US5677739A — System and method for providing described televis…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 132 words

An apparatus for providing described television services, comprising: an encoder for encoding a description corresponding to visual scenes of an audiovisual program as text character data into a line of the vertical blanking interval of a video signal of the audiovisual program to form an integrated signal; a transmitter for transmitting said integrated signal; a receiver for receiving said integrated signal and extracting and storing said text character data from said integrated signal until a complete utterance is extracted; a text-to-speech converter for converting said description data into a speech signal corresponding to the complete utterance; and a speaker coupled to said text-to-speech converter for providing asynthesized voice to a viewer, wherein said synthesized voice is provided to the viewer asynchronously with spoken portions of an audio track of said audiovisual program.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 132 words

An apparatus for providing described television services, comprising: an encoder for encoding a description corresponding to visual scenes of an audiovisual program as text character data into a line of the vertical blanking interval of a video signal of the audiovisual program to form an integrated signal; a transmitter for transmitting said integrated signal; a receiver for receiving said integrated signal and extracting and storing said text character data from said integrated signal until a complete utterance is extracted; a text-to-speech converter for converting said description data into a speech signal corresponding to the complete utterance; and a speaker coupled to said text-to-speech converter for providing asynthesized voice to a viewer, wherein said synthesized voice is provided to the viewer asynchronously with spoken portions of an audio track of said audiovisual program.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 66 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: caption data receiving means for receiving and storing caption data corresponding to the audiovisual program, wherein said encoder encodes said caption data into said video signal with said text character data, and wherein said receiver extracts said caption data from said integrated signal and provides said caption data to a television display to be displayed to the viewer.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 33 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said text character data is generated by an automatic speech recognition device which receives spoken inputs and converts the spoken inputs into said text character data.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a translator for translating said text character data into a foreign language prior to converting said text character data into said speech signal.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 38 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said encoder further comprises data compression circuitry for compressing said text character data prior to transmission, and wherein said receiver further comprises data decompression circuitry for decompressing said text character data.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 119 words

A method for providing described television services, comprising the steps of: encoding a description of visual scenes of an audiovisual program as text character data into a line of the vertical blanking interval of a video signal of said audiovisual program to form an integrated signal; transmitting said integrated signal to a remote television receiver; receiving said integrated signal at said remote television receiver; extracting and storing said text character data from said video signal until a complete utterance is retrieved; and synthesizing a voice representing said complete utterance by which said description is provided to a viewer, wherein said synthesized voice is provided to the viewer asynchronously with spoken portions of an audio tract of said audiovisual program.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 119 words

A method for providing described television services, comprising the steps of: encoding a description of visual scenes of an audiovisual program as text character data into a line of the vertical blanking interval of a video signal of said audiovisual program to form an integrated signal; transmitting said integrated signal to a remote television receiver; receiving said integrated signal at said remote television receiver; extracting and storing said text character data from said video signal until a complete utterance is retrieved; and synthesizing a voice representing said complete utterance by which said description is provided to a viewer, wherein said synthesized voice is provided to the viewer asynchronously with spoken portions of an audio tract of said audiovisual program.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 44 words

A method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: generating caption data corresponding to said audiovisual program; encoding said caption data into said video signal; extracting said caption data from said received integrated signal; and displaying said caption data to the viewer.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method according to claim 6, wherein said text character data is generated by an automatic speech recognition device, whereby spoken description inputs are converted into said text character data by said automatic speech recognition device.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of: translating said text character data into a foreign language prior to converting said text character data into said synthesized voice.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 43 words

A method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: compressing said text character data prior to encoding said text character data into said video signal; and decompressing said text character data after extracting said text character data from said integrated signal.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 92 words

A receiver for use in a described television services system, comprising: receiving means for receiving an encoded program signal including description data corresponding to an audiovisual program; extracting means for extracting said description data from said encoded program signal; a text-to-speech converter for converting said description data into a speech signal corresponding to said description data; and a speaker coupled to said text-to-speech converter for providing asynthesized voice to a viewer, wherein said synthesized voice is provided to the viewer asynchronously with spoken portions of an audio track of said audiovisual program.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 92 words

A receiver for use in a described television services system, comprising: receiving means for receiving an encoded program signal including description data corresponding to an audiovisual program; extracting means for extracting said description data from said encoded program signal; a text-to-speech converter for converting said description data into a speech signal corresponding to said description data; and a speaker coupled to said text-to-speech converter for providing asynthesized voice to a viewer, wherein said synthesized voice is provided to the viewer asynchronously with spoken portions of an audio track of said audiovisual program.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 25 words

A receiver according to claim 11, further comprising decompression circuitry for decompressing said description data when said description data is received in a compressed format.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 42 words

A receiver according to claim 11, further comprising: caption data extracting means for extracting from said encoded program signal caption data corresponding to the audiovisual program; and means for generating captions from said caption data and displaying said captions to the viewer.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 33 words

A receiver according to claim 13, further comprising decompression circuitry for decompressing said description data and said caption data when said description data and said caption data are received in a compressed format.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 29 words

A receiver according to claim 11, further comprising: translation circuitry for translating said description data into a foreign language prior to converting said description data into said synthesized voice.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 72 words

A method of generating described television services, comprising the steps of: generating description data corresponding to an audiovisual program; and encoding said description data into the vertical blanking interval of a program signal of said audiovisual program, wherein said step of generating said description data is accomplished through the use of an automatic speech recognition device, whereby spoken description inputs are converted into said description data by said automatic speech recognition device.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 72 words

A method of generating described television services, comprising the steps of: generating description data corresponding to an audiovisual program; and encoding said description data into the vertical blanking interval of a program signal of said audiovisual program, wherein said step of generating said description data is accomplished through the use of an automatic speech recognition device, whereby spoken description inputs are converted into said description data by said automatic speech recognition device.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 25 words

A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of: compressing said description data prior to encoding said description data into said program signal.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of: generating caption data corresponding to the audiovisual program; and encoding said caption data into the vertical blanking interval of said program signal.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of: compressing said description data and said caption data prior to encoding said description data and said caption data into said program signal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-10-13	2001-04-14	2001-10-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-10-13	2005-04-14	2005-10-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-10-13	2009-04-14	2009-10-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System and method for providing described television services

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