Interactive video method and apparatus
First Claim
1. In conjunction with a method for producing a composite video signal containing video program material and control data, and displaying the signal on a television and decoding such control data for ancillary use, an improvement comprising:
- modulating at least one video field within the viewing area of a television in such manner that the modulation producing a video subcarrier component of the signal, the component containing the data; and
detecting the component to reproduce the data for the ancillary use.
20 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for in-band, video broadcasting of commands to interactive devices are described. Control data are encoded by subliminally modulating, prior to the remote, composite video broadcast of video program material, a selected sequence of video image fields. The resulting modulated video fields within the viewing area of a television, each having alternately, proportionately raised and lowered luminance horizontal scan lines, are monitored by a light sensitive device positioned adjacent the user'"'"'s television screen. A semirigid, twisted pair cable connects the device to nearby receiver/transmitter electronics that discriminate the binary data from the program material and amplitude modulate a high frequency infrared (IR) carrier with the data. Interactive devices, e.g. educational aids or action toys, within range of the wireless IR transmission detect energy in this frequency range, decode the commands embedded in the control data, and selectively execute predetermined actions in response to the data-encoded broadcast. In a proposed modification, low radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation emanating from the television'"'"'s raster scan electronics is coupled by a conventional RF antenna to the receiver electronics, which identically discriminate the binary data, from the program material, for transmission to the interactive devices.
1113 Citations
52 Claims
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1. In conjunction with a method for producing a composite video signal containing video program material and control data, and displaying the signal on a television and decoding such control data for ancillary use, an improvement comprising:
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modulating at least one video field within the viewing area of a television in such manner that the modulation producing a video subcarrier component of the signal, the component containing the data; and detecting the component to reproduce the data for the ancillary use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for producing a composite video signal containing pre-recorded video program material and control data for the display of the signal by a television for viewing thereon the program material and for the detection of the control data by external equipment for ancillary use, comprising:
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identifying at least one sequence of consecutive fields of the program material wherein each field contains at least one included video subfield that is capable of being subliminally and detectably modulated with at least one bit of binary data; formatting at least one binary data sequence containing the control data in such manner that the data sequence can be fitted within the field sequence; generating synchronization signals defining a window that circumscribes the video subfields; and mixing the program material and the data within the field sequence, and within the window in response to the signals, by modulating the material by the data in such manner that the modulating is substantially invisible to a viewer of the television and is detectable for the ancillary use. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for remotely controlling interactive devices by broadcasting composite video information to a television, comprising:
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producing a composite video signal containing program material and control data by modulating selected viewing areas of the program material with the control data, thereby creating a video subcarrier component of the signal, the component containing the data; broadcasting the signal to at least one television; receiving the signal at at least one television; detecting, adjacent at least one television, the component to reproduce the data; and transmitting the data to enable interactive devices within range of the transmission to act, responsive to the program material, in a predetermined manner. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. Apparatus for the remote control of interactive devices by the broadcast of composite video information to televisions, comprising:
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means for generating a program signal containing a video program; means for generating a data signal containing control data; means for subliminally modulating the program signal by the data signal in timed relation thereto, thereby producing a control data-modulated video subcarrier detectable as digital modulation in at least one predefined viewing area of at least one television; means adjacent at least one television for detecting the modulation in at least one viewing area to produce a control data sequence; and means for controlling, in predetermined response to the data sequence, the actions of at least one of the interactive devices - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. Apparatus for the remote control of at least one interactive device by the production of composite video information containing program material and control data, the video information having been produced by modulating selected viewing areas of the program material with the control data to produce a video subcarrier component, the component containing the data, for viewing the program material on television screens, comprising:
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means adjacent at least one of the television screens for detecting the control data modulation-produced video subcarrier component to reproduce the data, and means for communicating such reproduced control data to at least one interactive device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. For use with the production of a composite video signal containing video program material for display on a television, the composite video signal further containing a video subcarrier component that contains control data for the remote control of interactive devices located proximate to the television and for use with apparatus capable of detecting such component and decoding and communicating such control data, an interactive device comprising:
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a receiver capable of receiving the control data communicated by such apparatus, and a controller capable of initiating a predefined action in response to such received control data. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. Apparatus for the control of at least one interactive device by the presentation of composite video information containing program material and control data to at least one television for viewing thereon the program material, the video information being produced by modulating the program material, within a viewing area of the television, with the control data to produce a video subcarrier capable of indicating the presence and sense of the control data, comprising:
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means proximate to the television for detecting the subcarrier to reproduce the data, and means responsive to such reproduced data for controlling at least one interactive device.
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46. Apparatus for the remote control of at least one interactive device by the broadcast of composite video information containing program material and control data to television for viewing the program material on the screens thereof, the video information having been produced by modulating selected viewing areas of the program material with the control data to produce a video subcarrier component, the component containing the data, the modulating having been performed in such manner that the modulation is substantially invisible to the television viewer, comprising:
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means adjacent the television for detecting the component to reproduce the data, and means responsive to such reproduced data for controlling at least one interactive device.
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47. In conjunction with a method for producing a composite video signal containing video program material and control data, and displaying the signal on a television and decoding such control data for ancillary use, the improvement comprising:
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modulating at least one video field within the viewing area of a television in such manner that the modulation is substantially invisible to the television viewer, the modulating being of alternate horizontal scan lines within the field, thereby producing a component of the signal which indicates the presence and sense of the data, and detecting the component to reproduce the data for the ancillary use.
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48. A method for remotely controlling interactive devices by broadcasting composite video information to a television, comprising:
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producing a composite video signal containing program material and control data by modulating selected viewing areas of the program material with the control data, the modulating being of alternate horizontal scan lines within selected video fields of the program material, thereby creating a component of the signal which indicates the presence and sense of the data; broadcasting the signal to at least one television; detecting, adjacent at least one television, the component to reproduce the data; and transmitting the data to enable interactive devices within range of the transmission to act, responsive to the program material, in a predetermined manner.
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49. Apparatus for the remote control of interactive devices by the broadcast of composite video information to televisions, comprising:
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means for generating a program signal containing a video program; means for generating a data signal containing control data; means for subliminally modulating the program signal by the data signal in timed relation thereto, the modulating being of alternate horizontal scan lines within a video field and within the viewing areas of at least one television, thereby producing a data-modulated video component detectable as digital modulation within the viewing area; means adjacent at least one television for detecting the modulation within the viewing area to produce a control data sequence; and means for controlling, in predetermined response to the data sequence, the actions of at least one of the interactive devices.
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50. For use with a composite video signal containing program material for viewing on a television and control data for controlling at least one interactive device, wherein the presence and sense of the control data are defined by the presence, in the viewing area of the television, of substantially invisible luminance modulation within selected video fields, apparatus comprising:
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means adjacent the television for detecting the presence of luminance modulation within the selected video fields, the detecting means being responsive to substantially invisible luminance modulation, within the viewing areas of the television, at a modulation frequency substantially greater than the field frequency of the television, thereby to reproduce the data, and means responsive to such reproduced data for controlling at least one interactive device.
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51. For use in conjunction with a system which includes a video display that is luminance modulated to contain encoded data related to display activity, and a data-encoded luminance modulation-responsive translator capable of locally projecting, into a projection field, encoded light-borne information derived from such control data,
a system-responsive interactive device including a receiver adapted to receive such projected information when within such field, a controller operatively connected to the receiver and specifically adapted to decode such information, thus to produce related control signals, and activity-producing means operatively coupled to the controller and responsive to the control signals to generate in the device activity which is related to the data contents of such luminance modulated video display, thus to coordinate device activity with display activity.
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52. For use in conjunction with a system which includes a video display that is luminance modulated to contain encoded data related to display activity, and a data-encoded luminance modulation-responsive receiver/transmitter capable of transmitting over a predefined range a modulated light carrier, the light being within a predefined spectrum, the carrier being of a predefined frequency, and the light carrier being modulated by such data,
a display activity-imitative interactive device including light responsive means adapted to respond to light within such predefined spectrum when within range of such transmission, carrier detecting means operatively connected to the light responsive means and tuned to such predefined carrier frequency, thus to produce a demodulated digital signal representative of the encoded data, a controller operatively connected to the carrier detecting means and specifically adapted to decode the data, thus to produce related control signals, and activity-producing means operatively coupled to the controller and responsive to the control signals to produce display activity-imitative device activity.
Specification