Access system and method for providing interactive access to an information source through a television distribution system
DCFirst Claim
1. An access system for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
- a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission, the television transmission including a plurality of sequentially transmitted picture fields, each transmitted picture field including a picture interval corresponding to a transmission of pixelated picture data and a blank interval corresponding to a transmission of no pixelated picture data, each upstream channel for carrying data transmissions to the network headend;
headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and
a plurality of terminals, each terminal being adapted to initiate terminal sessions, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions;
the access system comprising;
an input device associated with one of the terminals for inputting into the terminal a first command for the information source;
an upstream transmitter associated with the terminal and interfaced to the respective terminal end of the television distribution network for transmitting the inputted first command on an available upstream channel of the distribution network, wherein the available stream channel is selected from the plurality of upstream channels and is selected for each initiated terminal session;
a headend server associated with the headend distribution equipment, the headend server being interfaced to the information source;
an upstream receiver associated with the headend distribution equipment and interfaced to the headend server for receiving the inputted first command on the upstream channel of the distribution network and for forwarding the received first command to the headend server, the headend server transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command to the information source, the information source transmitting the information to the headend server in response to the second command;
a blank interval inserter associated with the headend distribution equipment, the blank interval inserter being interfaced to the headend server for receiving the information from the headend server and for inserting the received information into the blank intervals of picture fields of at least one of the television transmissions; and
a blank interval extractor interfaced to the terminal for extracting the inserted information from the blank intervals of the picture fields of the television transmissions, the extracted information being displayed on the display device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An access system and method for providing interactive access to an information source through a television distribution system is disclosed. The distribution system includes a television distribution network, headend distribution equipment at the headend of the distribution network, and a plurality of terminals at terminal ends of the distribution network. An input device and an upstream transmitter are associated with one of the terminals to input a command for the information source and to transmit the inputted command on an upstream channel of the distribution network, respectively. A headend server, upstream receiver, and blank interval inserter are associated with the headend distribution equipment. The headend server is interfaced to the information source. The upstream receiver is interfaced to the headend server to receive and forward the command to the headend server. The headend server transmits the forwarded command to the information source, and the information source transmits responsive information to the headend server. The blank interval inserter receives the information from the headend server and inserts sequential portions into blank intervals of sequential picture fields of a television transmission on a downstream channel of the distribution network. The blank interval extractor is interfaced to the terminal to extract the inserted sequential portions. The extracted information is then displayed on a display device associated with the terminal.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. An access system for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission, the television transmission including a plurality of sequentially transmitted picture fields, each transmitted picture field including a picture interval corresponding to a transmission of pixelated picture data and a blank interval corresponding to a transmission of no pixelated picture data, each upstream channel for carrying data transmissions to the network headend; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being adapted to initiate terminal sessions, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the access system comprising; an input device associated with one of the terminals for inputting into the terminal a first command for the information source; an upstream transmitter associated with the terminal and interfaced to the respective terminal end of the television distribution network for transmitting the inputted first command on an available upstream channel of the distribution network, wherein the available stream channel is selected from the plurality of upstream channels and is selected for each initiated terminal session; a headend server associated with the headend distribution equipment, the headend server being interfaced to the information source; an upstream receiver associated with the headend distribution equipment and interfaced to the headend server for receiving the inputted first command on the upstream channel of the distribution network and for forwarding the received first command to the headend server, the headend server transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command to the information source, the information source transmitting the information to the headend server in response to the second command; a blank interval inserter associated with the headend distribution equipment, the blank interval inserter being interfaced to the headend server for receiving the information from the headend server and for inserting the received information into the blank intervals of picture fields of at least one of the television transmissions; and a blank interval extractor interfaced to the terminal for extracting the inserted information from the blank intervals of the picture fields of the television transmissions, the extracted information being displayed on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 36, 37, 47, 54, 57)
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13. An access system for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission, the television transmission including a plurality of sequentially transmitted picture fields, each transmitted picture field including a picture interval corresponding to a transmission of pixelated picture data and a blank interval corresponding to a transmission of no pixelated picture data, each upstream channel for carrying data transmissions to the network headend; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for display a selected one of the television transmissions; the access system comprising; an input device associated with one of the terminals for inputting into the terminal a first command for the information source; an upstream transmitter associated with the terminal and interfaced to the respective terminal end of the television distribution network for transmitting the inputted first command on an upstream channel of the distribution network; a headend server associated with the headend distribution equipment, the headend server being interfaced to the information source; an upstream receiver associated with the headend distribution equipment and interfaced to the headend server for receiving the inputted first command on the upstream channel of the distribution network and for forwarding the received first command to the headend server, the headend server transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command to the information to the source, the information source transmitting the information to the headend server in response to the second command; a blank interval inserter associated with the headend distribution equipment, the blank interval inserter being interfaced to the headend server for receiving the information from the headend server and for inserting the received information into the blank intervals of picture field of at least one of the television transmissions; and a blank interval extractor interfaced to the terminal for extracting the inserted information from the blank intervals of the picture fields of the television transmissions, the extracted information being displayed on the display device, wherein the headend server includes a screen renderer for rendering screens for display at the display device interfaced to the terminal, the information inserted into the blank intervals of the picture fields being the rendered screen displays, and wherein the extracted information displayed on the display device includes the rendered screens.
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14. A method for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission, the television transmission including a plurality of sequentially transmitted picture fields, each transmitted picture field including a picture interval corresponding to a transmission of pixelated picture data and a blank interval corresponding to a transmission of no pixelated picture data, each upstream channel for carrying data transmissions to the network headend; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being adapted to initiate terminal sessions, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting a first command for the information source into one of the terminals; transmitting the inputted first command from the terminal that received the inputted first command on an available upstream channel of the distribution network, wherein the available upstream channel is selected from the plurality of upstream channels and is selected for each initiated terminal session; receiving the inputted first command on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend of the television distribution network; forwarding the received first command to a headend server at the headend; transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command from the headend server to the information source; transmitting information from the information source to the headend server in response to the second command; inserting the information from the headend server into the blank intervals of picture fields of at least one of the television transmissions, the inserting step being performed at the headend, the inserted information being based on the transmitted information; extracting the inserted information from the blank intervals of the picture fields of the television transmissions, the extracting step being performed at the terminal; and displaying the extracted information on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 38, 48, 55, 58)
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25. A method for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying television transmission, the television transmission including a plurality of sequentially transmitted picture fields, each transmitted picture field including a picture interval corresponding to a transmission of pixelated picture data and a blank interval corresponding to a transmission of no pixelated picture data, each upstream channel for carrying data transmissions to the network headend; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting a first command for the information source into one of the terminals; transmitting the inputted first command from the terminal that received the inputted first command on an upstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the inputted first command on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend of the television distribution network; forwarding the received first command to a headend server at the headend; transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command from the headend server to the information source; transmitting information from the information source to the headend server in response to the second command; inserting the information from the headend server into the blank intervals of picture fields of at least one of the television transmissions, the inserting step being performed at the headend, the inserted information being based on the transmitted information; extracting the inserted information from the blank intervals of the picture fields of the television transmissions, the extracting step being performed at the terminal; displaying the extracted information on the display device; and rendering screens at the headend server for display at the display device interfaced to the terminal, the information inserted into the blank intervals of the picture fields being the rendered screen displays.
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28. A method for providing real-time interactive access in a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting first data into one of the terminals; repeatedly transmitting the inputted first data from the terminal that received the inputted first data on an upstream channel of the distribution network until an acknowledge is received by the terminal on the downstream channel of the distribution network that the inputted first data has been received; receiving the transmitted first data on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend distribution equipment; transmitting a first acknowledgement of the received first data from the headend distribution equipment on a downstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the transmitted first acknowledgement on the downstream channel of the distribution network at the terminal; transmitting second data from the headend distribution equipment on a downstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the transmitted second data on the downstream channel of the distribution network at the terminal; transmitting a second acknowledgement of the received second data from the terminal on an upstream channel of the distribution network; and receiving the transmitted second acknowledgement on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend distribution equipment. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. An access system for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes;
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the access system comprising; an input device associated with one of the terminals for inputting into the terminal a first command for the information source; an upstream transmitter associated with the terminal and interfaced to the respective terminal end of the television distribution network for transmitting the inputted first command as well as information identifying the terminal that received the inputted first command on an upstream channel of the distribution network; a headend server associated with the headend distribution equipment, the headend server being interfaced to the information source; an upstream receiver associated with the headend distribution equipment and interfaced to the headend server for receiving the inputted first command and the terminal identifying information on the upstream channel of the distribution network and for forwarding the received first command and the terminal identifying information to the headend server, the headend server transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command to the information source, the information source transmitting the information to the headend server in response to the second command; a downstream transmitter interfaced to the headend server for receiving information based on the transmitted information from the headend server and for transmitting the received information on any available downstream channel to the terminal that receive the inputted first command upon the terminal identifying information; and a downstream receiver interfaced to the terminal for receiving the transmitted information on the downstream channel as terminal information, the terminal information being displayed on the display device; the headend server including a screen renderer for rendering screens for display at the display device interfaced to the terminal, the terminal information including the rendered screens. - View Dependent Claims (49, 53)
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31. An access system for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the access system comprising; an input device associated with one of the terminals for inputting into the terminal a first command for the information source; an upstream transmitter associated with the terminal and interfaced to the respective terminal end of the television distribution network for transmitting the inputted first command on an upstream channel of the distribution network; a headend server associated with the headend distribution equipment, the headend server being interfaced to the information source; an upstream receiver associated with the headend distribution equipment and interfaced to the headend server for receiving the inputted first command on the upstream channel of the distribution network and for forwarding the received first command to the headend server, the headend server transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command to the information source, the information source transmitting the information to the headend server in response to the second command; a downstream transmitter interfaced to the headend server for receiving information based on the transmitted information from the headend server and for transmitting the received information on a downstream channel; and a downstream receiver interfaced to the terminal for receiving the transmitted information on the downstream channel as terminal information, the terminal information being displayed on the display device; the headend server including a screen renderer for rendering screens for display at the display device interfaced to the terminal, the terminal information including the rendered screens, wherein the screen renderer generates refresh information corresponding to changes to be made to a screen, wherein the downstream transmitter receives the refresh information and transmits the refresh information on a downstream channel, wherein the downstream receiver receives the transmitted refresh information on the downstream channel, and wherein the refresh information is employed by the terminal to perform changes to the screen.
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32. A method for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting a first command for the information source into one of the terminals; transmitting the inputted first command from the terminal that received the inputted first command and information identifying the terminal that received the inputted first command on an upstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the inputted first command and the terminal identifying information on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend of the television distribution network; forwarding the received first command and the terminal identifying information to a headend server at the headend; transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command from the headend server to the information source; transmitting information from the information source to the headend server in response to the second command; rendering a screen at the headend server based on the transmitted information from the information source, the rendered screen for display at the display device interfaced to the terminal; transmitting information including the rendered screen from the headend server on any available downstream channel to the terminal that received the inputted first command based upon the terminal identifying information; receiving the transmitted information on the downstream channel at the terminal; and displaying the rendered screen on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (50)
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33. A method for providing interactive access to information available from an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting a first command for the information source into one of the terminals; transmitting the inputted first command from the terminal that received the inputted first command on an upstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the inputted first command on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend of the television distribution network; forwarding the received first command to a headend server at the headend; transmitting a second command based on the forwarded first command from the headend server to the information source; transmitting information from the information source to the headend server in response to the second command; rendering a screen at the headend server based on the transmitted information from the information source, the rendered screen for display at the display device interfaced to the terminal; transmitting information including the rendered screen from the headend server on a downstream channel; receiving the transmitted information on the downstream channel at the terminal; displaying the rendered screen on the display device; rendering refresh information corresponding to changes to be made to a screen; transmitting the refresh information on a downstream channel; receiving the transmitted refresh information on the downstream channel; and performing changes to the screen based on the refresh information.
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34. A method for providing interactive access to an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting a command into one of the terminals to signify that a user at the terminal wishes to obtain information in connection with a portion of a displayed television transmission; transmitting the inputted command from the inputted-into terminal on an upstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the inputted command on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend of the television distribution network; accessing a database which includes resource location information relating to the portion of the television transmission and retrieving such resource location information; retrieving resource information from the information source based on the resource location information; transmitting the retrieved resource information on a downstream channel; receiving the transmitted resource information on the downstream channel at the terminal; and displaying the resource information on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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35. A method for providing interactive access to an information source through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting a command into one of the terminals to signify that a user at the terminal wishes to obtain information in connection with a portion of a displayed television transmission; transmitting the inputted command from the inputted-into terminal on an upstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the inputted command on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend of the television distribution network; accessing a database which includes resource location information relating to the portion of the television transmission and retrieving such resource location information; transmitting the retrieved resource location information on a downstream channel; and receiving the transmitted resource location information on the downstream channel at the terminal.
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39. An access system for providing interactive access to information available from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission, the television transmission including a plurality of sequentially transmitted picture fields, each transmitted picture field including a picture interval corresponding to a transmission of pixelated picture data and a blank interval corresponding to a transmission of no pixelated picture data, each upstream channel for carrying data transmissions to the network headend; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the access system comprising; an input device associated with one of the terminals for inputting a terminal command into the terminal; an upstream transmitter associated with the terminal and interfaced to the respective terminal end of the television distribution network for transmitting the inputted terminal command on an upstream channel of the distribution network; a headend server associated with the headend distribution equipment; an Internet router for allowing communication between the headend server and an ISP, the Internet router transmitting Internet commands from the headend server to the ISP, and transmitting information from the ISP to the headend server; an upstream receiver associated with the headend distribution equipment and interfaced to the headend server for receiving the terminal command on the upstream channel of the distribution network and for forwarding the terminal command to the headend server, the headend server transmitting an Internet command to the ISP via the Internet router in response to the terminal command, the ISP transmitting the information to the headend server via the Internet router in response to the Internet command; a blank interval inserter associated with the headend distribution equipment, the blank interval inserter being interfaced to the headend server for receiving the information from the headend server and for inserting the received information into the blank intervals of the picture fields of at least one of the television transmissions; and a blank interval extractor interfaced to the terminal for extracting the inserted information front the blank intervals of the picture fields of the television transmissions, the extracted information being displayed on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 51)
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43. A method for providing interactive access to information available from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) through a television distribution system which includes:
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a television distribution network having a network headend, a plurality of terminal ends, a plurality of upstream channels, and a plurality of downstream channels, each downstream channel for carrying a television transmission, the television transmission including a plurality of sequentially transmitted picture fields, each transmitted picture field including a picture interval corresponding to a transmission of pixelated picture data and a blank interval corresponding to a transmission of no pixelated picture data, each upstream channel for carrying data transmissions to the network headend; headend distribution equipment interfaced to the network headend of the television distribution network for distributing the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network; and a plurality of terminals, each terminal being interfaced to a terminal end of the television distribution network for receiving the television transmissions over the respective downstream channels of the television distribution network, each terminal also being interfaced to a display device for displaying a selected one of the television transmissions; the method comprising the steps of; inputting a terminal command for the ISP into one of the terminals; transmitting the inputted terminal command from the terminal on an upstream channel of the distribution network; receiving the terminal command on the upstream channel of the distribution network at the headend of the television distribution network; forwarding the received terminal command to a headend server at the headend; transmitting an Internet command based on the forwarded terminal command from the headend server to the ISP via an Internet router interfaced to the headend server; transmitting information from the ISP to the headend server in response to the Internet command via the Internet router; inserting the information from the headend server into the blank intervals of picture fields of at least one of the television transmissions, the inserting step being performed at the headend, the inserted information being based on the transmitted information; extracting the inserted portions of the information from the blank intervals of the picture fields of the television transmissions, the extracting step being performed at the terminal; and displaying the extracted information on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 52)
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Specification