Interactive television terminal with programmable background audio or video

• US 4,991,011 A
• Filed: 04/20/1989
• Issued: 02/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Lee R., Smith, Elizabeth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Application Number:
  US07/340,967
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 358/86, 358/141, 358/147, 358/146, 358/143, 358/72, 358/187, 358/191.1
• US Class Current: 348/589
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0888 Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Apparatus for use in a television terminal selectively provides a background audio or video signal or both to accompany display of a screen of textual information. The apparatus comprises a tuning circuit for tuning to a predetermined background channel determined by user selection of a particular textual information screen for display. As a result, dinner music may accompany textual informative screens related to the choice of a meal. Alternatively, instructions on how to purchase a movie might be accompanied in the background by the movie. Either the movie picture or the sound or both may accompany the instruction screen.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in a television terminal for selectively providing a background video or audio signal or both for accompanying display of a screen of textual information in the foreground, the apparatus comprising

tuning means for tuning a predetermined background channel, the predetermined background channel comprising a video signal, or an audio signal, or both a video and audio signal;

teletext generating means for generating information for foreground display;

switching means coupled to the tuning means and the teletext generating means for selectively switching the output of the tuning means as a background video or audio, or both video and audio for the foreground output of the teletext generating means; and

control means, responsive to selection of a particular screen of textual information for display, for controlling the switching means and the tuning means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a read/write memory for temporarily storing data associated with the particular textual information screen, the data indicating whether background audio is enabled.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a read/write memory for temporarily storing data associated with the particular textual information screen, the data indicating the predetermined channel to which the tuning means tunes.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a read/write memory for temporarily storing data associated with the particular textual information screen, the data detemining whether the predetermined channel should be displayed in the background or the last channel to which the terminal was tuned.

5. Apparatus for use in a television terminal for selectively providing a background video or audio signal or both for accompanying display of a screen of textual information in the foreground, the apparatus comprising:

tuning means for tuning to a predetermined background channel, the predetermined background channel comprising a video signal, or an audio signal, or both a video and audio signal;

first switching means for selectively switching the output of the tuning means,

teletext generating means for generating textual information for foreground display,

second switching for selectively switching the output of the teletext generating means,

summation means for summing the output of the first and second switching means,

control means, responsive to selection of a particular screen of textual information for display, for controlling the first and second switching means and the tuning means, and

memory means for temporarily storing data associated with the particular textual information screen, the data indicating whether background audio is enabled and the predetermined channel to which the tuning means tunes.

6. A method for use in a television terminal for selectively providing a background video or audio signal or both for accompanying display of a screen of textual information, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a screen of textual information and associated data of a predetermined background channel,

retrieving the textual information for display in the foreground responsive to user selection,

tuning to the predetermined background channel as a background, and

selectively switching the background channel to provide background video, background audio or both.

7. A method at a terminal for accompanying a particular teletext service with background audio, the teletext service comprising a plurality of associated screens, the method comprising the steps of:

associating a predetermined background audio channel with each screen of the plurality of screens associated with the particular teletext service, and

tuning to the background audio channel during display of any screen associated with the particular teletext service.