US6006256A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for inserting interactive program content within a television signal originating at a remote network
Assignee: OpenTV Inc
•
Filing: 1996-03-11
•
Granted: 1999-12-21
•
Expires: 2016-03-11
Abstract
Abstract A digital broadcast station is configured to "turn around" and add interactive programming to a television signal conveyed by a remote network. Prior to conveying the television signal, the remote network inserts a trigger within the vertical blanking interval of the signal. The trigger contains command information to control the loading and/or playing of a designated interactive program. After the trigger is combined with the television signal, the combined signal is modulated and transmitted from the remote network via a satellite uplink. This combined signal is correspondingly received at the digital broadcast station where it is digitized and routed through a video network for channel assignment and other processing. From the video network, the digitized television signal is provided to a VBI decoder which extracts the trigger. The extracted trigger is provided to an interactive flow manager and server to control the loading or playing of an interactive program identified by the trigger. The remainder of the digitized television signal is provided to a video encoder where it is compressed. An AVI generation unit of the digital broadcast station then combines the compressed television signal and the interactive program to form an AVI signal to be broadcast to end users via a satellite uplink.
Inventors
- 👤 Joel Zdepski
- 👤 Larry J. Gardner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:21
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N7/00; H04N7/08; H04N7/087; H04N7/088; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318; H04N7/17345; H04N7/17354
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
An interactive television system comprising: a remote network including: a television signal source for providing a television signal; a trigger generator configured to generate an interactive command to control an interactive program associated with said television signal; a trigger insertion unit coupled to said television signal source and to said trigger generator, wherein said trigger insertion unit is configured to generate a combined signal including said television signal and said interactive command; and a transmitter coupled to receive said combined signal and configured to convey said combined signal; and a broadcast station including: a receiver configured to receive said combined signal; a trigger extraction unit coupled to said receiver and configured to extract said interactive command from said combined signal; an interactive program source coupled to receive said interactive command from said trigger extraction unit, wherein said interactive program source is configured to control said interactive program in response to said interactive command; and an interactive TV signal generation unit coupled to said trigger extraction unit and to said interactive program source, wherein said interactive TV signal generation unit is configured to combine said television signal with said interactive program to form an audio-video-interactive output signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
An interactive television system comprising: a remote network including: a television signal source for providing a television signal; a trigger generator configured to generate an interactive command to control an interactive program associated with said television signal; a trigger insertion unit coupled to said television signal source and to said trigger generator, wherein said trigger insertion unit is configured to generate a combined signal including said television signal and said interactive command; and a transmitter coupled to receive said combined signal and configured to convey said combined signal; and a broadcast station including: a receiver configured to receive said combined signal; a trigger extraction unit coupled to said receiver and configured to extract said interactive command from said combined signal; an interactive program source coupled to receive said interactive command from said trigger extraction unit, wherein said interactive program source is configured to control said interactive program in response to said interactive command; and an interactive TV signal generation unit coupled to said trigger extraction unit and to said interactive program source, wherein said interactive TV signal generation unit is configured to combine said television signal with said interactive program to form an audio-video-interactive output signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said trigger insertion unit is configured to insert said interactive command within a vertical blanking interval of said television signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 2 wherein said trigger extraction unit is configured to extract said interactive command from said vertical blanking interval of said television signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said transmitter includes a modulator coupled to receive said combined signal and configured to modulate said combined signal upon a carrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 4 wherein said receiver includes a demodulator coupled to said trigger extraction unit and configured to demodulate said carrier to obtain said combined signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive program source is a flow manager configured to store said interactive program.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 6 wherein said flow manager is configured to store a plurality of additional interactive programs.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive command includes a load command code to cause said interactive program source to load said interactive program.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive command includes a play command code to cause said interactive program source to provide said interactive program to said interactive TV signal generation unit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive command includes an interactive program ID to identify said interactive program.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
The interactive television signal as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive command includes an authentication code, and wherein said interactive program source is configured to verify that said authentication code is an authorized value before responding to said interactive command.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said broadcast station further includes an analog-to-digital converter coupled between said receiver and said trigger extraction unit, wherein said analog-to-digital converter is configured to convert said combined signal from an analog format to a digital format.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 12 wherein said broadcast station further includes a video network coupled to receive said combined signal in a digital format from said analog-to-digital converter and configured to route said combined signal to said trigger extraction unit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive TV signal generation unit is configured to time-multiplex audio and video components of said television signal with components of said interactive program to form said audio-video-interactive output signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an end user site including an interactive decoder coupled to receive said audio-video-interactive output signal and configured to execute said interactive program.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The interactive television system as recited in claim 15 wherein said end user site further includes a television set coupled to said interactive decoder.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
80 words
A remote network for an interactive television system comprising: a trigger generator configured to generate an interactive command to control an interactive program source to correspondingly control an interactive program associated with a video signal; a trigger insertion unit coupled to said trigger generator, wherein said trigger insertion unit is configured to generate a combined signal including said video signal and said interactive command; and a transmitter coupled to receive said combined signal and configured to convey said combined signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
80 words
A remote network for an interactive television system comprising: a trigger generator configured to generate an interactive command to control an interactive program source to correspondingly control an interactive program associated with a video signal; a trigger insertion unit coupled to said trigger generator, wherein said trigger insertion unit is configured to generate a combined signal including said video signal and said interactive command; and a transmitter coupled to receive said combined signal and configured to convey said combined signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The remote network for an interactive television system as recited in claim 17 further comprising a television signal source coupled to said trigger insertion unit and configured to provide said video signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
The remote network for an interactive television system as recited in claim 17 wherein said trigger insertion unit is configured to insert said interactive command within a vertical blanking interval of said video signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
The remote network for an interactive television system as recited in claim 17 wherein said transmitter includes a modulator coupled to receive said combined signal and configured to modulate said combined signal upon a carrier.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
The remote network for an interactive television system as recited in claim 17 wherein said interactive command includes a load command code to cause said interactive program source to load said interactive program.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
The remote network for an interactive television as recited in claim 17 wherein said interactive command includes a play command code to cause said interactive program source to provide said interactive program to said interactive TV signal generation unit.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The remote network for an interactive television system as recited in claim 17 wherein said interactive command includes an interactive program ID to identify said interactive program.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
78 words
A broadcast station for an interactive television system comprising: a receiver configured to receive a combined signal including a video signal and an interactive command; a trigger extraction unit coupled to said receiver and configured to extract said interactive command from said combined signal; and an interactive program source coupled to receive said interactive command from said trigger extraction unit, wherein said interactive program source is configured to control said interactive program in response to said interactive command.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
78 words
A broadcast station for an interactive television system comprising: a receiver configured to receive a combined signal including a video signal and an interactive command; a trigger extraction unit coupled to said receiver and configured to extract said interactive command from said combined signal; and an interactive program source coupled to receive said interactive command from said trigger extraction unit, wherein said interactive program source is configured to control said interactive program in response to said interactive command.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 24 wherein said video signal is a television signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
57 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 25 further comprising an interactive TV signal generation unit coupled to said trigger extraction unit and to said interactive program source, wherein said interactive TV signal generation unit is configured to combine said television signal with said interactive program to form an interactive TV signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
34 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 24 wherein said trigger extraction unit is configured to extract said interactive command from a vertical blanking interval of said video signal.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 24 wherein said receiver includes a demodulator coupled to said trigger extraction unit and configured to demodulate a carrier to obtain said combined signal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 24 wherein said interactive program source is a flow manager configured to store said interactive program.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
27 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 29 wherein said flow manager is configured to store a plurality of additional interactive programs.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 24 wherein said interactive command includes a load command code to cause said interactive program source to load said interactive program.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
40 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 26 wherein said interactive command includes a play command code to cause said interactive program source to provide said interactive program to said interactive TV signal generation unit.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 24 wherein said interactive command includes an interactive program ID to identify said interactive program.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
45 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television signal as recited in claim 24 wherein said interactive command includes an authentication code, and wherein said interactive program source is configured to verify that said authentication code is an authorized value before responding to said interactive command.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
46 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 24 further comprising an analog-to-digital converter coupled between said receiver and said trigger extraction unit, wherein said analog-to-digital converter is configured to convert said combined signal from an analog format to a digital format.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
44 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 35 further comprising a video network coupled to receive said combined signal in a digital format from said analog-to-digital converter and configured to route said combined signal to said trigger extraction unit.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
44 words
The broadcast station for an interactive television system as recited in claim 26 wherein said interactive TV signal generation unit is configured to time-multiplex audio and video components of said television signal with components of said interactive program to form said audio-video-interactive output signal.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for providing interactive program content with a video signal originating at a remote network comprising: generating an interactive command at said remote network to control an interactive program associated with said video signal; combining said video signal with said interactive command to form a combined signal; transmitting said combined signal from said remote network; receiving said combined signal at a broadcast station; extracting said interactive command from said combined signal; and controlling an interactive program source in response to said interactive command extracted from said combined signal.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for providing interactive program content with a video signal originating at a remote network comprising: generating an interactive command at said remote network to control an interactive program associated with said video signal; combining said video signal with said interactive command to form a combined signal; transmitting said combined signal from said remote network; receiving said combined signal at a broadcast station; extracting said interactive command from said combined signal; and controlling an interactive program source in response to said interactive command extracted from said combined signal.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as recited in claim 38 further comprising generating an audio-video-interactive output signal by combining said interactive program with said video signal.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as recited in claim 38 wherein said controlling said interactive program source includes outputting said interactive program from said interactive program source.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as recited in claim 38 wherein said combining said video signal with said interactive command includes inserting said interactive command within a vertical blanking region of said video signal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-20 | 2003-06-21 | 2003-12-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-20 | 2007-06-21 | 2007-12-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-20 | 2011-06-21 | 2011-12-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |