Abstract: A telephone having a transparent information window on a surface thereof, the window being a transparent cover and the surface supporting the transparent cover adjacent the surface with one edge of the transparent cover being accessible, with an accessible pocket beneath the transparent cover. The surface includes at least one depressed portion adjacent the accessible edge and communicating with the pocket for receiving an initial entry portion of a sheet for bearing information indicia, the length of the accessible edge and the dimensions of the sheet permitting the sheet to be slid entirely beneath the transparent cover.

Abstract: An interactive cable TV system includes a large number of set-top terminals that are connected to a system headend by way of a low-speed, time division multiplexed, channel. The headend includes the mass storage of multimedia data-assets that each contain a large number of individual data-items that may be of interest to various set-top users. A set-top user initiates an inquiry to the data-asset storage by way of an item-descriptor comprising a word-picture of the item. When this set-top query is received at the headend, a table or list is established whereby the query and its set-top ID are associated with related data assets. As the headend's data-asset storage is changed from time to time, the changes that relate to listed set-top queries result in an update of the query list. This updated data-asset information is sent to the related set-tops immediately, or is sent only when the headend receives a request from the related set-top.