Method and apparatus for interacting with television images

• US 4,739,406 A
• Filed: 04/11/1986
• Issued: 04/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Avicola, Richard G. Morton
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Avicola, Richard G. Morton
• Inventors: Morton, Richard G., Avicola, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Application Number:
  US06/850,834
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 358/183, 358/22, 358/93, 358/903, 358/188, 273/1 E, 273/316
• US Class Current: 348/578
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71

Abstract

Apparatus for use with a standard television (TV) receiver for superimposing information or images over portions of the broadcast scene. Scynchronization signals are generated by locking onto the horizontal sweep electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by all television receivers. A wideband noise (RF) burst is generated and coupled to the antenna input leads of the television receiver. The picture content of the TV scene at the time of the noise burst is disrupted and various effects are created by controlling the level of the noise bursts. By controlling the position of the RF noise, an image may be created and superimposed over any part(s) of the scene. The scene may be derived from any source, such as standard television broadcast, a video cassette recorder (VCR), electronic game or computer monitor. No modification of the television receiver is required, and no change to the apparatus is needed when the TV is tuned from one broadcast channel to another.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with a TV, comprising the steps of:

providing the TV with a video signal from a broadcasted television program signal source to display a program;

locally generating a cursor superimposed over a scene of the program as it is being displayed;

enabling the cursor to be moved to a selected location in the scene; and

causing a disruption image to be superimposed over a part of the scene at the location of the cursor.

2. A method according to claim 1 and also comprising the step of providing a sound effect at the time the disruption image is superimposed.

3. A method according to claim 11 wherein the disruption image is generally in the form of an explosion.