The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 31, 1978
Filed:
Oct. 18, 1976
Nolan K Bushnell, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Joseph F Keenan, San Jose, CA (US);
Atari, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
An interactive purchasing system employs a station transmitting signals adapted to be received by a plurality of television receivers at a number of viewing stations via a given television channel. In one application, the signals represent information relating to associated merchandise in various stores. A viewer uses keyboard controls to scan the 'pages' of advertising on a video display and to indicate a selected purchase. A telephone coupling arrangement provided at each viewing station is adapted to cooperate with a telephone in placing a call via the telephone selectively to one of a plurality of stores. Means are further provided at each viewing station for selecting merchandise to be purchased including means serving to operate a conventional telephone at the viewing station to call the particular stores related to the selected merchandise and to register a request to purchase the selected merchandise.