Patent ID: 6993284

Claim:
A method for interactively with a broadcast program that is being performed enabling access to supplementary materials related to the program, comprising: obtaining a programming signal; obtaining a supplementary material signal that identifies the program-related supplementary material; combining said programming signal and said supplementary material signal into an output signal; broadcasting said output signal from a program signal source; receiving said broadcast output signal at a location of an audience; performing for the audience said programming signal of the received output signal, with reproduction equipment; extracting a signal related to said supplementary material signal from the received broadcast signal; responding to an interactive control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed, and based on said extracted signal, to enable access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal; storing personal identification data in a plurality of portable devices to be carried by a plurality of individuals, respectively; transmitting said identification data from the portable devices of said individuals who are audience members at the audience location; detecting said transmitted identification data; and wherein said step of enabling access to the supplementary material corresponding to said supplementary material signal is based on the detected identification data of the audience member tuned to said programming signal being performed who actuated said interactive control signal.