Set top box having tv plaza function and method for applying tv plaza function to the set top box

• US 20060059527A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alticast Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alticast Corporation
• Inventors: Jee, Seung-Lim
• Application Number:
  US10/529,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059527A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention relates to a set top box having TV plaza function and a method for applying TV plaza function to the set top box. The set top box according to the present invention comprises: a) a signal input interface which receives a TV plaza information signal as well as a broadcast signal; b) a DEMUX which classifies and separates the TV Plaza information signal from the broadcast signal; c) a signal output interface connected to a user'"'"'s TV, which decodes the TV plaza information signal as well as the broadcast signal and transmits the decoded signals to the user'"'"'s TV; d) a microprocessor which generates a command to control the set top box; and e) a storage device which stores the TV plaza information signal, wherein the TV plaza information signal is firstly stored into the storage device independently of a user'"'"'s request and the previously stored TV plaza information is transmitted under control of the microprocessor to the user'"'"'s TV through the DEMUX and the signal output interface in response to the user'"'"'s request.

Claims

1. A set top box comprising:

a) a signal input interface which receives a TV plaza information signal as well as a broadcast signal;

b) a DEMUX which classifies and separates the TV Plaza information signal from the broadcast signal;

c) a signal output interface connected to a user'"'"'s TV, which decodes the TV plaza information signal as well as the broadcast signal and transmits the decoded signals to the user'"'"'s TV;

d) a microprocessor which generates a command to control the set top box; and

,

e) a storage device which stores the TV plaza information signal, wherein the TV plaza information signal is firstly stored into the storage device independently of a user'"'"'s request and the previously stored TV plaza information is transmitted under control of the microprocessor to the user'"'"'s TV through the DEMUX and the signal output interface in response to the user'"'"'s request.

2. The set top box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the signal input interface comprises a tuner which receives the TV plaza information signal as well as the broadcast signal and a channel decoder which extracts a user-requested channel from the received broadcast signal under control of a microprocessor.

3. The set top box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the signal output interface comprises at least one decoder selected from the group consisting of a data decoder, a video decoder and an audio decoder.

4. The set top box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the TV plaza information signal is a digitally encoded information signal, and the TV plaza information is life information including advertisement information, education information, stock information and weather information.

5. The set top box as set forth in claim 3, wherein the TV plaza information signal is a composite signal selected from the group consisting of a data signal, a video signal and an audio signal, and the DEMUX separates the composite signal and transmits the separated signals to the corresponding decoders.

6. The set top box as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a cryptographic module.

7. The set top box as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a software module to send a return path massage to a server managed by a TV plaza operator, when the TV plaza information is safely received and stored into the storage device.

8. A method for providing TV plaza function to a set top box, comprising:

i) providing a set top box composed of;

a) a signal input interface which receives a TV plaza information signal as well as a broadcast signal;

b) a DEMUX which classifies and separates the TV Plaza information signal from the broadcast signal;

c) a signal output interface connected to a user'"'"'s TV, which decodes the TV plaza information signal as well as the broadcast signal and transmits the decoded signals to the user'"'"'s TV;

d) a microprocessor which generates a command to control the set top box; and

e) a storage device which stores the TV plaza information signal;

ii) transmitting to the signal input interface the TV plaza information and the broadcast signal, each independently;

iii) transmitting the broadcast signal of the two signals to a user'"'"'s TV under control of the microprocessor, the broadcast signal being separated from the TV plaza information signal by the action of the DEMUX and decoded by the signal output interface;

iv) storing independently of a user'"'"'s request the TV plaza information signal separated from the broadcast signal by the action of the DEMUX into the storage device, and constructing a TV plaza within the set top box; and

,

v) under control of the microprocessor in response to a user'"'"'s request to display the previously stored TV plaza information, transmitting the TV plaza information signal to a user'"'"'s TV through the DEMUX and the signal output interface which decodes the TV plaza information signal.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the signal input interface comprises a tuner which receives the TV plaza information signal as well as the broadcast signal and a channel decoder which extracts a user-requested channel from the received broadcast signal under control of a microprocessor.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the signal output interface comprises at least one decoder selected from the group consisting of a data decoder, a video decoder and an audio decoder.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the TV plaza information signal is a digitally encoded information signal, and the TV plaza information is life information including advertisement information, education information, stock information and weather information.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the TV plaza information signal is a composite signal selected from the group consisting of a data signal, a video signal and an audio signal, and the DEMUX separates the composite signal and transmits the separated signals to the corresponding decoders.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the set top box further comprises a cryptographic module and the method further comprises a step of ordering an article to be purchased with the cryptographic module.

14. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the set top box further comprises a software module and the method further comprises a step of sending a return path massage to a server managed by a TV plaza operator, when the TV plaza information is safely received and stored into the storage device with the software module.