公开(公告)号：US07568214B2

公开(公告)日：2009-07-28

申请号：US10893518

申请日：2004-07-16

申请人： Bruce A. Leak ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

发明人： Bruce A. Leak ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

IPC分类号： H04N7/173

CPC分类号： H04N21/4331 ,  H04N7/163 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N21/4516 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/812 ,  H04N21/8547 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： An interactive television system includes “connected” receiver units capable of establishing bi-directional connections to remote information stores, such as Web servers, and “disconnected” receiver units unequipped to make such connections. The system supports the use of broadcast triggers that include connectivity values indicating whether an information resource identified by a trigger refers to “connected content” or “disconnected content.” The term “connected content” refers to information resources that require bi-directional connections to remote information stores; the term “disconnected content” refers to information resources, such as a locally stored program guide, that do not require such bi-directional connections. Disconnected receiver units identify and reject connected-content triggers by examining connectivity values broadcast as part of triggers. Thus, content providers can broadcast connected-content triggers to connected and disconnected receiver units without interrupting disconnected receiver units with links to inaccessible content. Furthermore, the ability to distinguish between connected and disconnected content allows vendors who sell or lease receiver units to offer a lower level of service to those customers who do not wish to pay for the ability to access connected content.

摘要翻译： 交互式电视系统包括能够建立到诸如Web服务器之类的远程信息存储器的双向连接的“连接的”接收器单元，以及未被配置以进行这样的连接的“断开”的接收器单元。 系统支持使用广播触发器，其中包括连接值，指示触发信号是指“连接的内容”还是“断开连接的内容”。 术语“连接的内容”是指需要与远程信息存储的双向连接的信息资源; 术语“断开的内容”是指不需要这种双向连接的信息资源，诸如本地存储的节目指南。 断开的接收机单元通过检查作为触发器的一部分广播的连接值来识别和拒绝连接的内容触发。 因此，内容提供商可以将连接内容触发器广播到连接和断开的接收机单元，而不会中断具有不可访问内容的链接的断开的接收机单元。 此外，区分连接和断开连接的内容的能力允许出售或租用接收器单元的供应商向那些不希望支付访问连接内容的客户提供较低级别的服务。

公开(公告)号：US07174562B1

公开(公告)日：2007-02-06

申请号：US09467851

申请日：1999-12-20

申请人： Bruce A. Leak ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

发明人： Bruce A. Leak ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

IPC分类号： H04N7/173 ,  H04N7/16

CPC分类号： H04N21/4331 ,  H04N7/163 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N21/4516 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/812 ,  H04N21/8547 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： An interactive television system includes “connected” receiver units capable of establishing bi-directional connections to remote information stores, such as Web servers, and “disconnected” receiver units unequipped to make such connections. The system supports the use of broadcast triggers that include connectivity values indicating whether an information resource identified by a trigger refers to “connected content” or “disconnected content.” The term “connected content” refers to information resources that require bi-directional connections to remote information stores; the term “disconnected content” refers to information resources, such as a locally stored program guide, that do not require such bi-directional connections. Disconnected receiver units identify and reject connected-content triggers by examining connectivity values broadcast as part of triggers. Thus, content providers can broadcast connected-content triggers to connected and disconnected receiver units without interrupting disconnected receiver units with links to inaccessible content. Furthermore, the ability to distinguish between connected and disconnected content allows vendors who sell or lease receiver units to offer a lower level of service to those customers who do not wish to pay for the ability to access connected content.

摘要翻译： 交互式电视系统包括能够建立到诸如Web服务器之类的远程信息存储器的双向连接的“连接的”接收器单元，以及未被配置以进行这种连接的“断开”接收器单元。 系统支持使用广播触发器，其中包括连接值，指示触发信号是指“连接的内容”还是“断开连接的内容”。 术语“连接的内容”是指需要与远程信息存储的双向连接的信息资源; 术语“断开的内容”是指不需要这种双向连接的信息资源，诸如本地存储的节目指南。 断开的接收机单元通过检查作为触发器的一部分广播的连接值来识别和拒绝连接的内容触发。 因此，内容提供商可以将连接内容触发器广播到连接和断开的接收机单元，而不会中断具有不可访问内容的链接的断开的接收机单元。 此外，区分连接和断开内容的能力允许销售或租用接收方单位的供应商为那些不希望支付访问连接内容的客户提供较低级别的服务。

公开(公告)号：US06668378B2

公开(公告)日：2003-12-23

申请号：US09345247

申请日：1999-06-30

申请人： Bruce A. Leak ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

发明人： Bruce A. Leak ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

IPC分类号： H04N716

CPC分类号： H04N21/44245 ,  H04N7/088 ,  H04N21/235 ,  H04N21/435 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/858 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： Interactive television content can be classified as either disconnected content or as connected content. An interactive television system involves some receivers that cannot establish connections to the Internet and therefore cannot properly process triggers to connected content. The system also involves other receiver units that can establish connections to the Internet and can process triggers to connected content. A trigger in accordance with the invention involves a “connected content/disconnected content” attribute that identifies the trigger as either a trigger to disconnected content or a trigger to connected content. Receiver units that cannot process triggers to connected content can therefore use the attribute to identify triggers to such connected content and can then ignore such triggers, while those receiver units that can process triggers to connect content can use those triggers to make the desired Internet connection.

摘要翻译： 互动电视内容可以分为断开的内容或连接的内容。 交互式电视系统涉及一些无法建立与互联网的连接的接收机，因此无法正确处理连接内容的触发。 该系统还涉及可以建立到因特网的连接并可以处理连接内容的触发器的其他接收器单元。 根据本发明的触发器涉及“连接的内容/断开的内容”属性，其将该触发标识为断开内容的触发或连接的内容的触发。 因此，无法处理连接内容的触发器的接收器单元因此可以使用该属性来识别对这些连接的内容的触发器，并且可以忽略这样的触发器，而可以处理触发器来连接内容的那些接收器单元可以使用这些触发器来进行所需的因特网连接。

公开(公告)号：US06571392B1

公开(公告)日：2003-05-27

申请号：US09295436

申请日：1999-04-20

申请人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

发明人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

IPC分类号： H04N7173

CPC分类号： H04H20/93 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N21/4331 ,  H04N21/435 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： In interactive television, information from an information resource may be displayed along with television video in a synchronized fashion. When information is to be displayed at a point in the television video, a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that identifies the information resource is broadcast along with the television video on a one-way broadcast communication channel. A receiver unit receives the URI from the broadcast channel. If the information resource identified by the URI is available locally (for example, is present in local storage on the receiver unit), then the receiver unit uses the URI to retrieve the information resource locally. If, on the other hand, the information resource is not available locally, then the receiver unit uses the URI to retrieve the information resource from the Internet. The information resource can therefore be received from a high speed source (for example, from VBI lines 10-20) if such reception is possible, but if such reception is not possible then the information resource can be retrieved. from another source (for example, from the Internet). Once the receiver unit has retrieved the information resource, the receiver unit can display the information along with the television video.

摘要翻译： 在交互式电视中，来自信息资源的信息可以以电视视频同步显示。 当在电视视频中的某个点显示信息时，识别信息资源的统一资源标识符（URI）与电视视频一起在单向广播通信信道上被广播。 接收机单元从广播信道接收该URI。 如果URI识别的信息资源在本地可用（例如，存在于接收机单元的本地存储器中），则接收器单元使用该URI来本地检索信息资源。 另一方面，如果信息资源在本地不可用，则接收器单元使用URI从因特网检索信息资源。 因此，如果这样的接收是可能的，则可以从高速源（例如，从VBI线10-20）接收信息资源，但是如果这样的接收是不可能的，则可以检索信息资源。 来自另一个来源（例如，从互联网）。 一旦接收器单元检索到信息资源，接收器单元就可以显示与电视视频一起的信息。

公开(公告)号：US07636927B2

公开(公告)日：2009-12-22

申请号：US10892705

申请日：2004-07-16

申请人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  David R. Anderson ,  Dean J. Blackketter

发明人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  David R. Anderson ,  Dean J. Blackketter

IPC分类号： H04N5/445 ,  G06F3/00 ,  G06F13/00

CPC分类号： H04N21/44012 ,  G06F17/30896 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/858

摘要： Described are a method and apparatus for incorporating broadcast television into Web pages. Broadcast television can be embedded into Web pages using, for example, a “tv:” attribute in conjunction with common HTML tags. Within the “tv:” attribute, a Web-page author can reference a TV station by channel number, network, or broadcast call letters. HTML documents are parsed to recover both the conventional-tags and tags that include TV attributes. The resulting Web pages display the identified broadcast TV in a frame specified by the TV attribute. One embodiment supports the presentation of television in the background of an HTML document. In that embodiment, HTML tags corresponding to overlying HTML content are provided with an attribute that defines a level of transparency from zero to one-hundred percent. The transparency attribute allows content providers to overlay any type of HTML information over a broadcast television show without completely obscuring the underlying show. This aspect of the invention employs a z attribute that can be used to specify the relative position of broadcast television and overlying HTML content.

摘要翻译： 描述了将广播电视并入网页的方法和装置。 广播电视可以使用例如“tv：”属性结合常见的HTML标签嵌入到网页中。 在“电视：”属性中，网页作者可以通过频道号，网络或广播电话信号引用电视台。 解析HTML文档以恢复包含TV属性的常规标签和标签。 所得到的网页以TV属性指定的帧中显示所识别的广播TV。 一个实施例支持在HTML文档的背景中呈现电视。 在该实施例中，与覆盖的HTML内容相对应的HTML标签被提供有将透明度从零到百分之一定义的属性。 透明度属性允许内容提供商通过广播电视节目覆盖任何类型的HTML信息，而不会完全遮蔽基础节目。 本发明的这个方面采用可以用于指定广播电视和叠加HTML内容的相对位置的z属性。

公开(公告)号：US06966066B1

公开(公告)日：2005-11-15

申请号：US10029055

申请日：2001-10-25

申请人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

发明人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Dean J. Blackketter

IPC分类号： H04L29/06 ,  H04L29/08 ,  H04N7/087 ,  H04N7/173 ,  H04N21/262 ,  H04N21/433 ,  H04N21/462 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/478 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/61 ,  H04N21/658 ,  H04N21/8543 ,  H04N21/858 ,  G06F3/00 ,  G06F13/00 ,  H04N5/445

CPC分类号： H04N21/26275 ,  H04L29/06 ,  H04L67/02 ,  H04L67/325 ,  H04L69/329 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N7/17327 ,  H04N21/4331 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/47815 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/6125 ,  H04N21/6175 ,  H04N21/6582 ,  H04N21/8543 ,  H04N21/858 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： In interactive television, a broadcaster may broadcast triggers to a great many receiver units prompting the receiver units to attempt to send requests to a single destination on the Internet at roughly the same time. Such a large number of simultaneous requests can give rise to throughput problems and server overload. A receiver unit in accordance with the invention, rather than immediately attempting to send a request, waits a period of time (for example, a random period) before sending the request so as not to overload the server. In one embodiment, a trigger is received on an interactive television receiver unit prompting the viewer to select an icon. If the viewer selects the icon, then a browser in the receiver unit retrieves a web page on the Internet identified by a URL in the trigger. The web page includes an indication of a destination, scheduling information, and a form area. The viewer enters user information in association with the form area. The browser captures that user information, incorporates it into a request, and then stores the request in a queue along with the scheduling information. The browser periodically checks the scheduling information in the queue and determines from the scheduling information if it is time to send the request. When the browser determines the time has come to send a request in the queue, the browser retrieves the request and sends it to the destination. The browser may then receive a return response and display it.

摘要翻译： 在交互式电视中，广播者可以向许多接收机单元广播触发器，提示接收机单元大致同时在因特网上尝试向单个目的地发送请求。 如此大量的同时请求可能会导致吞吐量问题和服务器过载。 根据本发明的接收机单元，而不是立即尝试发送请求，在发送请求之前等待一段时间（例如，随机时段），以免使服务器过载。 在一个实施例中，触发器被接收在交互式电视接收机单元上，提示观众选择图标。 如果观众选择图标，则接收器单元中的浏览器检索由触发器中的URL识别的因特网上的网页。 网页包括目的地，调度信息和表单区域的指示。 观众与表单区域相关联地输入用户信息。 浏览器捕获用户信息，将其并入到请求中，然后将请求与调度信息一起存储在队列中。 浏览器定期检查队列中的调度信息，并从调度信息确定是否是发送请求的时间。 当浏览器确定在队列中发送请求的时间到来时，浏览器检索请求并将其发送到目的地。 然后，浏览器可以接收返回响应并显示它。

公开(公告)号：US06415438B1

公开(公告)日：2002-07-02

申请号：US09412839

申请日：1999-10-05

申请人： Dean J. Blackketter ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Timothy F. Park

发明人： Dean J. Blackketter ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Timothy F. Park

IPC分类号： H04N716

CPC分类号： H04N21/8547 ,  H04N5/44 ,  H04N7/088 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N21/235 ,  H04N21/2393 ,  H04N21/2665 ,  H04N21/4331 ,  H04N21/435 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： An interactive television trigger has a time attribute value that indicates a future time when the trigger is to be executed. In many situations, the trigger is sent to the receiver unit prior to the future time (e.g., to account for bandwidth limitations or to allow prefetching of an information resource associated with the trigger). Redundant triggers may be sent as the future time draws closer. In this way, if the receiver unit did not receive a previously sent trigger for some reason, a redundant trigger is available for execution. The receiver unit may ignore duplicate triggers. The time attribute value also may indicate a life span during which the trigger is valid so that, if a user switches video channels but returns to a video channel for which execution of the trigger is desired, the trigger may be re-executed during the life span.

摘要翻译： 交互式电视触发器具有时间属性值，其指示将要执行触发的将来时间。 在许多情况下，在未来的时间（例如，考虑带宽限制或允许预取与触发相关联的信息资源）的触发器被发送到接收器单元。 随着未来时间的延长，可能会发送冗余触发器。 以这种方式，如果由于某种原因接收器单元没有接收到先前发送的触发，则冗余触发可用于执行。 接收器单元可能会忽略重复触发。 时间属性值还可以指示触发有效期间的寿命，使得如果用户切换视频通道但是返回到期望触发器的执行的视频通道，则可以在生命期间重新执行触发 跨度。

公开(公告)号：US08341687B2

公开(公告)日：2012-12-25

申请号：US11093666

申请日：2005-03-30

申请人： Dean J. Blackketter ,  Daniel J. Zigmond

发明人： Dean J. Blackketter ,  Daniel J. Zigmond

IPC分类号： H04N7/16 ,  H04N7/025 ,  H04N7/173 ,  H04N7/00

CPC分类号： H04N21/488 ,  H04N7/088 ,  H04N7/16 ,  H04N21/235 ,  H04N21/435 ,  H04N21/8543 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： Described are methods and apparatus for enhancing an information resource, such as a Web page, simultaneously residing in memory on a number of remote receivers. A content creator, (e.g., a program producer, broadcaster, affiliate, cable company or satellite provider), embeds a trigger in a data service channel of a broadcast signal. The trigger includes a resource identifier unique to the information resource and a script capable of modifying the information resource. The script might be a script or a segment of a script written in a conventional scripting language. Each receiver that includes the targeted information resource monitors the data service channel of the broadcast video signal for script-bearing triggers directed to that resource. If a receiver receives a script-bearing trigger directed to the resident resource, the receiver executes the script contained within the trigger to alter the resource and/or the displayed video defined by the resource.

摘要翻译： 描述了用于增强同时驻留在多个远程接收器上的存储器中的诸如网页的信息资源的方法和装置。 内容创作者（例如，节目制作人，广播公司，联盟，电缆公司或卫星提供商）将触发信号嵌入在广播信号的数据服务信道中。 触发器包括信息资源唯一的资源标识符和能够修改信息资源的脚本。 该脚本可能是一个脚本或一段以常规脚本语言编写的脚本。 包括目标信息资源的每个接收器监视广播视频信号的数据服务信道，用于指向该资源的脚本触发触发。 如果接收器接收到指向驻留资源的脚本触发触发器，则接收器执行包含在触发器内的脚本来改变由资源定义的资源和/或所显示的视频。

公开(公告)号：US07600241B2

公开(公告)日：2009-10-06

申请号：US10892917

申请日：2004-07-16

申请人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  David R. Anderson ,  Dean J. Blackketter

发明人： Daniel J. Zigmond ,  David R. Anderson ,  Dean J. Blackketter

IPC分类号： G06F13/00 ,  G06F3/00 ,  H04N7/173

CPC分类号： H04N21/44012 ,  G06F17/30896 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/858

摘要： Described are a method and apparatus for incorporating broadcast television into Web pages. Broadcast television can be embedded into Web pages using, for example, a “tv:” attribute in conjunction with common HTML tags. Within the “tv:” attribute, a Web-page author can reference a TV station by channel number, network, or broadcast call letters. HTML documents are parsed to recover both the conventional tags and tags that include TV attributes. The resulting Web pages display the identified broadcast TV in a frame specified by the TV attribute. One embodiment supports the presentation of television in the background of an HTML document. In that embodiment, HTML tags corresponding to overlying HTML content are provided with an attribute that defines a level of transparency from zero to one-hundred percent. The transparency attribute allows content providers to overlay any type of HTML information over a broadcast television show without completely obscuring the underlying show. This aspect of the invention employs a z attribute that can be used to specify the relative position of broadcast television and overlying HTML content.

摘要翻译： 描述了将广播电视并入网页的方法和装置。 广播电视可以使用例如“tv：”属性结合常见的HTML标签嵌入到网页中。 在“电视：”属性中，网页作者可以通过频道号，网络或广播电话信号引用电视台。 解析HTML文档以恢复包括电视属性的常规标签和标签。 所得到的网页以TV属性指定的帧中显示所识别的广播TV。 一个实施例支持在HTML文档的背景中呈现电视。 在该实施例中，与覆盖的HTML内容相对应的HTML标签被提供有将透明度从零到百分之一定义的属性。 透明度属性允许内容提供商通过广播电视节目覆盖任何类型的HTML信息，而不会完全遮蔽基础节目。 本发明的这个方面采用可以用于指定广播电视和叠加HTML内容的相对位置的z属性。

公开(公告)号：US07885517B2

公开(公告)日：2011-02-08

申请号：US11115669

申请日：2005-04-27

申请人： Dean J. Blackketter ,  Timothy F. Park ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Sharon F. Glusker ,  John R. Matheny

发明人： Dean J. Blackketter ,  Timothy F. Park ,  Daniel J. Zigmond ,  Sharon F. Glusker ,  John R. Matheny

IPC分类号： H04N5/765

CPC分类号： H04N5/44513 ,  H04N5/44543 ,  H04N21/4334 ,  H04N21/4532 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/47214 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/4758 ,  H04N21/488 ,  H04N21/4882 ,  H04N21/812

摘要： A television receiving system displays an advertisement for a future television program. If the future television program is identified as recordable, the system also displays an option to set a reminder for the advertised program and/or an option to record the advertised program on a video recorder. If a viewer of the advertisement selects the reminder option, then a reminder is programmed in the system. If the viewer selects the record option, then the system automatically programs the video recorder to record the advertised program. If the viewer has established an interactive session during a television advertisement, and has not completed the interactive session when the advertisement ends, then the current television program is paused until the interactive session is completed.

摘要翻译： 电视接收系统显示未来电视节目的广告。 如果未来的电视节目被识别为可记录的，则该系统还显示一个选项，用于为所通告的节目设置提醒和/或在广播节目录像机上记录所宣传节目的选项。 如果广告的观众选择提醒选项，则在系统中编程提醒。 如果观众选择记录选项，则系统自动对录像机进行编程，以记录所通告的节目。 如果观众在电视广告期间建立了交互式会话，并且当广告结束时尚未完成交互式会话，则暂停当前电视节目直到交互式会话完成。