US US5905865

Patent Summary: US5905865

Washington, D.C. - A review of United States Patent US5905865, titled "Apparatus and method of automatically accessing on-line services in response to broadcast of on-line addresses," provides a detailed look at a technology for linking broadcast media with the internet. This analysis, current as of April 28, 2026, is based on a direct examination of the patent's records.

Key Patent Details:

• Title: Apparatus and method of automatically accessing on-line services in response to broadcast of on-line addresses
• Assignee: As of the latest available information, the patent was assigned to Disney Enterprises, Inc. The original assignee was Web Pager Inc.
• Inventors: Shelton L. Palmer, Jason M. Palmer
• Filing Date: October 30, 1996. The patent claims priority from a provisional application filed on October 30, 1995.
• Issue Date: May 18, 1999
• Abstract: The patent describes a method and apparatus for connecting a computer to online services in synchronization with an audio or video broadcast. An address, such as a URL, is transmitted simultaneously with the broadcast programming. This address identifies an online service containing information related to the programming. A computer receives this address and automatically accesses the corresponding online service. The process can be repeated with different addresses for different programming segments, with a preference for sending the addresses via a paging system.
• Legal Status: A search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026 did not reveal any current litigation involving US5905865.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

The independent claims of a patent define the core of the invention. US5905865 has several independent claims, each describing a slightly different facet of the same fundamental concept.

• Claim 1: This claim outlines the basic method. It involves a computer and a remote online service. While audio or video programming is broadcast from one location, a separate "address transmitter" sends out an online address (like a website URL). This address corresponds to information related to the ongoing broadcast. The key is that the address is sent at the same time as the programming, and the user's computer automatically receives it and connects to the online service without the user having to do anything.

• Claim 17: This claim broadens the scope to multiple computers in different locations. It describes a method for directing many computers to a single online service that has information related to a broadcast. An address is transmitted to all these computers simultaneously with the corresponding audio or video broadcast. At least some of these computers then use that address to automatically access the online service.

• Claim 27: This claim adds an interactive element. It describes a system where, after a computer is automatically directed to an online service in sync with a broadcast, the computer can then send information back to that online service. This creates a two-way communication channel.

• Claim 33: This claim focuses on a continuous experience. It details a method for a computer to automatically connect to a sequence of different online services. As the broadcast programming changes, the system sends out new addresses, and the computer automatically connects to the new corresponding online service, creating a seamless stream of related online content.

• Claim 34: This claim specifically identifies the use of a paging system to transmit the online addresses. A computer is directed to access information related to a radio or television program by receiving an address from a paging system and automatically connecting to the online service it identifies.

• Claim 35: This claim describes the overall system. It includes a broadcaster for the audio/video programming, an "address transmitter" that sends out online addresses simultaneously with the broadcast, and a user's computer with a receiver. This receiver captures the transmitted addresses, allowing the computer to connect to the online services which contain information corresponding to the broadcast program.