Wireless transmission from the television set to the television station

Claim 1

In a bi-directional television system permitting television stations to ask questions and television signal receivers to answer those questions wherein the questions are codified synchronously on the television video signal, the improvement permitting a large number of receivers to be questioned for response from simplified responders, comprising in combination, means at a transmission site for transmission of a video signal having coded signal queries constituting coded bits superimposed in selected horizontal line video positions and spaced at times permitting responses to be received from receiver responder units in a predetermined geographic area, and responder units at television set locations tuned to said video signal for processing the coded queries and responding thereto to signify an answer with a single r-f burst timed to coincide with a designated horizontal line uniquely identifying each responder unit wherein all units respond with a burst of the same frequency at a unique time slot following each query wherein each responder unit and the transmitted video signal provide identification of the distance (travel time) of the responder unit from the transmission site of the video signal, and the responder units provide a response beep at a time compensating for signal transit time from the transmission site to the responder unit locations and back.