Television – Nonpictorial data packet in television format – Data separation or detection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-27
2001-11-20
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2611)
Television
Nonpictorial data packet in television format
Data separation or detection
C348S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320621
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to closed captioned television broadcasts, more particularly to methods for providing selection of such services for digital television broadcasts.
2. Background of the Invention
Closed captioning is a service provided with most television broadcasts. In the current analog television standards, such as NTSC, the closed caption service is typically embedded in the vertical blanking interval of the video signal. The Electronic Industry Association (EIA) has standards for governing the provision of such services. In current NTSC televisions, the parameters of closed caption services are set out in EIA-608.
This closed caption service has several options for closed caption and text services, CC1, CC2, CC3, CC4, T1, T2, T3, T4 and EDS (electronic data service). The user can select the particular one of these services in several ways. In one method, the user can access the closed caption services menu by pressing the MENU button on the remote control. The user then makes the choice by highlighting a selection on the menu provided and then exiting the menu systems
Other implementations include cycling through choices on the menu, or a list of caption services provided when a CAPTION button is pressed on the remote control. However, all of these implementations are for analog television only and does not contemplate other possibilities that are made possible by the provision of closed caption services in digital television. For example, the standard for digital closed caption services has sixteen possible closed caption services. It would be awkward for the user to have to cycle through all these selections if there are no services for them.
Therefore, it would be useful if a solution for closed caption service selection were provided for digital television broadcasts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the invention is a process for providing viewers with the capability to select closed caption services. The closed caption services are provided in conjunction with a digital television broadcast. The viewer sends an input to the television or other audiovisual appliance that indicates the start of a closed caption control. The appliance then monitors the incoming data stream to identify how many closed caption services are present and any auxiliary information associated with each one. The appliance then displays the service and its auxiliary information to the viewer. The viewer then selects the desired service.
The input could be from a menu or a dedicated button on a remote control, for example. The display of options to the viewer could display all the possible services, or cycle through them one at a time. As a further embodiment, the appliance could save a particular closed caption service selected with a given viewer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5519443 (1996-05-01), Salomon et al.
patent: 5818935 (1998-10-01), Maa
patent: 5900908 (1999-05-01), Kirkland
patent: 5914719 (1999-06-01), Herz
patent: 5959687 (1999-09-01), Dinwiddie et al.
patent: 5995159 (1999-11-01), Bae et al.
patent: 6008802 (1999-12-01), Iki et al.
patent: 6108584 (2000-08-01), Edwards
Kostak Victor R.
Marger Johnson & McCollom PC
Sharp Laboratories of America Inc.
LandOfFree
Method of selecting a digital closed captioning service does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of selecting a digital closed captioning service, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of selecting a digital closed captioning service will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2574959