Method and apparatus for time-shifting video and text in a text-enhanced television program

• US 20060271980A1
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Mankovitz, Roy J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,113,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; tracking of instant messages H04L51/234; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/80 Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se arrangements for generating broadcast information H04H60/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A television system allows a viewer of a text-enhanced television program to pause the program at a particular frame, browse the enhancements at his or her leisure, and then resume viewing the program from that frame, without losing continuity of the video and enhancement portions of the program, or program content. This is accomplished by time-shifting the television program for later playback. Time-shifting is accomplished through the use of mass storage devices such as semiconductor memory, optical disks, magnetic storage and other FIFO data storage structures. Markers are available that allow the viewer to return to the program at the point that he stopped watching, replaying the program from that point. Text enhancements are provided through the VBI present in a conventional television broadcast signal, through an Internet connection, or by a wireless means such as a pager or cordless telephone. Additionally a back link may be utilized to allow the viewer to summon the text enhancements or interact with the enhancements already present.

Claims

1. Apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information (PRI) in an enhanced television program comprising:

a display screen;

a tuner for receiving a television signal with embedded data representative of an address for an Internet site including PRI;

means for extracting the embedded data from the television signal;

a memory for storing the embedded data;

input means for inputting viewer commands;

a time-shifting apparatus capable of simultaneously storing the television signal as it is received and outputting the stored television signal for display;

means for communicating with an internet service provider to retrieve information from the internet site including the PRI; and

a microcontroller comprising

means for retrieving the internet site address from memory and retrieving the PRI from the internet site in response to a first viewer command;

means for generating a composite display including a television program contained in the television signal in a first portion of the display and the PRI in a second portion of the display in response to the first viewer command,

means for controlling the time-shifting apparatus to store the television signal as it is received and display a still frame from the stored television signal in a first portion of the display screen in response to a second viewer command, and

means for controlling the time-shifting apparatus to output the portion of the stored television signal subsequent to the still frame for display in the first portion of the display in response to a third viewer command.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the time-shifting apparatus is an optical disc.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the time-shifting apparatus is a solid state memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the PRI comprises text and graphics related to the television program.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the PRI comprises a plurality of website addresses.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the microcontroller comprises means for retrieving information from one of said plurality of website addresses in response to a fourth viewer command.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the display covers a minor portion of the display screen and the second portion of the display covers a major portion of the display screen.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the display covers a major portion of the display screen and the second portion of the display covers a minor portion of the display screen.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for communicating with the internet service provider is a modem.

10. A method for time-shifting video and program related information (PRI) in an enhanced television program comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal with embedded data representative of an address for an internet side including PRI;

extracting the embedded data from the television signal;

storing the embedded data in a memory;

selecting an internet mode in response to a first viewer command;

communicating with an internet service provider to retrieve information from the internet site including the PRI;

displaying a television program contained in the television signal in a first portion of a display screen and the PRI in a second portion of the display screen;

storing the television signal in a time-shifting apparatus and continuously displaying a still frame from the stored television signal in response to a second viewer command; and

simultaneously displaying the television program subsequent to the still frame from the stored television signal and continuing to store the television signal as it is received in response to a third viewer command.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the PRI comprises a plurality of website addresses and further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the plurality of website addresses in the PRI;

retrieving information from the selected website address; and

displaying the information from the selected website address.

12. A method for time-shifting video and program related information (PRI) in an enhanced television program comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal with embedded data representative of an address for an internet side including PRI and a suspend flag;

extracting the embedded data from the television signal;

storing the embedded data in a memory;

selecting an internet mode in response to a first viewer command;

communicating with an internet service provider to retrieve information from the internet site including the PRI;

displaying a television program contained in the television signal in a first portion of a display screen and the PRI in a second portion of the display screen;

detecting the suspend flag;

storing the television signal in a time-shifting apparatus and continuously displaying a still frame from the stored television signal; and

simultaneously displaying the television program subsequent to the still frame from the stored television signal and continuing to store the television signal as it is received in response to a second viewer command.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of storing ten television signal in the time-shifting apparatus is performed in response to detecting the suspend flag.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of storing the television signal in the time-shifting apparatus is performed in response to a third viewer command.

15. Apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information (PRI) in an enhanced television program comprising:

a display screen capable of presenting multiple windows of information;

a FIFO memory for time delaying a received video signal containing supplemental information; and

a user interface for controlling the presentation of the time delayed signal.

16. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 wherein the user interface comprises an electronic programming guide.

17. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 wherein the user interface comprises a remote control.

18. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 wherein the FIFO memory comprises a semiconductor memory.

19. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 wherein the FIFO memory comprises an optical storage device.

20. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 wherein the FIFO memory comprises a magnetic storage device.

21. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 wherein the FIFO memory further comprises a secondary storage device.

22. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 further comprising a microprocessor for controlling the apparatus.

23. The apparatus for time-shifting video and program related information of claim 15 further comprising a communications link to an ISP.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the communications link comprises a modem.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the communications link comprises a wireless link.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the communications link comprises a telephone line.

27. A method for time-shifting video and program related information (PRI) in an enhanced television program comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal with embedded data representative of an address for an Internet site including PRI;

extracting the embedded data from the television signal;

storing the embedded data in a memory;

selecting an Internet mode in response to a first viewer command;

communicating with an Internet service provider to retrieve information from the Internet site including the PRI;

displaying a television program contained in the television signal in a first portion of a display screen and the PRI in a second portion of the display screen;

storing the television signal in a time-shifting apparatus and continuously displaying a still frame from the stored television signal in response to a second viewer command; and

simultaneously displaying the television program subsequent to the still frame from the stored television signal and continuing to store the television signal as it is received in response to a third viewer command.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the PRI comprises a plurality of web site addresses and further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the plurality of web site addresses in the PRI;

retrieving information from the selected web site address; and

displaying the information from the selected web site address.

29. A method for time-shifting video and program related information (PRI) in an enhanced television program comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal with embedded data representative of an address for an Internet site including PRI and a suspend flag;

extracting the embedded data from the television signal;

storing the embedded data in a memory;

selecting an Internet mode in response to a first viewer command;

communicating with an Internet service provider to retrieve information from the Internet site including the PRI;

displaying a television program contained in the television signal in a first portion of a display screen and the PRI in a second portion of the display screen;

detecting the suspend flag;

storing the television signal in a time-shifting apparatus and continuously displaying a still frame from the stored television signal; and

simultaneously displaying the television program subsequent to the still frame from the stored television signal and continuing to store the television signal as it is received in response to a second viewer command.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of storing the television signal in the time-shifting apparatus is performed in response to detecting the suspend flag.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of storing the television signal in the time-shifting apparatus is performed in response to a third viewer command.