Methods and systems for providing television related services via a networked personal computer

• US 6,545,722 B1
• Filed: 01/09/1998
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Christopher J. Schultheiss, Douglas G. Brown
• Original Assignee: Christopher J. Schultheiss, Douglas G. Brown
• Inventors: McCafferty, Michael A., Cutler, Todd D., Schultheiss, Christopher J., Sunkavalli, Sreekrishna V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US09/005,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.7173, 348/8, 348/7, 348/6, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/552, 348/734, 348/906, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/5.1, 345/327, 709/217, 725/51, 725/109, 725/110, 725/81, 725/100
• US Class Current: 348/552
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

A set top box is provides that interfaces a television and a personal computer that is connected to the Internet. The set top box includes a wireless remote control receiver that receives user commands from a wireless remote control unit. A radio frequency transceiver that transmits computer commands to the personal computer that is connected to the internet in response to the user commands and that receives data that is generated from the Internet via the personal computer in response to the computer commands. A video processing system that processes the received data for display on a television and a television interface that displays the processed received data on the television.

Claims

1. A set top box that interfaces a television and a personal computer that is connected to the Internet, the set top box comprising:

a wireless remote control receiver that receives user commands from a wireless remote control unit;

a wireless radio frequency transceiver that wirelessly transmits computer commands to the personal computer that is connected to the Internet in response to the user commands and that wirelessly receives data that is generated from the internet via the personal computer in response to the computer commands, wherein the data includes at least one drawing command;

a video processing system that processes the wirelessly received data for display on a television; and

a television interface that displays the processed received data on the television, wherein the television interface simultaneously displays the processed received data and a television program on the television.

2. A set top box according to claim 1 wherein the television interface overlays the processed received data on a television program.

3. A set top box according to claim 1 wherein the wireless remote control receiver is an infrared remote control receiver.

4. A set top box according to claim 1 in combination with a personal computer that is connected to the Internet, wherein the wireless radio frequency transceiver comprises a first radio frequency transceiver, the personal computer including a second wireless radio frequency transceiver that wirelessly receives the computer commands from the first wireless radio frequency transceiver and that wirelessly transmits the data that is generated from the Internet to the first wireless radio frequency transceiver.

5. A set top box according to claim 1 in combination with a television that is connected to the television interface.

6. A set top box according to claim 1 in combination with a wireless remote control unit that wirelessly relays user commands to a television and to the set top box.

7. A set top box according to claim 6 wherein the wireless remote control unit is a wireless computer keyboard.

8. A method for interfacing a television to the Internet comprising the steps of:

wirelessly receiving user commands at a set top box;

wirelessly relaying computer commands that represent the user commands from the set top box to a personal computer in response to the wirelessly received user commands;

causing the personal computer to access the Internet in response to the computer commands;

receiving data from the Internet at the personal computer,

wirelessly relaying information representing the received data from the personal computer to the set top box, wherein the information includes at least one drawing command; and

formatting the information for display on a television that is connected to the set top box, wherein the television simultaneously displays the received data and a television program on the television.

9. A method according to claim 8:

wherein the step of causing the computer to access the Internet comprises the step of causing the personal computer to access a location which is associated with the set top box; and

wherein the step of receiving data from the Internet comprises the step of receiving data from the location that is associated with the set top box.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving sports scores from the location that is associated with the set top box.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of receiving data that is formatted for display on a television rather than a computer monitor, from the location which is associated with the set top box.

12. A method for interfacing a television to the Internet comprising the steps of:

wirelessly receiving user commands at a set top box;

wirelessly relaying computer commands that represent the user commands from the set top box to a personal computer in response to the wirelessly received user commands;

causing the personal computer to access the Internet in response to the computer commands;

receiving data from the Internet at the personal computer;

wirelessly relaying information representing the received data from the personal computer to the set top box;

formatting the information for display on a television that is connected to the set top box; and

wherein the step of wirelessly relaying information representing the received data from the personal computer to the set top box comprises the step of wirelessly relaying drawing commands from the personal computer to the set top box.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the formatting step comprises the step of converting the drawing commands into a video signal for display on a television.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the converting step is followed by the step of combining the video signal with a television program signal to produce a combined video signal for display on a television.

15. A method for interfacing a television to the Internet comprising the steps of:

wirelessly receiving user commands at a set top box;

wirelessly relaying computer commands that represent the user commands from the set top box to a personal computer in response to the wirelessly received user commands;

causing the personal computer to access the Internet in response to the computer commands;

receiving data from the Internet at the personal computer;

wirelessly relaying information representing the received data from the personal computer to the set top box;

formatting the information for display on a television that is connected to the set top box; and

wherein said step of wirelessly relaying information representing the received data from the personal computer to the set top box comprises the steps of;

wirelessly relaying a control packet from the personal computer to the set top box so as to format the display of a drawing packet;

wirelessly relaying a drawing packet from the personal computer to the set top box so as to draw on the TV display; and

wirelessly relaying a status packet from the set top box to the personal computer so as to report on the status of the drawing packet.

16. A system that interfaces a television and a personal computer that is connected to the Internet, the system comprising:

a wireless remote control unit that wirelessly transmits user commands;

a set top box comprising;

a wireless remote control receiver that receives the user commands from the wireless remote control unit;

a first radio frequency transceiver that transmits computer commands to the personal computer that is connected to the internet in response to the user commands and that receives data that is generated from the internet via the personal computer in response to the computer commands, wherein the data received at the first radio frequency transceiver includes at least one drawing command;

a video processing system that processes the received data for display on a television; and

a television interface that displays the processed received data on the television, wherein the television interface simultaneously displays the processed received data and a television program on the television;

a second radio frequency transceiver for connection to the personal computer to receive the computer commands from the first radio frequency transceiver and to transmit the data that is generated from the internet; and

a computer program for execution in the personal computer, the computer program comprising computer readable instructions that direct the computer to obtain the data from the Internet in response to the computer commands.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the television interface overlays the processed received data on a television program.

18. The system according to claim 16 wherein the wireless remote control receiver is an infrared remote control receiver.