Appeal No. 97-3256
Application 08/280,012
constitute all the claims remaining in the application.
Amendments after final rejection were filed on June 3, 1996 and
July 2, 1996. Both amendments were entered by the examiner.
The claimed invention pertains to a method and apparatus
for handling communications between a central broadcast facility
and a plurality of remote users who are responding to questions
asked by the central facility. Specifically, the invention
relates to a technique for ensuring that no tampering takes place
with the answers provided by the remote users.
Representative claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A secured system of remote participation in
interactive games, the system comprising a transmission central
computer sending out cryptographic messages received by
television receivers during a television program, and a games
machine available to a televiewer of the television program
capable of reading the cryptographic messages and of sending back
the televiewer’s answer to questions asked in the messages,
wherein:
a) the games machine further comprises:
- means for counting consecutive periods of time
including a period of time Tr12 defined by the instant t1 of
reception of the message and the instant t2 of the televiewer’s
answer, and
a period of time Tr25 defined by the instant t2 of the
televiewer’s answer and the instant t5 of the forwarding of the
televiewer’s answer to the central computer;
- means for transmitting the televiewer’s answer and
the values Tr12 and Tr25 to the transmission central computer;
and wherein
2
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