Remote communication system and method

• US 6,937,841 B1
• Filed: 11/04/1998
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Frederick R. Guy
• Inventors: Guy, Frederick R., Roberts, Ronald N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/185,703
• Time in Patent Office: 2,491 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362, 434/365, 345/1.1, 345/1.2, 345 21- 23, 345/717, 725/74, 725/86, 725/105, 725/114, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725/78, 725/136, 340/552, 709/236
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction

Abstract

A remote learning system combines on-line service information and remote user information with a television signal designed to be received by students using multimedia personal computers. The combined signal is then transmitted to all of the students at their personal computers. At each personal computer, the received signal is separated into its component parts by a VBI modem for display or control on/of the personal computers. Each personal computer is capable of communicating back to a main server over a network such as a public telephone network. A broadcasting facility integrates the information transmitted over the network from a single student with the television signal.

Claims

1. A system for remote communication, comprising:

at least one host server that integrates data received from at least one of a plurality of client computers with a first signal to provide a signal for broadcasting such that the signal is capable of being received by the plurality of client computers; and

from among said plurality of client computers, at least one client computer that receives the broadcast signal and separates the integrated data from the signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each client computer includes a tuner card for separating the integrated data from the signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each client computer includes a user interface for presenting the data integrated with the first signal one prompting a user to provide data to be sent to the host server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the data received by the host server from a client computer is addressed to another client computer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the addressing is specified by information provided in the data received by the host server from the client computer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client computer comprises a display device for presenting information signals representing said integrated data.

7. A tangible computer-readable medium containing instructions for integrating a continuous signal of images and sounds with a data signal as a signal in a host server communicably connected to a broadcasting facility that transmits the signal such that the signal is capable of being received by a plurality of client facilities, the instructions operative in implementing a method comprising:

receiving data defining actions of at least one of the plurality of client facilities; and

combining the received data defining actions as at least a part of the signal that is transmitted by the broadcasting facility.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the method includes the capability of selectively addressing the received data defining actions of at least one of the plurality of client facilities to a specific one or more of the plurality of client facilities based on information provided in the received data.

9. A system for remote communication between a host facility and remote clients, the system comprising:

a host facility that combines an audiovisual data stream with data originating at the host or with data received from another computer electronically connected to the host, or with both data originating at the host and data received from another computer electronically connected to the host, and which causes the combined signal to be sent for distribution via a broadcast signal, and

clients that receive data from the broadcast signal and which intermittently transmit data to the host, the transmitted data being provided to the host such that the clients are capable of specifying at least a portion of the transmitted data as being intended for incorporation into the broadcast signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the audio-visual stream represents an instructional presentation.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein data included in the signal broadcast by the host consists at least in part of downloads requested by the clients.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein data received by at least one of the clients is represented in a chat feature in real time.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein data received by at least one of the clients is presented as a text message.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein data received by at least one of the clients is graphically represented as handwriting.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein data received by at least one of the clients is represented as audio or as video or as both audio and video.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein video of the audiovisual data included in the broadcast signal and data included in the broadcast signal received by the clients is simultaneously displayed on the same display device of at least one of the clients.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of then clients simultaneously receives the broadcasted data while sending data to the host.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein clients are capable of controlling in real time, by means of data sent via the broadcast signal, data displayed on other clients.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the combined signal broadcasted by the host is used to deliver e-mail.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the data received by the client generates a graphical representation on the display device of the client.

21. The system according to claim 9, wherein the transmitted data is provided to the host such that the clients are capable of selectively addressing the at least a portion of the transmitted data to a specific one or more of the clients that are capable of receiving the broadcast signal.

22. A method for providing remote communication between a host and a plurality of client devices, each of the client devices comprising a processor that executes a module that is operative in interfacing with the user to acquire information input by the user and in transferring data to the host, the method comprising:

receiving at the host data from at least one of said plurality of client devices that each employ its corresponding said module to send data in response to user input acquired by the module; and

providing at the host at least a portion of the received data into a signal provided for transmission to the plurality of client devices as a broadcast signal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said user input is capable of being initiated by the user independent of, and not in response to, signals received from the host.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said broadcast signal is a television compatible signal.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least a portion of the received data that is provided into the signal provided for transmission is addressed to a specific one or more of said plurality of client devices.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the received data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices is selectively addressed to a specific one or more of the other of said plurality of client devices that receive the transmission of said broadcast signal.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the received data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices is from a given one of said plurality of client devices, and the at least a portion of the received data is selectively addressed only to said given one of said plurality of client devices that receive the transmission of said broadcast signal.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the addressing is specified according to information included in the corresponding data received by the host from the corresponding at least one of said plurality of client devices.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the received data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices represents information intended for all of said plurality of client devices that receive the transmission of said broadcast signal.

30. The method according to claim 22, wherein said signal provided for transmission includes one of or both (i) first data defining information intended for all of the plurality of client devices and (ii) second data defining in formation specific to selected one or more client devices of the plurality of client devices.

31. The method according to claim 22, wherein the method is implemented as a bulletin board system between the host and the plurality of client devices.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the method is implemented as an on-line communication service between the host and the plurality of client devices.

33. The method according to claim 22, wherein the method is implemented as a remote educational system.

34. The method according to claim 22, further comprising, by operation of the host, providing additional data into said signal such that the signal includes the at least a portion of the received data and the additional data, wherein the additional data is acquired from a source other than said plurality of client devices.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the additional data represents an educational presentation by an instructor.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the additional data represents control instructions for at least one of the plurality of client devices.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the additional data is recorded information accessed by the host.

38. The method according to claim 22, wherein the at least a portion of the received data controls information displayed on at least one display device respectively associated with at least one of the other plurality of client devices.

39. The method according to claim 22, wherein the host receives data from the plurality of client devices via a public network or via a private network or via a private network and a public network.

40. The method according to claim 22, wherein the signal is provided for transmission by broadcast through the atmosphere.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the signal is provided for transmission by broadcast over a cable network.

42. The method according to claim 22, wherein the signal is provided for transmission as a high bandwidth broadcast signal, and the data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices is intermittently received via a network having a bandwidth lower than the high bandwidth broadcast signal.

43. The method according to claim 22, wherein said signal includes video information for display at one or more of the plurality of client devices.

44. The method according to claim 22, wherein the signal is a television compatible signal that includes a video signal having a vertical blanking interval into which said at least a portion of the received data is integrated.

45. The method according to claims 22, wherein each of the plurality of client devices receives the transmission and extracts from the signal only any data intended for the particular client device and any data intended therefor.

46. The method of claim 22, wherein the broadcast signal is a high bandwidth point to multipoint signal.

47. A tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method of claim 22.

48. A system comprising at least one processor that implements the method of claim 22.

49. A host system for remote communication with a plurality of client devices that each comprise a processor that executes a module that is operative in interfacing with a user to acquire information input by the user and in transferring to the host system data representative of the information input by the user, the host system comprising at least one processor that receives from at least one of said plurality of client devices data representative of the information input by the user, and that is operative in providing at least a portion of the received data into a signal provided for transmission to the plurality of client devices as a broadcast signal.

50. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the host system comprises at least one server that includes the at least one processor of the host system.

51. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the received data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices is selectively addressed to a specific one or more client devices of said plurality of client devices that receive the transmission of said broadcast signal.

52. The host system according to claim 51, wherein the received data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices is from a given one of said plurality of client devices, and the at least a portion of the received data is selectively addressed only to said given one of said plurality of client devices that receive the transmission of said broadcast signal.

53. The method according to claim 51, wherein the addressing is specified according to information included in the corresponding data received by the host from the corresponding at least one of said plurality of client devices.

54. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the received data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices represents information intended for all of said plurality of client devices that receive the transmission of said broadcast signal.

55. The host system according to claim 49, wherein said signal includes one of or both (i) first data defining information intended for all of the plurality of client devices and (ii) second data defining information specific to selected one or more client devices of the plurality of client devices.

56. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the host system is implemented as a bulletin board system between the host system and the plurality of client devices.

57. The host system according to claim 56, wherein the host system is implemented as an on-line communication service between the host system and the plurality of client devices.

58. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the host system is implemented as a remote educational system.

59. The host system according to claim 49, wherein said at least one processor is operative in providing additional data into said signal, wherein the additional data is acquired from a source other than said plurality of client devices.

60. The host system according to claim 59, wherein the additional data represents an educational presentation by an instructor.

61. The host system according to claim 59, wherein the additional data represents control instructions for at least one of the plurality of client devices.

62. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the at least a portion of the received data controls information displayed on at least one display device respectively associated with at least one of the other plurality of client devices.

63. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the host system receives the data from the at least one of said plurality of client devices via a network, the network being a public network or a private network or including a private network and a public network.

64. The system according to claim 63, wherein the broadcast signal has a bandwidth greater than the bandwidth for receiving data from a given one of the plurality of client devices via the network.

65. The host system of claim 49, wherein the broadcast signal is a high bandwidth point to multipoint signal.

66. The host system according to claim 49, wherein the signal includes a video signal with which said at least a portion of the received data is combined.

67. The system according to claims 49, wherein each of the plurality of client devices receives the transmission of the broadcast signal and extracts from the signal only any data intended therefor.

68. A processor-implemented method for facilitating remote communication of a device with a host system, the method comprising:

providing an interface operative in acquiring information input by a user, and operative in displaying information transmitted by said host system as a broadcast signal; and

transferring to the host system via a network connection information representative of information input by the user via the user interface, the transferred information being provided to the host system such that at least a portion of the transferred information is capable of being specified for incorporation into the broadcast signal transmitted by the host system.

69. The method according to claim 68, further comprising processing the broadcast signal transmitted by said host system to extract information intended for the device only.

70. The method according to claim 69, wherein the information intended for the device only is received from said host system in response to information input by the user via the user interface.

71. The method according to claim 69, wherein the information intended for the device only is communicated to the host system via a network connection by another device associated with another user.

72. The method according to claim 68, wherein the broadcast signal includes common information for display by the device in communication with said host system.

73. The method according to claim 68, wherein the information transferred to the host system via the network connection in response to in formation input by the user via the user interface is information selectively addressed by the user for a specified one or more users associated with a respective one or more devices communicably connected to the host system.

74. The method according to claim 68, wherein the information transferred to the host system via the network connection in response to information input by the user via the user interface is information intended for all users associated with a respective devices to which the broadcast signal is transmitted.

75. The method according to claim 68, wherein the broadcast signal is a high bandwidth point to multipoint signal.

76. A tangible computer-readable medium comprising instructions for implementing the method of claim 68.

77. A device comprising a processor that implements the method of claim 68.

78. An interactive system for remote communication, the system comprising:

a host facility that integrates a signal capable of containing images and audio with a separate data signal to generate a combined signal provided for transmission as a broadcast signal;

a plurality of remote computers each capable of receiving the broadcast signal and each having a network interface device to selectively send data to the host facility via a network; and

wherein the host facility receives via the network data defining actions from at least one of the plurality of computers and includes at least a portion of the received data as the separate data in the combined signal that is provided for transmission as the broadcast signal.

79. A method for providing remote communication between a host and a plurality of client facilities, the method comprising:

broadcasting a signal to the plurality of client facilities, the signal capable of containing first data defining information intended for all of the plurality of client facilities and capable of containing second data defining information specific to selected ones of the plurality of client facilities;

intermittently receiving data from at least one of the plurality of client facilities defining actions at said client facilities; and

selectively integrating at least a portion of the received data into the signal as one of the first data or the second data for transmission to the plurality of client facilities.