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US 2003/0200554 A1Published application
Display of enhanced content
AssigneeChello Broadband NV
InventorRobert Van Noetsele
Life of this patent
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AssigneeChello Broadband NV
InventorRobert Van Noetsele
Estimating the term…
A method for controlling presentation of items of enhanced content in an interactive television system comprising at least one distribution unit and a plurality of decoder units arranged to store items of enhanced content and cause them to be presented to a user on receipt of a trigger signal from the distribution unit, the method comprising: storing the items of enhanced content at the decoder units; storing at the distribution unit a schedule indicating a desired synchronisation between the items of enhanced content and a running program with which the enhanced content is associated, the running program comprising a timing stream and a series of periodic indications of the identity of the running program; transmitting the running program to the decoder units over a transmission channel via the distribution unit; and at the distribution unit analysing traffic passing over the transmission channel so as to determine whether the said periodic indications of the identity of the running program continue to be detected as passing over the transmission channel, and generating trigger signals in respect of the enhanced content associated with the running program only whilst it is determined that the said periodic indications continue to be detected as passing over the transmission channel.
A method for controlling presentation of items of enhanced content in an interactive television system comprising at least one distribution unit and a plurality of decoder units arranged to store items of enhanced content and cause them to be presented to a user on receipt of a trigger signal from the distribution unit, the method comprising:
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein if the distribution unit determines that the said periodic indications no longer continue to be detected it transmits a signal to the decoders, and in response to such a signal the decoders cause the halting of presentation of enhanced content associated with the running program.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the schedule indicates a presentation time for each of the items of enhanced content, and the method comprises the steps of:
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein after the distribution unit has determined that the said periodic indications had no longer continue to be detected, on the distribution unit determining that the said indications it determines that the said indications are again being detected it transmits a signal to the decoders to cause them to present any of the items of enhanced content that should currently be presented according to the schedule.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the enhanced content is transmitted to the decoders via the distribution unit.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the running program comprises a video stream.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the running program comprises an audio stream.
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the running program and the items of enhanced content are presented to the user by the same means.
A distribution unit for an interactive television system wherein items of enhanced content can be presented to users, the interactive television system comprising a plurality of decoder units arranged to store items of enhanced content and cause them to be presented to a user on receipt of a trigger signal from the distribution unit, the distribution unit comprising:
A method for controlling presentation of items of enhanced content in an interactive television system substantially as herein described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
An interactive television system substantially as herein described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.