Set-top box for receiving radio and television signals

• US 8,677,444 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riccardo Pilla
• Original Assignee: Riccardo Pilla
• Inventors: Pilla, Riccardo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US12/921,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20110016502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 725/100, 725131-134, 725139-142, 725151-153, 725/42, 725 60- 61, 348/656, 348725-726, 348/729, 348/731, 348/737, 375/316, 375320-321, 705/14.4
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A set-top box for receiving radio and television signals is disclosed in which there is the presence of at least one unit (2) for receiving a signal (S) and at least one unit (3) for sending the received and processed signal (S′) to an image and/or sound broadcasting apparatus (4) such as a television set, radio set, PC, iPOD, and any other existing and/or achievable apparatus; means for processing the signal (S) converts said signal (S)—into the signal (S′) to be sent through a circuit (5) adapted to allow passage towards the broadcasting apparatus'"'"' (4) of information, data, promotions or advertising depending on suitable scheduling of said circuit.

Claims

1. A method of displaying dedicated information, promotions and advertising in a set top box for receiving radio and television signals having:

at least one unit for receiving a signal containing at least audio and video data, text information relating to audio and video data and further data;

at least one tuner allowing selection of at least one television channel to be displayed by frequency tuning, said tuner being configured for extracting from the signal a tuned signal containing at least the desired audio and video data relating to a selected television channel;

at least one unit for sending a processed signal to an image and sound broadcasting apparatus, chosen in the group including a display and a television set, said unit comprising means for processing the tuned signal, enabling the audio and video data of the selected channel to be extracted from the tuned signal and the processed signal for the image and sound broadcasting apparatus to be rebuilt;

at least one card reader configured to read and write on a promotional and/or advertising card, said card reader being selectively configured for reading of at least one code contained in the promotional and/or advertising card and writing of a code on the promotional and/or advertising card, the audio and video data of the selected channel being divided into a first part of data relating to the program being transmitted on the selected television channel and into a second part of data relating to advertising, said card reader being configured for reading on the promotional card out concurrently with broadcasting of said second part of data through the apparatus,

the method comprising the following steps;

receiving, through said unit, a signal containing at least one predetermined number of information, promotions and advertising messages, each of them being identified through a respective code;

comparing each code of said information, promotions and advertising messages with a series of subscriber'"'"'s pre-stored codes present in said promotional and/or advertising card;

permitting passage of a processed signal that, among all pieces of information, promotion, advertising, contains the only information, promotion and advertising messages provided with a code that is coincident with a pre-stored code of the subscriber present in said promotional and/or advertising card; and

broadcasting, concurrently with said phase of permitting, said second part of data through the apparatus.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subscriber'"'"'s codes is programmed as a function of the subscriber'"'"'s requirements.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subscriber'"'"'s codes are remotely programmed by a remote control handset.

4. A set-top box for receiving radio and television signals, comprising:

at least one unit for receiving a signal containing at least audio and video data, text information relating to audio and video data and further data;

at least one tuner allowing selection of at least one television channel to be displayed by frequency tuning, said tuner being configured for extracting from the signal a tuned signal containing at least the desired audio and video data relating to a selected television channel;

at least one unit for sending a processed signal to an image and sound broadcasting apparatus, chosen in the group including a display and a television set, said unit comprising means for processing the tuned signal, enabling the audio and video data of the selected channel to be extracted from the tuned signal and the processed signal for the image and sound broadcasting apparatus to be rebuilt;

at least a promotional and/or advertising card configured to be read and/or written, said card is configured to contain at least one code relating to a data of a advertising program, said data having at least a first part relating to the program being transmitted on the selected television channel and a second part relating to advertising;

at least one card reader configured to read and write on said promotional and/or advertising card, said card reader being selectively configured for reading of at least one code contained in the promotional and/or advertising card and writing of a code on the promotional and/or advertising card, the audio and video data of the selected channel being divided into a first part of data relating to the program being transmitted on the selected television channel and into a second part of data relating to advertising, said card reader being configured for reading on the promotional and/or advertising card out concurrently with broadcasting of said second part of data through the apparatus.