US 7,926,084 B1Granted

Signal processing apparatus and methods

AssigneePersonalized Media Communications, LLC

InventorsJohn Christopher Harvey, James William Cuddihy

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of controlling a receiver station, said receiver station including a receiver, a memory operatively connected to said receiver, and at least one control processor operatively connected to said memory, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said receiver, an information transmission including processor instructions and a television program;
performing an error correction routine by a process of checking and correcting said information transmission;
programming said receiver station to perform a failure handling routine in accordance with said processor instructions of said information transmission;
passing information contained in said television program to said memory;
discerning a failure evidencing of at least one of an incomplete and an incorrect television program unit by processing said information passed to said memory corrected in said error correction routine that causes an incompletion operation functionality of the control processor;
executing said failure handling routine in consequence on said step of discerning a failure, said failure handling routine including:
generating and storing operation failure evidencing information of said receiver station, clearing said memory, and
restoring operation functionality of said at least one control processor based on and in accordance to said stored information, and
instructing said at least one control processor to commence waiting to receive subsequent processor instructions received in said information transmission;
wherein said method controls said receiver station.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/459,788Filed 2 Jun 1995 · continuation
Priority: 3 Nov 1981
Granted: 12 Apr 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification81 codes

H04N 21/236
Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware: assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport…
G01R 1/071
Non contact-making probes: containing electro-optic elements
H04H 20/28
Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast: arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
H04H 40/18
Arrangements specially adapted for receiving broadcast information: arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for…

Family

Application06/317,510Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Nov 1981
Application06/829,531Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Feb 1986
Application07/096,096Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Sep 1987
Application07/588,126Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Sep 1990
Application07/849,226Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Mar 1992
Application08/056,501Parent of this continuation · filed 3 May 1993
Application08/113,329Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Aug 1993
US 5,335,277 AParent of this continuation
US 5,233,654 AParent of this continuation
US 5,109,414 AParent of this continuation
US 4,965,825 AParent of this continuation
US 4,704,725 AParent of this continuation-in-part
Application07/096,096Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 4,694,490 AParent of this continuation
Application06/829,531Parent of this continuation
US 7,856,650 B1Related patent
US 7,926,084 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.