Information distribution and processing system

• US 6,021,307 A
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Online News Link LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dr. Hark C. Chan
• Inventors: Chan, Hark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/939,368
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.1, 455/6.2, 455/450, 348/9, 348/10
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/09 Arrangements for receiving desired information automatically according to timetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An information distribution and processing system has a broadcast channel for delivering a first set of digital data and a bi-directional channel for allowing a user to obtain additional information. The additional information is stored in a database. In one embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast channel uses a satellite to broadcast the data. In another embodiment of the invention, the bi-directional channel is a telephone system. At predetermined locations of the first set of digital data, linking references are embedded. If desired, the user can select a linking reference and send a request to the database via the bi-directional channel. The database uses the selected linking reference to search for information, and returns the requested information to the user.

Claims

1. A device located in one of a plurality of sites for receiving radio frequency signals broadcasted by a remote transmitter and for communicating with a remote database through a bi-directional channel, said device being connected to a display, said database containing a first set of digital data and means for communicating with said remote sites using said bi-directional channel, said device comprising:

a receiver for receiving said radio frequency signals;

an interface for retrieving a second set of digital data from said radio frequency signals, said second set of digital data comprising a plurality of regular displayable items, a plurality of formatting codes, a plurality of special displayable terms, a first non-displayable symbol, a plurality of linkage references, and a second non-displayable symbol, said special displayable terms being highlighted when displayed by said display, said first non-displayable symbol being used by said device for recognizing said special displayable terms, said second non-displayable symbol being used by said device for recognizing said plurality of linkage references, each of said plurality of linkage references being used for retrieving a portion of said first set of digital data, and each of said plurality of special displayable terms being associated with one of said plurality of linkage references;

means for highlighting said plurality of special displayable items;

means for detecting a selection of at least one of said plurality of special displayable items;

means for extracting a linkage reference associated with said selected special displayable items; and

means for sending said extracted linkage reference to said remote database through said bi-directional channel.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first set of digital data and said second set of digital data is encrypted, and said device further comprising a decryptor for decrypting said encrypted digital data.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for sending to said remote database comprises a modem.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said radio frequency signals are television signals.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said second set of digital data is integrated into vertical blanking intervals of said television signals.

6. The device of claim 4 further comprising:

a memory; and

means for delivering said retrieved second set of digital data to said memory.