System for monitoring and control of home entertainment electronic devices

Claim 1

An electronic system for monitoring and controlling bidirectional communication of conventional broadcast formatted audio and audio visual information without communicating any channel information between a remote source and users at a viewing/listening location comprising: a microprocessor; a digital memory coupled to said microprocessor; channel selection means coupled to said microprocessor for communicating programming information to said microprocessor from users at said viewing/listening location; a television tuner coupled to and tunable by said microprocessor; a VCR tuner coupled to and simultaneously tunable by said microprocessor with said television tuner; audio switching means coupled to and controlled by said microprocessor, said audio switching means further coupled to said television tuner and VCR tuner; video switching means coupled to and controlled by said microprocessor, said video switching means also coupled to said television tuner and VCR tuner; a character generation means coupled to and controlled by said microprocessor, said character generation means for generating an alphanumeric signal as provided from said microprocessor and combining said alphanumeric signal into a video signal for display; a plurality of conventional and unmodified audio and video units for generating an audio and video display respectively, said plurality of units being selectively coupled through said audio switching means and video switching means subject to microprocessor control to said television tuner and VCR tuner, said television tuner and VCR tuner being activated and tuned in response to commands provided to said microprocessor through said channel selection means, interactive communication being provided between said microprocessor and said users at said listening/viewing location through said character generator means and at least one of said plurality of audio and video units as selectively switched through said audio switching means and video switching means as appropriate, communication interface means coupled to said microprocessor for communicating with said remote source via telephone lines, said microprocessor communicating at least near real time information with respect to utilization of said plurality of audio and video units at said viewing/listening location to said remote source through said communication interface means; and speech input means for receiving audible speech commands from said users at said viewing/listening location and generating a corresponding signature signal, said microprocessor means receiving said signature signal from said speech input means and analyzing said signature signal for comparison to a prerecorded corresponding signature signal, said microprocessor then generating a correlation factor between said signature signal received from said speech input means against said recorded signature signal to identify a source of said audible speech commands in said viewing/listening location, whereby said plurality of audio and video units at said viewing/listening location are networked without any requirement of unique design in said units or modification of said units.