EP0463451A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for selective distribution of messages over a communications network
Assignee: Arris Technology Inc
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Filing: 1991-06-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-06-10
Abstract
Abstract Specific text and/or graphic messages for individual subscribers or groups of subscribers are distributed on a communications network such as a cable television system. An addressable controller (24) communicates with a plurality of subscriber terminals (18) served by the network. Each subscriber terminal (18) is assigned to a primary message group and may be assigned to one or more message subgroups. Messages are input to the addressable controller (24) for subsequent transmission to a subscriber terminal for display. The messages are tagged with distribution data defining at least one primary message group or message subgroup to receive the message. The tagged text messages are transmitted over the network together with signals from network service providers (10). Global messages can be sent by leaving the distribution data field blank, or filling it with a special code such as a string of zeros. Wild card tags are also permitted. A subscriber terminal (18) for receiving the messages has a first path for processing a service signal received from the network and a second path for processing a message signal received from the network. The distribution data is retrieved from a received message and used to determine if the message is targeted to the subscriber terminal. If so, the message is processed for display. The message can be displayed alone or overlaid on a video program signal being viewed.
Inventors
- 👤 Marc Kauffman
- 👤 Michael Miller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 21:13
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/165; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/435; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04H; H04H2201/00; H04H2201/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A converter for processing signals received from a communications network, comprising: a first path for processing a received video signal; a second path for processing a received message signal; an adder coupled to combine a video signal from said first path and a message signal from said second path; and switch means responsive to a control signal for selectively outputting to a display said first path video signal, said second path message signal, or the combined signals from said adder.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
A converter in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second path comprises: means for retrieving tag data appended to said message signal; and means responsive to said tag data for generating control signals to actuate said switch means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A converter in accordance with claim 1 or 2 further comprising: means for determining if a video signal is present in said first path; and means responsive to said determining means for actuating said switch to output only said second path message signal when there is no video signal present in the first path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A converter in accordance with claim 3 wherein said determining means comprises a video sync detector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A converter in accordance with any of the preceding claims further comprising: means for retrieving tag data appended to said message signal; and means responsive to said tag data for energizing said converter to output an emergency message if the converter is de-energized at the time the message is received.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A converter in accordance with claim 1 further comprising: video display generator means in said second path for converting received message data to a video message signal for input to said adder and said switch means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A converter in accordance with claim 6 further comprising: means for detecting a video sync signal in said first path; and means for inputting said video sync signal to said video display generator for use in synchronizing the video message signal to a video signal carried on the first path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
A converter in accordance with claim 6 or 7 further comprising: means for determining if a video signal is present in said first path; means responsive to said determining means for actuating said switch to output only said second path message signal when there is no video signal present in the first path; and means responsive to said determining means for generating a sync signal for said video display generator when there is no video signal present in said first path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
95 words
A converter for processing signals received from a communications network, comprising: a first path for processing a received video signal; a second path for processing a received message signal; memory means coupled to said second path for storing message data; means coupled to said second path for retrieving tag data appended to said message signal; and means responsive to said retrieved tag data for outputting said second path message signal combined with said first path video signal, outputting said second path message signal alone, or storing said second path message signal in said memory means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A converter in accordance with claim 9 further comprising: means for generating a message waiting indicia when message data is stored in said memory means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A converter in accordance with claim 9 or 10 further comprising: means for retrieving message data from said memory means; and means for outputting the retrieved message data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A converter in accordance with any of claims 9 to 11 further comprising: means responsive to retrieved tag data for energizing said converter to output an emergency message if the converter is de-energized at the time the message is received.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
130 words
Apparatus for selectively distributing messages over a communications network comprising: an addressable controller for communicating with a plurality of subscriber terminals served by a communications network; means operatively associated with said addressable controller for assigning each of said subscriber terminals to a primary message group; means operatively associated with said addressable controller for assigning selected ones of said subscriber terminals to one or more message subgroups; means for inputting text messages to said addressable controller for subsequent transmission to a subscriber terminal for display; means operatively associated with said addressable controller for tagging said messages with distribution data defining at least one primary message group or message subgroup to receive the message; and means for transmitting the tagged text messages over the network together with signals from network service providers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 further comprising: means operatively associated with said addressable controller for generating a wild card tag for a message.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 or 14 wherein said messages are transmitted together with control data in an addressable data stream carried on said network.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 further comprising: bandwidth allocation means operatively associated with said addressable controller for allocating bandwidth within said data stream among said messages.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said bandwidth allocation means allocates more bandwidth to messages having a high priority than to messages having a lower priority.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus in accordance with any of claims 13 to 17 further comprising: means operatively associated with said addressable controller for periodically repeating the transmission of a message over the network for a predetermined time period.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
91 words
A subscriber terminal for receiving messages from the apparatus of any of claims 13 to 18 comprising: a first path for processing a service signal received from the network; a second path for processing a message signal received from the network; means for retrieving said distribution data from a received message; means responsive to the retrieved distribution data for determining if the received message is targeted to the subscriber terminal; and means responsive to said determining means for processing the received message for display if it is targeted to the terminal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A terminal in accordance with claim 19 further comprising: means for selectively displaying received messages alone or in combination with a service signal from said first path.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
95 words
A subscriber terminal for processing signals received from a communications network, comprising: a first path for processing a received video service signal; a second path for processing a received message signal; means for retrieving distribution data appended to a received message; means responsive to the retrieved distribution data for determining if the received message is targeted to the subscriber terminal; and means responsive to said determining means for converting the received message to an alphanumeric video signal for output in combination with said video service signal if the received message is targeted to the terminal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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