Apparatus for providing TV program information

Claim 1

In a television signal processing system wherein the 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, program starting times, and program source information, the supplementary information being encoded during vertical blanking intervals of the broadcast signal with at least the program identification information being disposed within vertical blanking intervals of related image-representative information and further being included within said listing, 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 for decoding said listing and said included program identification information; memory means for storing and retrieving at least said program title information and included starting time information for the current program and starting time information for the next program decoded by said first signal decoder means; a first controller means coupled to said first decoder means for selectively transferring said segments of supplementary information among said memory means, said first decoder means and said first controller means; second signal decoder means for decoding said program identification information disposed within blanking intervals of related image-representative information; said first controller means, upon initial reception of signals from an individual program source by said tuning means, sequentially causing said second signal decoder means to decode said program identification information accompanying related image-representative information, thereafter causing said first signal decoder means to identify the same program identification information within said listing and to store at least program title information of said listing in said memory means, said first controller means thereafter transferring said program title information from said memory means for display thereof along with related image-representative information; said program identification information may appear on a page of data n of m pages of data, and may continue onto one of a second page also designated n and a further page designated n+1, said second signal decoder means searches said pages and decodes said program information to retrieve one of a) the starting time and ending time of the current program; and b) the starting time of the current program and the starting time of a subsequent program; said first signal decoder thereafter deriving and displaying one of said ending time of the current program and the time remaining in the current program.

Claim 9

A method of processing television signals wherein the television signals include image-representative information and a plurality of segments of accompanying supplementary information including program identification information having a time component, and a listing including program title information and program source information, the supplementary information being encoded during vertical blanking intervals of the television signal with at least the program identification information being disposed within vertical blanking intervals of related image-representative information and further being included within the listing, 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 identification information; storing said decoded listing and included program identification information for subsequent retrieval; decoding said program identification information disposed within blanking intervals of related image-representative information; comparing said last-named program identification information with said included program identification information to identify matching information; and displaying at least program title information accompanying said included identification information upon identifying matching program identification information; searching for information on rolling pages and subsequent pages to derive ending time information for the current program by, reading again a page of data bearing the same designation as the previously-read page of data of said listing; determining if said read-again page of data is the same as said previously-read page or a rolling page; reading a subsequent page of data if said read-again page of data is the same as said previously-read page of data; and determining an ending time from one of an explicit ending time and the starting time of a subsequent program.

Claim 10

A method of processing television signals wherein the television signals include image-representative information and a plurality of segments of accompanying supplementary information including program identification information having a time component, and a listing including program title information and program source information, the supplementary information being encoded during vertical blanking intervals of the television signal with at least the program identification information being disposed within vertical blanking intervals of related image-representative information and further being included within the listing, 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 identification information; storing said decoded listing and included program identification information for subsequent retrieval; decoding said program identification information disposed within blanking intervals of related image-representative information; comparing said last-named program identification information with said included program identification information to identify matching information; and displaying at least program title information accompanying said included identification information upon identifying matching program identification information; searching for information on rolling pages and subsequent pages to derive ending time information for the current program by, reading again a page of data bearing the same designation as the previously-read page of data of said listing; determining if said read-again page of data is the same as said previously-read page or a rolling page; reading a subsequent page of data if said read-again page of data is the same as said previously-read page of data; and determining an ending time from one of an explicit ending time and the starting time of a subsequent program.