Compressed digital-data interactive program system

• US 6,215,484 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• 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:
  US09/429,852
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, 348/3, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/561, 348/565, 343/327
• US Class Current: 725/126
• 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. An interactive television system comprising:

a subscriber television reception system for receiving interactive television programming, the interactive television programming comprising one or more interactive television program signals placed at one or more communication frequencies, each interactive television program signal comprising a data stream containing a plurality of digitally compressed video signals, the reception system comprising;

a user interface for receiving subscriber selections;

a microprocessor, connected to the user interface, for selecting one of the video signals and directing a seamless switch to the selected video signal;

a multi-frequency receiver, for tuning to one or more frequencies and demodulating an interactive television program signal on the tuned-to frequency;

a means for demultiplexing the demodulated interactive television program signal to obtain a selected video signal;

a memory for storing the selected video signal; and

a decompressor/decoder for decompressing the selected video signal and converting the decompressed video signal into an analog television signal;

a means for displaying the selected video signal, wherein the seamless switch results in a transition to the selected video signal on the display means without a visually perceptible delay; and

wherein subscribers in said interactive television system independently select and view said interactive television programming.

2. An interactive television system comprising:

a subscriber television reception system for receiving interactive television programming, the interactive television programming comprising one or more interactive television program signals placed at one or more communication frequencies, each interactive television program signal comprising a data stream containing a plurality of digitally compressed video signals, the reception system comprising;

a user interface for receiving subscriber selections;

a microprocessor, connected to the user interface for selecting one of the video signals and directing a seamless switch to the selected video signal, wherein the seamless switch results in a transition to the selected video signal without a visually perceptible delay;

a multi-frequency receiver for tuning to one or more frequencies and receiving an interactive television program signal on the tuned-to frequency;

a means for demultiplexing the received interactive television program signal to obtain selected video signals;

a memory, connected to the demultiplexing means, for storing the demultiplexed video signals, the memory containing a pointer under microprocessor control which identifies the memory contents to be output;

a decompressor/decoder, connected to the memory, for decompressing the stored video signals and converting the decompressed signals into standard video signals;

a RF encoder, connected to the decompressor/decoder, for encoding the standard video signals into standard video broadcast signals; and

a synchronizing means, for generating synchronization pulses;

a means, connected to the RF encoder, for displaying said selected video signals; and

wherein subscribers in said interactive television system independently select and view said interactive television programming.

3. The interactive television system of claim 2, wherein the memory means is a buffer, wherein the microprocessor monitors the contents of the buffer to determine the identity of the stored video signals, and wherein the pointer is positioned at the selected video signal only when there is enough stored information to enable the decompression and decoding of the selected video signal.

4. A method of receiving and viewing an interactive television program, where the interactive program is comprised of one or more interactive program signals located on one or more communication frequencies, wherein the interactive program signals comprise digitally compressed video signals containing video and command information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an interactive program signal;

demultiplexing the received interactive program signal to obtain digitally compressed video signals;

storing the digitally compressed video signals in at least one memory with at least one memory output;

decompressing the demultiplexed digitally compressed video signals to obtain the command information;

receiving user inputs relating to interactive program choices; and

processing the command information and the received user inputs to obtain a selected video signal;

determining a switch time when the current video signals may be seamlessly replaced with the selected video signal, wherein seamless switch results in a transition to the selected video signal without a visually perceptible delay;

switching, at the switch time, to a memory output for the selected video signal so that the selected video signal is output and a seamless switch from current video signals to the selected video signal results; and

displaying the selected video signal;

.

5. A method of receiving and viewing an interactive television program, where the interactive program is comprised of one or more interactive program signals located on one or more communication frequencies, wherein the interactive program signals comprise digitally compressed video signals containing video and command information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more interactive selections from a user;

receiving an interactive program signal;

demultiplexing the received interactive program signal to obtain a compressed video signal;

storing the compressed video signal in a memory;

outputting contents of the memory at a location indicated by a memory pointer, wherein the pointer successively points from older stored memory contents to the more recently stored memory contents;

decompressing and decoding the memory output in a decompressor/decoder to obtain a standard video signal, the decompressor/decoder requiring a predetermined number of video signals before the step of decompressing and decoding may begin;

RF encoding the standard video signal to obtain a standard video broadcast signal;

controlling the memory, memory pointer, RF demodulator, and demultiplexer to seamlessly switch between video signals, wherein seamless switch results in a transition to the standard video signal without a visually perceptible delay; and

displaying the standard video broadcast signal on a television.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of controlling further comprises the steps of:

managing the memory contents, comprising the steps of;

buffering the memory so that the contents of the memory shift to overwrite the memory location that was most recently output;

altering filling and emptying rates of the buffering step so that the pointer may be reset to a predetermined location.

7. An interactive television system comprising:

a means for receiving user selections;

a means for receiving digitally compressed interactive television programming, the interactive television programming comprising a plurality of video signals related in time and content;

a means, connected to the receiving means, for providing selected video signals, the selected video signals based on the user selections;

a memory, connected to the providing means, for storing the selected video signals;

a means, connected to the memory means, for outputting an analog video signal based on the memory contents;

synchronization means, connected to the outputting means, for synchronizing the analog video signal;

a means, connected to the synchronization means, for encoding the synchronized analog video signal into a format compatible with a television display;

processor means, connected to the memory means, for controlling the output of the memory so that the memory seamlessly switches between selected video signals, wherein the seamless switch results in a transition between the video signals without a visually perceptible delay; and

wherein the encoded signal is related to the user'"'"'s selections and the user may interactively and seamlessly switch between video signals.