초록 ▼

A system and method for evaluating responses to broadcast programs, such as television programs, for the selling of merchandise includes a modifiable instructional signal modulated onto a voice signal transmitted concurrently with a television program, or time-multiplexed with a television transmiss

A system and method for evaluating responses to broadcast programs, such as television programs, for the selling of merchandise includes a modifiable instructional signal modulated onto a voice signal transmitted concurrently with a television program, or time-multiplexed with a television transmission. At each of a plurality of remote receiving stations, one or more members of a remote shopping audience has the opportunity to respond to a situation presented in the television program by entering a response on a keyboard. The system includes, at each remote receiving station, a memory responsive to the instructional signal for storing desired responses, and a comparison circuit for comparing responses entered at the keyboard with those stored in the memory. Also provided is electronic circuitry for scoring the responses in accordance with commands from the instructional signal, and a recording device for providing a permanent record of the audience score at each of the remote receiving stations. Scoring is performed at differing levels of difficulty, set by a host or by a contestant, with credit being given also to the length of time required for response and the mode of response such as by use of a key word or phrase. By including sales information in the programs, and by printing out award certification, the system encourages telephonic purchasing of merchandise.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for evaluating responses to task-setting messages electronically transmitted from a central station to members of a remote shopping audience who have responded to said messages in a manner meeting predetermined response criteria, which method comprises the steps of: transmitting audio-visua

A method for evaluating responses to task-setting messages electronically transmitted from a central station to members of a remote shopping audience who have responded to said messages in a manner meeting predetermined response criteria, which method comprises the steps of: transmitting audio-visual signals to the members of the audience, the audio-visual signals conveying a presentation of data accompanied by task-setting messages defining tasks to be performed by members of the audience; transmitting response criteria to members of the audience at remote locations for responding to individual ones of said task-setting messages, said response criteria including a scoring basis for responses to be entered by the members of the audience within a specified period of time, said scoring basis including a difficulty level; entering responses to said task-setting messages by members of said audience; rejecting responses entered by members of the audience after expiration of said period of time; comparing at least one response entered by a member of said audience within said period of time with said response criteria; scoring each response relative to said response criteria in correlation with a difficulty level; informing members of said audience of results of said scoring; allowing interaction between a member of the remote audience and the central station by means of a communication link between a remote location and the central station; computing the value of an award to be issued to a member of said audience who has entered an acceptable response to said task-setting message within said period of time, the value of the award being based on a score provided by said scoring step; and dispensing said award to said member of said audience who has entered the acceptable response.