Carousel display

• US 5,485,197 A
• Filed: 09/22/1994
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ACTIVEVIDEO NETWORKS, LLC
• Original Assignee: ICTV, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoarty, W. Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/310,720
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 395/159, 395/119, 395/125, 395/137, 395/156, 395/155, 395/161, 348/13, 348/12, 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/9, 348/10, 348/563, 348/578, 345/156, 345/902, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.3, 455/6.1, 455/6.2
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/48 using compressed domain processing techniques other than decoding, e.g. modification of transform coefficients, variable length coding [VLC] data or run-length data motion estimation in a transform domain H04N19/547; processing of decoded motion vectors H04N19/513
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/90 using coding techniques not provided for in groups H04N19/10-H04N19/85, e.g. fractals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/17372 the upstream transmission being initiated or timed by a signal from upstream of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/265 : Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 : Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 : Control of the passage of the selected programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 : Adaptations for optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 : Menu display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/976 : 3-D Icon

Abstract

An interactive home information system is described for providing interactive cable television services to a plurality of subscribers. The system includes a "node" which is in communication with the headend of the system and a group of subscriber home interface terminals. The node operates to selectively distribute information services obtained from the headend to ones of the terminals. The system includes circuitry for generating a display of a carousel on a subscriber'"'"'s television. The displayed carousel includes a plurality of faces wherein an established one of the faces lists at least one available choice which can be selected by the subscriber via a displayed cursor. The system further includes circuitry for causing an apparent rotation of the displayed carousel in order to display additional choices on the established face.

Claims

1. An interactive television information system for use on a cable television system having a cable television distribution network for delivering television information signals to subscriber televisions comprising:

headend means for accessing any of a plurality of information services;

a plurality of home interface controller means, each in television communication with a subscriber television;

node means, in television communication with the headend means and in television communication with a group of the home interface controller means over the cable television distribution network, and in data communications with the group of home interface controller means over a data communications link, for selecting information services obtained through the headend means based on data obtained over the data communications link from home interface controller means in the group and for providing selected information services to said cable distribution network for delivery to said home interface controller means;

carousel means for generating a television display of a carousel having a plurality of faces, including a frontal face, for display on a subscriber television and providing at least one available choice on an established one of the faces;

a plurality of cursor movement means, each in communication with one of said home interface controller means, for causing movement of a cursor over the television display of the subscriber television in communication with said one of said home interface controller means;

a plurality of selection means, each in communication with one of said home interface controller means, for causing selection of an available choice when indicated by the cursor on the television display of the subscriber television in communication with said one of said home interface controller means; and

carousel movement means for causing apparent rotation of the carousel on a television display to display different information on the established face in response to operation of the selection means associated with said television display.

2. The interactive television information system of claim 1 wherein the established face is the frontal face.

3. The interactive television information system of claim 1 wherein said carousel means includes means for indicating a plurality of available choices and said carousel movement means includes means for causing apparent rotation of the carousel in either of two directions depending upon the selection of an available choice.

4. An interactive television information system, for providing interactive cable television service over a cable television system distribution network, the interactive television system comprising:

information source means for supplying a plurality of information services;

a plurality of home interface controller means, each such home interface controller means providing an output in communication with an associated subscriber television and having (i) a cable television system distribution network signal input for television information signals and input selection means for selecting a given one of the television information signals at the signal input, and (ii) means for communicating over a data communications link;

node means, in television communication with the information source means and a group of the home interface controller means over the cable television system distribution network, and in data communications with the home interface controller means over the data communications link, for selecting and providing information services obtained from the information source means to each home interface controller means in the group based on data obtained over the data communications link from each such home interface controller means;

carousel means for generating a television display of a carousel having a plurality of faces, including a frontal face, for display on a subscriber television and providing at least one available choice on an established one of the faces;

a plurality of channel selection means, each in communication with a home interface controller means, for permitting a user to select an information service;

a plurality of cursor movement means, each in communication with one of said home interface controller means, for causing movement of a cursor over the television display of the subscriber television in communication with said one of said home interface controller means;

a plurality of selection means, each in communication with one of said home interface controller means, for causing selection of an available choice when indicated by the cursor on the television display of the subscriber television in communication with said one of said home interface controller means; and

carousel movement means for causing apparent rotation of the carousel on a television display to display different information on the established face in response to operation of the selection means associated with said television display.

5. The interactive television information system of claim 4 wherein the established face is the frontal face.

6. The interactive television information system of claim 4 wherein said carousel means includes means for indicating a plurality of available choices and said carousel movement means includes means for causing apparent rotation of the carousel in either of two directions depending upon the selection of an available choice.