Television broadcast distribution systems comprising base station with a tuner and computer outstations

• US 5,655,214 A
• Filed: 09/07/1995
• Issued: 08/05/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amulet Electronics Limited
• Original Assignee: Amulet Electronics Limited
• Inventors: Mullett, Anthony John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/524,607
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/8, 348/10, 348/11, 348/552, 348/14, 348/15, 348/16, 348/17, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A base station includes a tuner and teletext decoder 32 which outputs baseband video, audio and raw text data at 36, 37 and 39, along a cabling infrastructure 40. A remote PC 41 has a capture card to receive and display the video picture and assemble the text data into a picture which is stored and displayed as required. The PC also displays a control application window which, by pointing and clicking with a mouse 45, allows control signals to be sent to the tuner 32 to select channels and pages via a microcontroller 34. The text information is subjected to an error checking and re-transmission protocol at the PC.

Claims

1. A television broadcast distribution system comprising:

(i) a base station comprising a tuner for receiving broadcast television signals from a wide-band input and having a tuning control input for controlling said tuner to select said broadcast signals, said tuner being arranged to provide a baseband video signal output which is derived from said selected broadcast signal;

(ii) data-grade cabling constructed and arranged to carry said baseband video signal output from said base station to a remote outstation; and

(iii) an outstation remote from said base station and including;

an input for receiving said baseband video signal output from said cabling,

a computer which is programmed for displaying said signal output in the form of a picture, and

manual input control means which communicates with said base station via said cabling to cause control signals to be fed to said control input of said tuner in order to select the broadcast signal which is displayed at said outstation, said manual input means being arranged to produce said control signals in conjunction with a control image which is displayed by said computer.

2. A distribution system according to claim 1, in which said control image is generated at the outstation.

3. A distribution system according to claim 1, in which the outstation computer is provided with a capture card for receiving said signal output.

4. A distribution system according to claim 1, in which said signal output comprises text data.

5. A distribution system according to claim 4, in which said text data is subjected to error-checking at the outstation, and in the event of any errors being detected a re-transmission request is sent to the base station via cabling.

6. A distribution system according to claim 4, in which said text data is stored at the outstation.

7. A distribution system according to claim 4, in which said text data is used at the outstation to generate a picture for display at the outstation.

8. A television broadcast distribution system comprising:

(i) a base station comprising a tuner for receiving broadcast television signals from a wide-band input and having a tuning control input for controlling said tuner to select said broadcast signals, said tuner being arranged to provide a baseband video signal output which is derived from said selected broadcast signal;

(ii) data-grade cabling constructed and arranged to carry said baseband video signal output from said base station to a remote outstation; and

(iii) an outstation remote from said base station and including;

an input for receiving said baseband video signal output from said cabling,

a computer which is programmed for displaying said signal output in the form of a picture, and

manual input control means which communicates with said base station via said cabling to cause control signals to be fed to said control input of said tuner in order to select the broadcast signal which is displayed at said outstation, said manual input means being arranged to produce said control signals in conjunction with a control image which is displayed by said computer;

said control image being generated at said base station and fed to said outstation via said cabling.