System and method for broadcasting web pages and other information
First Claim
1. A system for broadcasting information over a television distribution network comprising:
- a) a network headend for accessing information from one or more sources, and broadcasting said information;
b) a plurality of downstream channels interfaced to said headend for transmitting said information; and
c) a plurality of terminal devices for receiving said downstream channels, each said terminal device including;
1) a tuner for receiving and selecting said downstream channels; and
2) a terminal processor for receiving channel selection and information requests from a user, and instructing said tuner to select one of said downstream channels, said terminal processor including programming for receiving an information request from a user, and in response thereto, instructing said tuner to select one of said downstream channels on which said requested information is being transmitted from said headend.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for interactive broadcast of Internet web pages, or the like, on dedicated downstream channels in a cable television system or the like facilitates hyperlinking by a user from a broadcast television program to a web page, or between web pages, for example. In one embodiment, each user'"'"'s set top is programmed with channel mapping information that maps each hyperlink request to a particular channel and time where the requested information is being broadcast in a multiplexed information stream. In response to receipt of a hyperlink request from a user actuating a remote control button, mouse or keyboard, the set top tunes to the appropriate one of the downstream channels, and downloads the web page or other information. In one embodiment to facilitate picture-in-picture capability using a single tuner, the tuner in the set top briefly tunes away from the video program to the appropriate data channel for receiving the hyperlink information. After the information associated with the hyperlink is downloaded and stored in the set top, the tuner automatically tunes back to the video program. The user can then interact with the hyperlink content and continue watching TV simultaneously. Alternatively, a scaler application is provided in the headend that reduces the size of the video program or a content related web page, for example, so that they can then be combined at the headend in a picture-in-picture format.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A system for broadcasting information over a television distribution network comprising:
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a) a network headend for accessing information from one or more sources, and broadcasting said information;
b) a plurality of downstream channels interfaced to said headend for transmitting said information; and
c) a plurality of terminal devices for receiving said downstream channels, each said terminal device including;
1) a tuner for receiving and selecting said downstream channels; and
2) a terminal processor for receiving channel selection and information requests from a user, and instructing said tuner to select one of said downstream channels, said terminal processor including programming for receiving an information request from a user, and in response thereto, instructing said tuner to select one of said downstream channels on which said requested information is being transmitted from said headend. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A terminal device for receiving information transmitted on a plurality of downstream channels in a television distribution system, and formatting said information for display on a video display device, said terminal device comprising:
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a) a tuner for receiving and selecting said downstream channels;
b) a memory for storing channel mapping and information request identification information; and
c) a processor for receiving an information request from a user, said processor being programmed, in response to receipt of said information request, to access said memory to identify first information specified by said request, determine a first of said channels on which said first information is to be transmitted, and cause said tuner to select said first of said channels to receive said first information. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for requesting and receiving information in a television distribution network comprising:
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a) providing a network headend for accessing information from one or more sources, and broadcasting said information;
b) providing a plurality of downstream channels interfaced to said headend for transmitting said information;
c) providing a plurality of terminal devices interfaced to said downstream channels for receiving information on said channels, and formatting said information for display on a display device, each said terminal device including a tuner for receiving and selecting said downstream channels, and a terminal processor for receiving information requests from a user, and instructing said tuner to select one of said downstream channels;
d) receiving a request for information in said terminal device from an input device;
e) identifying a one of said downstream channels on which said information is to be transmitted;
f) causing said tuner to select said one of said downstream channels; and
g) receiving said requested information with said terminal device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A terminal device for receiving multiple information streams and forming a picture-in-picture image information stream therefrom comprising:
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1) a tuner for receiving and selecting a plurality of channels, each of said channels transmitting one or more information streams;
2) a terminal processor for instructing said tuner to select one of said downstream channels;
3) a memory for storing information received on said downstream channels; and
4) a display manager having a picture-picture graphics application for retrieving information stored in said memory, and combining it with an information stream that is being received by said tuner on one of said downstream channels to form a picture-in-picture image data stream for simultaneous display of said stored information and said information stream on a display device interfaced to said terminal device.
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30. A method for receiving multiple information streams and forming a picture-in-picture image data stream therefrom comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a terminal device having a tuner for receiving and selecting a plurality of channels, each of said channels transmitting one or more information streams;
b) receiving a first information stream on one of said channels;
c) storing said first information stream in a memory in said terminal device;
d) receiving a second information stream on one of said channels;
e) combining said first information stream with said second information in a picture-in-picture format to form a combined image data stream; and
f) supplying said combined image information stream to a display device for simultaneous display of images corresponding to said first and second information streams.
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31. A network headend for accessing information from one or more sources, and broadcasting said information over a television distribution network, said headend comprising:
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a) at least one scaler for receiving a first image generating information stream and generating a scaled version of said first information stream having a reduced image size; and
b) at least one multiplexer for combining said scaled version with a second image generating information stream to form a combined information stream, said combined information stream being formatted in a picture-in-picture format where a first image generated by said first image generating information stream is overlaid on a second image generated by said second image generating information stream. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38)
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35. A method for transmitting multiple information streams in a networked distribution system comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a first image generating information stream;
b) scaling said information stream to form a reduced size image generating information stream;
c) combining said reduced size image information stream with a second image information stream in a picture-in-picture format to form a combined image information stream; and
d) transmitting said combined image information stream through a distribution network.
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Specification