Signal processing apparatus and methods

• US 7,849,493 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1995
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1981
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Personalized Media Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personalized Media Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Harvey, John Christopher, Cuddihy, James William
• Primary Examiner(s): Hung, Yubin
• Application Number:
  US08/446,553
• Time in Patent Office: 5,681 Days
• Field of Search: 348 6- 13, 348461-468, 348/1, 348/3, 348/563, 348/564, 455 31- 63, 455/2, 725135-140
• US Class Current: 725/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• 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 21/818 OS software

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.

Claims

1. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based upon receiving at least one of a broadcast and a cablecast transmission, said receiver station including a computer, said method comprising:

receiving in said at least one of a broadcast and a cablecast transmission information content and at least one control signal with respect to budgeting at said receiver station, said information content including a first projected datum, said first projected datum designating a product or service and projecting a price or quantity;

storing said first projected datum in said computer;

storing subscriber resource data at said receiver station, said resource data including at least two of;

(1) an equipment or real estate datum;

(2) a labor datum; and

(3) a financial datum;

generating budget data using said computer by processing data stored in said computer in response to said at least one control signal, said data stored in said computer including said first projected datum and said subscriber resource data, said budget data including at least two of;

(1) an income datum;

(2) an expense datum; and

(3) a profit datum; and

outputting to a subscriber at least a portion of said information content and at least one of said budget data, wherein said information content explains at least a portion of a subscriber specific budget including said budget data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of programming said computer to respond to said at least one control signal with respect to budgeting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said information content includes mass medium programming of a duration, and wherein only a portion of said duration includes a time interval of specific relevance, said method further comprising the steps of:

outputting said mass medium programming at said receiver station; and

outputting one of said budget data in said time interval.

4. An interactive method for information delivery at an interactive mass medium program output apparatus, said interactive mass medium program output apparatus including an input device to receive input from a subscriber, an output device for outputting information, a transmitter for communicating information to a remote station, and a receiver for receiving a signal from said remote station, said interactive mass medium program output apparatus together with said remote station and a plurality of transmitter stations comprising a network, said method comprising the steps of:

outputting from said output device mass medium programming including or explaining at least one subscriber specific datum;

prompting input with respect to said mass medium programming from said subscriber during said outputting;

receiving a reply from said subscriber at said input device in response to said prompting;

communicating said reply to a remote station, wherein said reply is processed to formulate or assemble a signal effective at said intermediate mass medium program output apparatus to generate and deliver subscriber specific budget;

receiving, at said interactive mass medium program output apparatus, said signal; and

generating said subscriber specific budget at said apparatus and delivering said budget at said output device of said apparatus on the basis of said signal.

5. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on at least one of a broadcast and a cablecast transmission including:

receiving in said at least one of a broadcast and a cablecast transmission information content and at least one control signal with respect to budgeting at said receiver station, said information content including a first projected datum, said first projected datum designating at least one of a product and a service and being a first projection of a price or a quantity;

storing said first projected datum in a computer at said receiver station;

storing subscriber resource data at said computer at said receiver station, said resource data including at least two of the group of;

(1) one of an equipment and a real estate datum;

(2) a labor datum; and

(3) a financial datum;

generating a budget by processing data stored in said computer in response to said at least one control signal, said data stored in said computer including said first projected datum and said subscriber resource data, said budget including a second projected datum and at least two of the group of;

(1) an income datum;

(2) an expense datum; and

(3) a profit datum;

said second projected datum designating said at least one of a product and a service and being a second projection of said price or quantity; and

transmitting said second projected datum from said receiver station to a data collection station.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising a step of programming said computer to respond to said at least one control signal with respect to budgeting.

7. A method of controlling at least one of a plurality of receiver stations each of which includes one of a broadcast and a cablecast signal receiver, at least one processor, a signal detector , said signal detector adapted to receive signals from one of a broadcast and a cablecast signal , and said processor programmed to respond to signals from said detector, and said method of controlling comprising the steps of:

receiving at one of a broadcast and a cablecast transmitter station a broadcast or cablecast transmission with information content including a first projected datum designating at least one of a product and a service and being a first projection of a price or a quantity;

transferring said broadcast or cable cast transmission to a transmitter at said transmitter station;

receiving at said transmitter station an instruct signal that causes said at least one processor at said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations to generate a budget by processing said first projected datum and subscriber resource data stored at said at least one processor, wherein said subscriber resource data including at least two of the group of (1) one of an equipment and a real estate datum, (2) a labor datum, and (3) a financial datum;

said generated budget including a second projected datum and at least two of the group of (1) an income datum, (2) an expense datum, and (3) a profit datum; and

said second projected datum designating said at least one of a product and a service and being a second projection of said price or quantity;

transferring said instruct signal to said transmitter at said transmitter station;

receiving at least one first control signal at said transmitter station, said at least one first control signal identifying at least one specific receiver station to which said instruct signal is addressed;

broadcasting or cablecasting said instruct signal and said broadcast or cablecast transmission to said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations in accordance with said at least one first control signal, and

receiving said second projected datum from said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations at a data collection station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal is embedded in the non-visible portion of a television signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one first control signal identifies at least two of said plurality of receiver stations asynchronously and each of said at least two identified receiver stations receives and responds to said instruct signal asynchronously.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a switch at said transmitter station communicates to said transmitter signals selected from one of signal sources including receivers at said transmitter station and one of a memory and a recorder, said method further comprising at least one step from the group consisting of:

detecting at said transmitter station at least one of said instruct signal and a second control signal which is effective at the transmitter station to instruct communication;

determining a specific signal source from which to communicate at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal to said transmitter;

controlling said switch to communicate one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal to said transmitter in response to a second control signal, which is effective at the transmitter station to instruct communication;

controlling said switch to communicate at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal from a selected signal source; and

controlling said switch to communicate from said one of a memory and a recorder at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling a switch to communicate to said transmitter a selected signal using a controller and at least one step from the group consisting of:

detecting at said transmitter station at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal, which is effective at the transmitter station to instruct transmission;

inputting to said controller at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal, which is effective to control said switch;

controlling said switch to communicate at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal to said transmitter according to a transmission schedule; and

controlling said switch to communicate at least one of said instruct signal and said at least one first control signal from a specific one of a plurality of signal sources.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one of a plurality of receiver stations is adapted to detect the presence of said at least one first control signal on the basis of the location of a signal in an information transmission, or programmed to respond to said instruct signal on the basis of the location of a signal in an information transmission, or both, said method further comprising the step of:

causing at least a portion of at least one of said control signal and said instruct signal to be transmitted in said location.

13. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on at least one transmission from one of a broadcast transmitter and a cablecast transmitter including:

receiving in said at least one transmission from said one of a broadcast transmitter and a cablecast transmitter information content and at least one control signal in respect of budgeting at said receiver station, said information content describing at least one of a resource product and a service;

storing subscriber resource data at a computer at said receiver station, said subscriber resource data including at least one of the group consisting of;

(a) an equipment datum;

(b) a real estate datum; and

(c) a labor datum;

generating a value datum using said computer at said receiver station by processing said information content and said stored subscriber resource data in response to said at least one control signal, said value datum being a projected value in respect of said at least one of a resource product and a service;

storing said value datum in said computer; and

delivering to a subscriber said received information content and said value datum.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of storing a budget in said computer, said budget including a projected datum and at least two of the group consisting of:

(a) an income datum;

(b) an expense datum; and

(c) a profit datum;

said projected datum designating said at least one of a resource product and a service being a projection of at least one of a price and a quantity.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of programming said computer to respond to said at least one control signal in respect of said budget.

16. A method of communicating mass medium program material to at least one receiver station, said at least one receiver station including one of a broadcast mass medium programming receiver and a cablecast mass medium programming receiver, an output device, a control signal detector, a processor operably connected to said output device , and with each said at least one receiver station adapted to detect and respond to at least one instruct signal, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a transmitter station mass medium programming to be transmitted and delivering said mass medium programming to an origination transmitter at said transmitter station;

receiving and storing said at least one instruct signal at said transmitter station;

transferring said at least one instruct signal to said origination transmitter;

transmitting from said transmitter station an information transmission including said mass medium programming including or explaining at least one subscriber specific datum and said at least one instruct signal to said at least one receiver station;

receiving a reply from said at least one receiver station, where said reply is received from a subscriber at said at least one receiver station in response to a prompt for input with respect to said mass medium programming during output of said mass medium programming from said output device;

processing said reply to formulate or assemble a control signal effective at said receiver station to generate and deliver subscriber specific budget data; and

transmitting said control signal to said receiver station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said at least one instruct signal is embedded in a mass medium programming signal, said mass medium programming signal including said mass medium programming.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of transmitting directs said information transmission to a plurality of remote receiver stations at the same time and each of said plurality of remote receiver stations performs at least one of receiving and responding to said at least one instruct signal concurrently.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of transmitting directs said information transmission to each of a plurality of remote receiver stations at different times and each of said plurality of remote receiver stations responds to said at least one instruct signal at a different time.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said mass medium programming at a receiver in said transmitter station;

communicating said mass medium programming from said receiver to a memory location in said transmitter station; and

storing said mass medium programming at said memory location for a period of time prior to communicating said mass medium programming to said origination transmitter.

21. A method of delivering at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget to a video receiver station including:

receiving at least one information transmission at said video receiver station, said at least one information transmission including generally applicable budget information and a plurality of budgeting control signals, at least one of said plurality of budgeting control signals being received from at least one remote transmitter station, said generally applicable budget information including;

(1) at least a portion of said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget; and

(2) video to serve as a basis on which to present said at least a portion of said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget;

storing at least a portion of said generally applicable budget information and said plurality of budgeting control signals at said video receiver station;

outputting said video at a video monitor;

selecting, at said video receiver station, budget data to output by processing said generally applicable budget information in accordance with a first of said plurality of budgeting control signals;

outputting said selected budget data in a series of time periods of specific relevance to said selected budget data in response to a second of said plurality of budgeting control signals; and

producing said at least a portion of said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget at a specific location of said video at said video monitor during a first of said series of time periods of specific relevance.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said video receiver station generates receiver-specific budget data in accordance with said first of said plurality of budgeting control signals , said method further comprising the step of outputting said generated budget data in a second of said series of time periods of specific relevance.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of outputting at least one of said selected budget data at an audio speaker.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of outputting at said audio speaker audio which explains said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said video includes at least a portion of a television program, said method further comprising the step of synchronizing the delivery of the balance of said television program at said video receiver station based on said plurality of budgeting control signals.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said video receiver station includes a video random access memory (RAM) operably connected to said video monitor, said method further comprising the step of clearing said video random access memory (RAM) in response to a third of said plurality of budgeting control signals.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said video receiver station includes a programmable controller which controls at least one of a code portion receiver, a control signal detector, and a computer adapted to generate a video overlay, said method further comprising the steps of:

detecting a control program in one of said at least one information transmission; and

programming said programmable controller using said control program.

28. A method of delivering at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget to a graphic receiver station including:

receiving at least one information transmission at said graphic receiver station, said at least one information transmission including generally applicable budget information and a plurality of budgeting control signals, at least one of said plurality of budgeting control signals being received from at least one remote transmitter station, said generally applicable budget information including;

(1) at least a portion of said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget; and

(2) at least a portion of a graphic image to serve as a basis on which to present said at least a portion of a receiver specific budget and a master budget;

storing at least a portion of said generally applicable budget information and said plurality of budgeting control signals at said graphic receiver station;

outputting said at least a portion of said graphic image at a graphic output device;

selecting, at said graphic receiver station, budget data to output by processing said generally applicable budget information in accordance with a first of said plurality of budgeting control signals;

outputting said selected budget data during at least one time period of specific relevance to said selected budget data in response to a second of said budgeting control signals; and

outputting said at least a portion of said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget at said graphic display device based on a reference point and a scalar dimension.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of outputting at an audio speaker audio which explains said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said graphic receiver station includes a plurality of graphic output devices, said method further comprising the step of selecting one of said plurality graphic output devices at which to output at least one of said selected budget data and said at least a portion of said at least one of a receiver specific budget and a master budget.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said at least a portion of a graphic image is part of a television program, said method further comprising the step of

processing a viewer response to said television program in accordance with at least one of said plurality of budgeting control signals.