EP0852361A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improvements in or relating to televisions
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1998-01-05
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Granted: —
•
Expires: 2018-01-05
Abstract
Abstract A Java television receiver (10) includes a Java television platform (12) that has a bidirectional Internet connection (14) capable of sending Internet data to the Java television platform (12) and transmitting data from the Java television platform (12) to an Internet provider. Additionally, a tuner/decoder (24) connected to the Java television platform (12) is provided which can receive, tune and decode television signals. An audio/video overlay (32) connected to the Java television platform is provided to combine displays from the Java television platform (12) and television signals from the tuner/decoder (24). Finally, a video output (36) and an audio output (38) sends the combined Internet data and television signals to a television (40) .
Inventors
- 👤 Phillip R. Thrift
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 10:24
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/08; H04N7/084; H04N7/085; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/443; H04N21/4431; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4316; H04N21/438; H04N21/4381; H04N21/4437; H04N21/45; H04N21/462; H04N21/4622; H04N21/47; H04N21/478; H04N21/4782; H04N21/60; H04N21/63; H04N21/643; H04N21/64322; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N21/85; H04N21/858; H04N21/8586
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
An apparatus for integrating television signals
and information from an information service provider
comprising: a television platform having a bidirectional
connection capable of receiving information from an
information service provider or for transmitting data to
the information service provider; a tuner/decoder system coupled to the television
platform for receiving, tuning, and decoding television
signals; an audio/video overlay system operable to combine
information from the television platform and television
signals from the tuner/decoder system; and, a video/audio output system operable to send combined
information and television signals to a display.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the television
platform is further operable to run a Java operating
system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the television
platform is further operable to run Java applications and
applets.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the
television platform is operable to run a television
toolkit, the television toolkit controlling television
channel selection, manipulating electronic program guide
data, and integrating information and television signals.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of any preceding claim, further
comprising a vertical blanking interface datacast decoder
operable for extracting a plurality of text information
from the television signal's vertical blanking interval,
the vertical blanking interface datacast decoder operable
to send the plurality of text information to the
television platform.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of any preceding claim, further
comprising a video cassette recorder control coupled
between the television platform and a video cassette
recorder, the video cassette recorder control operable to
control the recording, playback, fast forward and reverse
functions of the video cassette recorder.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of any preceding claim, further
comprising an infrared receiver unit for receiving an
input from an infrared input device to control selection
of television signals and information.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein a
specific information service provider site is accessed by
a channel mapping function stored within the television
platform, the channel mapping function associating a
specific television channel with the specific information
service provider site.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of Claim 8, wherein the specific
information service provider site is located by
associating a specific television channel with a specific
uniform resource locator address.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of Claim 5, wherein a specific
information service provider site is accessed by
transmitting data to the information service provider
containing a specific locator address, the specific
locator address sent by a specific television channel in
the vertical blanking interval.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of Claim 10, wherein the specific
locator address is a uniform resource locator address.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein
the information service provider provides Internet data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
154 words
A television receiver comprising: a Java television platform having a bidirectional
Internet connection capable of receiving Internet data and
for transmitting data to an Internet provider, the Java
television platform operable to run a Java operating
system; a tuner/decoder system coupled to the JAVA television
platform for receiving, tuning and decoding television
signals; an audio/video overlay system operable to combine
Internet displays from the Java television platform and
television signals from the tuner/decoder system; a video/audio output system for sending combined
Internet data and television signals to a display monitor; a vertical blanking interface datacast decoder for
extracting a plurality of text information from a
television signal's vertical blanking interval, the
vertical blanking interface datacast decoder operable to
send the plurality of text information to the Java
television platform; and, an infrared receiver unit for receiving an input from
an infrared input device in order to control selection of
television signals and Internet data.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The television receiver of Claim 13, wherein a
specific Internet site is accessed by a channel mapping
function stored within the Java television platform, the
channel mapping function associating a specific television
channel with a specific uniform resource locator address.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The television receiver of Claim 13 or Claim 14,
wherein a specific Internet address is accessed by
transmitting data to the Internet provider containing a
specific uniform resource locator address, the uniform
resource address sent by a specific television channel in
the vertical blanking interval.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
The television receiver of any of Claims 13 to
15, further comprising a video cassette recorder control
coupled between the Java television platform and a video
cassette recorder, for controlling the recording,
playback, fast forward and reverse functions of the video
cassette recorder.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
80 words
A method for combining television signals with
information from an information service provider,
comprising the steps of: selecting a television channel signal from a
television broadcast source; identifying a specific site on an information service
provider network for a given television channel; locating the specific site; sending a plurality of information and images from
the specific site to a television platform; combining the plurality of information and images
with the television channel signal; and, displaying the combination on a display.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of Claim 17, wherein the step of
locating the information service provider comprises
locating an Internet service provider.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of Claim 17 or Claim 18, wherein the
step of identifying a specific site comprises using a
channel map to associate the television channel signal
with the specific site.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
52 words
The method of any of Claims 17 to 19, wherein
the step of identifying a specific site comprises sending
information concerning the specific site in a vertical
blanking interface of the television channel signal,
decoding the information using a vertical blanking
interface decoder and sending the information to the
information service provider.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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