Portable Broadcast Data Capture System for Real-Time Purchase Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face challenges in capturing and acting on information related to radio or television broadcasts, such as advertisements or programs, due to inconvenience while listening, leading to delayed purchases or donations, which often result in lost sales or donations due to diminished interest over time.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for real-time remote purchase list capture using a portable device that identifies the current radio frequency and metadata, allowing users to activate a capture process, upload data to a remote server, and complete purchases or donations through an interactive interface without requiring extensive internet research.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If users manually note down broadcast information, then they can capture product details, but it causes delay and loss of purchase impulse

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelay between exposure and actionVSAvoidconvenience of capturing information

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary capture of broadcast information (frequency, timestamp, metadata) automatically when the user activates the device, so that when the user later accesses the captured data, all necessary information is already prepared and stored, eliminating the need for manual note-taking and reducing delay

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The portable capture device serves as an intermediary between the broadcast signal and the user's purchase action. It automatically captures frequency and metadata, stores it locally, and later transmits to a server, acting as a bridge that eliminates the manual information capture step while preserving purchase impulse

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If users call live operators to purchase items seen on TV, then they can buy products, but the process is burdensome and slow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of purchase processVSAvoidcomplexity of purchase process

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service purchasing by automatically capturing broadcast information and presenting it to the user for direct purchase. The user simply activates the device, reviews captured data on their own device, and completes purchase without needing live operator assistance, thereby speeding up the process and reducing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the mechanical/verbal interaction with live operators with an automated electronic system. The portable device captures information, the server processes purchase data, and the user interacts through a simplified interface, substituting the complex human-operated telephone system with an automated electronic purchasing system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8296195B2Broadcast programming data capture

Publication Date: 2012.10.23 QUU INC

AI summary

A portable device is used to capture, in real time, data sufficient to identify a product or service promoted, or a music track played, on a broadcast medium such as radio or television. The capture device can be a standalone implementation, or an application program executable on a personal communication device such as a cell phone or Blackberry. The capture device communicates the captured data to a remote server via a selected wired or wireless channel, or the internet, and the server provides services to support the user in responding to the radio or television broadcast item that corresponds to the captured data.