Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
  • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
  • A63F13/33—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers using wide area network [WAN] connections
  • A63F13/338—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers using wide area network [WAN] connections using television networks
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N7/00—Television systems
  • H04N7/14—Systems for two-way working
• • A63F13/12—
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
  • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
  • H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
  • H04N21/812—Monomedia components thereof involving advertisement data
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F2300/00—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game
  • A63F2300/40—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterised by details of platform network
  • A63F2300/409—Data transfer via television network
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F2300/00—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game
  • A63F2300/60—Methods for processing data by generating or executing the game program
  • A63F2300/63—Methods for processing data by generating or executing the game program for controlling the execution of the game in time

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and device for announcing to TV viewers via the screen of their TV set a key code for use in establishing contact, based on the telecommunications network, between a selection of viewers and an established game program.
• the key code will contain elements which are each transmitted in succession to the screen of the TV set in the form of signs and/or symbols, e.g., numbers and/or letters, within selected time slots in at least one TV program and/or in at least one TV commercial spot, and that the key code for every announcement is selected automatically and randomly among a predetermined number of different key codes.
• said time slots are respectively placed within selected time units of the TV program and/or the TV commercial spot.
• the time slots may be respectively placed within randomly selected time units of the TV program and/or the TV commercial spot.
• the key code is selected automatically and randomly among a predetermined number of different key codes would make it more difficult for certain "clever" viewers to sit in readiness to ring a specific number as soon as the TV company provides the opportunity. Only when all the elements have been shown in succession would the viewer gain knowledge of the key code.
• the selection of viewers is determined as a function of a predetermined number of viewers who by using the key code first manage to establish the aforementioned contact.
• the duration and/or position of the time slots within a respective time unit would, according to the method, be randomly selected. This means that in a TV commercial spot said time slots can be placed at random within each commercial spot so that the signs/symbols displayed in the form of the key code elements appear on the screen at various points of time in a display sequence, which means that the viewers must pay attention to the entire display sequence in order to pick up the specific key code element presented there.
• the duration of the display and/or the placement of the key code elements within the respective time slot in a random manner.
• the random selection is expediently done with the aid of an automatically operating selection device, ensuring that persons employed by the TV company, for example, cannot make such a selection manually.
• the viewers are able to establish the aforementioned contact with the TV channel operator or game program operator via the telephone network or a computer communications network.
• the device introduced above is characterized by a key code generator which generates the elements of the key code and transmits each of these in succession to the TV set in the form of signs and/or symbols, e.g., numbers and/or letters, within selected time slots in at least one TV program and/or in at least one TV commercial spot, said key code generator being designed to select the key code randomly among a predetermined number of different key codes for every key code announcement, and a line connector in the telecommunications network for connecting with the game program a predetermined number of TV viewers who by using the key code first manage to establish said contact.
• said time slots respectively lie within selected time units of the TV program and/or the TV commercial spot.
• the time units may be randomly selected.
• a time slot generator is provided to determine the placement of a time slot within a respective time unit. Further, a time unit generator is provided to determine the placement of the time units within the TV program and/or the TV commercial spot.
• the said key codes can be made up completely or partially of, e.g., digits in a telephone number, symbols, letters or combinations thereof.
• the time slot generator is provided to choose at random the duration and/or placement of the time slots within a respective time unit.
• the key code generator be designed to randomly select the duration of the display and/or the position of the key code elements within a respective time unit.
• Figure 1 shows a time diagram for the visualization of the invention.
• Figure 2 shows a typical, simplified circuit pattern for the device, according to the invention.
• the key code selected for the example is indicated by reference numeral 1, this being the number 58213.
• These figures which, for example, make up the last five digits of a telephone number, e.g., 800 58213, are to be presented within a TV program or a TV commercial spot, e.g., broken up into five time units I, II, III, IV and V. In the chosen example, the durations of these five time units have a proportional relationship of 4.0: 2.5: 6.0: 3.5: 5.0.
• These time units can be determined by, e.g., a pulse train 2.
• the time slots within which the respective key code elements are to be displayed can be determined, for example, by a pulse train as indicated with reference numeral 3.
• a key code generator 4 capable of generating at random the elements of the key code 1 among a predetermined number of different, previously stored key codes which are linked to an available number of alternative telephone lines 5.
• Synchronizing pulses 6 are sent to an input on the generator 4 and simultaneously to a TV program or TV commercial producer, e.g., a video cassette recorder 7, CD ROM station, film projector or TV camera.
• the randomly selected key code e.g., a series of digits, in this case 800 58213, is fed into a line connector 8, in such a way that only the correct line-connector unit 9 for the relevant telephone number is connected.
• Generator 4 is also in communication with a time unit generator 10 which determines the time units within which the key code elements in question shall appear.
• a time slot generator 11 which may be of a type that arbitrarily determines the placement of the time slot in the time unit and the duration of the time slot.
• the signals emerging from generator 4 and from the TV program or TV commercial spot simultaneously being played back is sent to a video mixer 12 and from there to a transmitter unit 13, either for wireless communication via a transmission antenna 14 to a receiving antenna 15 on a TV set 16, or via a cable connection 17 between transmitter 13 and TV set 16.
• the wireless communication may also take place via a satellite (not shown).
• Line connector 8 forms a connection with a central interface 20 for adaptation between the signals from the push button unit 18 and a computer 21, connected to the system after interface 20, containing the software necessary for the TV game that is to be played by the viewers.
• the viewer who is most successful at solving the problems and tasks presented in the TV game will be registered by his telephone number in a register 22 connected to computer 21.
• This register can optionally contain a central telephone index (e.g., stored on a CD-ROM) to enable the winner's name to be displayed on the screen when the TV game winner is announced.
• a PC 23 with a keyboard 23' which communicates with the computer processor 21 via a data server 24 by using data paths 26, 27, 28 indicated by the letter F.
• Other PC's (not shown) are able to communicate in a similar manner, but only a selection of the PC's would have access to processor 21.
• Communication from the central unit to the viewer can optionally be made audible via the telephone instrument or interactively optical via the TV screen or reciprocally via the PC visual display unit 23".

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)

Priority Applications (10)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26648818

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (15)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (6)

• 1998
  • 1998-12-08 NO NO985731A patent/NO310050B1/no unknown
• 1999
  • 1999-02-18 JP JP2000532192A patent/JP2002503934A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-02-18 NZ NZ506258A patent/NZ506258A/en unknown
  • 1999-02-18 KR KR1020007009028A patent/KR20010041007A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-02-18 IL IL13777199A patent/IL137771A0/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-02-18 EP EP99912178A patent/EP1069931A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-02-18 CN CNB998028355A patent/CN1146459C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-02-18 BR BR9908005-2A patent/BR9908005A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-02-18 TR TR2000/02407T patent/TR200002407T2/xx unknown
  • 1999-02-18 CA CA002320209A patent/CA2320209A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-02-18 AU AU30602/99A patent/AU741122B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-02-18 HU HU0201511A patent/HUP0201511A2/hu unknown
  • 1999-02-18 ID IDW20001647A patent/ID25804A/id unknown
  • 1999-02-18 UA UA2000084891A patent/UA58578C2/uk unknown
  • 1999-02-18 WO PCT/NO1999/000053 patent/WO1999042187A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (6)

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