a tone form which is able to be interpreted by the telephone (19) for initiation of a telephone call to the required telephone address. In this way the second communication initiation signal can be broadcast on the advertisement on the television (11) by means of a small barcode in a corner of the screen or other visual means such as numbers able to be read by the recorder (24) or audio which is able to be interpreted and decoded from a first broadcast form in the advertisement to a second form useable by the telephone The recorder and decoder (24) could thereby be mounted on a small predetermined edge portion of the television screen (11) at which position the visual signal is shown. Alternatively the recorder and decoder (24) can be mounted on a television speaker (11) for recordal of acoustic signals.

A benefit of a recorder and decoder is that the instrument can also be used to clear the quality of the acoustic series of tones to the required separation and intensity so that the correct tones are received by the telephone initiation system. In particular the recorder and decoder could be programmed with the required 10 standard audible telephone initiation tones which are audibly transmitted from the apparatus in accordance with a predetermined spacing, intensity and acoustic distinctness that initiates the telephone system. The particular combination of transmitted tones would correspond with the received broadcast signal that needs only be sufficient for the recorder and decoder to interpret as a combination of distinct telephone initiation tones.

The present invention provides an improved communication call-back method.

However it is not limited to the described embodiments. Many modifications to the above described embodiment may be readily envisaged by the person skilled in the art. For example, the embodiments are limited to broadcast via television with return call via telephone.

However the system can be used with radio broadcast or other public broadcast together with return calls via telephone, email, fax or even internet which require a particular address for person to person communication. Also the system can be used as a directory assistance for the disabled. In this way the required address may be communicated to a directory assistance operator who sends the required telephone number in audible form that can be recorded for use as a call-back the required addressee.

Claims

1. A communication call-back method including the steps of: broadcasting on a first communication means an information package including an audible or visual second communication means initiation signal; providing a second communication means of different form to the first communication means allowing communication to selected communication addresses and having a communication initiation means for connecting with a selected communication address; selectively activating the communication initiation means of the second communication means; wherein the broadcast of the second communication initiation signal within the information package on the first communication means enables substantially automatic connection of the second communication means to the selected communication address by interaction with the communication initiation means.

2. A communication call-back method in accordance with claim I including the steps of: broadcasting an audible second communication means call initiation signal within an advertisement or public announcement or the like on a first communication means, the first communication means comprising a public broadcasting communication means such as television or radio, and the audible second communication means call initiation signal using an initiation call number audio code, such as DTMF on the telephone system; activating the second communication means comprising a public or private communication means, such as telephone, email, internet or facsimile transmission, for communication to selected addresses; providing for the second communication means to receive the audible second communication means call initiating signal directly, or indirectly through an audio recording means, to initiate the connection to a remote second communication means receiver corresponding with the particular call initiation signal; wherein the public broadcasting system can broadcast an advertisement which includes the second communication means required second communication means call initiation signal in such a form as to substantially automatically connect the second communication means to the required communication address following activation of the second communication means.

3. A communication call-back method in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein the step of providing for the second communication means to receive the audible or visual call initiation signal indirectly is through a recording means to initiate the connection to a remote second communication means receiver corresponding with the particular call initiation signal and includes using a receiver for receiving a second communication means required communication address from the first communication means in the broadcast wherein the receiver records the required communication address in a first form and if necessary decodes the required communication address into a form able to substantially automatically initiate a call to the required communication address by the second communication means and transmits the recorded and/or decoded required communication address to the second communication means for initiating connection to the required second communication means address. Dated this 28th day of January 2000 PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES Attorneys for CUMMINS PARTNERS