XDS enhancement system

• US 6,816,201 B1
• Filed: 01/13/1998
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric US Incorporated (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Incorporated (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Fang, James, Blankenburg, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US09/007,197
• Time in Patent Office: 2,492 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5445, H04/N.7087, 348/465, 348/468, 348/473, 348/460, 348/478, 348/461, 348/552, 348/563, 348/565, 348/564, 348/13, 348/477, 348/467, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.3, 725/141, 725/74, 725/51, 725/112, 725/136, 725/153, 345/718, 345/716, 345/717, 345/719
• US Class Current: 348/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles

Abstract

A television system and method for facilitating use of closed caption text or other information that may be included in an extended data service (XDS) system. The system includes a tuner adapted to receive a television signal, the television signal including a video signal and an XDS signal, and a television display for displaying a video image corresponding to the video signal. A data slicer coupled to the tuner extracts the XDS signal from the television signal, and sends the XDS signal out a data port to a peripheral device, such as a text display. The text display may be used to display text information included in the XDS signal, such as closed caption and/or other information included in text fields of the XDS signal. Alternatively, a computer may be coupled to the data port to monitor information, such as URL data, in the XDS signal to access on-line information. The computer may also be used toe control the tuner and/or other components of the system in response to information included in the XDS signal.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating use of extended data service (XDS) data by a television user, comprising:

a tuner adapted to receive a television signal, the television signal including a video signal and an XDS signal;

a video display for receiving the video signal from the tuner to produce a video image;

a data slicer coupled to the tuner adapted to extract the XDS signal from the television signal;

a data port coupled to the data slicer for providing an output of the XDS signal to a peripheral device; and

a computer coupled to the data port for monitoring information in the XDS signal, the computer comprising a display;

wherein the computer includes a connection to an on-line service and a processor for interpreting URL data in the XDS signal and without user intervention displaying on-line information in response to the URL data on a display independently of the video display and simultaneously with the video image produced from the video signal.

2. A method of selectively using extended data service (XDS) data included in a television signal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal by a tuner, the television signal including a video signal and an XDS signal;

displaying a video image corresponding to the video signal on a video display coupled to the tuner;

extracting the XDS signal from the television signal, the XDS signal comprising closed captioning data and other textual data;

sending the XDS signal out a data port to a peripheral device remote from the video display; and

selectively displaying either the closed captioning data or non-XDS signal program data associated with the other textual data on the peripheral device simultaneously with the video image corresponding to the video signal on the video display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the peripheral device comprises a text display.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising the additional step of selectively activating or deactivating the display of closed caption and other textual data in the XDS signal on the video display.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the peripheral device comprises a computer.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising the additional step of monitoring the XDS signal with the computer for the programming-related data.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising the additional step of selectively controlling the tuner of the television with the computer in response to the programming-related data.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the peripheral device comprises a hand-held video device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of sending XDS data to the peripheral device comprises transmitting the XDS data via an infrared transmitter to the peripheral device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the peripheral device comprises a remote control.

11. A method of selectively using extended data service (XDS) data included in a television signal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal by a tuner, the television signal including a video signal and an XDS signal;

displaying a video image corresponding to the video signal on a video display coupled to the tuner;

extracting the XDS signal from the television signal;

sending the XDS signal out a data port to a peripheral device remote from the video display, the peripheral device comprising a computer;

monitoring the XDS signal with the computer for URL data; and

connecting the computer to an on-line service in response to the URL data; and

displaying on a display independent of the video display on-line information from the on-line service simultaneously with the video image displayed on the video display.

12. A method of selectively using extended data service (XDS) data included in a television signal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a television signal by a tuner, the television signal including a video signal and an XDS signal;

displaying a program corresponding to the video signal on a video display coupled to the tuner;

extracting the XDS signal from the television signal, the XDS signal comprising programming-related data;

sending the XDS signal out a data port to a peripheral device remote from the video display;

displaying the programming-related data on the peripheral device to assist in program selection; and

automatically instructing the tuner to switch from the current program, wherein the tuner is instructed without user intervention in response to the programming-related information included in the XDS signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising manually selecting parameters to allow automatic instruction of the tuner prior to automatically instructing the tuner.

14. A system for facilitating use of extended data service (XDS) data by a television user, comprising:

a tuner adapted to receive a television signal, the television signal including a video signal and an XDS signal;

a video display for receiving the video signal from the tuner to produce a video image;

a data slicer coupled to the tuner for extracting the XDS signal from the television signal;

a data port coupled to the data slicer for providing an output of the XDS signal to a peripheral device;

an external processor coupled to the data port for monitoring the XDS signal for programming-related data to assist in program selection; and

a controller coupled to the processor and the tuner for automated instruction of the tuner to switch from a program, the controller configured to instruct the tuner without user invention in response to the programming-related data included in the XDS signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the programming-related data comprises upcoming television program information, and wherein the controller is configured for automatically controlling the tuner based upon the upcoming television program information.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a data port coupled to the data slicer for providing an output of the XDS signal to a peripheral device and wherein the processor comprises a computer coupled to the data slicer via the data port.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to instruct the tuner based on preselected parameters.

18. A system for facilitating use of extended data service (XDS) data by a television user, comprising:

a television comprising a tuner adapted to receive a television signal, the television signal including a video signal and an XDS signal, a video display for receiving the video signal from the tuner to produce a video image, a data slicer coupled to the tuner adapted to extract the XDS signal from the television signal, and a data port coupled to the data slicer for providing an output of the XDS signal to a peripheral device; and

a computer coupled to the data port, the computer comprising a user interface for monitoring non-closed caption data in the XDS signal and displaying non-XDS signal data associated with the non-closed caption data in the XDS signal independent from the video display and simultaneously with the video image on the video display.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface comprises a display.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises a controller coupled to the computer and the tuner for controlling the tuner in response to programming-related data included in the XDS signal.