Interactive television system

• US 6,075,527 A
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Koji, Ichihashi, Toru, Shimamoto, Katsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US09/212,856
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 348/5.5, 348/1, 348/2, 348/3, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/472, 348/475, 348/477, 348/553, 348/562, 348/564, 435/3.1, 435/4.1, 435/4.2, 435/5.1, 345/327, 709/217-219
• US Class Current: 715/721
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0255 Display systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadcasting station transmits script for presenting plural types of additional information relating to main broadcast in a vertical blanking interval included in a video signal. A television receiver generates an additional information selecting screen for selecting arbitrary additional information from plural types of additional information by executing the script according to a request signal received from a television remote controller, and displays in part of a display screen. Reflecting a selection instruction signal received from the television remote controller on the additional information selection screen, the script is executed according to the selection instruction, and selected additional information is generated and displayed on a display screen in a display format conforming to the content of the information.

Claims

1. A television system comprising:

a receiver associated with a television display; and

a line processing device,

said receiver comprising,

first receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal including transfer designation information and a program configured to control the television display to cause display of a menu screen associated with a television broadcast being received as a part of the television broadcast signal, wherein the transfer destination information and the program are embedded in a vertical blanking interval of the television broadcast signal,

means for identifying the program and the transfer destination information from the television broadcast signal received by said first receiving means and for storing the identified program,

means for inputting an instruction from an operator,

a memory for storing identification information,

display control means for causing the television display to display an additional information selection screen for selecting arbitrary additional information from plural pieces of additional information based on the stored program, in response to the instruction input by said input means, and

output means for outputting transfer data corresponding to the additional information selected by the operator of said plural pieces of additional information, together with the identification information stored in said memory, according to the transfer destination information, in response to the instruction input by said input means; and

the line processing device comprising,

second receiving means for receiving the transfer data and the identification information output from said output means, and

processing means for executing processing which corresponds to the additional information selected by the operator, according to the transfer data and identification information received by said second receiving means.

2. A television system according to claim 1, wherein the program includes script for providing the plural pieces of additional information independent of the television broadcast provided by the television broadcast signal.

3. A television system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer destination information includes a plurality of line numbers assigned to the plural pieces of additional information respectively.

4. A television system according to claim 1, wherein said input means possesses:

a remote controller having at least one operation button to be manipulated by the operator, and means for outputting a signal corresponding to manipulation of this operation button as the instruction, and

a remote control receiver for receiving the signal output by the remote controller.

5. A television system comprising:

a plurality of receivers, each receiver being associated with a corresponding television display; and

a line processing device connected to said plurality of receivers,

each one of said plurality of receivers comprising,

first receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal including a first transfer destination information and a program configured to control a corresponding first television display to cause display of a menu screen associated with a television broadcast being received as a part of the television broadcast signal, wherein the transfer destination information and the program are embedded in a vertical blanking interval of the television broadcast signal,

means for identifying the program and the transfer destination information from the television broadcast signal received by said first receiving means and for storing the program and the transfer destination information,

means for inputting an instruction from an operator,

a memory for storing identification information,

display control means for causing the corresponding first television display to display an additional information selection screen for selecting arbitrary additional information from plural pieces of additional information based on the stored program, in response to the instruction input by said input means, and

output means for outputting transfer data corresponding to the additional information selected by the operator, together with the identification information stored in said memory to said line processing device, according to the transfer destination information, in response to the instruction input by said input means;

and said line processing device comprising,

second receiving means for receiving the transfer data and the identification information outputted from said output means, and

processing means for executing predetermined processing in every one of the plural pieces of additional information, according to the transfer data and the identification information received by said second receiving means.

6. A television system according to claim 5, wherein the program includes script for providing the plural pieces of additional information relating to the television broadcast provided by the television broadcast signal.

7. A television system according to claim 5, wherein the transfer destination information includes a plurality of line numbers assigned to the plural pieces of additional information respectively.

8. A television system according to claim 5, wherein said input means possesses:

a remote controller having at least one operation button to be manipulated by the operator, and means for outputting a signal corresponding to manipulation of the operation button as the instruction, and

a remote control receiver for receiving the signal output by the remote controller.

9. A television system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined processing by said processing means is counting of the received transfer data in every one of said plural pieces of additional information.