Television system for the interactive distribution of selectable video presentations

An interactive television system, comprising a centrally located presentation system for transmitting video presentations via a television distribution network over at least one channel on said network, where each presentation includes a plurality of individual images and an optional audio segment, and a plurality of remotely located terminals for receiving the video presentations transmitted over said network and for transmitting information to said presentation system via telephone lines designating desired presentations to be transmitted, said presentation system comprising:

• a storage system for storing, in digital form, individual images and audio segments;
• an audio system for receiving the information transmitted from said remote terminals via the telephone lines and for receiving audio segments from said storage system and transmitting said audio segments to the remote terminals via said telephone lines;
• a video system including means for retrieving individual images stored in said storage system, means for encoding each image with an identification code, and means for transmitting said encoded images via said network;
• and
• means responsive to the information received by said audio system for controlling said audio system and said video system to retrieve selected audio segments and images, respectively, from said storage system and to transmit the retrieved segments and images to designated terminals;
• each of said remote terminals comprising:
• means for receiving television signals transmitted via said network;
• means for examining video images transmitted over said one channel to determine whether they are encoded with a designated identification code and for storing individual images encoded with said designated identification code;
• means for retrieving an image stored in said storing means at a standard television frame rate and forming a continuous, still-frame, video signal;
• means for connecting said terminal to a telephone line;
• means for transmitting information to said presentation system via the telephone line in response to viewer commands, including a telephone interface circuit which automatically dials a telephone number associated with the presentation system in response to a viewer command to thereby establish a telephone connection with said presentation system, and means responsive to the establishment of said telephone connection for transmitting, to the presentation system, a transmission path identification which defines a particular transmission path in said network for transmitting video information from said presentation system to the remote terminal;
• means for receiving audio segments transmitted via the telephone lines from said presentation system;
• and
• means for combining said continuous, still-frame, video signal with received audio segments to form a composite television signal for presentation to a television receiver.

The interactive television system, comprising a centrally located presentation system for transmitting video presentations via a television distribution network over at least one channel on said network, where each presentation includes a plurality of individual images and an optional audio segment, and a plurality of remotely located terminals for receiving the video presentations transmitted over said network and for transmitting information to said presentation system via telephone lines designating desired presentations to be transmitted, said presentation system comprising:

• a storage system for storing, in digital form, individual images and audio segments;
• an audio system for receiving the information transmitted from said remote terminals via the telephone lines and for retrieving audio segments from said storage system and transmitting said audio segments to the remote terminals via said telephone lines;
• a video system including means for retrieving individual images stored in said storage system, means for encoding each image with an identification code and means for transmitting said encoded images via said network;
• and
• means responsive to the information received by said audio system for controlling said audio system and said video system to retrieve selected audio segments and images, respectively, from said storage system and to transmit the retrieved segments and images to designated terminals, means responsive to an identification of at least one of a terminal and a viewer for selecting an initial video presentation determined by said identification for transmission to a terminal and display on a television receiver connected to said terminal;
• each of said remote terminals comprising:
• means for receiving television signals transmitted via said network;
• means for examining video images transmitted over said one channel to determine whether they are encoded with a designated identification code and for storing individual images encoded with said designated identification code;
• means for retrieving an image stored in said storing means at a standard television frame rate and forming a continuous, still-frame, video signal;
• means for connecting said terminal to a telephone line;
• means for transmitting information to said presentation system via the telephone line in response to viewer commands, including means for transmitting said identification of at least one of the terminals and the viewer;
• means for receiving audio segments transmitted via the telephone lines from said presentation system;
• and
• means for combining said continuous, still-frame, video signal with received audio segments to form a composite television signal for presentation to a television receiver.

A method for selectively distributing video presentations via a television network from a central location to individual remote terminals, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting non-selected video data from said central location to the remote terminals and encoding said non-selected data with an identification of the path over which it is being transmitted;
• establishing a communications connection between said central location and one of said remote terminals;
• detecting said identification of the transmission path at the remote terminal;
• upon establishing said connection, transmitting the detected identification from said terminal to the central location by means of said connection;
• transmitting from said remote terminal to said central location, via said connection, a selection for a particular video presentation;
• retrieving video data related to the selected presentation at said central location, encoding the video data with an identification code and with said transmission path identification;
• and
• transmitting the encoded data from the central location to the remote terminal over said identified transmission path.

A method for selectively distributing video presentations via a television network from a central location to individual remote terminals, comprising the steps of:

• initiating a telephone call from one of said remote terminals to establish a telephone line connection with said central location;
• upon establishing said connection, transmitting a transmission path identification from said terminal to the central location by means of the telephone line connection, said transmission path identification identifying a particular transmission path in said network for transmitting video information from said central location to the remote terminal;
• transmitting from said remote terminal to said central location, via said telephone line connection, a selection for a particular video presentation;
• retrieving video data related to the selected presentation at said central location, encoding the video data with an address associated with the terminal and with said transmission path identification;
• and
• transmitting the encoded data from the central location to the remote terminal over said particular transmission path.

An interactive television system, comprising a centrally located presentation system for transmitting video presentations via a television distribution network over at least one channel on said network, where each presentation includes a plurality of individual images and an optional audio segment, and a plurality of remotely located terminals for receiving the video presentations transmitted over said network and for transmitting information to said presentation system to designate desired presentations to be transmitted, said presentation system comprising:

• a storage system for storing, in digital form, individual images and audio segments;
• an audio system for retrieving audio segments from said storage system and transmitting said audio segments to the remote terminals;
• a video system including means for retrieving individual images stored in said storage system, means for encoding each image with an identification code and means for transmitting said encoded images via said network;
• and
• means responsive to the information received from said remote terminals for controlling said audio system and said video system to retrieve selected audio segments and images, respectively, from said storage system and to transmit the retrieved segments and images to designated terminals;
• each of said remote terminals comprising:
• means for receiving television signals transmitted via said network;
• means for examining video images transmitted over said channel to determine whether they are encoded with a designated identification code and for storing individual images encoded with said designated identification code;
• means for retrieving an image stored in said storing means at a standard television frame rate and forming a continuous, still-frame, video signal;
• means for transmitting information to said presentation system in response to viewer commands, including means for transmitting, to the presentation system, a transmission path identification which defines a particular transmission path in said network for transmitting video information from said presentation system to the remote terminal;
• means for receiving audio segments transmitted from said presentation system;
• and
• means for combining said continuous, still-frame, video signal with received audio segments to form a composite television signal for presentation to a television receiver.

A method for selectively distributing video presentations via a television network from a central location to individual remote terminals, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting non-selected video data from said central location to the remote terminals and encoding said non-selected data with an identification of the path over which it is being transmitted;
• initiating a telephone call from one of said remote terminals to establish a telephone line connection with said central location;
• detecting said identification of the transmission path at the remote terminal at the time the telephone call is initiated;
• upon establishing said connection, transmitting the detected identification from said terminal to the central location by means of the telephone line connection;
• transmitting from said remote terminal to said central location, via said telephone line connection, a selection for a particular video presentation;
• retrieving video data related to the selected presentation at said central location, encoding the video data with an identification code and with said transmission path identification;
• and
• transmitting the encoded data from the central location to the remote terminal over said identified transmission path.

An interactive television system, comprising a centrally located presentation system for transmitting video presentations via a television distribution network over at least one channel on said network, where each presentation includes a plurality of individual images and an optional audio segment, and a plurality of remotely located terminals for receiving the video presentations transmitted over said network and for transmitting information to said presentation system to designate desired presentations to be transmitted, said presentation system comprising:

• a storage system for storing, in digital form, individual images and audio segments;
• an audio system for retrieving audio segments from said storage system and transmitting said audio segments to the remote terminals;
• a video system including means for retrieving individual images stored in said storage system, means for encoding each image with an identification code and means for transmitting said encoded images via said network;
• and
• means responsive to the information received from said remote terminals for controlling said audio system and said video system to retrieve selected audio segments and images, respectively, from said storage system and to transmit the retrieved segments and images to designated terminals, including means responsive to an identification of at least one of a terminal and a viewer for selecting an initial video presentation determined by said identification for transmission to the terminal associated with said identification and display on a television receiver connected to said terminal;
• each of said remote terminals comprising:
• means for receiving television signals transmitted via said network;
• means for examining video images transmitted over said one channel to determine whether they are encoded with a designated identification code and for storing individual images encoded with said designated identification code;
• means for retrieving an image stored in said storing means at a standard television frame rate and forming a continuous, still-frame, video signal;
• means for transmitting information to said presentation system in response to viewer commands, including means for transmitting said identification of at least one of the terminal and the viewer;
• means for receiving audio segments transmitted from said presentation system;
• and
• means for combining said continuous, still-frame, video signal with received audio segments to form a composite television signal for presentation to a television receiver.

An interactive television system, comprising a centrally located presentation system for transmitting video presentations via a television distribution network over at least one channel on said network, and a plurality of remotely located terminals for receiving the video presentations transmitted over said network and for transmitting information to said presentation system to designate desired presentations to be transmitted, said presentation system comprising:

• a storage system for storing information in digital form, including information describing individual images which form a video presentation;
• means for receiving information transmitted from said remote terminals;
• a video system including means for retrieving individual images stored in said storage system, means for encoding each image with an identification code, and means for transmitting said encoded images via said network;
• and
• means responsive to the information received from said remote terminals for controlling said video system to retrieve selected images from said storage system and to transmit the retrieved images to designated terminals;
• each of said remote terminals comprising:
• means for receiving television signals transmitted via said network;
• means for examining video images transmitted over said one channel to determine whether they are encoded with a designated identification code and for storing individual images encoded with said designated code;
• means for retrieving an image stored in said storing means at a standard television frame rate and forming a continuous, still-frame, video signal
• an input device having keys for designating numeric characters and keys for designating alphabetic characters to enable a user to enter commands pertaining to the display of desired video presentations and to compose messages for transmission to other users in the system;
• means responsive to actuation of the keys on said input device for transmitting user-entered commands and for transmitting user-generated messages to said presentation system;
• said controlling means of said presentation system including means responsive to the transmission of a message from a remote terminal to store said messages in said storage system and to provide an indication to the user for whom the message is intended that there is a stored message to be transmitted to that user, and means responsive to an acknowledgement from the user for transmitting the stored message to the user.

An interactive television system, comprising a centrally located presentation system for transmitting video presentations via a television distribution network over at least one channel on said network, where at least some of the presentations include video images of one type have pictorial information and accompanying fixed textual information, and a plurality of remotely located terminals for receiving respective video presentations transmitted over said network and forwarding them to television receivers for display, said video presentation system comprising:

• a storage system for storing video images in a digital form and having first memory locations for storing the pictorial information of said one type of video images in a compressed digital format and second memory locations for storing the accompanying fixed textual information of said one type of images in an uncompressed format separately from the compressed pictorial information;
• a video processing system for receiving the stored compressed pictorial and uncompressed textual information of a video image of said one type, decompressing the pictorial information, and overlaying the textual information on the decompressed pictorial information to form an image corresponding to at least one video field;
• and
• means for responsive to information describing a presentation desired to be viewed by a viewer for controlling said storage system to retrieve selected stored video images and present them to said video processing system.