Information transmission, information display method and information display apparatus

• US 6,778,559 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Infocity
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Infocity
• Inventors: Hyakutake, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US10/228,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 348/476, 370/486, 370/432, 370/390
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Content body and B-HTTP elements are broadcast to a user'"'"'s system (20) by messages inserted into the vertical blanking intervals of a television signal. At the user'"'"'s system, the messages are stored on the hard disk, and the messages are retrieved by using the information in the effective period start time element, which is one of the elements (S102). The browser (47) displays on the screen (47a) the content body among the messages (S107).

Claims

1. An information transmission and display method, wherein a display is formed by an information display apparatus which displays a television program display area and an icon display area on a display device in a first mode and displays the television program display area, the icon display area and a content display area on the display device in a second mode, the method comprising the steps of:

multiplexing a broadcast signal with source information that specifies a source of certain content information, and an icon information, said source information not being included in other content information transmitted by the broadcast signal;

transmitting the multiplexed broadcast signal;

receiving the multiplexed broadcast signal;

extracting the source information and the icon information from the multiplexed broadcast signal;

retrieving the certain content information from the source, based upon the source information;

displaying, in both of said first mode and said second mode, a picture of said television broadcast program in said television program display area and said icon information in said icon display area;

displaying, in said second mode, at least a part of the certain content information received from the source, in said content display area; and

moving from said first mode to said second mode in response to clicking on an icon in the icon display area, to open the content display area and displaying content information responding to said icon that was clicked.

2. The information transmission and display method of claim 1, wherein the certain content information is content information transmitted by a broadcast signal different from the multiplexed broadcast signal.

3. An information display apparatus, which displays a television program display area and an icon display area in a first mode and displays the television program display area, the icon display area and content display area in a second mode on a display device, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a broadcast signal multiplexed with source information, and icon information, said source information specifying a source of certain content information, and not being included in other content information transmitted by the television broadcast signal;

means for extracting the source information and the icon information from the received broadcast signal;

means for retrieving the certain content information from the source, based upon the source information;

means for displaying, in said first mode, a picture of said television broadcast program in said television display area and said icon information in said icon display area, and displaying, in said second mode, a picture of said television broadcast program in the television program display area, said icon information in said icon display area, and

means for displaying at least a part of the certain content information in said content display; and

means for switching from the first mode to the second mode in response to clicking on an icon in the icon display area to open said content display area and display content information corresponding to said icon that was clicked.

4. An information transmission and display method, wherein a display is formed by an information display apparatus which displays a television program display area and an icon display area on a display device in a first mode and displays the television program display area, the icon display area and a content display area on the display device in a second mode, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a broadcast signal that contains source information that specifies a source of certain content information, and icon information, said source information not being included in other content information transmitted by the broadcast program signal;

receiving the broadcast signal;

extracting the source information and the icon information from the broadcast signal;

receiving the certain content information from the source, based upon the source information; and

displaying, in both of said first mode and said second mode, a picture of said television broadcast program in said television program display area and said icon information in said icon display area;

displaying, in said second mode, at least a part of the certain content information received from the source, in said content display area; and

moving from said first mode to said second mode in response to clicking on an icon in the icon display area, to open the content display area and displaying content information responding to said icon that was clicked.

5. An information display apparatus, which displays a television program display area and an icon display area in a first mode and displays the television program display area, the icon display area and content display area in a second mode on a display device, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at a broadcast signal containing source information that specifies a source of certain content information, and an icon information, said source information not being included in content information transmitted by the television broadcast signal;

means for extracting the source information and icon information from the received broadcast signal;

means for retrieving the certain content information from the source, based upon the source information;

means for displaying, in said first mode, a picture of said television broadcast program in said television display area and said icon information in said icon display area, and displaying, in said second mode, a picture of said television broadcast program in the television program display area, said icon information in said icon display area, and at least a part of the certain content information in said content display area; and

means for switching from the first mode to the second mode in response to clicking on an icon in the icon display area to open said content display area and display content information corresponding to said icon that was clicked.