Abstract: Internet access is provided over a digital cable television system using Internet protocol (IP) over MPEG digital video. Simultaneous Internet access and TV viewing is provided by an IP over MPEG-2 video system with channel tracking. Whenever a video channel change is detected, the viewer's Internet connection is routed from one video channel to another video channel so that the Internet connection is dynamically routed and tracks the channel changes made by the viewer. Additionally, if there is no available data carrying capacity in the video channel selected by the viewer (a “busy” condition), the Internet connection is routed to an out-of-band frequency. The Internet connection tracks the channel changes made by the viewer using a single tuner/digital MPEG decoder in the CATV settop box.

Abstract: In a one way broadcast digital video network, Internet HTML Web page data is formatted to fit within a standard MPEG-2 data packet structure, and multiplexed along with other MPEG-2 digital video signals for transport within a multiple channel digital video system. In particular, the headend server broadcasts a rotating carousel comprising an ensemble of Web pages in HTML format. The rotating carousel contains both broadcast Web pages and simulcast Web pages and a control map permitting the viewer to navigate among the HTML Web pages of the rotating carousel. In particular, the control map contains the locations of the HTML Web pages in the rotating carousel that correspond to broadcast Web pages. The control map further contains the locations of the HTML Web pages in the rotating carousel that correspond to simulcast Web pages.

Abstract: An implementation of streaming video in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) Web pages combines video signals in MPEG digital television format with Internet World Wide Web pages in HTML format. Internet streaming video is transcoded into MPEG-2 digital video format and multiplexed along with other MPEG-2 digital video signals for transport within a multiple channel digital video system. A navigational control map, transmitted from the headend to the CATV set-top box in a fixed location i n the MPEG-2 video data steam, permits the CATV set-top to find the requested video clip in a predetermined Packet Identifier of the MPEG-2 data stream. The viewer controls the video clip (e.g., play, pause, resume, restart etc.) during the session. In the two-way embodiment, the set-top transmits control commands to the headend, which implements the command in MPEG-2 video.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for receiving incoming information from multiple information sources, both interactive and passive, and for engagingly presenting that information to a recipient on a presentation interface. The system includes a “background” element, which interacts with interactive information sources and receives from passive information sources, and determines whether information from those sources is likely to be interesting to the recipient, possibly using one information source to determine priority for another. The system also includes a “foreground” element, which presents information to the recipient when active, but not when inactive.