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Method and apparatus for displaying textual or graphic data on the screen of television receivers

  • US 6,204,885 B1
  • Filed: 04/26/1999
  • Issued: 03/20/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for displaying textual or graphic data on a screen of a television receiver, the apparatus comprising:

  • a memory device at the television receiver in which data representing local language commands is stored;

    a microprocessor electrically coupled to the memory device;

    first means for configuring the microprocessor to display on the screen the local language commands stored in the memory device;

    means for receiving equivalent textual or graphic data from a VBI of a television signal, wherein the received data includes commands, in one or more foreign languages, corresponding to the local language commands;

    a storage device for storing the equivalent data; and

    second means for configuring the microprocessor to substitute the equivalent data for the local language commands such that the equivalent data is displayed instead of the local language commands, wherein a status bit is stored in the microprocessor to indicate whether the local language commands or equivalent data are to be displayed and, when a call for display of a command occurs, the second configuring means issues a command address and a memory access command, reads the status bit, accesses the memory device with the issued address if the status bit indicates local language commands are to be displayed, and accesses the storage device with the issued address if the status bit indicates equivalent data is to be displayed.

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