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US RE50,328 E1Granted
Forming overlays at user's premises and utilizing them for selective combinations of TV broadcast channel format material and IP-format material
AssigneeTVnGO LTD (BVI)
InventorYakkov Merlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of displaying an Internet signal on a TV. Preferably, at least a portion of the Internet signal is selectively displayed by a remote activation control signal.
Claims21
A method for generating at a user's premises an overlay using video signals constituting a first data and overlay-enabling digital data constituting a second data, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a combiner circuit at the user's premises, wherein:
- the combiner circuit is coupled to a TV set and connected to a separate TV timer tuner box or TV tuner in the TV set, at the user's premises, and
- the combiner circuit is also connected through distinct networks to each of a video signal input providing video signals through the separate TV tuner box or the TV tuner in the TV set, and an Internet data input providing overlay-enabling digital data over the Internet,
- wherein said video signals and said overlay-enabling digital data are received at the user's premises by different resources as mutually distinct and independent inputs, and
- wherein said overlay-enabling digital data includes at least:
- a Web link indicating a website where content that is associated with said overlay-enabling digital data is stored,
- an image indicative of the content associated with said overlay-enabling digital data, and
- an overlay activation criterion;
- and
- (b) processing at the user's premises said overlay-enabling digital data and generating at the user's premises a corresponding overlay only if said overlay activation criterion is met, wherein generating an the overlay includes:
- generating at the user's premises a first display screen including at least a first portion corresponding to said video signals and a second portion overlaid over said first portion and corresponding at least to said image, and
- associating the Web link with said second portion of the first display screen thereby allowing a user to cause the combiner circuit to retrieve said content, generate a second video display screen including at least a portion which corresponds to said content, and input the second display screen to said TV set.
9 more elements
A TV-Internet Integration circuit for generating at a user's premises an overlay using video signals constituting a first data and overlay-enabling digital data constituting a second data, the TV-Internet Integration Box circuit comprising:
- a combiner circuit at a the user's premises coupled to a separate TV tuner box or TV tuner,
- wherein the combiner circuit is also connected through distinct networks to each of a video signal input providing video signals through the TV tuner box or TV tuner, and an Internet data input providing overlay-enabling digital data over the Internet,
- wherein said video signals and said overlay-enabling digital data are received at the combiner circuit at the user's premises by different resources as mutually distinct and independent inputs, and
- wherein said overlay-enabling digital data includes at least:
- a Web link indicating a website where content that is associated with said overlay-enabling digital data is stored;
- an image indicative of the content associated with said overlay-enabling digital data;
- and
- an overlay activation criterion, wherein
- the combiner circuit is responsive to an the overlay activation criterion being met for generating a corresponding overlay, including:
- generating at the user's premises a first display screen including at least a first portion corresponding to said video signals and a second portion overlaid over said first portion and corresponding at least to said image, and
- associating the Web link with said second portion of the first display screen thereby allowing a user to cause the combiner circuit to retrieve said content, and generate a second video display screen including at least a portion which corresponds to said content;
- and
- a video output interface, coupled to or integrated within the combiner circuit and configured to be coupled to a video input of said TV set and to display said first display screen or said second video display screen.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.