Signal processing apparatus and methods
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said method comprising the steps of:
- (1) storing first data which are subscriber specific data at said subscriber station;
(2) receiving and detecting at said subscriber station, in an information transmission received from said one or more remote stations, one or more instruct signals;
(3) computing second data at said subscriber station by processing said first data in accordance with said one or more instruct signals;
(4) processing said one or more instruct signals to cause at least a portion of a combined medium presentation to be outputted at an output device at said subscriber station, wherein said outputted portion of combined medium presentation includes (i) at least one of an image and a sound received at said subscriber station from a remote transmitter station and (ii) a portion of said second data;
(5) receiving a subscriber input in response to said outputted portion of a combined medium presentation; and
(6) transferring said portion of second data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations based on said subscriber input.
1 Assignment
Litigations
1 Petition
Reexamination
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 communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said method comprising the steps of:
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(1) storing first data which are subscriber specific data at said subscriber station; (2) receiving and detecting at said subscriber station, in an information transmission received from said one or more remote stations, one or more instruct signals; (3) computing second data at said subscriber station by processing said first data in accordance with said one or more instruct signals; (4) processing said one or more instruct signals to cause at least a portion of a combined medium presentation to be outputted at an output device at said subscriber station, wherein said outputted portion of combined medium presentation includes (i) at least one of an image and a sound received at said subscriber station from a remote transmitter station and (ii) a portion of said second data; (5) receiving a subscriber input in response to said outputted portion of a combined medium presentation; and (6) transferring said portion of second data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations based on said subscriber input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, comprising the steps of:
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receiving an information transmission at a transmission station, wherein said transmission station comprises a programmable controller, a switch, a computer, a memory, a receiver and a transmitter; generating one or more instruct signals at said transmission station, said one or more instruct signals being effective to cause said subscriber station to compute second subscriber specific data by processing first subscriber specific data stored at said subscriber station and transfer said second subscriber specific data to said one or more remote stations based on a subscriber response to a combined medium presentation output at an output device at said subscriber station, said combined medium presentation including (i) at least one of an image and a sound received at said subscriber station from a remote source and (ii) a portion of said second subscriber specific data; and transmitting said information transmission and said one or more instruct signals from said transmission station to said subscriber station. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations including:
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receiving one or more information transmissions at said subscriber station, said information transmissions including generally applicable information and a plurality of combining control signals, said generally applicable information including (1) at least one of an image and a sound from a remote source and (2) video to serve as a basis on which to present said at least one of an image and a sound from a remote source, at least said plurality of combining control signals being received from said one or more remote stations; storing a portion of said generally applicable information and said plurality of combining control signals at said subscriber station; outputting said video at a video monitor at said subscriber station; selecting subscriber specific information from said generally applicable information in accordance with at least a first of said plurality of combining control signals; outputting said selected subscriber specific information, in response to at least a second of said plurality of combining control signals, in a series of times at which information of specific relevance to said subscriber is being output; inputting at said subscriber station a first subscriber response to a subscriber specific combined medium presentation, said subscriber specific combined medium presentation including (i) said at least one of an image and a sound and (ii) said selected subscriber specific information; and transferring one or more subscriber specific data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations based on said first subscriber response. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification