One way interactive multisubscriber communication system

• US 4,507,680 A
• Filed: 06/22/1982
• Issued: 03/26/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agent For Nolan K. Bushnell Calof, Lawrence, ACTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Agent For Nolan K. Bushnell Calof, Lawrence
• Inventors: Freeman, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, John C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coles, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US06/390,877
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 358/86, 358/142, 358/143, 458/3, 458/6
• US Class Current: 725/139
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

Interactive programming may be provided by the system (26) of the present invention which can enable both manual and automatic selection of various interactive responses from simultaneously transmitted programming on different channels. In a cable television system (20), the channels used to transmit the interactive programming are the midband channels with the selected response being treated by the system converter (26) to convert the individually selected response to a common assigned television channel frequency for ultimate reception and display on the subscriber'"'"'s television (24, 22). Automatic selection may then be accomplished by the provision of a selection signal from the logic network (48) to a local oscillator (52) which, in turn, generates a beat frequency to be mixed in a mixer (54) with the various midband channel frequencies to convert the selected midband channel frequency to the assigned television channel frequency. The selection signal is either manually selected as a result of the choice or selection manually input by the subscriber via a keyboard (50) or automatically generated as a result of the pulse count value accumulated in memory (64, 65, ) based on the weighted signal value of prior responses. Various band pass filters (36, 58, 60) and switches (34, 56) are employed to pass the appropriate signals in the interactive and conventional programming modes of the system (26).

Claims

1. An interactive communication system for providing an interactive information output over a common output channel from a plurality of substantially simultaneously remotely transmitted different information inputs, said system comprising:

an information output means capable of receiving said plurality of remotely transmitted different information inputs and selecting therebetween for selectively providing said interactive information output over said common output channel from one of said received plurality of remotely transmitted information inputs, said plurality of received information inputs containing different selectable information output segments interactively related to a common information message, each of said related selectable information output segments having an associated detectable weighted signal value, said information output means comprising means for selecting one of said information output segments for providing said interactive information output thererom;

detection means operatively connected to said information output selection means for detecting said associated weighted signal value of said selected information output segment;

accumulation means operatively connected between said detection means and said selection means for retrievably storing and accumulating said associated weighted signal value of said selected information output segments over a predetermined sampling interval for providing a retrievably stored accumulation signal having a value dependent on said accumulated associated weighted signal values during said predetermined sampling interval; and

logic means operatively connected between said selection means, information output means and accumulation means for enabling selection of one of said plurality of selectable related information output segments during an assessment period in response to detection of an enabling signal by said logic means, each of said substantially simultaneously transmitted selectable inputs having an associated selection signal value, said logic means comprising condition responsive means responsive to said accumulation signal value and said enabling signal during said assessment period for providing a selection signal to said selection means dependent on said accumulation signal value, the possible accumulation signal values corresponding to the various available selection signal values;

whereby an interactive information output may be automatically provided in accordance with an accumulation of the weighted signal values of prior interactive selections.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said communication system comprises a subscriber television system comprising a television subscriber distribution network, said information output means comprising television receiver means, said remotely transmitted different information outputs comprising television signals transmitted over said subscriber distribution network, each of said different information outputs comprising a different television channel frequency.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said television channel frequencies of said transmitted inputs are each at different frequencies in the midband range.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said common output channel has an associated television channel frequency different from said midband range.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said selection means comprises means for selectively converting said midband range frequencies into said common output channel associated frequency in response to said selection signal for providing a designated one of said information inputs at said common output channel frequency.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said selection means comprises mixer means for selectively mixing said midband range frequencies with a beat frequency in response to said selection signal for providing a selected information segment as said information output at said common channel television frequency.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein each of said selectable information segments has an associated pulse count value corresponding to said associated weighted signal value, said detection means comprising pulse counter means for detecting said pulse count value.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said enabling signal comprises a tone signal, said logic means comprising tone decoder means for decoding said tone signal.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a quartiling type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

10. A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a stacking type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transmitted different information inputs are each at different frequencies.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said common output channel has a different associated frequency than said information inputs, said inputs not being directly receivable by said multichannel means for directly providing said information output on said multichannel means.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said selection means comprises means for selectively converting said different information input frequencies into said common output channel associated frequency in response to said selection signal for providing a designated one of said information inputs at said common output channel frequency.

14. A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said selection means comprises mixer means for selectively mixing said different information input frequencies with a beat frequency in response to said selection signal for providing a selected information segment as said information output at said common channel frequency.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein each of said said selectable information segments has an associated pulse count value corresponding to said associated weighted signal value, said detection means comprising pulse counter means for detecting said pulse count value.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said enabling signal comprises a tone signal, said logic means comprises tone decoder means for decoding said tone signal.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a quartiling type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

18. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a stacking type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

19. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selectable information segments has an associated pulse count value corresponding to said associated weighted signal value, said detection means comprising pulse counter means for detecting said pulse count value.

20. A system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said enabling signal comprises a tone signal, said logic means comprising tone decoder means for decoding said tone signal.

21. A system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a quartiling type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

22. A system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a stacking type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

23. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said enabling signal comprises a tone signal, said logic means comprising tone decoder means for decoding said tone signal.

24. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a quartiling type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

25. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said condition responsive means comprises means responsive to a stacking type storage code for said accumulation signal for providing said selection signal.

26. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said information output means comprises a multichannel information output means.

27. A system in accordance with claim 26 wherein said communication system comprises a subscriber television system comprising a television subscriber distribution network, said information output means comprising television receiver means, said remotely transmitted different information outputs comprising television signals transmitted over said subscriber distribution network, each of said different information outputs comprising a different television channel frequency, said subscriber distribution network being capable of substantially simultaneously distributing selectable conventional subscriber television programming and said different information inputs for providing interactive programming to said television receiver means, said television receiver means comprising means capable of receiving both said conventional television programming and said different information inputs for providing said interactive programming;

whereby said subscribers may select between said conventional television programming and said interactive programming on said television receiver means.

28. A system in accordance with claim 1 comprising subscriber selection means operatively connected to said accumulation means for enabling subscriber preloading of a plurality of values related to said weighted signal values into said accumulation means prior to said remote transmission of said different information inputs, said logic means comprising means responsive to said enabling signal and said preloaded weighted signal values during an assessment period during said remote transmission for enabling automatic selection of said interactive information output during said remote transmission in accordance with said preloaded values.

29. A system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said accumulation means comprises storage means for preloading different conditions which are interactively linked to each other.

30. A system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said communication system comprises a subscriber television system comprising a television subscriber distribution network, said information output means comprising television receiver means, said remotely transmitted different information outputs comprising television signals transmitted over said subscriber distribution network, each of said different information outputs comprising a different television channel frequency, said subscriber distribution network being capable of substantially simultaneously distributing selectable conventional subscriber television programming and said different information inputs for providing interactive programming to said television receiver means, said television receiver means comprising means capable of receiving both said conventional television programming and said different information inputs for providing said interactive programming;

whereby said subscribers may select between said conventional television programming and said interactive programming on said television receiver means.

31. A system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said communication system comprises a subscriber television system comprising a television subscriber distribution network, said information output means comprising television receiver means, said remotely transmitted different information outputs comprising television signals transmitted over said subscriber distribution network, each of said different information outputs comprising a different television channel frequency.

32. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein said enabling signals are remotely transmitted over said subscriber distribution network, whereby common enabling signals remotely transmitted to a plurality of subscribers can result in individualized interactive information outputs for each of said subscribers.

33. A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said enabling signals are remotely transmitted over said subscriber distribution network, whereby common enabling signals remotely transmitted to a plurality of subscribers can result in individualized interactive information outputs for each of said subscribers.