Interactive video distribution systems – Video distribution system with local interaction – Interactive data transmitted in video signal band
Reexamination Certificate
1996-12-23
2001-07-03
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Video distribution system with local interaction
Interactive data transmitted in video signal band
C725S037000, C725S112000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256785
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a digital video broadcast system and method, and, in particular to a system and method of providing interactive look-and-feel in a digital video broadcast system via an X-Y protocol which transmits from a head end server to a set-top box.
Fully interactive television based on sessions between a server at a head-end and a client set-top box has proven to be very expensive and impractical for commercial applications at this time. However, less expensive one-way broadcast systems using satellites or microwaves are now being deployed which use digital video compression to provide an increased number of video channels to a viewer. It is desirable to create a system that distributes digital video along with other data. Such other data can include a protocol which is usable to create a system that results in a look-and-feel of interactivity without transmission from the client set-top box to the head end server.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,266 (Baer) issued Sep. 9, 1976 and is directed to dual image television. In particular, this patent is directed to an early method for transmitting a sequence of horizontal video lines taken alternatively from two video sources, so that in one transmission when playing alternate horizontal video lines, either one of the video tracks may be played.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,471 (Saitoh, et al.) issued May 9, 1995 and is directed to a moveable cursor for selecting and exchanging a main picture and subpictures in a multi-picture display device. The disclosure focuses on the picture selector and method of selecting the main picture or subpicture in a picture-in-a-picture system. More particularly, it is directed to a remote controlled mouse for selectively clicking on portions of a television receiver in order to receive a desired picture frame or channel by the click of a mouse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,195 (Clanton, III, et al.) issued Jun. 4, 1996 and is directed to a graphical user interface for interactive television with an animated agent. This is essentially a video-on-demand system which includes a video-on-demand server coupled to a communication medium. A plurality of set top box receivers are coupled to the communication medium for receiving digitized programming in the form of movies and the like from the video-on-demand server. Each set top box includes a CPU which generates and displays a graphic user interface on the subscriber's television. The graphic user interface is used in order to choose the video-on-demand programming or the like from the communication network.
Accordingly, many prior art systems and methods have been developed for generating video-on-demand, or picture within a picture. However, it is desirable and heretofore unknown how to develop a system and method for broadcasting video signals using satellites or microwave technology incorporated with protocol data and providing at the receiving end a set-top box or decoder that is adapted to receive the video information and protocol data and provide a user with a system having the look-and-feel of interactivity. The present invention details the private data which is interleaved within the data stream and provides protocol and synchronization information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, in accordance with the instant invention, a system is provided for creating a digital broadcast signal with X-Y protocol data and synch data. The digital broadcast signal can then be broadcast in any manner to be received at remote user locations. User's equipped with set-top boxes can then decode the digital signals. The goal is to provide a large quantity of information, so that a user may navigate through the information provided and obtain a look-and-feel of interactivity.
The system includes an apparatus for receiving broadcast digital signals over a tuneable bandwidth, the broadcast digital signals representing digitally encoded and compressed video, audio or binary data (also generally referred to as event data) and private data or protocol data. Video data as used herein may describe full motion video (with or without audio) or still picture graphics. The apparatus includes a tuner for selecting the tuneable frequency bandwidth and selecting the digital information for video and interactivity in synchronous groups, where each synchronous group has predetermined links defined by link data. The apparatus uses the private data or protocol data to provide a user with the ability to select from indicia of predetermined links and upon such selection, the monitor displays the predetermined link chosen. The apparatus is also equipped to provide the user with the ability to select from the predetermined links, which are displayed on the monitor as the indicia, so that new video as defined by the link may be displayed.
A set-top box or apparatus is located at user locations, such as a user's home or other viewing spot. It is provided for processing broadcast digital signals from tuneable frequency bandwidths. A member is provided for receiving the broadcast digital signal and generating a playable signal including indicia of the protocol data, and the protocol data includes predetermined links to associated playable signals. A member is provided for transmitting the playable signal for display on the display device. A remote control or other input device allows the user to select from the indicia displayed on the display device. The user may then exercise the predetermined link associated with a selected indicia in order to obtain the desired playable signal.
More specifically, the broadcast digital signal includes two components generally referred to as event data and private data. The event data includes but is not limited to audio data, video data and other binary data such as text. The private data includes information often referred to as protocol data. In other words, the private data is akin to a road map which instructs the receiver how to access the event data.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system and method that gives an interactive look-and-feel to a unidirectional digital video broadcast system.
A further object of the invention is to provide synchronous information that is displayable on a monitor and easily accessible by a user, so that a single channel of information received can display multiple programs simply and easily.
Another object of the invention is to provide X-Y protocol data with program data to allow a feeling of interactivity to a user via a remote control, mouse or other similar interface.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which are adapted to effect such steps, all exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
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pat
Klappert Walter R.
Sequeira William J.
Brown Reuben M.
Brown & Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner LLP
Corporate Media Patners
Faile Andrew
LandOfFree
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