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Method and apparatus for providing electronic couponsMethod and apparatus for providing electronic coupons description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090138904, Method and apparatus for providing electronic coupons. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/186,299, filed on Jul. 20, 2005, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/218,120, filed on Dec. 21, 1998 and now abandoned. This present application hereby claims the benefit of these earlier filing dates under 35 U.S.C. §120. The present invention relates to television broadcasting, and, specifically to providing on-demand electronic advertising information and coupon information along with broadcasts of television programs. Television broadcasting technology has improved tremendously since its inception. Today, television signals are broadcasted oil the airwaves, through cables, and via satellite. The number of stations and programs accessible today has increased to hundreds of stations. Consequently, the television broadcast systems have increased in complexity in order to present the information on the hundreds of stations to the viewer. The current generation of complex broadcasting system technology provides the viewer with many options regarding the functions of the broadcasting system and the programs that are available for broadcast. These options include, but are not limited to, choices in presentation graphics, program directories that allow for channel surfing among, program descriptions while watching a particular program on one channel, custom user-formatted menus, message receipt functions from a service provider, on-demand selection of pay-per-view broadcasts, selection of a broadcast for automatic recording, and programming a broadcast system to tune to a preselected station at a designated time. These broadcasting system options are typically accessed through graphical user interfaces. While the broadcast system technology improvements provide viewers with more programming selections and better picture and sound quality, these improvements provide retailers and service providers, the supporters of the broadcast system, with an improved medium over which to advertise their products. Retailers and service providers typically derive a benefit from the improved medium because the improved quality of the signals and the programming draw a larger audience, thereby providing them with a larger potential customer base. In spite of the larger potential customer base, there remains a need for an advertising system that better enables retailers and service providers to target customers with more product information and incentive to purchase than is provided with typical commercial segments. Furthermore, as a large number of homes contain personal computers, many of which are used to electronically purchase products and services via direct modem or Internet connections, there is a need to provide potential customers with product information and incentive to purchase that exploits the convenience of electronic purchasing. The success of the combination of targeted advertising and electronic purchasing is best demonstrated by the financial success of the typical home shopping networks. The typical home shopping network provides products for which they present detailed advertising information and allow for electronic purchasing. This is a form of on-demand advertising because when a viewer wants to shop, the viewer can tune in a home shopping network of their choice, and when the viewer tires of shopping, the viewer can tune to a different network or station. The on-demand nature of the home shopping networks is appreciated by the typical viewer. One form of advertisement that is very successful is the provision of coupons issued by manufacturers, retailers, and service providers that allow the consumer to save money on particular products during particular times. Typically, coupons are published in magazines and newspapers, and the consumer acquires the coupons by purchasing the magazine or newspaper. In the alternative, consumers are issued a coupon card by a particular retailer, wherein presentation of the coupon card, or electronic coupon, automatically allows the consumer to take advantage of reduced prices on particular goods without having to present coupons corresponding to the particular goods. However, there is a need for providing coupons that are compatible with electronic purchasing methods and which are accompanied by more detailed product information. A method and apparatus for providing electronic coupons are provided. According to one aspect of the invention, coupon information is provided for items comprising products and services. The products and services may be used in scenes of live and prerecorded television programs. The scenes comprise currently displayed scenes, previously displayed scenes and scenes that are to be displayed in the future. The coupon information is received along with broadcasts of associated television programs. The coupon information may be received simultaneously with the scenes in which items corresponding to the coupon information appear. Furthermore, the coupon information may be received prior to receipt of the scenes or television programs in which the items corresponding to the coupon information appear, in which case the coupon information is stored. When a coupon mode is selected, the viewer is alerted when coupon information is available for an item. The viewer alert comprises a tone and at least one displayed mark, wherein the displayed marks may be superimposed over the broadcast of the television program on the screen. The displayed marks comprise an indicator for each item for which coupon data is available, and the indicators may be representative of the items to which the indicators correspond. The coupon information for a particular item is requested when the viewer selects the indicator corresponding to the item in which the viewer is interested. Upon request, the coupon information is displayed on a display along with the broadcast of the currently selected television program. The coupon information may be displayed by superimposing the information over the broadcast of the television program on the screen. Coupon information may be selected for storage on a removable recording medium comprising integrated circuit cards, or “smart” cards, magnetic medium, and optical medium. Furthermore, data corresponding to the television program with which the coupon information is associated is stored on the removable recording medium along with the coupon information. The coupon information may be used to electronically order an associated item. The coupon information is redeemed by the viewer when the stored coupon information is read from the removable recording medium by a merchandise retailer or dealer. In addition to the coupon information, advertising information may be provided to a viewer for selected items. The advertising information is received along with the broadcast of a television program. When an advertising mode is selected, the viewer is alerted when the advertising information is available. Selected advertising information is displayed along with the broadcast of a television program. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description and appended claims which follow. Continue reading about Method and apparatus for providing electronic coupons... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for providing electronic coupons Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for providing electronic coupons patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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