Signal processing apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said one or more remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing first data which are subscriber specific data at said subscriber station;
selecting a subscriber specific datum by processing said first data at said subscriber station;
producing an image at said subscriber station based on said step of selecting said subscriber specific datum;
outputting a combined medium output of said produced image in conjunction with mass medium programming at said subscriber station, said mass medium programming providing meaning relating to said produced image;
receiving subscriber input based on said combined medium output at said subscriber station, said subscriber input for controlling a computer processor at said subscriber station;
executing one or more instruct signals at said subscriber station to cause selection of second data at said subscriber station by processing at least one of said first data and said subscriber input, said step of executing caused by said subscriber input; and
transmitting a portion of said second data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations, said transmitting based on said step of executing.
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.
-
Citations
60 Claims
-
1. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said one or more remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
-
storing first data which are subscriber specific data at said subscriber station; selecting a subscriber specific datum by processing said first data at said subscriber station; producing an image at said subscriber station based on said step of selecting said subscriber specific datum; outputting a combined medium output of said produced image in conjunction with mass medium programming at said subscriber station, said mass medium programming providing meaning relating to said produced image; receiving subscriber input based on said combined medium output at said subscriber station, said subscriber input for controlling a computer processor at said subscriber station; executing one or more instruct signals at said subscriber station to cause selection of second data at said subscriber station by processing at least one of said first data and said subscriber input, said step of executing caused by said subscriber input; and transmitting a portion of said second data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations, said transmitting based on said step of executing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of enabling subscriber station information to be communicated from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said one or more remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said subscriber station storing first data, said first data including a subscriber specific datum, said method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving an information transmission at a transmitter station, said information transmission including mass medium programming for inclusion in a combined medium output at said subscriber station, said combined medium output at said subscriber station including an image produced at said subscriber station based on said subscriber specific datum, said image presented in said combined medium output in conjunction with said mass medium programming at said subscriber station, said mass medium programming providing meaning relating to said image; communicating said information transmission including said mass medium programming to transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station; communicating one or more instruct signals to said transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station, said one or more instruct signals being effective to cause said subscriber station to process subscriber input received at said subscriber station based on said combined medium output, cause computer apparatus at said subscriber station to select a second datum by processing at least one of said first data, and transfer said selected second datum from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations based on said subscriber input; transmitting said information transmission including said mass medium programming from said transmitter station to said subscriber station; and transmitting said one or more instruct signals from said transmitter station to said subscriber station. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said one or more remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
-
storing first data which are subscriber specific data at said subscriber station; receiving and detecting at said subscriber station, in an information transmission received from a transmission station, one or more instruct signals; selecting a subscriber specific datum by processing said first data at said subscriber station in response to said one or more instruct signals; selecting digital information that produces a sound, said step of selecting digital information based on said step of selecting a subscriber specific datum; outputting a combined medium presentation of said sound in conjunction with mass medium programming at output apparatus at said subscriber station, said mass medium programming providing meaning relating to said sound; receiving a subscriber input for controlling a computer processor at said subscriber station in response to said outputted combined medium presentation; computing second data at said subscriber station by processing at least one of
1) said first data and
2) said subscriber input, said step of computing based on said subscriber input; andtransmitting a portion of said second data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations, said transmitting is in consequence to said subscriber input. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method of enabling subscriber station information to be communicated from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said one or more remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said subscriber station storing first data which are subscriber specific data, said method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving at a transmitter station an information transmission, said information transmission including mass medium programming for inclusion in a combined medium presentation at said subscriber station, said combined medium presentation including a sound produced by digital information, said sound produced in said combined medium presentation in conjunction with said mass medium programming at output apparatus at said subscriber station, said mass medium programming providing meaning relating to said sound; communicating said information transmission including said mass medium programming to transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station; communicating one or more instruct signals to said transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station, said one or more instruct signals being effective at said subscriber station to cause processor apparatus at said subscriber station to select said digital information that produces said sound by processing said first data; transmitting said information transmission including said mass medium programming from said transmitter station to said subscriber station, whereby said subscriber station is enabled to output said combined medium presentation and receive a subscriber input at said subscriber station in response to said outputted combined medium presentation; and transmitting said one or more instruct signals from said transmitter station to said subscriber station, whereby said subscriber station is enabled to control a processor at said subscriber station based on said subscriber input, select second data at said subscriber station by processing said first data based on said subscriber input, and transmit a portion of said second data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
-
-
31. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to a specific remote station, said specific remote station being one of a plurality of remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
-
storing first data which are subscriber specific data at said subscriber station; receiving mass medium programming at said subscriber station; outputting said mass medium programming at said subscriber station; selecting a subscriber specific datum by processing said first data at said subscriber station; outputting a combined medium output of said subscriber specific datum in conjunction with said mass medium programming at said subscriber station, said subscriber specific datum providing a subscriber specific meaning relating to said mass medium programming; receiving a subscriber input based on said combined medium output at said subscriber station; executing one or more instruct signals at said subscriber station to cause computation of second data at said subscriber station by processing said first data based on said subscriber input; selecting said specific remote station; and transmitting a portion of said second data from said subscriber station to said selected specific remote station. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A method of enabling subscriber station information to be communicated from a subscriber station to a specific remote station, said specific remote station being one of a plurality of remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said subscriber station storing first data which are subscriber specific data, said method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving an information transmission at a transmitter station, said information transmission including mass medium programming for inclusion in a combined medium output at said subscriber station, said combined medium output to include a subscriber specific datum in conjunction with said mass medium programming, said subscriber specific datum providing a subscriber specific meaning relating to said mass medium programming; communicating said information transmission including said mass medium programming to transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station; communicating one or more instruct signals to transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station, said one or more instruct signals being effective at said subscriber station to cause computational apparatus at said subscriber station to compute second data by processing said first data based on a subscriber input, and select said specific remote station; transmitting said information transmission including said mass medium programming from said transmitter station to said subscriber station; and transmitting said one or more instruct signals from said transmitter station to said subscriber station, whereby said subscriber station is enabled to output said combined medium output, receive said subscriber input based on said combined medium output, cause computation of second data at said subscriber station by processing said first data based on said subscriber input, and transmit a portion of said second data from said subscriber station to said specific remote station. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
-
-
46. A method of communicating subscriber station information from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said one or more remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
-
programming said subscriber station to respond to one or more instruct signals; storing first data which are subscriber specific data at said subscriber station; receiving and detecting at said subscriber station, in an information transmission received from a transmission station, said one or more instruct signals; receiving mass medium programming at said subscriber station; outputting said mass medium programming at said subscriber station; selecting a subscriber specific datum by processing said first data at said subscriber station; outputting a combined medium presentation of said subscriber specific datum in conjunction with said mass medium programming at an output device at said subscriber station, said subscriber specific datum providing a subscriber specific meaning relating to said mass medium programming; receiving a subscriber input in response to said outputted combined medium presentation; processing said one or more instruct signals to cause second data to be computed at said subscriber station by processing said first data in accordance with said subscriber input; and transmitting a portion of said second data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
-
-
58. A method of enabling subscriber station information to be communicated from a subscriber station to one or more remote stations, said one or more remote stations located at a site or sites separate from said subscriber station, said subscriber station programmed to respond to one or more instruct signals and storing first data, at least one of said first data being a subscriber specific datum, said method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving at a transmitter station an information transmission, said information transmission including mass medium programming for inclusion, at said subscriber station, in combined medium output in conjunction with said subscriber specific datum, said subscriber specific datum providing a subscriber specific meaning relating to said mass medium programming; communicating said information transmission including said mass medium programming to transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station; communicating said one or more instruct signals to said transmitter apparatus at said transmitter station, said one or more instruct signals being effective, at said subscriber station, to cause second data to be computed at said subscriber station by processing said first data in accordance with subscriber input received at said subscriber station in response to said combined medium output and to cause a portion of said second data to be transmitted from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations; transmitting said one or more instruct signals from said transmitter station to said subscriber station, whereby said subscriber station is enabled to respond to said one or more instruct signals; and transmitting said information transmission including said mass medium programming from said transmitter station to said subscriber station; whereby said subscriber station is enabled to output said combined medium output, receive said subscriber input in response to said outputted combined medium output, and transmit a portion of said first data from said subscriber station to said one or more remote stations. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60)
-
Specification