U.S. patent number RE34,340 [Application Number 07/869,792] was granted by the patent office on 1993-08-10 for closed circuit television system having seamless interactive television programming and expandable user participation.
This patent grant is currently assigned to ACTV, Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael J. Freeman.
United States Patent |
RE34,340 |
Freeman |
August 10, 1993 |
Closed circuit television system having seamless interactive
television programming and expandable user participation
Abstract
A closed circuit interactive television system (10) provides a
multichannel television signal from a localized head end (12 which
is used for individualized interactive selections by a plurality of
users (22, 24, 26). Each user station contains a conventional
televison receiver (32a, 32b, 32c) and a smart box or interface and
selection device (30a, 30b, 30c). The smart box interface and
selection device (30) is disposed between the television receiver
(32) and the RF distribution amplifier (36). The number of user
stations (22, 24, 26) on the system (10) is virtually unlimited.
The system (10) provides the audio/video television signals (14,
16, 18, 20) in at least frame accurate synchronization to enable
seamless video switching between channels, which seamlessness is
enhanced through the view of a pair of tuners (44, 46,) in the
interface selection box (30a, 30b, 30c) which are alternately
commanded to pretune to the channel of the next actual choice made
prior to the changeover under control a microprocessor (40) in
response to command signals embedded in the television signals
being received.
Inventors: |
Freeman; Michael J. (Sands
Point, NY) |
Assignee: |
ACTV, Inc. (New York,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
26810624 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/869,792 |
Filed: |
April 16, 1992 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
113017 |
Oct 26, 1987 |
04918516 |
Apr 17, 1990 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
725/78; 348/731;
434/323; 725/85 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
7/16 (20130101); G09B 5/065 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09B
5/00 (20060101); G09B 5/06 (20060101); H04H
1/04 (20060101); H04N 7/16 (20060101); H04N
007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;358/84,86,146,181,191.1
;355/2,4.1,4.2,6.3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Eisenzop; Reinhard J.
Assistant Examiner: Urban; Edward
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cave; Bryan
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A closed circuit discrete multichannel interactive television
system for providing individualized interactive television
programming to a plurality of users connected into said closed
circuit interactive television system, and system comprising as
localized head end multichannel television signal transmission
means for transmitting a multichannel television signal comprising
a plurality of selectable channels, a plurality of conventional
television receiver means for selectively receiving individualized
television programming on a common program display channel, and an
interface and selection means disposed between each of said
television receiver means and said localized head end multichannel
television signal transmission means for receiving said transmitted
multichannel television signal comprising said plurality of
selectable channels and converting it into an individualized
selected television channel for display of said selected channel on
said common program display channel on the television receiver
means associated with a given user in response to an independent
user selection of a given interactive response to a plurality of
selectable interactive responses in said multichannel television
signal transmission, each of said interactive responses being
associated with a different channel in said plurality of selectable
channels, each of said users having an associated television
receiver means and interface and selection means for making said
independent interactive user selection for providing said
individualized television programming on said common program
display channel, said multichannel television signal transmission
comprising a plurality of different interactively selectable
audio/video television signals respectively associated with each of
said plurality of selectable channels comprising said transmitted
multichannel television signal, said interactively selectable
television signals being in at least frame accurate synchronization
with respect to each other, said interactively, selectable
television signals further comprising command signals embedded
therein for controlling provision of said individualized television
programming on said common program display channel, said interface
and selection means being responsive to said embedded command
signals for enabling switching of said individualized television
channel between said plurality of interactively selectable
television channels for display of said associated audio/video
television signal corresponding to said selected one of said
plurality of selectable channels on said common program display
channel in a substantially instantaneous seamless interactive
television display presentation on said common program display
channel of said associated television receiver means, different
television receiver means in said system being capable of
displaying different individualized associated audio/visual
television signals on said common program display channel at
substantially the same time dependent on the various independent
interactive user selections of respective ones of said plurality of
selectable channels by said plurality of users at any given time,
said interface and selection means comprising a microprocessor
means and a television signal tuner means, said television signal
tuner means comprising a pair of tuners one of which is tuned to a
currently selected channel of said transmitted multichannel
television signal and the other of which is tunable in advance of
receipt of a next successive frame to the next selected channel of
said transmitted multichannel television signal for providing
selective next channel tuning before each channel switching between
said plurality of selectable channels, said microprocessor means
responding to said individualized independent user interactive
selection and said embedded command signals for pretuning said
other tuner in said associated television receiver means to a
television signal frequency corresponding to said next selected
channel for providing a display on said associated television
receiver means common program display channel dependent on said
independent user selection before an actual change in said
television display on said common program display channel from said
currently selected channel in said plurality of selectable channels
occurs in response to said independent user interactive selection;
whereby said seamlessness is maintained for said television display
on said common program display channel despite interactive changes
in said television channel selected for display from said plurality
of channels comprising said multichannel television signal.
2. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 1 wherein said plurality of different associated
selectable television signals in said multichannel television
signal comprise a plurality of edit matched individualized
television signals, whereby the television frequency said one tuner
of said conventional television means is tuned to at any given time
will edit match into any other television frequency said other
tuner of said television means is subsequently tuned to in response
to a change in said user selection.
3. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 2 wherein one of said edit matched individualized
television signals comprises a source channel television frequency
and said other edit matched individualized television signals
comprise different branch channel television frequencies being in
frame accurate synchronization with said source channel television
frequency, whereby instant vertical interval invisible branching
may be provided in response to different user selections.
4. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 3 wherein said plurality of different selectable
television signals including said source channel comprises
four.
5. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 3 wherein said source channel comprises the most likely
response in a plurality of selectable responses for said user
during said television transmission.
6. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 1 wherein said multichannel television signal is
continuously transmitted to said plurality of conventional
television receiver means during a given program interval.
7. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 2 wherein said multichannel television signal is
continuously transmitted to said plurality of conventional
television receiver means during a given program interval.
8. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 3 wherein said multichannel television signal is
continuously transmitted to said plurality of conventional
television receiver means during a given program interval.
9. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 4 wherein said multichannel television signal is
continuously transmitted to said plurality of conventional
television receiver means during a given program interval.
10. A closed circuit interactive system in accordance with claim 5
wherein said multichannel television signal is continuously
transmitted to said plurality of conventional television receiver
means during a given program interval.
11. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 6 wherein said transmitted multichannel television
signal comprises a sequence of a plurality of different
multichannel television message stacks, each stack comprising a
plurality of time concurrent multichannel television messages, said
plurality of stacks comprising a stacking array, said stacking
array providing a plurality of selectable time and space
multiplexed complete prerecorded television messages from said head
end, said array being transmitted in said closed circuit system to
said interface means, a single substantially complete television
message being interactively selectable from said array in response
to said user selection for providing an interactive television
message as said individualized associated audio/video television
signal to said conventional television receiver means in said
interface means, the quantity of available interactively selectable
prerecorded television messages in said array being greater than
the quantity of available different selectable associated
television signals, said array comprising a television programming
sequence having an interactrively variable program information
content for a given television program, said interface means
comprising means for interactively selecting a multichannel message
path through said array for providing said television programming
sequence program information content, said interactive selection
being multiplexed in both time and channel choices in said array,
said interface means selecting said message path through said array
in response to a single interactive selection, a different
interactive selection providing a different message path through
said array and a different program information content for said
television programming sequence.
12. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 11 wherein said program content for said given
television program further comprises a common prerecorded
television message commonly displayable during said given
television program irrespective of any interactive selections of
said interactively selectable television messages.
13. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 12 wherein each of said complete television messages in
said array comprising said television programming sequence
comprises a segway portion for providing an information transition
between said common television message and said television
programming sequence, said television programming sequence and said
common television message being adjacent in real time in a given
television program.
14. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 1 wherein said transmitted multichannel television
signal comprises a sequence of a plurality of different
multichannel television message stacks, each stack comprising a
plurality of time concurrent multichannel television messages, said
plurality of stacks comprising a stacking array, said stacking
array providing a plurality of selectable time and space
multiplexed complete prerecorded television messages from said head
end, said array being transmitted in said closed circuit system to
said interface means, a single substantially complete television
message being interactively selectable from said array in response
to said user selection for providing an interactive television
message as said individualized associated audio/visual television
signal to said conventional television receiver means in said
interface means, the quantity of available interactively selectable
prerecorded television messages in said array being greater than
the quantity of available different selectable associated
television signals, said array comprising a television programming
sequence having an interactively variable program information
content for a given television program, said interface means
comprising means for interactively selecting a multichannel message
path through said array for providing said television programming
sequence program information content, said interactive selection
being multiplexed in both time and space in said array, said
interface means selecting said message path through said array in
response to a single interactive selection, a different interactive
selection providing a different message path through said array and
a different program information content for said television
programming sequence.
15. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 14 wherein said program content for said given
television program further comprises a common prerecorded
television message commonly displayable during said given
television program irrespective of any interactive selections of
said interactively selectable television messages.
16. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 15 wherein each of said complete television messages in
said array comprising said television programming sequence
comprises a segway portion for providing an information transition
between said common television message and said television
programming sequence, said television programming sequence and said
common television messsge being adjacent in real time in a given
television program.
17. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 3 wherein said transmitted multichannel television
signal comprises a sequence of a plurality of different
multichannel television message stacks, each stack comprising a
plurality of time concurrent multichannel television messages, said
plurality of stacks comprising a stacking array, said stacking
array providing a plurality of selectable time and space
multiplexed complete prerecorded television messages from said head
end, said array being transmitted in said closed circuit system to
said interface means, a single substantially complete television
message being interactively selectable from said array in response
to said user selection for providing an interactive television
message as said individualized associated audio/video television
signal to said conventional; television receiver means in said
interface means, the quantity of available interactively selectable
prerecorded television messages in said array being greater than
the quantity of available different selectable associated
television signals, said array comprising a television programming
sequence having an interactively variable program information
content for a given television program, said interface means
comprising means for interactively selecting a multichannel message
path through said array for providing said television programming
sequence program information content, said interactive selection
being multiplexed in both time and space in said array, said
interface means selecting said message path through said array in
response to a single interactive selection, a different interactive
selection providing a different message path through said array and
a different program information content for said television
programming sequence.
18. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 17 wherein said program content for said given
television program further comprises a common prerecorded
television message commonly displayable during said given
television program irrespective of any interactive selections of
said interactively selectable television messages.
19. A closed circuit interactive television system in accordance
with claim 18 wherein each of said complete television messages in
said array comprising said television programming sequence
comprises a segway portion for providing an information transition
between said common television message and said television
programming sequence, said television programming sequence and said
common television message being adjacent in real time in a given
television program. .Iadd.
20. A multichannel interactive television system for providing
individualized interactive television programming to a plurality of
users connected into said interactive television system, said
system comprising multichannel television signal transmission means
for transmitting a multichannel television signal comprising a
plurality of selectable channels, a plurality of conventional
television receiver means for selectively receiving individualized
television programming on a common program display channel, and an
interface and selection means disposed between each of said
television receiver means and said multichannel television signal
transmission means for receiving said transmitted multichannel
television signal comprising said plurality of selectable channels
and converting it into an individualized selected television
channel for display of said selected channel on said common program
display channel on the television receiver means associated with a
given user in response to an independent user selection of a given
interactive response to a plurality of selectable interactive
responses in said multichannel television signal transmission, each
of said interactive responses being associated with a different
channel in said plurality of selectable channels, each of said
users having an associated television receiver means and interface
and selection means for making said independent interactive user
selection for providing said individualized television programming
on said common program display channel, said multichannel
television signal transmission comprising a plurality of different
interactively selectable audio/video television signals
respectively associated with each of said plurality of selectable
channels comprising said transmitted multichannel television
signal, said interactively selectable television signals being in
at least frame accurate synchronization with respect to each other,
said interactively, selectable television signals further
comprising command signals embedded therein for controlling
provision of said individualized television programming on said
common program display channel, said interface and selection means
being responsive to said embedded command signals for enabling
switching of said individualized television channel between said
plurality of interactively selectable television channels for
display of said associated audio/video television signal
corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of selectable
channels on said common program display channel in a substantially
instantaneous seamless interactive television display presentation
on said common program display channel of said associated
television receiver means, different television receiver means in
said system being capable of displaying different individualized
associated audio/visual television signals on said common program
display channel at substantially the same time dependent on the
various independent interactive user selections of respective ones
of said plurality of selectable channels by said plurality of users
at any given time, said interface and selection means comprising a
microprocessor means and a television signal tuner means, said
television signal tuner means comprising a pair of tuners one of
which is tuned to a currently selected channel of said transmitted
multichannel television signal and the other of which is tunable in
advance of receipt of the next successive frame to the next
selected channel of said transmitted multichannel television signal
for providing selective next channel tuning before each channel
switching between said plurality of selectable channels, said
microprocessor means responding to said individualized independent
user interactive selection and said embedded command signals for
pretuning said other tuner in said associated television receiver
means to a television signal frequency corresponding to said next
selected channel for providing a display on said associated
television receiver means common program display channel dependent
on said independent user selection before an actual change in said
television display on said common program display channel from said
currently selected channel in said plurality of selectable channels
occurs in response to said independent user interactive selection;
whereby said seamlessness is maintained for said television display
on said common program display channel despite interactive changes
in said television channel selected for display from said plurality
of channels comprising said multichannel television signal.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.21. An interactive television system in accordance
with claims 20 wherein said plurality of different associated
selectable television signals in said multichannel television
signal comprise a plurality of edit matched individualized
television signals, whereby the television frequency said one tuner
of said conventional television means is tuned to at any given time
will edit match into any other television frequency said other
tuner of said television means is subsequently tuned to in response
to a change in said user selection. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. An
interactive television system in accordance with claim 21 wherein
one of said edit matched individualized television signals
comprises a source channel television frequency and said other edit
matched individualized television signals comprise different branch
channel television frequencies being in frame accurate
synchronization with said source channel television frequency;
whereby instant vertical interval invisible branching may be
provided in response to different user selections. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.23. An interactive television system in accordance with claim
20 wherein said multichannel television signal is continuously
transmitted to said plurality of conventional television receiver
means
during a given program interval. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. An interactive
television system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said
multichannel television signal is continuously transmitted to said
plurality of conventional television receiver means during a given
program interval. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. An interactive television
system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said transmitted
multichannel television signal comprises a sequence of a plurality
of different multichannel television message stacks, each stack
comprising a plurality of time concurrent multichannel television
messages, said plurality of stacks comprising a stacking array,
said staking array providing a plurality of selectable time and
space multiplexed complete prerecorded television messages from
said transmission means, said array being transmitted in said
system to said interface means, a single substantially complete
television message being interactively selectable from said array
in response to said user selection for providing an interactive
television message as said individualized associated audio/video
television signal to said conventional television receiver means in
said interface means, the quantity of available interactively
selectable prerecorded television messages in said array being
greater than the quantity of available different selectable
associated television signals, said array comprising a television
programming sequence having an interactively variable program
information content for a given television program, said interface
means comprising means for interactively selecting a multichannel
message path through said array for providing said television
programming sequence program information content, said interactive
selection being multiplexed in both time and channel choices in
said array, said interface means selecting said message path
through said array in response to a single interactive selection, a
different interactive selection providing a different message path
through said array and a different program information content for
said television programming sequence. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. An
interactive television system in accordance with claim 25 wherein
said program content for said given television program further
comprises a common prerecorded television message commonly
displayable during said given television program irrespective of
any interactive selections of said interactively selectable
television messages. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. An interactive television
system in accordance with claim 26 wherein each of said complete
television messages in said array comprising said television
programming sequence comprises a segway portion for providing an
information transition between said common television message and
said television programming sequence, said television programming
sequence and said common television message being adjacent in real
time in a given television program. .Iaddend.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to my previously issued U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,507,680 entitled "One Way Interactive multisubscriber
Communication System"; 4,573,072 entitled "Method for Expanding
Interactive CATV Displayable Choices for a Given Channel Capacity";
4,602,279 entitled "Method for Providing Targeted Profile
Interactive CATV Displays"; 4,264,924 entitled "Dedicated Channel
Interactive Cable Television System", and 4,264,925 entitled
"Interactive Cable Television System, " the contents of all of
which are specifically incorporated by reference herein in their
entirety, and is an improvement thereon to enable the provision of
discrete closed circuit interactive television systems, such as for
training or educational purposes, as opposed to a larger scale
cable television or broadcast system such as described in the
aforementioned related patents.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to interactive television
communication systems and particularly to closed circuit television
systems for providing seamless interactive television programming
with unlimited expandability of usership.
BACKGROUND ART
Real time conversational student response teaching apparatus are
known, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,947,972 and 4,078,316.
In addition, multiple choice student response systems are well
known, such as exemplified by the system disclosed in U.S. Pat Nos.
2,921,385; 3,020,360; 2,826,828; 3,623,238; 3,546,791; 3,273,260;
3,665,615; 3,245,157; 3,284,923; 3,538,621; 3,477,144; 3,708,891;
3,255,536; 2,777,901; 2,908,767; 3,774,316; 3,194,895; 3,484,950,
3,343,280; and 3,763,577 by way of example. None of these Prior Art
systems, however, has been adapted to be employed in a closed
circuit interactive television system having seamless interactive
television programming in what appears to be a two-way interactive
network in which the individualized television programming
information to be received by the individual users of such a
training or educational system may be independently displayed on a
common program display channel of a conventional television in
response to independent user selection from as multichannel
television signal. Moreover, although prior art cable television
systems are known in which a plurality of unrelated television
programs, under control of a computer, are transmitted over a
common television channel for selection by the individual
subscribers, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat Nos. 3,814,841 and
3,757,225, such systems are not one way interactive systems capable
of independent subscriber selectable reception of simultaneously
transmitted multi-information television programming for providing
a closed circuit television system having seamless interactive
television programming independently displayable on a common
program display channel. Furthermore, although my prior U.S. Pat
Nos. 4,624,924; 4,624,925; 4,507,680; 4,573, 072; and 4,602,279 are
all interactive television systems, they are primarily directed to
mass audience cable or broadcast television systems as opposed to a
discrete localized closed circuit television system capable of
readily providing seamless interactive television programming. Such
local education television programming has generally previously
been provided through video disc or compact disc searching systems
and methods with inherent disadvantages such as requiring one video
disc per user with visible rather than seamless branching due to
the time required to search and locate an upcoming branch.
Moreover, such systems are quite costly, generally cannot run for a
great length of time, can only be used by one user at a time and
require each user to have a complete system of a player, a video
disc and a computer. These disadvantages of the prior art are
overcome by the present invention.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a closed circuit discrete
multichannel interactive television system for providing
individualized interactive television programming to an expandable
plurality of users connected into the closed circuit interactive
television system in which switching between individualized
televison signals in a multichannel television signal transmitted
from a head end occurs in a seamless manner for enabling display on
a common program display channel of a given user interactive
selection on an associated conventional television receiver via an
interface and selection device, or smart box, connected between the
television receiver and the head end. The head end is a
multichannel television signal transmitter, such as a multiplexed
video player or a plurality of single video players for
continuously transmitting a multichannel television signal. The
multichannel television signal transmission comprises a plurality
of different interactively selectable audio/video television
signals which are at least in frame accurate synchronization with
respect to each other and contain command signals embedded therein
for controlling provision of the individualized television
programming on the common program display channel. The interface
and selection device is responsive to the embedded command signals
for enabling the aforementioned switching between the
individualized television signals in a substantially instantaneous
seamless interactive television display presentation having
invisible branching (searching). Different television receivers in
the system are capable if displaying different individualized
television signals on the common program display channel at
substantially the same time dependent on the various independent
interactive user selections for the plurality of users at any given
time. The interface and selection device may include a
microprocessor and a pair of television signal tuners for pretuning
the associated television receiver to a television signal frequency
corresponding to the next individualized television signal for
display on the associated television receiver common program
display channel dependent on the user selection before an actual
change in the television display on the common program display
channel occurs in response to the independent user interactive
selection for maintaining seamlessness on the television display
despite interactive changes in the television signal selected for
display from the multichannel television signal. If desired, the
capability of the interactive television programming provided on
the closed circuit interactive television system of the present
invention may be expanded through the use of stacking of the
available responses to be selected. In addition, the system is
transparent to the number of users connected to it and may readily
be expanded by merely connecting a conventional television receiver
to the system via an interface and selection device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the overall presently preferred closed
circuit interactive television system in accordance with the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a typical presently preferred
interface and selection device, or smart box, in accordance with
the present invention, for use on the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. .[.3.]. .Iadd.3-3c .Iaddend.is a schematic diagram, partially
in block of a typical presently preferred selector board portion of
the interface and selection device of FIG. 2; and
FIG. .[.4.]. .Iadd.4-4c .Iaddend.is a schematic diagram, partially
in block, of a typical presently preferred control board or
microprocessor control portion of the interface and selection
device of FIG.2.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1
thereof, the presently preferred closed circuit interactive
television system in accordance with the present invention,
generally referred to by the reference numeral 10, is shown. The
closed circuit television system 10 preferably provides a
plurality, preferably four by way of example, of audio/video
television signals in at least frame accurate synchronization from
a head end multichannel television signal transmitter 12, with four
such channels labeled "A" 14, "B" 16, "C" 18 and "n" 20 being shown
by way of example in FIG. 1. Preferably all of these television
signals 14, 16, 18, 20 are continuously transmitted to the
plurality of users in the closed circuit interactive television
system 10 which may readily be expanded to include any desired
number of users, with "n" such users being represented in FIG. 1 by
the three user stations 22, 24, and 26 in FIG. 1. As shown and
preferred in FIG. 1, and as will be described in greater detail
hereinafter, each user station 22, 24, 26 preferably includes a
conventional RF demodulator 28a, 28b, 28c, respectively, an
interface and selection device or smart box 30a, 30b, 30c,
respectively, and a conventional television receiver 32a, 32b, 32c,
respectively, which may preferably receive the desired interactive
television programming on a common program display channel, such a
channel 3, which is preferably an unused channel for normal
television broadcasts so that the television receiver 32a, 32b, 32c
may also receive conventional television broadcast. This becomes
particularly important in a classroom environment where the
television receiver 32a, 32b, 32c is normally used to receive
localized television programming created in the school as well as
outside conventional television broadcasts as part of the
educational instruction in the classroom. In this regard, the
presently preferred closed circuit interactive television system 10
of the present invention readily lends itself to such uses as
localized educational system for schools, localized training
systems, localized control of marketing displays, localized where
the headend and 12 is located in one room in the building and the
users distributed, gambling systems in hotels, etc., by way of
example, throughout the building as opposed to the mass audience
systems provided by convention cable television networks.
As further shown and preferred in FIG. 1, the audio/video
television signals 14, 16, 18, 20 which are preferably provided
simultaneously in frame accurate or better synchronization, may be
provided to the various users as a multiplexed multichannel
television signal from conventional RF modulators 34 and a combiner
via a conventional RF distribution amplifier 36 having as many
output ports as students or users connected on the system 10. Users
may readily be added or subtracted from the closed circuit
interactive television system 10 merely by adding or removing
another typical user station 22, 24 or 26. To do this, assuming a
user is to be added to the system 10, the user need only add a
smart box or interface and selection device 30 between a
conventional television receiver 32 and one of the output ports of
the RF distribution amplifier 36. The system 10 itself is
transparent to the number of users 22, 24 or 26 on the system 10,
which provides an unlimited expansion of users with no additional
headend hardware or software.
Preferably, each smart box or interface and selection device 30
takes commands, only from the particular channel the associated
user is on, from command signals embedded in the audio/video
television signals being transmitted from the head end 12 (or can
be on the audio subcarriers) and can switch or change between the
multiple channels being transmitted. Since the multiple channels of
the multichannel television signal being transmitted from the head
end are preferably in frame accurate synchronization or better,
such switches appear to be seamless, that is the television display
never freezes or goes blank, and are essentially instantaneous. As
will be described in greater detail hereinafter, preferably the
interactive television program being transmitted from the head end
12 is made in such a way as to anticipate possible switches or
branch changes and to design the camera shots and audio so that
each change will match each other similar to the way a conventional
television edit matches. In this manner, the user or viewer would
therefore see a seamless television program that contains regular
camera cuts as well as camera cuts that also create branches, which
means that in addition to a camera cut the channel may also change,
such as illustrated by way of example below in Table A:
TABLE A
__________________________________________________________________________
Channel A Channel B Channel C Channel "n"
__________________________________________________________________________
[Camera shot is Nothing is on this Nothing is on this Nothing is on
this a wideshot] channel at this point channel at this point
channel at this point Thank you for indicating your education
level. [Cut to close up [Cut to close up [Cut to close up [Cut to
close up camera shot] camera shot] camera shot] camera shot] I can
see from your I can see from your I can see from your I can see
from your answer that you answer that you are answer that you are
answer that you never finished a high school a college graduate.
have done graduate high school. I'll graduate. I'll I'll remember
work. I'll remember this remember this this and refer remember this
and refer to it later. and refer to it later. to it later. and
refer to it later.
__________________________________________________________________________
Preferably, in creating the above interactive television
programming, the most likely branch is the one that is shot through
on a continuous basis. As a result, most of the time camera angle
changes are not necessary for a likely branch.
With respect to the head end 12, the source of the prerecorded
television signals of the desired interactive television
programming can be conventional four 1/2 inch VHS machines, 3/4
inch video tape machines, 1 inch professional machines, video disc
players run on synch as opposed to search, or a single tape source
that is multiplexed down to hold four separate signals, such as the
alternate field and alternate frame approach. The wire or
connection from the head end 12 to the various smart boxes or
interface and selection devices 30, may preferably be coaxial
cable, fiber optics, or direct baseband video and audio, by way of
example.
Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, a typical preferred smart box or
interface and selection device 30 is shown. As shown and preferred
in FIGS. 2-4, the interface and selection device is preferably a
microprocessor 40 based device that receives all of the transmitted
television signals, such as four in the above example, and can
preferably instantaneously switch between all four signals only
letting one through to the associated television receiver 32. As
shown in FIG. 4, which is a detailed schematic of the
microprocessor control board 40 portion of the system 10, readily
understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art without further
explanation the control board 40 has logic, intelligence, and
memory. In addition, as shown and preferred, a pair of conventional
television tuners 44, 46 are provided in interface and selection
device 30 each of which can tune to the one of the plurality, or 4
by way of example, of signals which it wishes to receive and pass
through to the associated television receiver 32. Preferably, the
second television tuner 46 is provided to enhance the seamlessness
of the system 10. Thus, since conventional television tuners may
not be able to tune to one of the other television frequencies fast
enough to maintain the seamless nature of the system 10, the second
tuner 46 is provided which preferably returns to the proper
television frequency that the microprocessor 40 tells it will be
the next channel it will be changing to. This preferably happens
microseconds before the actual change but this is enough to
maintain seamlessness. The first tuner 44 would then be instructed
to pretune to the next change that is coming up. Thus, the tuners
44 and 46, which are conventional such as available from Sanyo, and
which preferably each comprise an RF section 50a, 50b, respectively
and a demodulator section 52a, 52b, respectively alternate in
pretuning the channel to the television frequency of the next
channel under control of the microprocessor 40 and tuner control
60. As was mentioned in my prior patents, such as U.S. Pat. No.
4,264,924 incorporated by reference herein, a common program
display channel which is preferably an unused channel such as
channel 3, has an associated conventional modulator 61, with each
of the selectable television signals comprising the transmitted
multichannel television signal being conventionally tunable to the
frequency of channel 3 to permit a television display on channel 3
of the selected signal. The interface and selection device 30 also
preferably includes a conventional vertical interval synch detector
54 which detects the vertical synch in the received television
signal so as to enable the change or switching between channels at
the vertical interval to, once again, enhance seamlessness. The
actual switch between tuners/demodulators is accomplished by
conventional video switch 42 and conventional audio switch 41. The
tuner control 60, audio switch 41, video switch 42, conventional
associated audio and video amplifiers 63, 65, and a line 21
decoder, to be described in greater detail hereinafter, comprise
the selector board 37 of the interface and selection device 30.
FIG. 3, is a detailed schematic of this circuit board 37 which is
readily understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art without
further explanation. In addition, as input selector 56, such as a
four button keypad is provided either independently or on the smart
box 32 for enabling the interactive selection of a plurality of
different user interactive choices or responses during the
interactive programming being transmitted from the head end 12. The
input selector is either wired directly to the smart box or
communicates via an infrared communications link. In addition,
conventional joysticks sensors, buttons and the like may also be
employed as user input devices.
Preferably, as previously mentioned, embedded in the various
television signals, are instrumentation codes that instruct the
smart box 30 in switching, memory, logic and computational codes,
which as the manner of coding explained by way of example, in my
prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,680, the contents of which are
incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. The codes, as
described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,680, are preferably
embedded on line 21 and the video signals are decoded by decoder 43
to provide this command information to the microprocessor 40. The
smart box 30 preferably only requires the codes that exist on the
various television channels it passes through to its associated
television receiver 32. It will, thus preferably, not receive, and
will ignore, the embedded codes on the other channels. Of course,
for each user in the system 10, the resulting code stream is likely
to be different because the combinations of the different channels
they see will likely be different.
Thus, the presently preferred system 10 has instant invisible
branching because the branches come from one of the other three
channels that are already in frame accurate synchronization with
the source channel. The interactive television programming used
with the system 10 is preferably designed so that the channel the
user is on will always cut or edit match any other channel the user
might change to in the interactive television transmission. This is
preferably similar to how an edit is performed in post production
video except that in that instance the video will always be on the
same channel. Thus, in effect, the present invention 10 is a real
time dynamic editing system that creates innumerable combinations
and versions of the program based on how the channels are switched,
which, in turn, depends on the selection made by the user in
conjunction with the corresponding smart box commands.
The system 10 of the present invention may incorporate any of the
features set out in any of the aforementioned patents incorporated
by reference herein, such as stacking, which is described by way of
example in U.S. Pat No. 4,573,072. Suffice to say that four
channels, for example, do not limit the system 10 to only four
outcomes. Stacking can increase this number to 6, 9 or even more.
Stacking provides time delays in responses. Such delays, which are
invisible to the user since program material or filler is created
on one of the channels, allow for branching to be expanded to more
alternatives than the number of available channels. For example,
with one channel as filler, six possible outputs can be given; and
if this channel filled 2 time slots, then 9 outputs could be given,
such as illustrated below in Table B:
TABLE B ______________________________________ CHANNEL 1 DIALOGUE
DIALOGUE DIALOGUE FILLER FILLER 2 OUTPUT 1 OUTPUT 4 OUTPUT 7 3
OUTPUT 2 OUTPUT 5 OUTPUT 8 4 OUTPUT 3 OUTPUT 6 OUTPUT 9
______________________________________
By utilizing the system of the present invention, a discrete closed
circuit multichannel interactive television system is provided,
having instantaneous invisible branching between interactively
selected choices, and which is readily expandable through the use
of a smart box and a convention television.
* * * * *