Method of transmitting picture data from a transmitter to a selected receiver

• US 5,532,734 A
• Filed: 03/17/1994
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Goertz, Hendrik M. H. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/214,914
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/8, 348/9, 348/468, 348/563, 348/564, 348/553, 348/385, 348/388, 348/469
• US Class Current: 725/137
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/03 Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0888 Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

Method of transmitting picture data from a transmitter to a selected receiver. The picture data to be transmitted are split up into specific picture data intended for an individual receiver and common picture data intended for a plurality of receivers. The common picture data is stored in each receiver and the specific picture data is transmitted via a transmission medium. In the receiver, the specific and common picture data are combined to form a combined picture for display on a display screen. In a further embodiment, the common picture data is transmitted via a further medium, for example teletext.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting power consumption information in the form of picture data from a power station to a selected receiver in a plurality of receivers, comprising the steps of:

splitting up the picture data into common picture data for transmission and storage in the plurality of receivers, and specific data for transmission to the selected receiver;

transmitting, at least when modified, the common picture data to the plurality of receivers via a first transmission medium;

storing the common picture data in the plurality of receivers;

transmitting the specific picture data from the transmitter to the selected receiver via a second transmission medium different from said first transmission medium;

combining the received specific picture data with the stored common picture data in the selected receiver to form a combined picture for display on a display screen.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second transmission medium is a power distribution network.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first transmission medium is a standard television broadcast carrier, in which the common picture data is transmitted as a teletext signal by a television transmitter.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the first transmission medium is a standard television broadcast carrier, in which the common picture data is transmitted as a teletext signal by a television transmitter.

5. A receiver for receiving and displaying picture data split up into common picture data for a plurality of receivers and specific picture data for said receiver, comprising:

first receiving means for receiving the common picture data via a first transmission medium;

means for storing the common picture data;

second receiving means for receiving the specific picture data via a second transmission medium, different from said first transmission medium; and

combination means for combining the stored common picture data with the specific picture data to form a combined picture for display on a display screen, wherein the second receiving means comprises a data interface circuit interfacing with a power distribution network.

6. A receiver as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the first receiving means comprises a teletext decoder coupled to a standard television broadcast receiver.