Transaction based interactive television system

An interactive presentation system, comprising:

• means for receiving at a remote location interactive data in association with a presentation of an event, said interactive data including commands and event specific data;
• storage means, having a plurality of programmer tables, for storing data, said plurality of programmer tables including a secured programmer table, an unsecured programmer table and an event specific programmer table;
• means, responsive to said commands and said storage means, for presenting a viewer with a transaction;
• and
• means for updating said storage means based on said commands and said event specific data.

An interactive presentation system, comprising:

• a receiver for receiving at a remote location interactive data in association with a presentation of an event, said interactive data including commands and event specific data;
• a processor, in communication with said receiver, adapted to present a viewer with an interactive program, said interactive program based on said event specific data and said commands;
• a memory element, in communication with said processor, said memory element including a plurality of programmer tables, each said programmer table having a unique identification number, said plurality of programmer tables including a secured programmer table, an unsecured programmer table and an event specific programmer table;
• and
• a keypad, in communication with said processor so that information may be input by the viewer.

A method for presenting interactive programs via an interactive system such that a plurality of said interactive programs can be interleaved, said interactive system including a remote terminal for presenting said interactive programs, said remote terminal being selectively tuneable to receive and present at least one of said plurality of interactive programs, said remote terminal having a memory unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• dividing a portion of said memory unit in said remote terminal into a plurality of programmer tables;
• assigning a first identification code to a first one of said programmer tables;
• assigning a second identification code to a second one of said programmer tables, said second identification code being different from said first identification code;
• constructing first interactive data, said first interactive data including first commands and first event specific data, said first interactive data containing a reference to said first identification code;
• constructing second interactive data, said second interactive data including second commands and second event specific data, said second interactive data containing a reference to said second identification code;
• sending said first interactive data and said second interactive data to a remote location during a same time period;
• receiving said first interactive data and said second interactive data at said remote location;
• allowing a viewer at said remote location to selectively tune said remote terminal to operate upon selected interactive data, said selected interactive data being either said first interactive data or said second interactive data;
• presenting said viewer with a transaction, on said remote terminal based on said selected interactive data;
• and
• updating one of said first and second programmer tables referenced by said selected interactive data.

An interactive presentation system, comprising:

• a receiver adapted to receive interactive data, said received interactive data comprising first interactive data having a first set of commands and first event specific data when a viewer chooses to participate in a first event, and said received interactive data comprising second interactive data having a second set of commands and second event specific data when said viewer chooses to participate in a second event;
• a first processor programmed to present transactions to said viewer based on said received interactive data so that when said received interactive data includes said first commands and first event specific data transactions are presented in association with said first event, and when said interactive data includes said second commands and second event specific data transactions are presented in association with said second event;
• a memory unit, in communication with said first processor, said memory unit including a plurality of programmer tables adapted to store data in an appropriate one of said programmer tables so that when said received interactive data includes said first set of commands and first event specific data said appropriate programmer table is a first one of said programmer tables, and when said received interactive data includes said second set of commands and said second event specific data said appropriate programmer table is a second one of said programmer tables, so that (1) said viewer can change between said first event and said second event throughout said first event and said second event, thereby interleaving said first event with said second event and interleaving said transactions presented in association with said first event with said transactions presented in association with said second event, and (2) when said viewer chooses to participate in said first event said second programmer table is not affected and when said viewer chooses to participate in said second event said first programmer table is not affected.

A method for receiving and presenting interactive programs on an interactive system, said interactive system including a memory unit, said memory unit including a first programmer table having a first identification code and a second programmer table having a second identification code different from said first identification code, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving first interactive data, said first interactive data including first commands and first event specific data, said first interactive data including a reference to said first identification code;
• (b) presenting a viewer with a first transaction based on said first interactive data without erasing said second programmer table;
• (c) updating said first programmer table based on step (b) without erasing said second programmer table;
• (d) receiving second interactive data, said second interactive data including second commands and second event specific data, said second interactive data including a reference to said second identification code;
• (e) presenting said viewer with a second transaction based on said second interactive data without erasing said first programmer table;
• and
• (f) updating said second programmer table based on step (e) without erasing said first programmer table.

A system for creating an interactive program adapted for presentation on a remote terminal, said remote terminal including a memory unit, said memory unit including a plurality of programmer tables, said system comprising:

• means for choosing a programmer table from said plurality of programmer tables;
• means for creating a script including:
• means for selecting a message,
• means for selecting a question,
• means for selecting an appropriate response, and
• means for selecting response criteria;
• and
• means for compiling said script to create interactive data and associating said script with said chosen programmer table so that presenting an interactive program based on said interactive data will utilize said chosen programmer table.

A method for making an interactive video program for presentation on a remote interactive system, said remote interactive system including a memory unit, said memory unit including a first programmer table having a first identification code and a second programmer table having a second identification code different from said first identification code, said method comprising the steps of:

• creating a first script;
• compiling said first script to create first interactive data, said first interactive data including first commands and first event specific data, said first interactive data containing a reference to said first identification code;
• transmitting said first interactive data to said remote interactive system for presentation of a first transaction to a viewer based on said first interactive data without erasing said second programmer table;
• creating a second script;
• compiling said second script to create second interactive data, said second interactive data including second commands and second event specific data, said second interactive data containing a reference to said second identification code;
• and
• transmitting said second interactive data to said remote interactive system for presentation of a second transaction to the viewer based on said second interactive data without erasing said first programmer table.

A system for presenting interactive video programs, comprising:

• a receiver adapted to receive interactive data;
• a processor, in communication with said receiver, adapted to process said interactive data and present transactions based on said interactive data;
• a plurality of programmer tables, in communication with said processor, adapted to store data related to the transactions;
• and
• an insertion system, comprising:
• timed insertion means for inserting said interactive data into a video signal according to timing information;
• live insertion means for real time insertion of said interactive data into said video signal;
• and
• operator insertion means for inserting said interactive data into said video signal at a command of an operator.

A method for presenting interactive programs on an interactive system such that a plurality of said interactive programs can be interleaved, said interactive system including a remote terminal for presenting said interactive programs, said remote terminal having a memory unit, said memory unit having a plurality of programmer tables, said plurality of interactive programs including a first interactive program and a second interactive program, said first interactive program including first interactive data, said second interactive program including second interactive data, said method comprising the steps of:

• creating said first interactive data, said first interactive data including first commands, first event specific data and a reference to a first one of said programmer tables;
• creating said second interactive data, said second interactive data including second commands, second event specific data and a reference to a second one of said programmer tables;
• sending said first interactive data to a remote location;
• and
• sending said second interactive data to said remote location during a same time period as said first interactive data is sent to said remote location so that said remote terminal may be selectively tuned to either of or both said first interactive program and said second interactive program.

A method for presenting interactive programs, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first interactive program at a remote location during a first time period;
• receiving a second interactive program at said remote location during said first time period;
• tuning into said first interactive program during said first time period;
• presenting a first transaction based on said first interactive program during said first time period;
• tuning into said second interactive program, before said first interactive program is completed and after said second interactive program has started, during said first time period;
• and
• presenting a second transaction based on said second interactive program;
• wherein said first interactive program includes first commands and first event specific data designed to manipulate a first programmer table and said second interactive program includes second commands and second event specific data designed to manipulate a second programmer table.

A method for presenting interactive programs, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first interactive program at a remote location during a first time period;
• receiving a second interactive program at said remote location during said first time period;
• tuning into said first interactive program during said first time period;
• presenting a first transaction based on said first interactive program during said first time period;
• tuning into said second interactive program, before said first interactive program is completed and after said second interactive program has started, during said first time period;
• presenting a second transaction based on said second interactive program;
• storing results of said first transaction in a first programmer table;
• and
• storing results of said second transaction in a second programmer table.

An interactive presentation system, comprising:

• a receiver adapted to receive a plurality of interactive programs, each said interactive program having modules;
• a processor capable of presenting said modules of said plurality of interactive programs;
• and
• a memory unit, in communication with said processor, including a plurality of programmer tables, each said interactive program being associated with one of said programmer tables so (1) that presenting said modules of one of said plurality of interactive programs effects said associated programmer table and does not affect said programmer tables not associated with said one interactive program, (2) said plurality of interactive programs can be broadcast at different times on a same channel, (3) said plurality of interactive programs can be broadcast at a same time on different channels, and (4) one of said interactive programs can be simultaneously broadcast on different channels.

A method for making an interactive video program for presentation on an interactive system, said interactive system including a memory unit, said memory unit including a plurality of programmer tables, said method comprising the steps of:

• selecting a first programmer table from said plurality of programmer tables;
• creating a first script including:
• creating a question,
• creating an answer associated with said question, and
• creating a scoring plan;
• and
• compiling said first script to create first interactive data and associating said first interactive data with said first programmer table so that presenting an interactive program based on said first interactive data will utilize said first programmer table.

An interactive presentation system, comprising:

• a receiver adapted to receive interactive data;
• a processor, in communication with said receiver, programmed to process said interactive data and present transactions based on said interactive data;
• and
• memory, in communication with said processor, adapted to store data, said memory including a plurality of programmer tables, wherein at least a subset of said plurality of programmer tables are adapted to store sequencing information and said processor is capable of reading said sequencing information.

A method for presenting an interactive program via a viewer unit, said viewer unit including a memory adapted to store sequencing information, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving interactive data, said interactive data including sequencing data;
• comparing said sequencing data to said sequencing information stored in said memory of said viewer unit to determine if said interactive data is in sequence;
• presenting a transaction based on said interactive data if said interactive data is in sequence;
• and
• scoring said transaction if said interactive data is in sequence.

An interactive presentation system, comprising:

• a receiver adapted to receive interactive data associated with one or more events, each said event including one or more transactions;
• a processor, in communication with said receiver, programmed to process said interactive data and present the transactions based on said interactive data so that a viewer can obtain an event score based on interacting with said presented transactions associated with one of said events;
• and
• memory, in communication with said processor, adapted to store data including event information, series information, event scores and a cumulative score so that a plurality of the events can have identical said series information and a sum of said event scores can be accumulated in said cumulative score, each of said events having said identical series information being displaced in time.

A method for presenting an interactive program, comprising the steps of:

• receiving first interactive data associated with a first event and a first cumulative score;
• presenting a first transaction based on said first interactive data;
• updating said first cumulative score based on said first transaction;
• receiving second interactive data associated with a second event and a second cumulative score;
• presenting a second transaction based on said second interactive data;
• updating said second cumulative score based on said second transaction;
• receiving third interactive data associated with a third event and said first cumulative score;
• presenting a third transaction based on said third interactive data;
• and
• updating said first cumulative score based on said third transaction.