Abstract: A first node sends a sequence of packets to another node to which it is connected over a communication network. A second node monitors network traffic in the communication network and intercepts the sequence of packets in the network traffic sent by the first node. The second node decodes a message in the sequence of packets intended for the second node, wherein the message is encoded using lengths of the packets in the sequence of packets.

Abstract: Displaying content associated with a television program using logical addresses identifying the content. Content associated with the television program is automatically displayed by a set top box. Before the broadcast of a program, television listing information, such as EPG data, is stored at the set top box. The listing information includes batch mode logical addresses or links. During the program, a viewer is notified about the link, enabling the content to be accessed and displayed concurrently with the program. In addition, real-time logical addresses or links, which are embedded in the program, may be extracted and displayed to the viewer. If both the real-time and batch mode links are available, a determination is made according to pre-defined rules regarding which link is brought to the attention of the viewer. In this manner, real-time links can be supplied with the broadcast to supplement or replace the batch mode links.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An interactive television system displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An interactive television system displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

Abstract: An interactive television system displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

Abstract: An interactive television system displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television ii mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

Abstract: A broadcast signal is received that includes a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal. The broadcast signal also includes the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in the broadcast signal. The data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal. The system decodes the data encoded in the broadcast signal while ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal. The indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal may include an associated time period during which the data identifier should be ignored. The data identifier is broadcast in scan line twenty-one of a broadcast image. The data associated with the broadcast signal is encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system for targeting information on a computer network. The system involves categorizing a plurality of address pointers according to the content designated by the address pointer. The system further involves reading the address pointer which designates the content received by the user and determining which category or categories, if any, the address pointer is within. Information packets, such as advertisements, are targeted to selected categories. Once the category of an address pointer has been determined, an information packet targeted to that category is selected and transmitted to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating logical addresses within a broadcast television signal are provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, a logical address of a resource, e.g., a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), may be communicated to a receiving device, such as a set-top box, by way of a data service channel of a video signal. A sequence of data complying with a predetermined syntax and including the logical address is embedded in either a text service channel (e.g., T1, T2, T3, T4) or a captioning service channel (e.g., CC1, CC2, CC3, CC4) of the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the video signal. According to another aspect of the present invention, a logical address of a resource may be received by way of a data service channel of a video signal. A video signal including data associated with one or more data services is received. Subsequently, a sequence of data complying with a predetermined syntax is retrieved from either a captioning service or a text service.

Abstract: A system for targeting information on a computer network. The system involves categorizing a plurality of address pointers according to the content designated by the address pointer. The system further involves reading the address pointer which designates the content received by the user and determining which category or categories, if any, the address pointer is within. Information packets, such as advertisements, are targeted to selected categories. Once the category of an address pointer has been determined, an information packet targeted to that category is selected and transmitted to the user.