Signal processing apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on a broadcast or cablecast transmission comprising performing at said receiver station the steps of:
- storing a subscriber datum at a computer at said receiver station, said subscriber datum being one or more of the group;
a property datum;
a financial datum;
an income datum;
an interest datum;
receiving mass medium programming and one or more control signals in said broadcast or cablecast transmission, said mass medium programming including digital data;
detecting the presence of said digital data and said one or more control signals;
passing said detected digital data and one or more control signals to said computer;
generating a benefit datum by processing said stored subscriber datum in response to said detected and passed one or more control signals;
selecting one datum of said detected and passed digital data included in said mass medium programming based on said benefit datum; and
outputting to an output device at said receiver station said selected one datum of said detected and passed digital data during the course of a presentation of some of said mass medium programming to said output device at said receiver station, wherein said step of selecting provides in said presentation information otherwise absent from said presentation of said mass medium programming at said output device at said receiver station.
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.
1148 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on a broadcast or cablecast transmission comprising performing at said receiver station the steps of:
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storing a subscriber datum at a computer at said receiver station, said subscriber datum being one or more of the group; a property datum; a financial datum; an income datum; an interest datum; receiving mass medium programming and one or more control signals in said broadcast or cablecast transmission, said mass medium programming including digital data; detecting the presence of said digital data and said one or more control signals; passing said detected digital data and one or more control signals to said computer; generating a benefit datum by processing said stored subscriber datum in response to said detected and passed one or more control signals; selecting one datum of said detected and passed digital data included in said mass medium programming based on said benefit datum; and outputting to an output device at said receiver station said selected one datum of said detected and passed digital data during the course of a presentation of some of said mass medium programming to said output device at said receiver station, wherein said step of selecting provides in said presentation information otherwise absent from said presentation of said mass medium programming at said output device at said receiver station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on a broadcast or cablecast transmission comprising performing at said receiver station the steps of:
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storing a subscriber datum at a computer at said receiver station, said subscriber datum being one or more of the group; a property datum; a financial datum; an income datum; an interest datum; receiving mass medium programming and one or more control signals in said broadcast or cablecast transmission, said mass medium programming including digital data; detecting the presence of said digital data and said one or more control signals; passing said detected digital data and one or more control signals to said computer; generating a monetary value datum by processing said stored subscriber datum in response to said detected and passed one or more control signals; selecting one datum of said detected and passed digital data included in said mass medium programming based on said monetary value datum; and outputting to an output device at said receiver station said selected one datum of said detected and passed digital data during the course of a presentation of some of said mass medium programming to said output device at said receiver station, wherein said step of selecting provides in said presentation information otherwise absent from said presentation of said mass medium programming at said output device at said receiver station. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of communicating programming to one or more receiver stations, each of said one or more receiver stations including one or more of a broadcast program receiver and a cablecast program receiver, an output device, a control signal detector, and a processor operatively connected to said output device, wherein each of said one or more receiver stations is adapted to detect and respond to one or more control signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving mass medium programming at a transmitter station and delivering said mass medium programming to a transmitter, said mass medium programming including first programming; storing one or more first control signals at said transmitter station, wherein said one or more first control signals is effective at said one or more receiver stations to generate a benefit datum by processing a stored subscriber datum and to select, for output at an output device at said one or more receiver stations, said first programming based on said benefit datum, wherein said subscriber datum is one or more of the group; a property datum; a financial datum; an income datum; an interest datum; storing one or more second control signals at said transmitter station, wherein said one or more second control signals is effective at said one or more receiver stations to output said selected first programming at a specific time in a presentation, at said one or more receiver stations, of said mass medium programming, wherein a benefit of information contained in said mass medium programming is explained at said one or more receiver stations; transferring said one or more first control signals and said one or more second control signals to said transmitter; and transmitting from said transmitter station an information transmission including said mass medium programming, said one or more first control signals and said one or more first control signals to said one or more receiver stations. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of communicating programming to one or more receiver stations, each of said one or more receiver stations including one or more of a broadcast program receiver and a cablecast program receiver, an output device, a control signal detector, and a processor operatively connected to said output device, wherein each of said one or more receiver stations is adapted to detect and respond to one or more control signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving mass medium programming at a transmitter station and delivering said mass medium programming to a transmitter, said mass medium programming including first programming; storing one or more first control signals at said transmitter station, wherein said one or more first control signals is effective at said one or more receiver stations to generate a monetary value datum by processing a stored subscriber datum and to select for output at an output device at said one or more receiver stations, said first programming based on said monetary value datum, wherein said subscriber datum is one or more of the group; a property datum; a financial datum; an income datum; an interest datum; storing one or more second control signals at said transmitter station, wherein said one or more second control signals is effective at said one or more receiver stations to output said selected first programming at a specific time in a presentation, at said one or more receiver stations, of said mass medium programming, wherein a benefit of information contained in said mass medium programming is explained at said one or more receiver stations; transferring said one or more first control signals and said one or more second control signals to said transmitter; and transmitting from said transmitter station an information transmission including said mass medium programming, said one or more first control signals and said one or more first control signals to said one or more receiver stations. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on a broadcast or cablecast transmission comprising performing at said receiver station the steps of:
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storing a subscriber datum at a computer at said receiver station, said subscriber datum being one or more of the group; a property datum; a financial datum; an income datum; an interest datum; receiving mass medium programming and one or more control signals in said broadcast or cablecast transmission; detecting the presence of said one or more control signals; passing said detected one or more control signals to said computer; generating a benefit datum by processing said stored subscriber datum in response to said detected and passed one or more control signals; selecting less than all of said mass medium programming based on said benefit datum; outputting said selected less than all of said mass medium programming at an output device at said receiver station; outputting said benefit datum at said output device at said receiver station; and explaining a benefit associated with information contained in said mass medium programming by presenting said benefit datum at said output device simultaneously with said selected less than all of said mass medium programming.
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26. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on a broadcast or cablecast transmission comprising performing at said receiver station the steps of:
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storing a subscriber datum at a computer at said receiver station, said subscriber datum being one or more of the group; a property datum; a financial datum; an income datum; an interest datum; storing at least one unit of mass medium programming at said receiver station; receiving one or more control signals in said broadcast or cablecast transmission; detecting the presence of said one or more control signals; passing said detected one or more control signals to said computer; generating benefit data by processing said stored subscriber datum in response to said detected and passed one or more control signals; selecting a plurality of units of mass medium programming based on said benefit data, said plurality of units of mass medium programming including said stored at least one unit of mass medium programming; organizing said plurality of units of mass medium programming to play in a specific order; outputting said selected and organized plurality of units of mass medium programming at an output device at said receiver station based on said step of organizing; and explaining subscriber specific benefits associated with information contained in mass medium programming outputted at said receiver station.
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27. A method of processing signals at a receiver station based on a broadcast or cablecast transmission comprising performing at said receiver station the steps of:
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storing a subscriber datum at a computer at said receiver station, said subscriber datum being one or more of the group; a property datum; a financial datum; an income datum; an interest datum; receiving one or more control signals in said broadcast or cablecast transmission; detecting the presence of said one or more control signals; passing said detected one or more control signals to said computer; generating benefit data by processing said stored subscriber datum in response to said detected and passed one or more control signals; selecting mass medium programming based on said benefit datum; and selecting a plurality of units of mass medium programming based on said benefit data; outputting said selected plurality of units of mass medium programming at an output device at said receiver station; outputting at least one datum of said benefit datum at said output device at said receiver station with each of said selected and outputted plurality of units of mass medium programming; and explaining benefits associated with information contained in said mass medium programming.
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Specification