Interactive system including a host device for displaying information remotely controlled by a remote control

• US 5,911,582 A
• Filed: 02/05/1996
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TV Interactive Data Corporation
• Original Assignee: TV Interactive Data Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Donald S., Redford, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US08/590,043
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/307 R, 434/308, 434/323, 434/362, 434/365, 364/130, 364/138, 364/DIG. 1, 395/712, 395/401, 395/427, 395/821, 395/851, 395/852, 395/376, 395/927, 380/4, 380/23, 380/25, 340/825.34, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 235/380, 360/133, 360/135, 360/5, 360/15, 707/1, 707/500, 463/1, 463/40, 463/43, 463/44, 345/158, 345/185, 345/326-328, 345/473, 345/502, 359/142, 359/146, 359/148, 369/24, 369/84, 348/706, 348/734, 348/738, 365/701, 386/83
• US Class Current: 434/307.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0677 Optical disk device, e.g. CD-ROM, DVD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In accordance with this invention, a remote control for an interactive media can include a printed publication and/or a storage media and/or a data button. One embodiment of a remote control includes a printed publication (such as a book, magazine or a catalog) and one or more buttons physically attached to the printed publication to allow users to remotely control use of associated electronic content by a host device. Another embodiment of a remote control has a housing capable of removably holding a storage media encoded with electronic content associated with a button of the remote control. Yet another embodiment of a remote control has at least one data button which permits the user to select the data to be displayed by the host device. An autostart driver in the host device detects insertion of a storage media into a peripheral and automatically starts an application. The application interprets button codes transmitted by the remote control and displays the results or initiates other events. An application development system allows an author to quickly create interactive media applications.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a remote control comprising (a) a printed publication having printed content, and (b) remote control circuitry physically attached to said printed publication and capable of transmitting at least one wireless signal; and

a host device comprising (c) a wireless signal receiver responsive to said wireless signal, (d) a display device for displaying electronic content and (e) a central processing unit coupled to said wireless signal receiver and to said display device, wherein said host device responds to receipt of said wireless signal at said wireless signal receiver by;

displaying on the display device at least a portion of electronic content having a representative association with said printed content.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said host device comprises a television coupled to said central processing unit and capable of displaying a selection from said retrieved electronic content.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the selection displayed by said host device depends on the wireless signal received from said remote control.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed publication has a front cover, a back cover and a plurality of touch sensitive regions, wherein the wireless signal transmitted by said remote control indicates a touch sensitive region depressed by a user, and further wherein said portion of electronic content has a representative association with printed content visually associated with said depressed touch sensitive region.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote control further comprises a storage media removably mounted on said printed publication, and said peripheral is capable of retrieving electronic content from said storage media, and further wherein after insertion of said storage media in said peripheral, said host device retrieves from said inserted storage media said portion of electronic content and displays said retrieved portion.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content comprises data selecting content and further wherein said portion of electronic content retrieved by said host device has a descriptive association with said data selecting content.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content comprises a title descriptive of the electronic content portion to be displayed.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content comprises a summary descriptive of the electronic content to be displayed.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content includes graphic content having a derivative association with the electronic content portion to be displayed.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content has said representative association with an audio selection included in the electronic content portion to be displayed, and further wherein said host device displays said audio selection through a speaker included in said display device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content has said representative association with a video selection included in the electronic content portion to be displayed and further wherein said host device displays said video selection on said display device.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content has said representative association with text content included in the electronic content portion to be retrieved, and further wherein said host device displays said text content on said display device.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic content has a remote electronic association with said wireless signal.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the host device includes a cable coupled to the Internet, and the host device retrieves the portion of electronic content to be displayed from the Internet.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote control further comprises a plurality of buttons and at least a portion of said printed content has a visual association with at least one of said buttons.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the host device includes a drive and the host device retrieves the portion of electronic content to be displayed from a storage media, and the printed content identifies, at least partially, the specific information.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic content includes specific information, and the printed content identifies, at least partially, the specific information.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed content has said representative association with graphics content included in the electronic content portion to be displayed.