Hypertext markup language protocol for television display and control

• US 5,982,445 A
• Filed: 10/21/1996
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Field, Michael, Eyer, Mark K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHU, DINH C P
• Application Number:
  US08/734,681
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 345/327, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/906, 348/552-553, 348/563, 348/460, 348/554, 348/564, 348/461, 348/465, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/4.2
• US Class Current: 348/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

Textual and graphical displays are provided on a television screen using a hypertext markup language (HTML). On-screen display devices allow a user to invoke hyperlinks to different pages of HTML-coded data in addition to functions calls for controlling television and non-television appliance functions. A method provides HTML-coded display data which is processed to provide a signal suitable for reproduction on a television. The display data may provide information on a featured movie or other presentation of an associated video programming service signal such as a network television broadcast. Function calls allow the control of various television functions and programming options, such as the purchase of pay-per-view programming, or television display options such as aspect ratio, channel, brightness, picture-in-picture, or split-screen. Non-television appliances which may be controlled with function calls include audio equipment which is associated with the programming service (e.g., surround sound, filtering) in addition to, for instance, a home heating and air conditioning system or other household appliances. The invention allows a designer to adapt the vast HTML resources of the Internet for use in the television environment for entertainment, educational or informational purposes.

Claims

1. A method for adapting hypertext markup language resources for use in a television broadcast network wherein the same programming service signals are broadcast to a plurality of subscriber decoders of the network, comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a common data signal comprising display data to the subscriber decoders, said display data being coded according to the hypertext markup language;

recovering said data signal at at least one of the subscriber decoders; and

processing said data signal at the at least one subscriber decoder to provide a display signal according to said display data that is suitable for reproduction on a television that is associated with the at least one subscriber decoder;

wherein said display signal provides a display on the television with at least one of graphical and textual information that allows a user to invoke a function call for controlling a conventional television function of the television.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said display data allows a user to invoke hyperlinks for viewing selected portions of said display data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said display data allows a user to invoke function calls for viewing selected portions of an associated video programming service signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said display data provides information regarding an associated video programming service signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said display data provides a viewer input field for allowing viewing of an associated video programming service signal on a pay-per-view fee basis.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

processing said data signal and an associated video programming service signal for display on the television in an overlay manner.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said data signal and an associated video programming service signal are carried together in a digital transport data stream that is broadcast to said subscriber decoders.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said data signal comprises information coded according to an HTVP uniform resource locator (URL) syntax for defining said function calls.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said conventional television function includes changing a channel of the television.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein said conventional television function includes at least one of:

returning a text string representing a channel number;

returning a text string representing a channel name;

enabling or disabling audio muting;

adjusting a volume;

returning a program name;

recording a purchase of a specified item with an item identifier;

setting a language preference; and

transmitting a quoted string using an infrared blaster.

8. An apparatus for adapting hypertext markup language resources for use in a television broadcast network wherein the same programming service signals are broadcast to a plurality of subscriber decoders of the network, comprising:

means for broadcasting a common data signal comprising display data to the subscriber decoders, said display data being coded according to the hypertext markup language;

means for recovering said data signal at at least one of the subscriber decoders;

a processor associated with said at least one subscriber decoder for processing said data signal to provide a display signal according to said display data that is suitable for reproduction on a television that is associated with the at least one subscriber decoder; and

means responsive to said display signal for providing a display on the television with at least one of graphical and textual information that allows a user to invoke a function call for controlling a conventional television function of the television.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said display data allows a user to invoke hyperlinks for viewing selected portions of said display data.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said display data allows a user to invoke function calls for viewing selected portions of an associated video programming service signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said display data provides information regarding an associated video programming service signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said display data provides a viewer input field for allowing viewing of an associated video programming service signal on a pay-per-view fee basis.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a combiner for combining said data signal and an associated video programming service signal for display on the television in an overlay manner.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said data signal and an associated video programming service signal are carried together in a digital transport data stream that is broadcast to said subscriber terminals.

27. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said conventional television function includes changing a channel of the television.

28. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said conventional television function includes at least one of:

returning a text string representing a channel number;

returning a text string representing a channel name;

enabling or disabling audio muting;

adjusting a volume;

returning a program name;

recording a purchase of a specified item with an item identifier;

setting a language preference; and

transmitting a quoted string using an infrared blaster.

15. A receiver for adapting hypertext markup language resources for use in a television broadcast network wherein the same programming service signals are broadcast to a plurality of subscriber decoders of the network, said receiver being associated with at least one of said subscriber decoders, comprising:

an input for receiving a common data signal comprising display data that is broadcast to the subscriber decoders, said display data being coded according to the hypertext markup language;

a display data processor for processing said data signal to provide a display signal according to said display data that is suitable for reproduction on a television that is associated with the at least one subscriber decoder; and

a user command processor operatively associated with said display data processor;

wherein;

the television is adapted to provide a display with at least one of graphical and textual information in response to said display signal; and

said user command processor receives user commands in accordance with said display and invokes a corresponding function call for controlling a conventional television function of the television.

16. The receiver of claim 15, further comprising:

an input for receiving a video programming service signal; and

a video processor for processing said video programming service signal;

wherein;

said display data signal provides information regarding said video programming service signal.

17. The receiver of claim 16, wherein:

said video processor is responsive to said user command processor for invoking said function calls.

18. The receiver of claim 15, wherein:

said display data processor is responsive to said user command processor for allowing a user to invoke hyperlinks for viewing selected portions of said display data.

19. The receiver of claim 15, wherein said display data provides a viewer input field in said display for allowing viewing of an associated video programming service signal on a pay-per-view fee basis.

20. The receiver of claim 15, wherein:

a relationship between said function calls and said conventional television function is determined according to a uniform resource locator syntax.

21. The receiver of claim 15, wherein:

said data signal and an associated video programming service signal are carried together in a digital transport data stream that is broadcast to said receiver.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said data signal comprises information coded according to an HTVP uniform resource locator (URL) syntax for defining said function calls.

24. The receiver of claim 15, wherein:

said data signal comprises information coded according to an HTVP uniform resource locator (URL) syntax for defining said function calls.

29. The receiver of claim 15, wherein:

said conventional television function includes changing a channel of the television.

30. The receiver of claim 15, wherein said conventional television function includes at least one of:

returning a text string representing a channel number;

returning a text string representing a channel name;

enabling or disabling audio muting;

adjusting a volume;

returning a program name;

recording a purchase of a specified item with an item identifier;

setting a language preference; and

transmitting a quoted string using an infrared blaster.