Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface – To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-06
2004-10-05
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2676)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
C725S032000, C725S042000, C725S040000, C725S058000, C348S460000, C348S553000, C348S563000, C348S014050, C348S734000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802076
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, an electric apparatus, a control method of an electric apparatus, an electric apparatus system, a control method of an electric apparatus system, and a transmission medium, and, more specifically, to those of a kind in which information to which additional information is added is exchanged.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, in recording a desired program with a VTR (video tape recorder), it is necessary to input, through a manipulating section of the VTR, a broadcast start time and end time and a broadcast channel number of the intended program by, for instance, referring to a program page of a newspaper, a magazine, or the like.
Further, to store useful information included in an advertisement (commercial) message or the like that is received by a television receiver, it is necessary for a user to make notes on a sheet or the like.
In each of the above cases, the user needs to temporarily memorize necessary information and then make inputs through the manipulating section of the VTR or make notes on a sheet or the like. This causes problems that he may inadvertently inputs erroneous information and that he may forget useful information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances in the art, and an object of the present invention is therefore to make it possible to control an electric apparatus such as a VTR or a television receiver or to record useful information without requiring a user to temporarily memorize information.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a control device which controls, by transmitting a control signal to it, an electric apparatus that receives information transmitted via a transmission medium, comprising transmitting means for transmitting the control signal to the electric apparatus; receiving means for receiving additional information that has been extracted from the received information and transmitted by the electric apparatus; and output means for outputting the additional information received by the receiving means to a display device.
There is provided a control method for controlling, by transmitting a control signal to it, an electric apparatus that receives information transmitted via a transmission medium, comprising a transmitting step of transmitting the control signal to the electric apparatus; a receiving step of receiving additional information that has been extracted from the received information and transmitted by the electric apparatus; and an output step of outputting the additional information received in the receiving step to a display device.
There is provided a transmission medium for transmitting a computer program that is used in a control device which controls, by transmitting a control signal to it, an electric apparatus that receives information transmitted via a transmission medium, the computer program comprising a transmitting step of transmitting the control signal to the electric apparatus; a receiving step of receiving additional information that has been extracted from the received information and transmitted by the electric apparatus; and an output step of outputting the additional information received in the receiving step to a display device.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric apparatus which receives information that is transmitted via a transmission medium and performs an operation in accordance with a control signal that is transmitted from a control device, comprising first receiving means for receiving the control signal transmitted from the control device; control means for performing a control in accordance with the control signal received by the first receiving means; second receiving means for receiving the information transmitted via the transmission medium; extracting means for extracting additional information from the information received by the second receiving means; and transmitting means for transmitting the additional information extracted by the extracting means to the control device.
There is provided a control method of an electric apparatus which receives information that is transmitted via a transmission medium and performs an operation in accordance with a control signal that is transmitted from a control device, comprising a first receiving step of receiving the control signal transmitted from the control device; a control step of performing a control in accordance with the control signal received in the first receiving step; a second receiving step of receiving the information transmitted via the transmission medium; an extracting step of extracting additional information from the information received in the second receiving step; and a transmitting step of transmitting the additional information extracted in the extracting step to the control device.
There is provided a transmission medium for transmitting a computer program used in an electric apparatus which receives information that is transmitted via a transmission medium and performs an operation in accordance with a control signal that is transmitted from a control device, the computer program comprising a first receiving step of receiving the control signal transmitted from the control device; a control step of performing a control in accordance with the control signal received in the first receiving step; a second receiving step of receiving the information transmitted via the transmission medium; an extracting step of extracting additional information from the information received in the second receiving step; and a transmitting step of transmitting the additional information extracted in the extracting step to the control device.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric apparatus system comprising an electric apparatus which receives information that is transmitted via a transmission medium and a control device which controls the electric apparatus by transmitting a control signal to the electric apparatus, the electric apparatus comprising first receiving means for receiving the control signal transmitted from the control device; control means for performing a control in accordance with the control signal received by the first receiving means; second receiving means for receiving the information transmitted via the transmission medium; extracting means for extracting additional information from the information received by the second receiving means; and first transmitting means for transmitting the additional information extracted by the extracting means to the control device, the control device comprising second transmitting means for transmitting the control signal to the electric apparatus; third receiving means for receiving the additional information transmitted from the first transmitting means of the electric apparatus; and output means for outputting the additional information received by the third receiving means to a display device.
There is provided a control method of an electric apparatus system comprising an electric apparatus which receives information that is transmitted via a transmission medium and a control device which controls the electric apparatus by transmitting a control signal to the electric apparatus, an electric-apparatus-side part of the control method comprising a first receiving step of receiving the control signal transmitted from the control device; a control step of performing a control in accordance with the control signal received in the first receiving step; a second receiving step of receiving the information transmitted via the transmission medium; an extracting step of extracting additional information from the information received in the second receiving step; and a first transmitting step of transmitting the additional information extracted in the extracting step to the control device, a control-device-side part of the control method comprising a second transmitting step of transmitting the control signal to the electric apparatu
Furudate Yukio
Hanai Tomoyuki
Nashida Tatsushi
Terakado Tomoko
Bella Matthew C.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Sajous Wesner
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