CORDLESS PHONE BACK LINK FOR INTERACTIVE TELEVISION SYSTEM

摘要

A system for communicating information from a television viewer to a central site (22) includes a remote control unit (24) for sending command signals from the viewer to a television (10) or video cassette recorder (VCR). A cordless telephone base unit (16) initiates a telephone call to the central site (22) and communicates the DTMF tone signals received from the DTMF circuitry (14) in the television (10) or VCR to the central site (22). The television (10) or VCR receives a television signal (12) and extracts information related to a product or pay-per-view (PPV) event being advertised on a television program from the vertical blanking interval of the television signal. This information includes the telephone number of the central site used for making the telephone connection as well as identification information for the product of PPV event to be purchased.