Video distribution system

Claim 1

An interactive video services system for enabling the combination of images originating from two or more data sources for delivery on selected transmission channels to selected televisions, the system comprising: a distribution network for delivering video programming to a plurality of selected televisions over said selected transmission channels; a systems control computer (SCS) connected to said network for storing and generating digitized data from a first source comprising data screens for presentation on one or more said selected televisions, said first source data screens being stored in a selected window of a memory electrically connected to SCS, said memory having multiple windows each associated with a separate one of said channels, each said window comprising sufficient memory space to store said first source data screen; converter circuitry electrically connected to said SCS for converting said first source data screens from a first digital format to a second digital format; a video server (VS) for storing digitized data from a second source comprising data screens for presentation on one or more said selected televisions, said second source data being stored in said second format; and decoder circuitry electrically connected to said SCS and said VS comprising at least one screen buffer for receiving and merging said second format data from said first and second sources, each said buffer for association with a specific transmission channel to one or more said selected televisions, and for converting said merged data to a format suitable for presentation on one or more said selected televisions, whereby said presentation on said one or more said selected televisions appears as a combined image of said first source and second source data.

Claim 11

A method for merging screen images originating from at least two different sources and outputting the merged screen images on selected transmission channels to selected televisions, the method comprising: writing picture element (PEL) data originating from a first source to a selected window of a memory, said memory having multiple windows each associated with a separate one of said channels, each window comprising sufficient memory space to store a first screen comprised of multiple PELs; subsequent to said writing, encoding said first screen written to said selected window from a first digital format to a second digital format; providing multiple buffers each of which is associated with a designated one of said channels; transferring a second screen of data originating from a second source to a selected one of said buffers, said second screen being already encoded in said second format; transferring said encoded first screen to said selected one of said buffers and merging said encoded first screen with said second screen already in said selected buffer, thereby producing a merged screen in said selected one of said buffers; decoding said merged screen from said second format to a third format; and transmitting on said selected channel said decoded merged screen for display on said selected television.

Claim 12

A method for merging screen images originating from at least two different sources and outputting the merged screen images on selected transmission channels to selected televisions, the method comprising: writing picture element (PEL) data originating from a first source to a selected window of a memory, said memory having multiple windows each associated with a separate one of said channels, each window comprising sufficient memory space to store a first screen comprised of multiple PELs; subsequent to said writing, encoding said first screen written to said selected window from a first digital format to a second digital format; providing multiple buffers each of which is associated with a designated one of said channels; transferring a second screen of data originating from a second source to a selected one of said buffers, said second screen being already encoded in said second format; transferring said encoded first screen to said selected one of said buffers and merging said encoded first screen with said second screen already in said selected buffer, thereby producing a merged screen in said selected one of said buffers; decoding said merged screen from said second format to a third format; and transmitting on said selected channel said decoded merged screen for display on said selected television.