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:
Feb. 25, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 19, 1999
Jeffry Jovan Philyaw, Dallas, TX (US);
David Kent Mathews, Carrollton, TX (US);
Digital Convergence Corporation, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A method for controlling a user computer is disclosed wherein a broadcast program is operable to transmit a broadcast to the user in the form of an audio/visual program, in addition to an encoded tone. This encoded tone is detected by the user computer and this information then transmitted to an intermediate node, an ARS ( ). This tone is compared in a relational database ( ) to determine is there is matching information therein. This matching information is in the form of routing information to a destination node ( ) over the data network ( ). This routing information is transmitted back to the user computer ( ) over the network ( ). The user PC ( ) then utilizes this information to complete a connection with the destination node ( ). The tone is injected into the broadcast program by a program director at the broadcast station. This is effected through an input to a console ( ) which selects one of a plurality of tones in a tone database ( ). Therefore, the user can determine which of a plurality of destinations nodes ( ) on the network ( ) are to be selected.