Signal processing apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A method of generating a television display at a receiver station, said receiver station comprising a television monitor for displaying television programming and a processor for generating and communicating a video image to said television monitor, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a television signal, said television signal including digital data;
detecting said digital data and passing said detected digital data to said processor;
storing at a memory operatively connected to said processor a computer program included in a first portion of said detected and passed digital data, wherein said computer program includes a program instruction set;
generating and communicating said video image to said television monitor in response to and based on said stored program instruction set;
inputting a clear-and-continue signal to said processor in response to a second portion of said detected and passed digital data; and
controlling said processor based on said clear-and-continue signal to determine a particular clear-and-continue address of instructions of said program instruction set, to jump to said address, and to execute clear-and-continue instructions at said address, wherein under control of said clear-and-continue instructions said processor clears at least a portion of an output memory and generates and communicates video image information to said television monitor based on said clear-and-continue instructions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of generating a television display at a receiver station, said receiver station comprising a television monitor for displaying television programming and a processor for generating and communicating a video image to said television monitor, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a television signal, said television signal including digital data; detecting said digital data and passing said detected digital data to said processor; storing at a memory operatively connected to said processor a computer program included in a first portion of said detected and passed digital data, wherein said computer program includes a program instruction set; generating and communicating said video image to said television monitor in response to and based on said stored program instruction set; inputting a clear-and-continue signal to said processor in response to a second portion of said detected and passed digital data; and controlling said processor based on said clear-and-continue signal to determine a particular clear-and-continue address of instructions of said program instruction set, to jump to said address, and to execute clear-and-continue instructions at said address, wherein under control of said clear-and-continue instructions said processor clears at least a portion of an output memory and generates and communicates video image information to said television monitor based on said clear-and-continue instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of generating a television display at least one of a plurality of receiver stations, each of said plurality of receiver stations having a television monitor for displaying television programming and a processor for generating and communicating a video image to said television monitor, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a television signal including digital data including a computer program having a program instruction set; (b) receiving a clear-and-continue signal; (c) receiving a control signal which operates at a transmitter station to communicate said clear-and-continue signal to a transmitter; (d) transmitting said television signal to said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations, said program instruction set effective to generate and communicate said television display to said television monitor at said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations; and (e) transmitting said clear-and-continue signal, said clear-and-continue signal effective at said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations to control said processor to determine a particular clear-and-continue address of instructions of said program instruction set, to jump to said address, and to execute clear-and-continue instructions at said address, wherein under control of said clear-and-continue instructions said processor clears at least a portion of an output memory, and generates and communicates video image information to said television monitor of said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations based on said clear-and-continue instructions.
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5. A method of generating a television display at least one of a plurality of receiver stations, each of said plurality of receiver stations having a television monitor for displaying television programming and a processor for generating and communicating a video image to said television monitor, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a television signal including digital data including a computer program having a program instruction set; (b) receiving and storing a clear-and-continue signal; (c) causing said television signal to be communicated to a transmitter, thereby to transmit said television signal to said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations, said program instruction set effective to generate and communicate said television display to said television monitor at said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations; and (d) causing said clear-and-continue signal to be communicated to a transmitter at a specific time and transmit said clear-and-continue signal, said clear-and-continue signal effective at said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations to control said processor to determine a particular clear-and-continue address of instructions of said program instruction set, to jump to said address, and to execute clear-and-continue instructions at said address, wherein under control of said clear-and-continue instructions said processor clears at least a portion of an output memory, and generates and communicates video image information of said television display to said television monitor of said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations based on said clear-and-continue instructions.
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6. A method of generating a television display in a receiver station, said receiver station including at least one processor for generating a television video image and a television monitor for displaying transmitted television programming and said television video image, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a broadcast or cablecast transmission including said transmitted television programming and an information transmission, said information transmission further including a program instruction set; detecting said information transmission in said broadcast or cablecast transmission; passing said detected information transmission to said at least one processor; causing said processor to execute said program instruction set; receiving a clear-and-continue signal from said broadcast or cablecast information transmission; causing said at least one processor, in response to said clear-and-continue signal, to interrupt execution of said program instruction set, to store information regarding resumption of said program instruction set, and to jump to and execute clear-and-continue instructions in said program instruction set, said clear-and-continue instructions causing said at least one processor to clear a stored video image, to generate said television video image, to store said generated television image and to resume execution of said program instruction set in accordance with said stored information; and displaying said generated television image with said transmitted television programming. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of generating a television display in at least one of a plurality of receiver stations, each of said plurality of receiver stations having a processor for generating a television video image and a television monitor for displaying transmitted television programming and said television video image, said method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting from a transmitter station a television transmission including said television programming and an information transmission, said information transmission including a program instruction set for execution by said processor at said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations to control display of said transmitted television programming and said television video image; receiving, in said transmitter station, a clear-and-continue signal; receiving, in said transmitter station, a control signal which operates at said transmitter station to communicate said clear-and-continue signal to a transmitter; and transmitting said clear-and-continue signal, said clear-and-continue signal effective in said at least one of said plurality of receiver stations to cause said processor to interrupt execution of said program instruction set, to store information regarding resumption of said program instruction set, and to jump to and execute clear-and-continue instructions in said program instruction set, said clear-and-continue instructions effective to cause said processor to clear a stored video image, to generate said television video image, to store said generated television video image and to resume execution of said program instruction set in accordance with said stored information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of generating a television display in at least one of a plurality of receiver stations, each of said plurality of receiver stations having a processor for generating a television video image and a television monitor for displaying transmitted television programming and said television video image, said method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting from a transmitter station a television transmission including said television programming and an information transmission, said information transmission including a program instruction set for execution by said processor at said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations to control display of said transmitted television programming and said television video image; receiving, in said transmitter station, a clear-and-continue signal; storing, in said transmitter station, said received clear-and-continue signal; and causing said received and stored clear-and-continue signal to be communicated to a transmitter at a specific time, thereby to transmit said received and stored clear-and-continue signal, said received and stored clear-and-continue signal effective in said at least one of said plurality of receiver stations to cause said processor to interrupt execution of said program instruction set, to store information regarding resumption of said program instruction set, and to jump to and execute clear-and-continue instructions in said program instruction set, said clear-and-continue instructions effective to cause said processor to clear a stored video image, to generate said television video image, to store said generated television video image and to resume execution of said program instruction set in accordance with said stored information. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of generating a television display in a receiver station, said receiver station including a processor for generating a viewer-specific television programming video image and a monitor for displaying said viewer-specific television programming video image, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from remote sources, (i) a broadcast or cablecast transmission including transmitted television programming and (ii) an information transmission including a program instruction set; passing said information transmission and at least a portion of said transmitted television programming to said processor; storing said passed information transmission; causing said processor to execute said program instruction set; receiving a clear-and-continue signal from said broadcast or cablecast information transmission; causing said processor, in response to said clear-and-continue signal, to interrupt execution of said program instruction set, to store information regarding resumption of said program instruction set, and to jump to and execute clear-and-continue instructions in said program instruction set, said clear-and-continue instructions causing said processor to clear a memory, to generate a viewer-specific television video image for storage at said memory and to resume execution of said program instruction set in accordance with said stored information; and combining and displaying said viewer-specific television video image and said transmitted television programming in accordance to said stored information. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification