US 8,457,545 B2Granted

Information distribution and processing system

AssigneeOnline News Link LLC

InventorHark C. Chan

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An information distribution and processing system contains a remote site, a sender and a receiving apparatus. The remote site contains a first set of digital data. The sender delivers a second set of digital data to the receiving device. In one embodiment of the present invention, the receiving device contain a timing device for automatically receiving the second set of digital data at predetermined times. The second set of digital data contains a first set of displayable data, a second set of displayable data, at least one non-displayable symbol, and at least one linking reference associated with the second set of displayable data. If desired, a user can select the second set of displayable data. The associated linking reference is sent to the remote site. The associated linking reference is used by the remote site to search for the additional information, and returns the requested information to the user.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An information distribution system for distributing information to a plurality of receiving devices in a plurality of locations, at least one of said receiving devices being connected to a display, said system comprising:

a first remote site containing at least a first set of digital data;
a second remote site containing at least a second set of digital data;
said first remote site adapted to transmit a signal encoded with at least said first set of digital data to said at least one of said receiving devices, said first set of digital data comprising:
a first set of displayable data and a second set of displayable data adapted to appear on said display, said second set of displayable data having an appearance on said display distinct from the appearance of said first set of displayable data on said display for facilitating a user to select said second set of displayable data;
indicating data for distinguishing the appearance of said second set of displayable data from the appearance of said first set of displayable data, said indicating data not being displayed to the user;
and
at least a first linkage reference, said first linkage reference being associated with said second set of displayable data and at least one portion of said second set of digital data, said first linkage reference not being displayed to the user;
said at least one of said receiving devices being configured to transmit said first linkage reference to said second remote site upon the user's selection of said second set of displayable data on said display.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/161,436Filed 15 Jun 2011 · continuation
Priority: 7 Apr 1994
Published: US 2011/0247034 A16 Oct 2011
Granted: 4 Jun 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H04H 20/26
Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast: arrangements for switching distribution systems
H04H 20/40
Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast: arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
H04H 40/09
Arrangements specially adapted for receiving broadcast information: arrangements for receiving desired information automatically according to…
H04H 40/90
Specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95: specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving

Family

Application08/224,280Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Apr 1994
Application08/255,649Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 8 Jun 1994
Application08/279,424Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Jul 1994
Application08/644,838Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 May 1996
Application08/939,368Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Sep 1997
Application09/434,413Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Nov 1999
Application09/812,003Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Mar 2001
Application10/073,124Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Feb 2002
US 2011/0247034 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Oct 2011
US 7,991,347 B1Parent of this continuation
US 6,349,409 B1Parent of this continuation
US 6,317,785 B1Parent of this continuation
US 6,021,307 AParent of this continuation
Application08/939,368Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,457,545 B2This patent

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