Interactive television system
First Claim
1. An interactive television system, comprising:
- at least one Web server;
at least one television signal source;
at least one interactive television, the interactive television including plural television channels and plural virtual channels, each television signal being associated with television content, each virtual channel being associated with respective Internet content, the television channels and virtual channels being selectable by the interactive television in order to display the respective content, the virtual channels being periodically updatable with new content; and
at least one ITV system server accessing a customer database to access consumer profiles useful for tailoring virtual channels to a consumer'"'"'s profile, the ITV system server sending the updates to the television.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive television system includes an Internet content provider and a television signal source. The system also includes an interactive television that receives content from the Internet content provider and the television signal source. Stored in a memory in the interactive television are plural television channels and plural virtual channels. Each television channel is associated with broadcast content from the television signal source. Moreover, each virtual channel is associated with Internet content, e.g., a Web page, from a respective Internet content provider. The internet content is stored in and periodically updated to a memory within the interactive television. A consumer is able to choose a television channel or a virtual channel at the interactive television. If the consumer chooses a television channel, broadcast content from the television signal source is displayed by the interactive television. On the other hand, if the consumer chooses a virtual channel, Internet content stored in the virtual channel memory and associated with the virtual channel is retrieved from the memory and displayed by the interactive television. As such, a consumer is able to view television content and Internet content through the interactive television without the need for a separate Internet computer.
99 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An interactive television system, comprising:
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at least one Web server;
at least one television signal source;
at least one interactive television, the interactive television including plural television channels and plural virtual channels, each television signal being associated with television content, each virtual channel being associated with respective Internet content, the television channels and virtual channels being selectable by the interactive television in order to display the respective content, the virtual channels being periodically updatable with new content; and
at least one ITV system server accessing a customer database to access consumer profiles useful for tailoring virtual channels to a consumer'"'"'s profile, the ITV system server sending the updates to the television.
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2. An interactive television system, comprising:
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at least one Internet content provider;
at least one television signal source; and
at least one interactive television, the interactive television receiving content from the Internet content provider and the television signal source, the interactive television including a program for allowing a consumer to select an television channel or a virtual channel, the interactive television including means for periodically updating the virtual channel. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 32, 33)
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12. A system for enabling a consumer to access the Internet using a television having at least one television tuner, the television including plural television channels and at least one virtual channel, the virtual channel representing a Web page, the system comprising:
means for periodically sending updates to the Web page to the television, such that the virtual channel is periodically updated thereby.
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20. A system for presenting television signals and Web pages on a single interactive television (ITV), comprising:
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a television tuner supported on the ITV and detecting television signals;
a display on the ITV for, in response to a user channel selection, presenting a television channel or a Web page on the ITV, the Web page being associated with a virtual channel; and
system logic for updating or changing the Web page associated with the virtual channel, such that a first version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a first time, and a second version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a second time. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31)
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26. A system for presenting TV channels and Web pages establishing virtual channels on an interactive TV (ITV), comprising:
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a conventional TV control device receiving consumer input;
at least one virtual channel established based at least in part on the consumer input; and
a display for displaying either a TV channel or a virtual channel based on a user channel selection.
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28. A system for presenting TV channels and Web pages establishing virtual channels on an interactive TV (ITV), comprising:
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consumer data;
at least one virtual channel established based at least in part on the consumer data; and
a television for displaying either a TV channel or a virtual channel based on a consumer channel selection.
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Specification