Digital television with subscriber conference overlay

• US 6,590,602 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fernandez & Associates LLP
• Original Assignee: Dennis Fernandez, Irene Y. Hu
• Inventors: Fernandez, Dennis S., Hu, Irene Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/026,095
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14-1-, 348/14.1, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 348/14.14, 370/260, 370/261, 379/202.01, 709/204, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Digital television system overlays subscriber two-way communication during broadcast program delivery to create virtual audience community. Individual or group billing and advertisement is personalized per DTV receiver program viewing and/or conferencing activity. Subscriber receiver includes camera and other media I/O device for multi-way video conferencing. Participants may be added or removed dynamically during programming or conferencing.

Claims

1. A broadband system headend processor comprising:

a controller for enabling access simultaneously by a plurality of subscribers to a broadcast program or network data signal; and

means for monitoring a video conference between such subscribers during such simultaneous access, wherein the controller centrally coordinates the simultaneous access with the video conference by scheduling an active set of subscribers authorized in common to access the broadcast program or network data signal during the video conference, whereby each subscriber authorized by the controller in the active set may receive a billing message for participating simultaneously in the video conference while accessing the same broadcast program or network data signal.

2. The processor of claim 1, wherein:

the network data signal comprises an electronic whiteboard representation, thereby facilitating collaboration effectively between such subscribers by graphically integrating the video conference and the electronic whiteboard.

3. The processor of claim 1, wherein:

the network data signal comprises an electronic subscriber message, thereby facilitating narrowcast message delivery effectively to one or more subscriber.

4. The processor of claim 3, wherein:

the electronic subscriber message is generated by a software search agent.

5. The processor of claim 3, wherein:

the electronic subscriber message is generated for a current subscriber adaptively according to an activity of the current subscriber.

6. The processor of claim 1, wherein:

the network data signal comprises a simulation application, thereby enabling an interactive game to be played between such subscribers.

7. The processor of claim 1, wherein:

the controller restricts access to the broadcast program or network data signal when detecting a broadcast or network delivery condition.

8. The processor of claim 7, wherein:

the controller restricts such signal access by at least partially reducing transmission of such signal content, thereby effectively improving broadcast or video-conferencing performance by transmitting a signal subset.

9. The processor of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring means identifies an address or multimedia capability associated with each subscriber.

10. The processor claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring means conducts a remote diagnostic of one or more subscriber, thereby ensuring proper subscriber functionality.

11. The processor of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring means updates a database representing subscriber participation in the video conference.

12. In an interactive broadcast system comprising a data management system for managing subscriber activity, a database comprising:

a logical group representing a plurality of subscribers enabled to receive a common program or data, and conduct a videoconference session between such subscribers; and

a subscriber account associated with each subscriber participating in the videoconference session while receiving a common program or data, thereby facilitating subscriber usage billing, wherein a controller centrally coordinates simultaneous access to the common program or data with the videoconference session by scheduling the logical group of subscribers authorized to access the common program or data during the videoconference session, whereby each subscriber authorized by the controller in the logical group may receive a billing message for participating simultaneously in the videoconference session while accessing the same program or data.

13. The database of claim 12 wherein:

the subscriber account comprises a subscriber configuration or address.

14. The database of claim 12 wherein:

the logical group is modifiable to add or delete one or more subscriber respectively for participating or not participating in the videoconference session while receiving the common program or data.

15. In an interactive multi-media device for receiving a broadcast program or network data signal and conferencing with another interactive multi-media device while simultaneously receiving the same broadcast program or network data signal, a method for graphically integrating a conference and program comprising the steps of:

displaying in a display screen a broadcast program or data signal; and

overlaying graphically in the display screen one or more screen elements representing conference participants receiving the same broadcast program or data signal, wherein a controller centrally coordinates simultaneous access by the conference participants by scheduling an active set of conference participants authorized in common to access the broadcast program or data signal during the conference, whereby each conference participant authorized by the controller in the active set may receive a billing message for participating simultaneously in the conference while accessing the same broadcast program or data signal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the broadcast program comprises a live sports event, each conference participant being located simultaneously at different program viewing locations.

17. A set-top device for coupling to a video screen and a camera, the device comprising:

a processor, and an interface;

wherein the processor enables a videoconference by a subscriber using the camera simultaneously with delivery of a program through the interface effectively to the subscriber;

the video screen thereby displaying an integrated image of the video conferencing subscriber and the delivered program, wherein a controller centrally coordinates simultaneous access with the videoconference by scheduling an active set of video conferencing subscribers authorized in common to access the program during the video conference, whereby each subscriber authorized by the controller in the active set may receive a billing message for participating simultaneously in the video conference while accessing the same program.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the interface couples to a program source for broadcasting an analog video signal over a cable channel.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the interface couples to a program source for broadcasting a digital video signal over a satellite channel.

20. The device of claim 17 further comprising:

a digital memory for recording the delivered program for subsequently scheduled viewing thereof, the processor authenticating subscriber access to view the recorded program.

21. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the interface couples to a data source for providing a game application over a network channel, the program comprising the game application, the processor executing the application interactively with the subscriber.

22. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the program comprises an electronic whiteboard representation, thereby facilitating collaboration effectively with the subscriber by graphically integrating the video conference and the electronic whiteboard.

23. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the program comprises an electronic subscriber message, thereby facilitating narrowcast message delivery effectively to the subscriber.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein:

the electronic subscriber message is generated by a software search agent.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein:

the electronic subscriber message is generated for a current subscriber adaptively according to an activity of the current subscriber.

26. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the program comprises a simulation application, thereby enabling an interactive game to be played with the subscriber.

27. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the processor restricts access to the program when detecting a broadcast or network delivery condition.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein:

the processor restricts such signal access by at least partially reducing transmission of the program, thereby effectively improving broadcast or video-conferencing performance by transmitting a signal subset.

29. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the processor identifies an address or multimedia capability associated with the subscriber.

30. The device claim 17 wherein:

the processor conducts a remote diagnostic for the subscriber, thereby ensuring proper subscriber functionality.

31. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the processor updates a database representing subscriber participation in the video conference.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein the database comprises:

a logical group representing a plurality of subscribers enabled to receive a common program or data, and conduct a videoconference session between such subscribers; and

a subscriber account associated with each subscriber participating in the videoconference session while receiving a common program or data, thereby facilitating subscriber usage billing.

33. The device of claim 32 wherein:

the subscriber account comprises a subscriber configuration or address.

34. The device of claim 32 wherein:

the logical group is modifiable to add or delete one or more subscriber respectively for participating or not participating in the videoconference session while receiving the common program or data.

35. Broadcast method comprising of:

coupling a program source and a data source; and

broadcasting a signal comprising a common program from the program source and a videoconference between a plurality of participants from the data source, whereby the broadcast signal enables a plurality of receivers to display an integrated image of the common program and each videoconference participant, wherein a controller centrally coordinates simultaneous access to the common program and the videoconference by scheduling an active set of participants authorized in common to access the common program during the video conference, whereby each participant authorized by the controller in the active set may receive a billing message for participating simultaneously in the video conference while accessing the same program.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein:

the common program comprises a live sports event, each videoconference participant being located simultaneously at different program viewing locations.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein:

the signal comprises an analog video signal for broadcast over a cable channel.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein:

the signal comprises a digital video signal for broadcast over a satellite channel.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein:

the common program comprises an electronic whiteboard representation, thereby facilitating collaboration effectively between a plurality of video conference participants by graphically integrating the video conference and the electronic whiteboard.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein:

the common program comprises an electronic subscriber message, thereby facilitating narrowcast message delivery effectively to one or more receivers.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein:

the electronic subscriber message is generated by a software search agent.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein:

the electronic subscriber message is generated for a current subscriber adaptively according to an activity of the current subscriber.

43. The method of claim 35 wherein:

the common program comprises a simulation application, thereby enabling an interactive game to be played by one or more video conference participant.

44. The method of claim 35 wherein:

access to the common program is restricted when a broadcast or network delivery condition is detected.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein:

such access is restricted by at least partially reducing transmission of the program, thereby effectively improving broadcast or video-conferencing performance by transmitting a signal subset.

46. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of:

identifying an address or multimedia capability associated with one or more receiver.

47. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of:

conducting a remote diagnostic for one or more receiver, thereby ensuring proper receiver functionality.

48. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of:

updating a database representing subscriber participation in the video conference.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the database comprises:

a logical group representing a plurality of receivers enabled to receive a common program or data, and conduct a videoconference session between such receivers; and

an account associated with each receiver participating in the videoconference session while receiving a common program, thereby facilitating receiver usage billing.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein:

the account comprises a receiver configuration or address.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein:

the logical group is modifiable to add or delete one or more receiver respectively for participating or not participating in the videoconference while receiving the common program.