Two-way broadcast system and receiving system

• US 5,721,584 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hattori, Yoshitsugu, Yoshinobu, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lo, Linus H.
• Application Number:
  US08/470,396
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 348/1, 348/2, 348/3, 348/4, 348/13, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/04 Systems for the transmission of one television signal, i.e. both picture and sound, by a single carrier H04N7/084, H04N7/087 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A two-way broadcasting system and a receiving system which can be realized at a low cost and is not required to newly connect the connecting cables and extended wiring layout. A multiplexed broadcast signal is transmitted from the broadcasting side under the condition that the two-way broadcast program information can be separated from the principal audio signal of the broadcast program and the two-way broadcast program information can be reproduced as the audible sound in the receiving side. In the receiving side, such broadcast signal is received and the reproduced voice signal including the two-way broadcast program information is reproduced from a loud speaker system. The two-way broadcast program information is extracted from the collected voice signal and is then decoded in a decoding means. Using this decoded information, the response information to the two-way broadcast program can be transmitted to the predetermined response sending destination through the communication line.

Claims

1. A method for operating a two-way broadcasting system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a broadcast signal, from a transmitting side, where two-way broadcast program information is multiplexed under the condition that said two-way broadcast program information can be separated from a principal audio signal of a relevant broadcast program and said two-way broadcast program information can then be reproduced as audible sound in a receiving side; and

receiving said broadcast signal, in said receiving side, outputting a reproduced voice signal including said two-way broadcast program information from a loud speaker system, displaying a guidance message representing operating instructions to a user, selectably energizing a microphone for collecting voices outputted from said speaker system, extracting said two-way broadcast program information from said collected voice signal for decoding and transmitting a response information to a two-way broadcast program to a predetermined response sending destination through a communication line using said decoded information.

4. A two-way broadcasting system depending on claim 1, wherein said information regarding the two-way broadcast program is multiplexed as the DTMF signal in said principal audio signal.

2. A receiving system for a two-way broadcast program wherein two-way broadcast program information is multiplexed under the condition that said two-way broadcast program information can be separated from a principal audio signal of a broadcast program and can be reproduced as an audible sound in a receiving side, comprising:

a two-way broadcast program receiving and reproducing means including display means for displaying a guidance message for instructing a user in operating said receiving system;

a two-way response sending device which is individually provided independent of said two-way broadcast program receiving and reproducing means and is coupled to a communication line;

said two-way response sending device further comprising;

a sound collecting means for collecting voices outputted from said speaker system of said broadcast program receiving and reproducing means;

energizing means for selectably energizing and de-energizing said sound collecting means such that power conservation is realized when said sound collecting means is de-energized;

a decoding means for extracting the two-way broadcast program information multiplexed in the principal audio signal from an output voice signal of said sound collecting means and then decoding said two-way broadcast program information; and

a transmitting means for sending said response information to said two-way broadcast program through said communication line using said two-way broadcast program information decoded by said decoding means.

3. A receiving system depending on claim 2, wherein said two-way response sending device comprises a remote control commander and an adapter, wherein

said remote control commander includes said sound collecting means and said decoding means;

and

said adapter includes a receiving part for receiving a remote control signal from said remote control commander and said transmitting means coupled to said communication line.

5. A receiving system depending on claim 3, wherein said information regarding said two-way broadcast program is multiplexed as the DTMF signal in the principal audio signal and said decoding means is a DTMF decoder.

6. An apparatus for responding via telephone line to an inquiry transmitted as part of a television signal, comprising in combination:

a microphone for receiving audible DTMF signals produced by a television set, said television set producing said audible DTMF signals upon decoding of said television signal and further producing a guidance message representing operating instructions to a user;

energizing means for selectably energizing and de-energizing said microphone such that power conservation is realized when said microphone is de-energized;

a DTMF decoder for decoding said DTMF signals to produce a decoded signal; and

a modem for transmitting said decoded signal to a remote location via telephone connection; and

dialing means for dialing a telephone number decoded from said DTMF signals.

7. A two way broadcast and receiving system, comprising:

a television receiver for producing an audible DTMF signal, wherein information associated with a two way broadcast program is multiplexed to form said DTMF signal, said television receiver further producing a guidance message representing operating instructions to a user;

a remote commander for decoding said DTMF signal to form a first decoded signal, said remote commander further including microphone means for receiving said audible DTMF signal and being selectably energizable and de-energizable such that power conservation is realized when said microphone means is de-energized, said remote commander further including generating means for generating a response signal in response to said first decoded signal; and

an adapter coupled to a telephone line, wherein said adapter receives said response signal and forms a second decoded signal used to access a remote location.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said television receiver includes a speaker system and said audible DTMF signal is emitted from said speaker system.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein said remote commander includes a microphone for receiving said audible DTMF signal.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein said response signal is in the form of an infrared signal.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said adapter includes an infrared receiving section for receiving said infrared signal.

12. A system according to claim 7, wherein said adapter includes a modem for transmitting and receiving data through said telephone line.

13. A method for operating a two way broadcasting and receiving system, comprising the steps of:

generating an audible DTMF signal in a television receiver;

displaying a guidance message representing operating instructions to a user;

transmitting said audible DTMF signal from a television receiver to a remote controller;

selectably energizing a microphone in said remote controller for receiving said audible DTMF signal;

generating a reception failure message if said audible DTMF signal is not received after a predetermined time period;

decoding said DTMF signal in said remote controller to form a first decoded signal;

generating a response signal in response to said first decoded signal in said remote controller;

transmitting said response signal to a signal reception section of an adapter coupled by a telephone line to a remote location;

scanning said signal reception section to detect whether or not said response signal is received;

decoding said response signal to form a second decoded signal indicative of said response signal in said adapter;

transmitting said second decoded signal over said telephone line to said remote location;

generating an error indication if said second decoded signal is not transmitted; and

selectably de-energizing said microphone such that power conservation is realized when said microphone is de-energized.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said television receiver includes a speaker system and said audible DTMF signal is emitted from said speaker system.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein said response signal is in the form of an infrared signal.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said signal reception section is adapted to received said infrared signal.

17. A system according to claim 13, wherein said adapter includes a modem for transmitting and receiving data through said telephone line.