Television – Basic receiver with additional function
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-13
2001-01-23
Brier, Jeffrey (Department: 2779)
Television
Basic receiver with additional function
Reexamination Certificate
active
06177960
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a TV signal receiver. Generally, TV programs of a given length are regularly interrupted by, for example commercials or other information. Such messages are usually concentrated in a standard packet which is sent to everyone. Many viewers regard at least a pat of such a packet as being useless, for they prefer information about other subjects such a s, for example stock exchange news or the weather forecast instead of commercials, or they p refer, for example commercials about products in which they are specially interested.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a TV signal receiver with which it is possible to adapt the contents of second TV signal blocks referred to as information signals, which do not form part of the first TV signal, for example a movie, and become available at the output terminal of the TV signal receiver.
To this end, the TV signal receiver according to the invention has an input terminal for receiving an input signal, a tuner for deriving a first TV signal from the input signal, and memory controlled by control means for storing therein and reading therefrom a plurality of blocks of a second TV signal derived from the input signal. The first TV signal has interruption intervals during eachof which a block of the second TV signal is ensertable, the interruption intervals being provided with a first control signal for controlling the memory in such a way that at least one block of the second TV signal block is read from the memory for insertion into an interruption interval in the first TV signal so as to obtain a composite TV signal. The receiver has an output terminal at which the composite TV signal is supplied.
In this way, second TV signal blocks which do not form part of the first TV signal, referred to as the main signal, can be selectively added to the main signal via the signal receiver. These second TV signal blocks are stored in a memory in the receiver from which they are read again at the moment when there is an interruption in the main signal. This is effected in response to a first control signal comprising information about the positions of the interruptions. For example, the first control signals may precede the interruptions in the input signal. They may also be present, for example at the start of the interruptions. The second TV signal blocks are linked with a second control signal. Said second control signal has to activate the memory controller in time so that the second TV signal blocks can be stored when they arrive. The first and the second control signals are detected by the memory controller, which may, for example, comprise one or more detectors or may consist of a control system unit.
The TV signal receiver is switchable between two modes. In the first mode, second TV signal blocks are read from the memory and inserted into the interruptions in the first signal. In the second mode, the second TV signal blocks received at the input terminal are stored in the memory where they constitute an assortment of second TV signal blocks. In both cases, use is made of a control signal which ensures that the second TV signal blocks are inserted or stored at the suitable moment.
Moreover, the TV signal receiver may be provided with input means with which a profile of second TV signal blocks of the desired contents can be selected. Such a selection may take place before the second TV signal blocks are sent to the receiver. In that case, a signal supplied from an output terminal of the signal receiver is sent with the relevant information to the broadcaster or service provider which subsequently only sends the desired second TV signal blocks and, based on a control signal, switches the TV signal receiver to the second mode so that the second TV signal blocks can be stored in the memory.
Instead of the user making his choice via the input means, the broadcaster or service provider may monitor the content of the second TV signal blocks himself. To this end, the broadcaster or service provider may determine the preferential profile based on the situation of the user. Elements such as the age of the user and his purchasing behavior during a certain period may play an important role.
If the relevant information remains stored and if this information is not sent to the broadcaster or service provider, the broadcaster or service provider may send a full packet of second TV signals to the device and store them in the memory. In this case, the selection is made known to the memory so that only second TV signal blocks having the desired contents are retrieved from the memory by means of a selector and inserted into the interruptions.
The selection may take place before the information packets are stored in the memory. Then, the memory will only comprise the information of which the content meets the preferential profile. In this way a smaller memory would suffice.
Further, it is proposed to make the same second TV signal blocks frequently insertable, so that the user has the opportunity to watch the same message more than once.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4230990 (1980-10-01), Lert, Jr. et al.
patent: 5155591 (1992-10-01), Wachob
patent: 5389964 (1995-02-01), Oberle et al.
patent: 5424770 (1995-06-01), Schmelzer et al.
patent: 5508731 (1996-04-01), Kohorn
patent: 5600366 (1997-02-01), Schulman
patent: 5652615 (1997-07-01), Bryant et al.
patent: 5761601 (1998-06-01), Nemirofsky et al.
patent: 5815671 (1998-09-01), Morrison
patent: 5822018 (1998-10-01), Farmer
Brier Jeffrey
Eason Leroy
Sajous Wesner
U.S. Philips Corporation
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