Interactive home information system with signal assignment

An interactive television information system, for providing interactive cable television service over a cable television system distribution network, the interactive television system comprising:

• an information source means for supplying a plurality of information services;
• a plurality of home interface controller means, each such home interface controller means providing an output in communication with an associated subscriber television and having (i) an rf signal input for a plurality of television information signals, each of the television information signals having a different carrier frequency, (ii) input selection means for tuning to a given one of the television information signals at the rf signal input and (iii) a data transceiver operative over a data communications link;
• node means, in television communication with the information source means and in television communication with a group of the home interface controller means over the cable television system distribution network, and in data communications with the group of home interface controller means over the data communications link, for selecting and providing information services obtained from the information source means to each home interface controller means in the group based on data obtained over the data communications link from each such home interface controller means;
• wherein the node means includes (a) activity detection means for determining whether a given home interface controller means is to be placed in an interactive mode and (b) signal assignment means for causing, on an affirmative determination by the activity detection means, the input selection means of the given home interface controller means to tune to a television information signal of a given carrier frequency present at the rf signal input, so that signal assignment is accomplished on a demand basis for those home interface controllers determined to be placed in an interactive mode.

An interactive television information system, for providing interactive cable television service over a cable television system distribution network, the interactive television system comprising:

• an information source means for supplying a plurality of information services;
• a plurality of home interface controller means, each such home interface controller means providing an output in communication with an associated subscriber television and having (i) a signal input for a plurality of television information signals wherein each of the television information signals is provided to the signal input on a time-shared basis, (ii) input selection means for selecting a given one of the television information signals at the signal input, the input selection means including means for selecting a time slice assigned to the given television information signal, and (iii) a data transceiver operative over a data communications link;
• node means, in television communication with the information source means and in television communication with a group of the home interface controller means over the cable television system distribution network, and in data communications with the group of home interface controller means over the data communications link, for selecting and providing information services obtained from the information source means to each home interface controller means in the group based on data obtained over the data communications link from each such home interface controller means;
• wherein the node means includes (a) activity detection means for determining whether a given home interface controller means is to be placed in an interactive mode and (b) signal assignment means for causing, on an affirmative determination by the activity detection means, the input selection means of the given home interface controller means to select a given television information signal of a given time slice present at the signal input, so that signal assignment is accomplished on a demand basis for those home interface controllers determined to be placed in an interactive mode.

An interactive television information system for use on a cable television system having (i) a source of broadcast television information signals, (ii) a cable television distribution network for delivering television information signals to subscriber televisions, and (iii) a plurality of settop controllers connected to the cable television distribution network, each settop controller providing an associated subscriber television with one of the television information signals in response to an associated channel control means operable by the subscriber, said interactive television information system comprising:

• headend means for accessing any of a plurality of information services;
• a plurality of home interface control means, each in connection with one of said settop controllers and including (i) a data transceiver operative over a data communications link and (ii) means, responsive to signal assignment data received from the data communications link, for causing the respective settop controller to provide the associated subscriber television with the television information signal determined by the signal assignment data when the channel control means makes an interactive mode selection;
• node means, in television communication with the headend means and in television communication with a group of the home interface control means over the cable television distribution network, and in data communication with the group of home interface control means over the data communications link, for selecting information services obtained through the headend means based on data obtained over the data communications link from home interface control means in the group and for providing selected information services to said cable distribution network on assigned television information signals;
• wherein said node means includes (a) activity detection means responsive to data received over the data communications link from one of the home interface control means for determining whether the channel control means in communication with the settop controller associated with said one of the home interface control means has made an interactive mode selection and (b) signal assignment means for, on an affirmative determination by the activity detection means, assigning a television information signal to said one of the home interface control means and communicating signal assignment data over the data communications link to said one of the home interface control means so that signal assignment is accomplished on a demand basis for those home interface control means associated with a settop controller in communication with a channel control means that has made an interactive mode selection.