Apparatus for receiving and decoding a broadcast signal

• US 6,018,371 A
• Filed: 02/17/1999
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kandaka, Isao, Maeda, Takio, Yamaguchi, Namio, Henmi, Hidemi
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/251,292
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 348/563, 348/569, 348/589, 348/600, 348/468, 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/10, 348/552, 348/553, 455/3.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1
• US Class Current: 348/563
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A data broadcast receiving apparatus used in a system is combined with another transmission line such as telephone circuit. By receiving a television broadcast having a data broadcast signal, such as a teletext signal, superposed on the television broadcast signal, in which a first auxiliary information signal contained in the data broadcast signal and a second auxiliary information signal from the other transmission line are extracted, a control procedure is created responsive to the first and second auxiliary information signals, and the data broadcast signal and main information from the other transmission line are processed responsive to the control procedure.

Claims

1. A data broadcast receiving apparatus for receiving a television broadcast signal with a data broadcast signal superposed thereon comprising:

a data broadcast decoder unit for extracting the data broadcast signal,

a display unit for displaying at least one of the television broadcast signal and the data broadcast signal, and

a modem connected to a telephone circuit,

wherein decoded data in the data broadcast decoder unit is evaluated to determine whether a valid term is contained therein in addition to a telephone number, and if the valid term is contained in the decoded data, the decoded data is added to a process waiting list, and the decoded data is deleted from the process waiting list if the valid term is evaluated as being expired.

2. A data broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process waiting list is stored sequentially from an earlier closing time of the valid term.