Interactive television with tailored programming

• US 5,446,490 A
• Filed: 10/23/1992
• Issued: 08/29/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blahut, Donald E., Szurkowski, Edward S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US07/965,493
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 358/86, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/11
• US Class Current: 725/97
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Different components of television programs, such as the video and audio components or different time segments of the program, are assigned to different channels transmitted in the form of packetized digital information in at least one of the channels of a multi-channel cable television distribution system. A particular subscriber'"'"'s converter is configured to receive a particular subset of program components by enabling the converter to receive the virtual channels carrying the components in such subset. An embodiment is disclosed in which different combinations of program segments are enabled for different subscribers. Another embodiment is disclosed in which the viewing of a program by multiple subscribers who begin viewing at different times is synchronized by using "filler" program segments having different lengths.

Claims

1. A method of providing a tailored program via a multi-channel distribution network, the tailored program comprising a set of one or more program segments, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request for the tailored program at a central location;

(b) in response to the request, transmitting from the central location at least one control message, the control message identifying a set of one or more tailored program channels over which the tailored program will be transmitted;

(c) transmitting the tailored program from the central location to the multi-channel distribution network on the set of one or more tailored program channels;

(d) receiving a request for a second tailored program at the central location, the second tailored program comprising a second set of one or more program segments, the second tailored program and the tailored program having a common program segment;

(e) identifying a set of one or more filler programs, the set of one or more filler programs being able to substantially fill a time difference, the time difference being an amount of time between a first time a first user requests to view the tailored program and a second time a second user requests to view the second tailored program; and

(f) transmitting information to the multi-channel distribution network, the information identifying at least one channel on which the set of one or more filler programs will be transmitted and a channel on which the common program segment will be transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting the set of one or more filler programs on the at least one channel; and

(b) transmitting the common program segment on the channel,

wherein the first time and the second time are different and a device associated with the second user receives a substantially continuous signal from the second time until the second tailored program ends.

3. An apparatus for providing a tailored program via a multi-channel distribution network, the tailored program comprising a set of one or more program segments, the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a request for the tailored program at a central location;

(b) means for transmitting from the central location at least one control message, the control message identifying a set of one or more tailored program channels over which the tailored program will be transmitted;

(c) means for transmitting the tailored program from the central location to the multi-channel distribution network on the set of one or more tailored program channels;

(d) means for receiving a request for a second tailored program at the central location, the second tailored program comprising a second set of one or more program segments, the second tailored program and the tailored program having a common program segment;

(e) means for identifying a set of one or more filler programs, the set of one or more filler programs being able to substantially fill a time difference, the time difference being an amount of time between a first time a first user requests to view the tailored program and a second time a second user requests to view the second tailored program; and

(c) means for transmitting information to the multi-channel distribution network, the information identifying at least one channel on which the set of one or more filler programs will be transmitted and a channel on which the common program segment will be transmitted.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

(a) means for transmitting the set of one or more filler programs on the at least one channel; and

(b) means for transmitting the common program segment on the channel,

wherein the first time and the second time are different and a device associated with the second user receives a substantially continuous signal from the second time until the second tailored program ends.