US5805154A — Integrated broadcast application with broadcast p…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 158 words

A method for providing an interactive integrated application, having a broadcast portion and an on-demand portion, to a user station via a communication network, the method comprising the following steps: broadcasting the broadcast portion of the application to a plurality of user stations from an application source via a first channel on the communication network, the broadcast portion having an interactive option embedded in the broadcast portion, said option for display with the broadcast portion at a user station to provide the user station an option to request the on-demand portion of the application; displaying at the user station the interactive option along with the broadcast portion: establishing via a second channel an interactive communication session between the on-demand portion of the integrated application and a user station in response to the user station exercising the interactive option in the broadcast portion; and transmitting information between the application source and the user station interactively within the communication session.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 158 words

A method for providing an interactive integrated application, having a broadcast portion and an on-demand portion, to a user station via a communication network, the method comprising the following steps: broadcasting the broadcast portion of the application to a plurality of user stations from an application source via a first channel on the communication network, the broadcast portion having an interactive option embedded in the broadcast portion, said option for display with the broadcast portion at a user station to provide the user station an option to request the on-demand portion of the application; displaying at the user station the interactive option along with the broadcast portion: establishing via a second channel an interactive communication session between the on-demand portion of the integrated application and a user station in response to the user station exercising the interactive option in the broadcast portion; and transmitting information between the application source and the user station interactively within the communication session.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcasting step broadcasts the broadcast portion via a first network channel, and the establishing step broadcasts the on-demand portion via a second network channel.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 2 wherein the broadcasting step comprises broadcasting analog information via the first network channel and the interactive option is embedded in a display blanking interval.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 2 wherein the establishing step further comprises the step of transmitting a request from the user station via a third channel.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of: downloading to the user station switching instructions with the broadcast portion, said switching instructions identifying the second channel to the user station.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 129 words

Apparatus for delivering a broadcast application across a communication network from a source to a user station; said broadcast application having a broadcast portion and an on-demand portion, the broadcast portion having an option to be displayed with the broadcast portion, said apparatus comprising: a network controller for broadcasting the broadcast portion to a plurality of user stations over a broadcast channel; a user station responsive to the option in the broadcast portion for displaying the option with the broadcast portion; said user station in response to the option sending a request to the network controller for the on-demand portion of the integrated application; and said network controller launching the on-demand portion of the integrated application to the user station over an on-demand channel separate from the broadcast channel.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 129 words

Apparatus for delivering a broadcast application across a communication network from a source to a user station; said broadcast application having a broadcast portion and an on-demand portion, the broadcast portion having an option to be displayed with the broadcast portion, said apparatus comprising: a network controller for broadcasting the broadcast portion to a plurality of user stations over a broadcast channel; a user station responsive to the option in the broadcast portion for displaying the option with the broadcast portion; said user station in response to the option sending a request to the network controller for the on-demand portion of the integrated application; and said network controller launching the on-demand portion of the integrated application to the user station over an on-demand channel separate from the broadcast channel.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 48 words

The apparatus of claim 6 and in addition: said broadcast portion includes switching instructions for the user station; and said user station responsive to the switching instructions to receive the on-demand application over the on-demand channel when the user station requests the on-demand portion of the integrated application.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 42 words

The apparatus of claim 6 and in addition: said option is an interactive option providing a viewer at the user station with the option of selecting the on-demand portion of the application while the broadcast portion of the application is being displayed.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 35 words

The apparatus of claim 8 and in addition: said user station in response to selection of the option by the viewer sends the request for the on-demand portion of the application to the network controller.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the on-demand portion has embedded therein further options whereby the viewer is provided with further interactive displays through the on-demand portion of the application.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the integrated application is an advertisement for broadcast to a television set at the user station.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 67 words

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: the broadcast portion of the integrated application is the advertisement and the advertisement without option is viewable at user stations not capable of displaying option; and the option in the broadcast portion and the on-demand portion provide additional advertisement information selectable by the viewer at user stations capable of displaying the option and switching to the on-demand portion of the application.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 167 words

A computer program for executing a computer process, said computer program being storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a program of instructions for providing an interactive integrated application, having a broadcast portion and an on-demand portion, to a user station via a communication network, said computer process comprising the steps of: broadcasting the broadcast portion of the application to a plurality of user stations from an application source via a first channel on the communication network, the broadcast portion having an interactive option embedded in the broadcast portion, said option for display with the broadcast portion at a user station to provide the user station an option to request an interactive on-demand portion of the application; displaying at the user station the broadcast portion and the interactive option; and establishing via a second channel an interactive communication session between the on-demand portion of the integrated application and a user station in response to the user station exercising the interactive option in the broadcast portion.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 167 words

A computer program for executing a computer process, said computer program being storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a program of instructions for providing an interactive integrated application, having a broadcast portion and an on-demand portion, to a user station via a communication network, said computer process comprising the steps of: broadcasting the broadcast portion of the application to a plurality of user stations from an application source via a first channel on the communication network, the broadcast portion having an interactive option embedded in the broadcast portion, said option for display with the broadcast portion at a user station to provide the user station an option to request an interactive on-demand portion of the application; displaying at the user station the broadcast portion and the interactive option; and establishing via a second channel an interactive communication session between the on-demand portion of the integrated application and a user station in response to the user station exercising the interactive option in the broadcast portion.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-09-07	2002-03-09	2002-09-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-09-07	2006-03-09	2006-09-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-09-07	2010-03-09	2010-09-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Integrated broadcast application with broadcast portion having option display for access to on demand portion

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag