Television – Combined with diverse art device
Reexamination Certificate
1996-07-11
2001-03-27
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2711)
Television
Combined with diverse art device
C348S734000, C348S901000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208384
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to television systems and methods, and more particularly to remote control systems and methods for television.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The television (TV) has become ubiquitous in modern society. As a result, many additional services are being provided via television. One example of an additional service which is being provided via television is an online television program guide, wherein television program schedule information is displayed on a television for searching and selection by a television viewer. Online television program guides are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,578 to Reiter et al. entitled “System for Electronically Controllably Viewing on a Television Updateable Television Programming Information” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,357 to Hallenbeck entitled “Method and Apparatus for Controlling a Television Program Recording Device” both of which are assigned to the assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosures of both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Other services which are being provided or have been proposed in connection with television include interactive video, video games, online stock quotation and/or banking, and video-on-demand.
As a result of the proliferation of additional television services, a variety of accessory units, such as cable television descramblers, video game players, online television program guide receivers and satellite television receivers have been marketed. Unfortunately, these accessory units may be costly and may limit consumer acceptance of the additional services. As an alternative to accessory units, additional computing power and memory have been included in the television itself, for use with online television program guides and the like. Unfortunately, the added computing power and memory may increase the cost of the television itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide improved methods and systems for providing additional television services.
It is another object of the present invention to provide methods and systems for providing additional television services, without requiring costly add-on accessory units.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide methods and systems for providing additional television services, without requiring computing power and memory to be added within a television.
These and other objects are provided, according to the present invention, by methods and systems which provide information to a television using a personal computer. The invention stems from the realization that a large amount of computer power and memory is typically already present in the home, in the form of a personal computer. Accordingly, a personal computer is used to download and process auxiliary services which are intended for a television. The auxiliary services need not be downloaded and processed by an auxiliary unit or by the television itself.
In particular, according to the present invention, a personal computer includes a housing containing therein a processor and memory. A computer display is responsive to the processor. An external network interface is also contained in the housing, which obtains external information from an external network, such as cable television, satellite television, or the internet, and stores the external information in the memory. A low power television transmitter is also contained in the housing, which is responsive to the processor, to transmit information which is stored in the memory. A television remote control sensor is also contained in the housing. The remote control sensor is responsive to television remote control signals to control the processor and to manipulate data in the memory. Accordingly, information which is intended for a television may be downloaded into the personal computer via the external network interface and then transmitted to the television using the low power television transmitter. The television remote control sensor may be used to control the television and also to provide commands to the personal computer to process the information in the personal computer.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, the personal computer is used in combination with a unified television/personal computer remote control which transmits remote control commands to a television in response to user inputs and which also transmits personal computer commands to the television remote sensor in the housing in response to user inputs. The remote control commands which are transmitted to the television are preferably transmitted using infrared frequencies while the remote control commands which are transmitted to the personal computer may use infrared frequencies but are preferably radio frequencies (such as UHF) so that they may be transmitted from room to room without requiring direct line of sight.
In another embodiment according to the invention, the remote control may be a radio frequency (UHF) remote control, which transmits personal computer commands and television remote control signals to the personal computer in response to user inputs. In this embodiment, a television interface unit may also be provided. The television interface unit includes a radio frequency receiver which receives television video signals from the personal computer and which also receives television remote control commands from the personal computer. The television interface unit also includes a converter which is responsive to the radio frequency receiver and which converts the received television remote control commands into infrared television remote control commands. Accordingly, the remote control need not communicate directly with the TV, but may communicate with the TV via the personal computer. An all-UHF remote control may thereby be provided which does not require line of sight operation to the television or to the personal computer.
The second embodiment of the present invention preferably includes a personal computer interface, a television interface and a wireless remote control. The personal computer interface is adapted for use with a personal computer and includes a radio frequency transceiver which transmits and receives television remote control signals and which also transmits television video signals which are generated in a personal computer. The television interface is adapted for use with a television. It includes a radio frequency receiver which receives television remote control signals and television video signals from the personal computer interface. The television interface applies the received television video signals to a television for display and also converts the received television remote control signals into infrared television remote control signals.
The wireless remote control includes a user interface which accepts user input commands to remotely control a television. The wireless remote control also includes a radio frequency transmitter which transmits radio frequency remote control signals to a personal computer to remotely control a television in response to user input commands at the user interface. The personal computer interface may also relay received television remote control signals to the personal computer for processing in the personal computer, and may receive television remote control signals from the personal computer. The personal computer interface also receives personal computer commands from the radio frequency transceiver and relays the personal computer commands to a personal computer.
In a preferred embodiment, the personal computer interface is contained on a card which connects to a personal computer motherboard in a personal computer housing. Also in a preferred embodiment, the television interface also includes a radio frequency switch which switches the video input to a television between the received television video signals and an external video source. Also preferably, the wireless remote control user interface also accepts user input commands to remotely control the personal computer.
Brown Douglas G.
Kostak Victor R.
Myers Bigel & Sibley & Sajovec
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