Patents by Inventor Leonardus J. Steenbeek

Leonardus J. Steenbeek has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6665873
    Abstract: Television transmitters often transmit auxiliary operational signals to provide additional services in addition to the conventional television program. An example hereof is interactive television which allows the public to participate in a program, inter alia, by answering questions in a quiz show or voting for the best performance in a song contest. The operational signals identify actions to be taken by the receiver, such as sending the user's response to the transmitter through a modem. To inform the public that a particular service is being offered, the transmitter (1) transmits a logo (150) to indicate the transmission of the operational signals. The receiver (3) is equipped to receive the transmitted logo, compare (352) it with a locally stored logo (350) and process (36) the operational signals only if the transmitted and locally stored logos are perceptibly identical. The logo may be separately encoded or embedded in the conventional television signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Henricus A. W. Van Gestel, Leonardus J. Steenbeek