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US20040103439A1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Access to internet data through a television system

Assignee: Gemstar Development LLC
•
Filing: 2003-11-20
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2023-11-20
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Abstract

Abstract A television system provides access to Internet data simultaneously with a displayed television program. Data units including data address sites available through a networked computer system such as the Internet are embedded in a television signal along with a television program. Information representing the data address site, such as an icon or descriptive text, is displayed simultaneously with the television program on the television. If the user selects the data address site, a data retrieval terminal in two-way communication with the network and associated with the television establishes a connection with the network and requests the data corresponding to the selected data address site. The retrieved information is then formatted for display.

Inventors

  • 👤 Douglas Macrae
  • 👤 Henry Yuen
  • 👤 Roy Mankovitz
  • 👤 Elsie Leung
  • 👤 Daniel Kwoh
  • 👤 Thomas Westberg

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 13:27
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/80; H04N21/85; H04N21/858; H04N21/8586; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N21/426; H04N21/42653; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4314; H04N21/4316; H04N21/45; H04N21/462; H04N21/4622; H04N21/47; H04N21/472; H04N21/47214; H04N21/4722; H04N21/475; H04N21/4758; H04N21/478; H04N21/4782; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N7/00; H04N7/08; H04N7/087; H04N7/088; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/165; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318; H04N7/17336; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/445; H04N5/45

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim 180 words
1 . A television system comprising: a receiver for receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; a decoder for extracting the address of the data site from the television signal; a memory for storing the extracted address and information about the television program; a communication device in two-way communication with the data service provider; a user input device for receiving user input; and a microprocessor coupled to the memory and the communication device and configured to store data for an icon representative of the data site address and superimposing the icon over the television program on a display device, to retrieve the data site address and the information about the television program from the memory in response to a user selection, and to control the communication device to retrieve data corresponding to the data site address from the data service provider in response to the user, wherein the television program, the data from service provider, and the information about the television program are displayed in three non-overlapping regions on the display screen.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 180 words
1 . A television system comprising: a receiver for receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; a decoder for extracting the address of the data site from the television signal; a memory for storing the extracted address and information about the television program; a communication device in two-way communication with the data service provider; a user input device for receiving user input; and a microprocessor coupled to the memory and the communication device and configured to store data for an icon representative of the data site address and superimposing the icon over the television program on a display device, to retrieve the data site address and the information about the television program from the memory in response to a user selection, and to control the communication device to retrieve data corresponding to the data site address from the data service provider in response to the user, wherein the television program, the data from service provider, and the information about the television program are displayed in three non-overlapping regions on the display screen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
2 . The television system of claim 1 , wherein the data service provider is an Internet service provider.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
3 . The television system of claim 1 , wherein the icon includes a textual description of the data corresponding to the data site address.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
4 . The television system of claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor displays the icon substantially immediately after receiving the data site address.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 39 words
5 . The television system of claim 1 , further comprising a picture-in-picture (PIP) generator, wherein the television program is displayed in a PIP window simultaneously with the information representative of the data site address on the display device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
6 . The television system of claim 1 , wherein the data corresponding to the data site address is purchasing information.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 27 words
7 . The television system of claim 1 , wherein the data corresponding to the data site address comprises commands for controlling recording of a television program.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 19 words
8 . The television system of claim 1 , wherein the decoder is a vertical blanking interval (VBI) decoder.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 34 words
9 . The television system of claim 1 , further comprising a portable device and wherein the microprocessor is further configured to transmit the received data site address to the portable device for storage.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 26 words
10 . The television system of claim 9 , wherein the microprocessor transmits the received data site address to the portable device in a wireless manner.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 29 words
11 . The television system of claim 9 , wherein the potable device includes means for a two-way communication with the data site using the stored data site address.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 25 words
12 . The television system of claim 11 , wherein the means for a two-way communication with the data site is a wireless communication means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 147 words
13 . A method for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information retrieval comprising: receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; extracting the address of the data site from the television signal by a decoder; storing the extracted address and information about the television program; receiving user input; storing data for an icon representative of the data site address and superimposing the icon over the television program on a display device; retrieving the data site address and the information about the television program from the memory in response to a user selection; and retrieving data corresponding to the data site address from the data service provider in response to the user, wherein the television program, the data from service provider, and the information about the television program are displayed in three non-overlapping regions on the display screen.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 147 words
13 . A method for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information retrieval comprising: receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; extracting the address of the data site from the television signal by a decoder; storing the extracted address and information about the television program; receiving user input; storing data for an icon representative of the data site address and superimposing the icon over the television program on a display device; retrieving the data site address and the information about the television program from the memory in response to a user selection; and retrieving data corresponding to the data site address from the data service provider in response to the user, wherein the television program, the data from service provider, and the information about the television program are displayed in three non-overlapping regions on the display screen.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 18 words
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the data service provider is an Internet service provider.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 24 words
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the icon includes a textual description of the data corresponding to the data site address.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 21 words
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the icon is displayed substantially immediately after receiving the data site address.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 29 words
17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising displaying the television program in a picture-in-picture (PIP) window simultaneously with the information representative of the data site address.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 20 words
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the data corresponding to the data site address is purchasing information.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 26 words
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the data corresponding to the data site address comprises commands for controlling recording of a television program.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 27 words
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the address for the data site is received in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 88 words
21 . A method for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; extracting the data site address from the television signal; establishing a connection with a data site corresponding to the data site address; displaying information about a related television program from the data site; and selecting the displayed information about the related television program from the data site to schedule a recording or viewing of the related television program.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 88 words
21 . A method for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; extracting the data site address from the television signal; establishing a connection with a data site corresponding to the data site address; displaying information about a related television program from the data site; and selecting the displayed information about the related television program from the data site to schedule a recording or viewing of the related television program.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 26 words
22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising receiving channel, day, time, and length information for the selected television program from the data site.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 27 words
23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the address for the data site is received in a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 16 words
24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the data site is a web site.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 109 words
25 . A television system for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: a receiver for receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; a decoder for extracting the data site address from the television signal; a microprocessor configured to establish a connection with a data site corresponding to the data site address and display information about a related television program from the data site in a display monitor; and a user input device for selecting the displayed information about the related television program from the data site to schedule a recording or viewing of the related television program.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 109 words
25 . A television system for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: a receiver for receiving a television signal including a television program and an address for a data site; a decoder for extracting the data site address from the television signal; a microprocessor configured to establish a connection with a data site corresponding to the data site address and display information about a related television program from the data site in a display monitor; and a user input device for selecting the displayed information about the related television program from the data site to schedule a recording or viewing of the related television program.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 29 words
26 . The television system of claim 25 , further comprising means for receiving channel, day, time, and length information for the selected television program from the data site.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 19 words
27 . The television system of claim 25 , wherein the decoder is a vertical blanking interval (VBI) decoder.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 17 words
28 . The television system of claim 25 , wherein the data site is a web site.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 62 words
29 . A method for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: establishing a connection with a remote data site; linking an article at the data site with data related to a television program; displaying the article from the data site; and selecting an identifier in the displayed article to schedule a recording or viewing of the television program.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 62 words
29 . A method for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: establishing a connection with a remote data site; linking an article at the data site with data related to a television program; displaying the article from the data site; and selecting an identifier in the displayed article to schedule a recording or viewing of the television program.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 26 words
30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising receiving channel, day, time, and length information for the selected television program from the data site.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 16 words
31 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the data site is a web site.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 17 words
32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the identifier is a hypertext in the article.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim 71 words
33 . A television system for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: means for establishing a connection with a remote data site; means for linking an article at the data site with data related to a television program; means for displaying the article from the data site; and means for selecting an identifier in the displayed article to schedule a recording or viewing of the television program.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim 71 words
33 . A television system for enhancing viewing of a television program with interactive information comprising: means for establishing a connection with a remote data site; means for linking an article at the data site with data related to a television program; means for displaying the article from the data site; and means for selecting an identifier in the displayed article to schedule a recording or viewing of the television program.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim 29 words
34 . The television system of claim 33 , further comprising means for receiving channel, day, time, and length information for the selected television program from the data site.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim 17 words
35 . The television system of claim 33 , wherein the data site is a web site.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim 17 words
36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the identifier is a hypertext in the article.

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