Applications for information transmitted in the vertical retrace interval of a television signal

Claim 1

A television signal processing apparatus wherein the received television signals include image-representative information and a plurality of accompanying segments of supplementary information including program identification information, and a listing of program title information associated with program source identification information, the supplementary information being encoded during vertical blanking intervals of the broadcast signal, said television signal processing apparatus comprising: tuning means for selectively receiving television signals transmitted by individual program sources, the received signals including image-representative information, and accompanying segments of supplementary information, first signal decoder means (U2) for decoding said listing including program title information and associated program source identification information, memory means (U5) for storing and retrieving at least said program title information and associated program source identification information decoded by said first signal decoder means, second signal decoder means (U6) for decoding said program identification information accompanying related image-representative information a first controller means (U3) coupled to said tuning means, said first (U2) and second (U6) signal decoder means and said memory means (U5) for selectively transferring said segments of supplementary information from said first signal decoder means (U2) to said memory means (U5), said first controller means (U3) also retrieving said segments from said memory means (U5); characterized in that , in order to automatically display information identifying a currently running television program, said first controller means (U3) further comprises : means to enable said second signal decoder means (U6) to decode said program identification information accompanying related image-representative information, upon initial reception of signals from an individual program source by said tuning means, means to enable said first signal decoder means (U2) to identify a program source identification information within said listing identical with said decoded program identification information, means to store at least the associated program title information of said listing in said memory means (U5) corresponding to said currently running television program, and means to transfer said program title information from said memory means (U5) for automatic display thereof along with the related image-representative information.

Claim 9

A method of processing received television signals wherein said television signals include image-representative information and a plurality of segments of accompanying supplementary information including program identification information having a program-identifying time code and a listing including program title information associated with program source identification information, the supplementary information being encoded during vertical blanking intervals of the television signal, the method comprising: tuning a television signal processor for selectively receiving signals transmitted by an individual program source, the received signals including said image-representative information and accompanying segments of supplementary information, decoding said listing and said included program title information and associated program source identification information, storing said decoded listing and included program source identification information for subsequent retrieval, decoding said program identification information accompanying related image-representative information, comparing said last-named program identification information with said included program source identification information to identify matching information, and characterized by automatically displaying at least program title information associated with said included program source identification information upon identifying matching program identification information, along with related image-representative information.