Computer remote control through a video signal
AssigneePC Connection, Inc.
InventorGary M. Cook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for simultaneously using a video signal to provide a video picture and computer data. At the transmitting end, a video signal is digitized and then modified by substituting digital signals representative of computer data for those representative of video pixels. The modified signal is reconverted to an analog signal and transmitted to a receiver. The receiver displays the video picture corresponding to the modified signal and extracts the computer data so that they may be provided to the computer. The computer can thus be controlled by the computer data as the video picture is being displayed.
Claims21
A method for simultaneously providing a video picture and controlling a computer comprising the steps of:
- providing a video program on a video signal;
- modifying the video signal to create a modified video signal by replacing portions of said video signal with digital signal portions representative of computer data for operating a computer program;
- sending the modified video signal;
- receiving the modified video signal;
- displaying a video picture corresponding to the modified video signal so as to at least substantially permit viewing of the video program;
- converting the modified video signal to form a digital received signal;
- extracting digital bits from the digital signal portions representative of computer data;
- and
- automatically inputting the digital bits into a computer so that the digital bits automatically control the computer so as to operate the computer program in response to the digital signal portions in the modified video signal simultaneously with viewing the video program in the modified video signal.
A method for demonstrating a computer program comprising the steps of:
- providing a video program on a video signal;
- modifying the video signal to create a modified video signal by replacing portions of said video signal with digital signal portions representative of a computer program and computer instructions for operating said program;
- broadcasting the modified video signal;
- receiving the modified video signal at a plurality of remote locations such that at each of said remote locations the following steps occur:
- displaying a video picture corresponding to the modified video signal so as to at least substantially permit viewing of the video program;
- converting the modified video signal so as to extract digital bits from said digital signal portions;
- and
- automatically inputting said digital bits into a computer so as to provide said computer with the computer program and automatically operate the program in response to the computer instructions while the video program is being viewed wherein the automatic operation of the program is controlled by the digital signal portions introduced in said step of modifying the video signal.
A method for viewing a video program in conjunction with a computer demonstration comprising the steps of:
- receiving a modified video signal containing a video program and computer data;
- displaying a video picture corresponding to the modified video signal so as to substantially permit viewing of the video program;
- converting the modified video signal to form a digital received signal;
- extracting digital bits from the digital received signal corresponding to said computer data;
- and
- automatically inputting said digital bits into a computer so that said digital bits automatically control the computer wherein said computer operates in response to the computer data in the modified video signal simultaneously with viewing the video program in the modified video signal.
A method of creating a combination video program and computer demonstration comprising:
- putting a video program on a video signal with color information for each pixel in a video picture;
- providing a stream of computer data to spontaneously control automatic loading of a computer program and to spontaneously control automatic operation of said computer program;
- modifying the video signal to create a modified video signal with digital signal portions representative of the stream of computer data;
- and
- broadcasting the modified video signal so that a plurality of decoder-equipped computers receiving the broadcasted modified video signal are spontaneously controlled by the computer data stream.
A method for remotely controlling a computer over a video signal comprising the steps of:
- providing a video signal;
- modifying the video signal to create a modified video signal by replacing portions of said video signal with digital signal portions representative of computer data for operating a computer program;
- sending the modified video signal;
- receiving the modified video signal;
- converting the modified video signal to form a digital received signal;
- extracting digital bits from the digital signal portions representative of computer data;
- and
- automatically inputting the digital bits into a computer so that the digital bits spontaneously and automatically control the computer so as to operate the computer program.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.