Abstract: A television remote control unit including an IR (infra-red) transmitter with integral magnetic stripe ATM type credit card reader and method therefor for transmitting IR signals to a remote interactive location such as a television set or a TV cable remote control box. The remote control unit permits the user to swipe a credit card through the credit card reader so as to generate credit card transaction signals for transmission to the remote interactive locations. The remote control unit can be used in an interactive environment such as a hotel casino, a cable TV home shopping network, or an off track betting (OTB) environment.

Abstract: A method automatically limits the transmission of a video stream from a terminal to a network. The method includes a capturing step which captures a video and audio stream from a camera and microphone at a terminal participating in a video-conference. A transmitting step transmits the audio and video streams to the network and a varying step varies the amount of video stream data transmitted in the transmitting step to the network based on an audio level of the audio stream. An apparatus automatically limits the transmission of a video stream from a terminal to a network. The apparatus includes a microphone, a camera, a network interface and a processor. The microphone and camera respectively capture audio and video stream data from a participant in a video conference. The network interface is coupled to a network, for transmitting the audio and video stream data to the network. The processor is coupled to the microphone, the camera and the network interface.

Abstract: A vehicle entertainment control system having back-channel capabilities to provide an interactive feature for capturing, collecting, and storing passenger response data. In one embodiment, the system includes a system control unit for controlling the devices in the system. The system also includes a back-channel server unit that provides the interactive content to the passengers over the system, capturing and collecting passenger response data via the back-channel. The interactive feature includes display units located throughout a cabin of a vehicle for displaying questions, and a control unit at the passengers' seats. The questions displayed on the display units and the passenger response data are synchronized, and the passenger response data is collected by the server unit. The back-channel is a bi-directional bus that allows passengers to provide passenger response data using the control unit. The back-channel also allows passengers to select and control audio channels and adjust the volume.

Abstract: Interactive program guide systems and related processes are provided which can automatically tune a television, or program a VCR, based on program selections made from program schedule information displayed on a television or other suitable video monitor. The interactive program guide is preferably implemented using a microprocessor-controlled set-top box that is coupled to the viewer's television set. The set-top box receives program schedule information and software from a headend telecasting center. Preferably, program schedule information for the current day and at least six subsequent days is stored in a memory within the set-top box. The interactive program guide provides a display mode for allowing the viewer to apply a restrictive search selection criterion and a nonrestrictive sort attribute to the program schedule information.

Abstract: The present invention which involves a digital broadcasting system provides a digital broadcasting method in which change information NETQ for indicating the broadcast content change is transmitted a certain period of time in advance by a primary transmission system when the primary transmission system broadcasts programs. As the result, a secondary transmission system, for example, a cable television system which reedits and rebroadcasts the programs received from a digital satellite broadcasting system, can easily and quickly rearrange the air time in response to the change such as program content change in the rebroadcasting in the secondary transmission system.

Abstract: A method for effectively implementing a wireless television system comprises a wireless base station that processes and combines various program sources to produce a processed stream. A transmitter then responsively transmits the processed stream as a broadcast output stream to various portable wireless display devices for flexible viewing at variable remote locations.

Abstract: An internet on-demand system for television presents internet content and traditional television programming as part of a single coherent interface. The system includes a server and a client capable of providing a dynamic graphical user interface. An intelligent agent passively filters selected web pages for a user to explore based on the user's past pattern of usage of the client. The system can display an internet gateway interface which actively scrolls through and highlights links to selected web pages which are organized according to templates corresponding to their content. The web pages are presented on the graphical user interface as channels as part of the same milieu as channels of traditional television programming. The user can select a channel from a rotary menu wheel.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing one or more decoders with a network sync signal at a headend of a television communication network. The system allows decoders to transmit upstream messages synchronously in time slots which are defined according to the network sync signal, thereby improving system throughput. Identifying data is provided in a blanking interval (VBI or HBI) of one or more television signals to designate a horizontal scan line of the respective television signal which follows a reference point in the network sync signal by a predetermined delay. At each decoder, the identifying data is recovered, and the onset of the designated scan line can be used to signal the start of a transmission for the decoder. Preferably, the identifying data is provided in each television signal so the user is not forced to tune to a particular television channel to transmit a message. Various channel access protocols may be used, such as a session oriented protocol, or a synchronized ALOHA protocol.

Abstract: An interactive information distribution system includes service provider equipment for generating an information stream that is coupled to an information channel and transmitted to subscriber equipment. The service provider also generates a command signal that is coupled to a command channel and transmitted to the subscriber equipment. The service provider also receives information manipulation requests from the subscriber via a back channel. A communication network supporting the information channel, command channel and back channel is coupled between the service provider equipment and the subscriber equipment.

Abstract: A remote control device controls interaction of an interactive receiver unit positioned at a remote location. The remote control device has a housing and manually actuable keypad mounted on the housing. A control mechanism is mounted in the enclosure and operatively connected to the manually actuable keypad for receiving selected input data from the keypad corresponding to desired programming selections of the interactive receiver unit positioned at the remote location. Financial information is stored in the remote, and a transmitter transmits a desired program corresponding to a selected keypad sequence, and also transmits financial information of the user.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system for transmitting a video signal and picture correction information therefor via a satelite or like transmission system. Mechanisms for, receiving a transmitted video signal and correction information and for processing a received video signal based on the correction information before display are also disclosed.

Abstract: A point-to-multipoint star configured terrestrial radio communication system having at least one base station transmitting to and receiving RF communication signals from a plurality of associated subscriber stations in the 0.3-300 GigaHertz (GHz) range. The system includes means for reducing frequency uncertainty, drift or error of the RF transmissions from each of the subscriber stations to the base station. Each subscriber station has a low cost local reference oscillator, and the system incorporates a reference broadcast signal of high frequency precision from the base station and at each subscriber station there is means for measuring frequency error and compensating for frequency drift/error in the low-cost oscillator at the subscriber station.

Abstract: A system for accessing and displaying promotion information and for generating redeemable coupons based on at least one of the accessed promotions stores promotion information records each of which includes an electronic coupon offer and information in connection with a product/service a merchant sells. The system also stores a user profile for a system user which includes user preference information. The stored records are presented according to a hierarchical menu structure. The user navigates menus to select promotion information records for presentation. The user electronically clips the coupon offer of the presented record and the electronic clipped coupon is stored. At the merchant, the electronic clipped coupon is accessed and reviewed, and a paper coupon corresponding to the electronic clipped coupon is selectively generated for redemption by the merchant.

Abstract: A computer process which requests streams of motion video titles and decodes and displays the motion video signals of the stream for display in a computer display device is constructed in the form of an applet of a multimedia document viewer such as a World Wide Web browser. Accordingly, a designer of multimedia documents such as HTML pages can easily incorporate motion video titles into such HTML pages by specifying a few parameters of a desired title or a desired portion of a title to be requested from a video server. The applet builds bit stream control signals from the specification of the title or the portion of the title. The bit stream control signals request transmission of the title or the portion of the title from a bit stream server such as a video server and are in a form appropriate for processing by the bit stream server.

Abstract: A system and method for associating and controlling multimedia supporting events with a primary event. The events are translated into tasks and sent to media servers for execution at a predetermined time by being further translated into media specific tasks to control a bit-pump.

Abstract: A data collection system for use with a home AV network. The home AV network includes a plurality of consumer electronic devices communicatively coupled via an IEEE 1394 based network. A receiver device is included in the plurality of devices. The receiver device functions by receiving a broadcast data stream for displaying or playing for the user, wherein the broadcast data stream includes an identifier tag describing the identity or content of the broadcast data stream. At least one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices includes an up-stream communications link capable of sending information up-stream from the user's home. Additionally, at least one of the consumer electronic devices includes a computer system, the computer system including a processor coupled to a memory via a bus.

Abstract: A novel network manager for use with a cable television system headend capable of monitoring and managing headend components and set top terminals in a television delivery system is described. The invention relates to methods and apparatus that manage and coordinate the reception of various programming and control signals at a headend. The invention manages and coordinates the storage of such signals for intelligent selection and distribution to set top terminals. The invention makes use of a receiver or set of receivers, a work station, a program control information processing component, a network management CPU, databases, control software and an instruction memory. The invention uses these components to manage and monitor certain headend components, such as signal reception equipment, an authorization component, a file server, MPEG decoders, a digital buffer with frame repeat and channel modulators.

Abstract: The passive interdiction system for CATV scrambling provides a plurality of passive, preselected negative signal traps for securing specific CATV channels. Each trap cyclically attenuates the desired CATV channel thereby confusing the AGC (automatic gain control) circuit of the television monitor-receiver or video cassette recorder (VCR) by rapid cancellation and restoration of the picture carrier and main signal components. The passive interdiction system is comprised of a plurality of SAW (surface acoustic wave) resonators tuned to specific frequencies corresponding to the carrier frequencies of the channels to be secured and are alternately keyed on and off by a 10 to 20 Hz square wave. Authorization and control of the secured channels originates at the cable provider's headend and is transmitted contemporaneously with the CATV programming. The authorization data is specifically addressed and decoded at unique interdiction units disposed within the CATV system.

Abstract: An interactive video distribution system includes a plurality of interactive video subscriber units (22), a head end facility (54), and a video distribution medium (56). The head end facility (54) is configured to transmit advertisements (40, 42) in connection with an interactive video program (36) and receive requests from one of the subscriber units (22′) to register the advertisements (40, 42) in a menu (116). In response to each of the requests, the head end facility (54) generates a entries (118, 144) associated with the advertisements (40, 42) in the menu (116). The menu (116) is communicated in a first video still image (134) to the subscriber unit (22′) through the medium (56). The head end facility (54) is further configured to obtain a selection request for one of entries (118, 144) and provide supplementary advertising information (148) associated with the selected one of advertisements (40, 42) to the subscriber unit (22′).

Abstract: An interface and a method for customizing program guide information containing program descriptions is provided. The program guide information is downloaded and stored in a memory, preferably in a generic manner. A menu is generated based on the program guide information. The menu includes program identifiers which can be selected by a user to implement the corresponding programs. The menu then can be customized to include identifier(s) indicative of one or more additional programs or item, including user-specific programs and items which are remotely accessed or locally accessed. After customization, the additional identifiers are selectable by the user to implement the corresponding programs or display the corresponding items. Preferably, the customization is performed locally and interactively using displays generated by an electronic host device or another device connected thereto.