US 5,093,718 AGranted

Interactive home information system

AssigneeInteletext Systems, Inc.

InventorsW. Leo Hoarty, Gary M. Lauder

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An interactive videotex system with distributed processing and storage of video picture information in nodes disposed throughout a cable television distribution system. The nodes are coupled to the feeder cable of the cable distribution system. Each node in the system receives a substantially identical copy of the interactive video picture information and related data from a regional processing center. The users at home televisions associated with a particular node interact directly with the video picture information in that node, rather than with the information stored in the regional processing center or some other remote location, which enables the system to quickly display photographic quality images and complex graphics, as well as sound, at the user's televisions in response to commands received by the users.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An interactive television information system for transmitting video picture information to home televisions coupled to a cable television distribution system, comprising:

a regional processing center for assembling and processing said video picture information to be transmitted over said cable distribution system;
a headend for distributing cable television programming to subscribers of said cable distribution system;
and
at least one node coupled to said cable television distribution system for capturing and storing said processed and assembled video picture information, said video picture information including both still frame and full-motion video information, said node being associated with only a portion of said home televisions associated with said headend;
wherein a cable television subscriber viewing one of said home televisions can display and interact with said video picture information stored in said associated node by communicating to said node, each of said nodes in said cable television distribution system containing a complete copy of said video picture information which said subscriber associated with said node can display and interact with, such that said subscriber interacts directly with said video picture information stored in said node, without accessing said video picture information stored in said regional processing center.

2 more elements

A method for transmitting interactive video picture information to home televisions coupled to a cable distribution system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) processing and assembling information in a regional processing center;
(b) transmitting said processed and assembled information from said regional processing center to a plurality of nodes in said cable television distribution system, said information including both still frame and full-motion video information, each of said nodes being associated with only a portion of said home televisions associated with a headend, said headend serving to distribute cable television programming to subscribers of said cable television system;
and
(c) transmitting said video picture information stored in a node to a home television associated with said node in response to commands received from a subscriber of said cable television distribution system, said node containing a complete copy of the information which said subscriber can display and interact with, such that said subscriber interacts directly with said video picture information stored in said associated node, without accessing said video picture information stored in said regional processing center.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/589,205Filed 28 Sep 1990
Granted: 3 Mar 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

G06F 3/04815
Based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like…:…
H04N 7/10
Television systems: adaptations for transmission by electrical cable
H04N 7/173
Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems: with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 7/17345
With two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal: control of the passage of the selected programme