Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-04-10
Flynn, Nathan (Department: 2711)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C348S086000, C348S014160, C348S014160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215484
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to interactive response systems, and more particularly to an interactive television system which provides interactive programming using compressed, digital data having more than one video signal on a broadcast channel, or a multiplexed signal within a digital format, or both.
The invention also relates to seamlessly switching between video signals while viewing a first video signal, even though the video signal switched to may be on a different broadcast channel, or on the same channel multiplexed with, the currently viewed video signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Interactive systems are well known in the art. By synchronizing parallel tracks of an information storage media, and relating the content of the various tracks, it was found that interactive activity could be simulated. For example, commonly owned Freeman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,972 discloses the use of a time synchronized multi-track audio tape to store educational conversations. One track is employed to relay educational interrogatories to a user, and the remainder of the tracks, selectable by a switching mechanism, are used to convey responsive messages.
These systems progressed to interactive television, wherein multiple broadcast or cable channels were switched in response to user selections to provide interactive operation. Commonly owned Freeman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,700 discloses an interactive television system wherein a common video signal is synched to a plurality of audio channels to provide content related to user selectable responses.
Commonly owned Freeman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,925 discloses the use of a conventional cable television system to develop an interactive system. Standard television channels with time synchronized content are broadcast to a plurality of users. Each user switches between channels responsive to interrogatories to provide interactivity.
These systems have been tailored to include memory functions so that the system can be more interactive, individually responsive, and so that customized messages may be given to the various categories of users responsive to informational queries. Freeman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,279 discloses the use of a memory to store demographic profiles of television viewers. This information is stored to be recalled later for providing target specific advertising, for example. Prior art interactive television systems were generally concerned with providing one signal (i.e. one video signal) per channel, whether the channel is on cable television, broadcast television, or a VCR. Because cable and broadcast television channel capacity is becoming limited as more and more cable channels are being utilized for conventional programming, and interactive systems of the type described require multiple channels, it is desirable to reduce the channel capacity required for such systems while still providing at least the same level of interactivity. Disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which provides an interactive television system which employs multiple, time-synchronized, content-related video signals on one or more broadcast channels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an interactive cable television system which utilizes digital video signals to provide customized viewing responsive to user selections. A standard cable or direct broadcast satellite television distribution network is utilized for transmitting the interactive and other programming to users. The present invention allows a plurality of viewers to be simultaneously provided with a plurality of different program information message signals related in time and content to each other. The interactive program comprises a plurality of video signals related in time and content to one another.
The video signals are converted into digital format for transmission. In a digital format, it is possible to transmit more than one video signal per cable television channel. Further, it is possible to transmit video signals via conventional telephone lines. If desired, the various digital video signals may be compressed before transmission. Compression allows an even larger number of video signals to be transmitted over a channel of the transmission media. A multiplexer combines the various digital signals into a reduced number of transmission data streams for transmission. The various NTSC television channels may be allocated in a predetermined fashion to maximize the number of simultaneously transmittable signals. The multiplexer in conjunction with the television transmission system multiplexes the desired data streams onto the desired channels, and transmits these signals over the NTSC channels. The number of video signals which may be multiplexed onto a data stream on a single transmission channel will vary depending on the video signals to be transmitted. The television channels containing a data stream of multiplexed video signals may be transmitted over a standard cable television distribution network, or direct broadcast satellite transmission system. A receiver receives one or more television channels, some or all containing a multiplexed data stream of video signals or non-multiplexed digital video signals, and in conjunction with a signal selector, selects a particular data channel/data stream for playback, then selects a particular video signal from the data stream's multiplexed signal, and finally expands the video signal, if necessary, for playback to a television monitor.
A multiple choice controller operates to control the receiver and signal selector to select a particular video signal for playback. If more than one channel is received, the multiple choice controller may be programmed to map the different channels, and the multiple signals thereon, to a serial numerical channel representation to simplify use by the user. The signal selector includes the necessary expansion apparatus corresponding with the compression scheme in use.
In practice, a user selects a desired interactive program to be viewed. Using the multiple choice controller, the user selectably responds to information displays or interrogatory messages and the signal selector selects a particular multiplexed video signal and de-multiplexes, expands and displays the selected video signal. Alternatively, the signal selector may select a video signal based on personal profile information stored in memory.
If more signals are needed for an interactive program than were mappable to a data stream on a single channel, the signal selector in conjunction with the receiver is programmed to switch between the various video signals within a multiplexed data stream as well as between data streams among the various broadcast channels to provide the necessary level of interactivity.
The various information segments in the various video signals preferably relate in real-time and content so that an interactive conversation can occur as the video signal is played back and the user responds to the various interrogatories on the video signals. The use of multiple signals per channel may be used for many types of interactive programs, including those disclosed in the previously mentioned U.S. Patents, for example, field synchronized multiple camera angles from a sporting event, or an interactive game show. However, the present invention also covers the use of various video signals not related in real-time and content.
In a two-way embodiment, the various signals which comprise the interactive program may be switched at the head end rather than at the receiver. This embodiment may be used in a cable television system, a direct broadcast satellite system, a conventional telephone system modified to receive digital video signals, or any other appropriate transmission system capable of sending digital video signals. The multiple choice control unit, rather than the hand-held multiple choice controller, selects a desired video signal by relaying the multiple choice selections of the user through a relay box back to a remo
Freeman Michael J.
Harper Gregory W.
Actv, Inc.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Flynn Nathan
LandOfFree
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