| 摘要 |
<p>A method and apparatus are disclosed for calculating and validating the differential time between the broadcasting of an event and the time at which a user responds. The event may include, for example, the announcement of an auction or a contest on a television program. The differential time for each end-user response is calculated by each end-user device. The user response can be reported back to the service provider in a secure and reliable off-line or real-time manner. Each end-user device can include a secure time-keeping device having a secure clock/calendar feature for calculating the differential time between presentation of the event and the user response. A user is prevented from recording a particular event and thereafter replaying the recorded event and responding to the replayed event, to thereby alter the effective response time. Local and global presentation time information are compared to ensure that each user responds to the initial, real-time event and not a replay.</p> |
