Compressed digital-data interactive program system

• US 6,204,843 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: ACTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Harper, Gregory W., Freeman, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FAILE, ANDREW I
• Application Number:
  US09/429,851
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, 348/3, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/561-565, 345/32, 709/217-219
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/81 combined with telephone network over which the broadcast is continuously available
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/95 characterised by a specific format, e.g. an encoded audio stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/042 Codec means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 : Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 : Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0806 : the signals being two or more video signals H04N7/0803, H04N7/081 take precedence
• 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 7/10 : Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

An interactive cable television system is disclosed which utilizes a standard cable television distribution network for simultaneously providing a plurality of viewers with an interactive television program comprising a plurality of signals related in time and content. Video signals are transmitted in a digital format, more than one signal being multiplexed onto a data stream on a single channel. The video signals may be compressed for efficiency. A receiver, in conjunction with a signal selector, selects a particular NTSC channel for playback, then selects a particular video signal from the data stream, and decompresses the video signal for playback. Seamless switching between video signals on different channels is provided. An alternative embodiment is disclosed wherein the various signals which comprise the interactive program are switched at the head end rather than at the receiver. The multiple choice control unit selects a desired signal by relaying the multiple choice selections of the user through a relay box back to a remotely located switching station. The switching station routes the correct video signal down the appropriate cable channel for the particular user.

Claims

1. In an improved interactive television system having a plurality of subscriber television reception systems, each of said subscriber television reception systems comprising a television receiver, each of said television receivers having a plurality of reception channels, each reception channel having a different associated communication frequency, a television subscriber distribution network connected to said plurality of subscriber television reception systems;

the improvement comprising;

a television programming transmission means connected to said subscriber distribution network for providing transmitted interactive television programming thereto, said subscriber distribution network providing said transmitted interactive television programming to said plurality of subscriber television reception systems, said television programming transmission means comprising means for substantially simultaneously providing a multi-information interactive television program communication signal as said transmitted interactive television programming to said subscriber distribution network;

said multi-information interactive television program communication signal comprising a plurality of simultaneously provided different program information message signals related in real time and content to each other;

switching means for selecting one of said plurality of simultaneously provided different program information message signals responsive to a control signal corresponding to a particular television receiver for transmitting said selected signal to said particular television receiver, said control signal received over a transmission media, said means for substantially simultaneously providing a multi-information interactive program further comprising said switching means;

each of said television receivers independently selecting and receiving any of said plurality of program formation message signals dependent on the program information message signal selected, each of said television receivers comprising signal selection means for generating and transmitting said control signal to said subscriber distribution network for signaling said switching means to transmit a particular program information message signal from said plurality of program information message signals to said television receiver, said switching means requiring an adjustment period in switching from a first selected channel to a next selected channel to properly reconstruct the signal on said next selected channel so that the switch from the first selected channel to the next selected channel results in transition without visually perceptible delay, said signal selection means further comprising means for providing a delay corresponding to said adjustment period during a switch from said first selected channel to said next selected channel, thereby enhancing the efficiency of said switching means during a switch from said first selected channel to said next selected channel;

wherein flexible multi-information television programming is provided with a reduced number of television channels and subscribers in said interactive television system independently select and view multi-information interactive television programming and switch between the channels of said multi-information interactive television programs without a visually perceptible delay during said multi-information interactive television program.

2. An improved interactive television system according to claim 1 wherein said program information message signals comprise a plurality of successive information packets, and at least a portion of said plurality of said information packets on said plurality of program information message signals are content related in a decision tree relationship between successive individual packets and between said program information message signals wherein a memory accumulation program format is received as said selectable interactive television programming.

3. An improved interactive television system according to claim 1 wherein said television receivers are multichannel television receivers, each of said multichannel television receivers having a plurality of different television reception channels, each of said television reception channels having a different associated communication frequency, each of said multichannel television receivers independently selecting and receiving any of said plurality of program information message signals dependent on the television reception channel selected, each of said multichannel television receivers comprising a multichannel selection means for selecting the television reception channel associated frequency to be received.

4. An improved interactive television according to claim 3 wherein said transmitted interactive television programming further comprises at least one regular broadcast television signal having an associated communication frequency, said television programming transmission means further comprising means for substantially simultaneously providing said at least one regular broadcast television signal to said subscriber distribution network on said associated communication frequency, said multichannel television receivers adapted to receive said at least one regular broadcast television signal on a channel corresponding with said associated frequency.

5. An improved interactive television system according to claim 1 wherein said subscriber distribution network is selected from the group consisting of two-way cable television, two-way telephone, and two-way direct broadcast satellite.

6. An improved interactive television system according to claim 3 wherein said control signal transmission media is selected from the group consisting of telephone, cable television, FM transmission, and digital fiberoptic.

7. An improved interactive television system according to claim 3 wherein each of said program information message signals has a designated position indicator in said multichannel selection means;

at least one of said program information message signals further comprising video information displayable on said multichannel television receiver corresponding to informational labels to be dynamically assigned to said designated position indicators for a particular multi-information interactive television program, said television displayable informational labels dynamically variable dependent on the content of a said multi-information interactive television program.

8. An improved interactive television system according to claim 7 wherein said displayable informational labels dynamically vary according to the successive decision tree selections to be made.

9. An improved interactive television system according to claim 1 wherein said program information message signals are in a digital format.

10. An improved interactive television system according to claim 9 wherein said digital program information message signals are compressed.

11. An interactive television system comprising:

a means for providing programming, comprising;

means for obtaining programming; and

bus means, for carrying the obtained programming on one or more bus channels;

a means for transmitting interactive television programming, comprising;

at least one remote switch, connected to the bus means, for switching from programming on a previous bus channel to programming on a next bus channel, wherein the switching is performed during a vertical blanking interval of the programming on the previous bus channel so that the switch results in a transition to the programming on the next bus channel without a visually perceptible delay once the programming is displayed for the user;

wherein the next bus channel is determined by the switch based on a user request; and

a program transmission means, connected to the remote switch means, for receiving a user request and communicating the user request to the remote switch, and for receiving the switched program from the remote switch and transmitting the switched program to a user on a virtual channel; and

wherein a user may communicate user requests to the means for providing programming and receive interactive television programming on a single virtual channel, the received programming based on the user requests.

12. A method for seamlessly switching between digital video signals at a site remotely located from one or more subscriber receptions systems, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of digital video signals;

selecting one of the digital video signals for distribution to at least one of the subscriber reception systems;

seamlessly switching from a previously selected digital video signal to the selected video signal;

transmitting the selected video signal to the subscriber reception system;

wherein the transition on a display associated with the subscriber reception system from the previously selected digital video signal to the selected digital video signal is without visually perceptible delay due to the seamless switch occurring at the remote site.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the digital video signals are digitally compressed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least two of the digital video signals contain different camera angles of the same event.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least two of the digital video signals contain different advertisements.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein at least two of the digital video signals represent different program segments, related in real-time and content, associated with an interactive program.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected digital video signal is transmitted over one of the group consisting of a satellite transmission system, a cable transmission system, a broadcast transmission system, a stand-alone system, and a telephone system.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected digital video signal is selected based upon one or more user profiles.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of receiving a user selection made at the subscriber reception system, wherein the selected digital video signal is selected based on a user selection made at a subscriber reception system.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected digital video signal contains one selected form the group consisting of:

a standard broadcast signal, a close-up view of an event, a replay of a portion of the event, and statistical information.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the digital video signals are stored on one selected from the group consisting of:

video tape, video disk, and memory associated with a computer.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote site is a cable headend.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote site is a satellite operations center.

24. An apparatus for seamlessly switching between digital video signals at a site remotely located from one or more subscriber receptions systems, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of digital video signals;

a processor, the processor selecting one of the digital video signals for distribution to at least one of the subscriber reception systems and directing a seamless switch from a previously selected digital video signal to the selected video signal;

a means for transmitting the selected video signal to the subscriber reception system;

wherein the transition on a display associated with the subscriber reception system from the previously selected digital video signal to the selected digital video signal is without visually perceptible delay due to the seamless switch occurring at the remote site.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the digital video signals are digitally compressed.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein at least two of the digital video signals contain different camera angles of the same event.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein at least two of the digital video signals contain different advertisements.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein at least two of the digital video signals represent different program segments, related in real-time and content, associated with an interactive program.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected digital video signal is transmitted over one of the group consisting of a satellite transmission system, a cable transmission system, a broadcast transmission system, a stand-alone system, and a telephone system.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected digital video signal is selected based upon one or more user profiles.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising a second receiver for receiving a user selection made at the subscriber reception system, wherein the selected digital video signal is selected based on a user selection made at a subscriber reception system.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected digital video signal contains one selected form the group consisting of:

a standard broadcast signal, a close-up view of an event, a replay of a portion of the event, and statistical information.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the digital video signals are stored on one selected from the group consisting of:

video tape, video disk, and memory associated with a computer.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the remote site is a cable headend.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein the remote site is a satellite operations center.