Electronic system for viewer response to television program stimuli

Claim 2

For use with a television receiver on the screen of which televised program material is presented in the form of stimuli, where said screen is divided into segments each containing a stimulus, and a wireless pilot signal is propagated by said television receiver of a selected frequency identifying the screen segment containing a stimulus for viewer response; a system for selecting one of said stimuli, said system comprising: a console having a display screen thereon divided into a plurality of segments, said segments corresponding in spatial relation to the segments of said television screen on which said stimuli are presented; manually actuable means associatEd with each segment of said display screen and operative to provide a respective signal indication in said console for each one of said display screen segments selected by a viewer, said selected display screen segments corresponding to stimuli presented on spatially related segments of said television screen; transducer means in said console for detecting said wireless pilot signal propagated by said television receiver and identifying a screen segment containing a stimulus for viewer response and for providing an electrical signal in said console in response to said received wireless pilot signal; logic means in said console coupled to said manually actuable means and said transducer means and operative in response to said electrical signal and said signal indication for the corresponding display screen segment selected by the viewer to provide an output signal representative of an intended viewer response to a presented stimulus said logic circuitry including a plurality of filters each corresponding to a screen segment on which stimuli are presented for viewer response and each operative to provide an output signal in response to a pilot signal of respective frequency; and a plurality of gates each operative to receive the output signal from a respective one of said filters and operative to receive a respective signal indication from said manually actuable means and to provide an output signal only in response to the presence of both received signals; and means operative in response to said gate output signal for providing an output indication of said intended response.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said console includes a display screen of translucent material, each of said display screen segments being coupled to a respective manually actuable means and actuable upon a manual force applied to said segment.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 2 wherein said means operative in response to said output signal includes a plurality of illumination sources each associated with a respective one of said console display screen segments and each operative to cause illumination of the display screen segment corresponding to an intended viewer response.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said wireless pilot signal is in the form of an audio signal propagated by said television receiver and wherein said transducer means includes a microphone for receiving said audio signal and providing an electrical signal representation thereof.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said wireless pilot signal is in the form of an audio subcarrier propagated by said television receiver and modulated in accordance with the selected frequency identifying a particular screen segment and wherein said transducer means includes a subcarrier detector for detection of said audio subcarrier and provision of an electrical signal representation thereof.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said wireless pilot signal is provided in the form of a radio frequency signal radiated from said television receiver and wherein said transducer means includes an antenna and an RF detector.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said logic circuitry further includes: a plurality of latching circuits each associated with a respective one of said filters and each operative in response to a signal from a respective filter to provide an input signal to a respective one of said gates which remains present until said latching circuit is reset.

Claim 11

For use with a television receiver on the screen of which televised program material is presented in the form of a plurality of stimuli each on a respective segment of said screen, and a wireless pilot signal is propagated by said television receiver identifying the screen segment containing a stimulus for viewer response; a system for selecting one of said stimuli, said system comprising: a console having a display screen thereon divided into a plurality of segments, said segments corresponding in spatial relation to the segments of said television screen on which said stimuli are presented; manually actuable means associated with each segment of said display screen and operative to provide a respective signal indication in said console for each one of said display screen segments selected by a viewer, said selected display screen segments corresponding to stimuli presented on spatially related segments of said television screen; transducer means for detecting said wireless pilot signal propagated by said television receiver and identifying a screen segment containing a stimulus for viewer response and for providing an electrical signal in said console in response to said received wireless pilot signal; means operative to provide an output indication on said console of correct viewer response to said stimuli; logic means in said console coupled to said manually actuable means and said transducer means and operative in response to said electrical signal and said signal indication for the corresponding display screen segment selected by the viewer to provide an output signal representative of an intended viewer response to a presented stimulus, said logic circuitry including a plurality of filters operative to receive said electrical signal and each operative in response to an electrical signal of respective frequency to provide an output signal; a plurality of first gates each associated with a respective filter and each operative to receive a respective output signal from said respective filter and a respective one of said signal indications from said manually actuable means and to provide an output signal upon the presence of both input signals; means for providing a variable amplitude signal; means for coupling said variable amplitude signal to each of said first gates; and second gating means operative in the event of an incorrect viewer response to apply said variable amplitude signal to said output indication means to cause a different output indication of said incorrect response.

Claim 12

For use with a television receiver on the screen of which televised program material is presented in the form of a plurality of stimuli each on a respective segment of said screen, and a wireless pilot signal is propagated by said television receiver identifying the screen segment containing a stimulus for viewer response; a system for selecting one of said stimuli, said system comprising: a console having a display screen thereon divided into a plurality of segments, said segments corresponding in spatial relation to the segments of said television screen on which said stimuli are presented; manually actuable means associated with each segment of said display screen and operative to provide a respective signal indication in said console for each one of said display screen segments selected by a viewer, said selected display screen segments corresponding to stimuli presented on spatially related segments of said television screen; transducer means for detecting said wireless pilot signal propagated by said television receiver and identifying a screen segment containing a stimulus for viewer response and for providing an electrical signal in said console in response to said received wireless pilot signal; means operative to provide an output indication on said console of correct viewer response to said stimuli; logic means in said console coupled to said manually actuable means and said transducer means and operative in response to said electrical signal and said signal indication for the corresponding display screen segment selected by the viewer to provide an output signal representative of an intended viewer response to a presented stimulus, said logic circuitry including a plurality of filters operative to receive said electrical signal and each operative in response to an electrical signal of respective frequency to provide an output signal; a plurality of first gates each associated with a respective filter and each operative to receive a respective output signal from said respective filter and a respective one of said signal indications from said manually actuable means and to provide an output signal upon the presence of both input signals; means for providing a variable amplitude signal; means for coupling said variable amplitude signal to each of said first gates; and second gating means operative in the event of an incorrect viewer response to apply said variable amplitude signal to said output indication means to cause a different output indication of said incorrect response.