US 4,225,967 A · Broadcast acknowledgement method and system

Abstract

A broadcast acknowledgement method and system wherein a digital information signal, generated in order to indicate the content with regard to a present broadcast program (for example, a commercial broadcast program on television, radio or CATV), is superimposed on the voice signal of said program for broadcast and the composite signal transmitted to the receiving station, where it is processed to retrieve the digital information signal. Thereby, it can be confirmed whether or not the particular program has been broadcast or not. The method generally comprises the steps of removing the particular frequency band of the voice signal, generating the digital information signal by using some of the desired frequency signals within the particular frequency band of the voice signal, superimposing the digital information signal on the voice signal, transmitting the composite signal, extracting the digital information signal from the received signal at the receiving side, and processing the digital information signal so extracted to identify the particular program broadcast, and thus to obtain broadcast acknowledgement information such as sponsor's name, performers' name, time of broadcasting, etc. The broadcast acknowledgement system comprises, in several embodiments, a voice amplifier, band elimination filters, digital information generation circuit, various signal generators, and a mixing circuit; and, in another embodiment, a voice amplifier, band elimination filters, a digital information generation circuit, and a selector circuit.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A broadcast acknowledgement method in which broadcast data relative to a broadcast program are transmitted along with a sound signal of given sound signal level and given frequency spectrum, comprising the steps of:

(a) eliminating a particular frequency band from said given frequency spectrum of said sound signal;
(b) generating, in accordance with said broadcast acknowledgement data, a desired number of frequency signals having frequencies (F.sub.1, F.sub.2 . . . ) within said eliminated particular frequency band;
(c) generating a reference signal having a frequency (F.sub.p) within said eliminated particular frequency band;
(d) superimposing simultaneously said frequency signals and said reference frequency signal onto said sound signal to provide a communication signal for transmission;
(e) transmitting said communication signal;
(f) receiving said communication signal;
(g) filtering said received communication signal to extract signals having frequencies within said eliminated particular frequency band;
(h) generating a squared signal having frequency components .vertline.F.sub.1 -F.sub.p .vertline., .vertline.F.sub.2 -F.sub.p .vertline., . . . by squaring said filtered signals;
and
(i) filtering said squared signal to extract signals having respective frequency components .vertline.F.sub.1 -F.sub.p .vertline., .vertline.F.sub.2 -F.sub.p .vertline., . . . , whereby to obtain said broadcast data.

7 more elements

A broadcast acknowledgement system for acknowledging the broadcast of a program, wherein broadcast data indicating information relative to said broadcast program are transmitted along with a sound signal of given sound signal level and given frequency spectrum, said system comprising, in combination:

means for eliminating a particular frequency band from said given frequency spectrum of said sound signal;
means for generating, in accordance with said broadcast acknowledgement data, a desired number of frequency signals having frequencies (F.sub.1, F.sub.2, . . ) within said eliminated particular frequency band;
means for generating a reference signal having a frequency (F.sub.p) within said eliminated particular frequency band;
means for simultaneously superimposing frequency signals and said reference frequency signal onto said sound signal to provide a communication signal for transmission;
means for transmitting said communication signal;
means for receiving said communication signal;
means for filtering said received communication signal to extract signals having frequencies within said eliminated particular frequency band;
means for generating a squared signal having frequency components .vertline.F.sub.1 -F.sub.p .vertline., .vertline.F.sub.2 -F.sub.p .vertline., . . . by squaring said filtered signals;
and
further means for filtering said squared signal to extract signals having respective frequency components .vertline.F.sub.1 -F.sub.p .vertline., .vertline.F.sub.2 -F.sub.p .vertline., . . . , whereby to obtain said broadcast data.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Broadcast acknowledgement method and system

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Broadcast acknowledgement method and system

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Abstract

Claims24