초록 ▼

An interactive cable television system, such as a one way system, simultaneously provides both regular television programmings for one or more television reception channels and subscriber selectable multi-information television programming for a designated common one of those channels to a plurality

An interactive cable television system, such as a one way system, simultaneously provides both regular television programmings for one or more television reception channels and subscriber selectable multi-information television programming for a designated common one of those channels to a plurality of subscribers. Each individual subscriber having a multi-information interface network connected to the multichannel television receiver input may independently choose between reception of the regular television programming on any of the channels, including the designated common channel, and reception of the multi-information television programming which comprises a plurality of multi-information packets. Each packet comprises a plurality of simultaneously transmitted different information message signals which are related in real time and content to each other but which are transmitted at a different frequency from each other and from the associated frequencies of the television reception channels. The interface network, which includes a plurality of selection keys, converts the associated frequency of the desired information message signal in the transmitted packet to the common designated channel frequency to enable television reception thereof in accordance with the key selected. Another subscriber having the interface network may independently choose to receive either the regular television programming on that, or another channel, or a different information message signal, while subscribers not having the interface network may still receive the regular television programming. Labels for the selection keys may be visually presented on the television screen during reception of multi-information programming and may be dynamically varied in accordance with message content, such as in a decision tree or memory accumulation type of programming format.

대표청구항 ▼

An interactive cable television system comprising a plurality of subscriber television reception systems, each of said subscriber television reception systems comprising a multichannel television receiver, each of said multichannel television receivers having a plurality of different television rece

An interactive cable television system comprising a plurality of subscriber television reception systems, each of said subscriber television reception systems comprising a multichannel television receiver, each of said multichannel television receivers having a plurality of different television reception channels, each of said television reception channels having a different associated communication frequency; a cable television subscriber distribution network operatively connected to said plurality of subscriber television reception systems; and a cable television programming transmission means operatively connected to said subscriber distribution network for providing transmitted television programming thereto, said subscriber distribution networks providing said transmitted television programming to said plurality of subscriber television reception systems, said cable television programming transmission means comprising means for substantially simultaneously providing a multiplexed multi-information television program communication signal along with at least one different regular television program information signal as said transmitted television programming to said subscriber distribution network; said multiplexed multi-information television program communication signal comprising a plurality of multi-information packets, each multi-information packet comprising a plurality of simultaneously provided different program information message signals related in real time and content to each other, each of said different program information message signals in said multi-information packet being at a different associated communication frequency different from each other, and different from said television reception channel associated frequencies whereby said different program information message signals in said packet are frequency separated from each other and not directly receivable on said television reception channels; said one different regular television program information signal having an associated communication frequency corresponding to a television reception channel frequency and being directly selectably receivable on the corresponding television reception channel; each of said multichannel television receivers being capable of independently selectably receiving information on any one of said plurality of different television reception channels dependent on the television reception channel selected; at least one of said subscriber television reception systems further comprising a multi-information selection interface means operatively connected between said subscriber distribution network and said multichannel television receiver, said multi-information selection interface means comprising first signal separation means operatively connected to said subscriber distribution network for demultiplexing said multiplexed multi-information television program communication signal and providing a first pass band output signal comprising only said multi-information packets of said frequency separated related different program information message signals, and signal selection means operatively connected to said first signal separation means for receiving said first pass band output signal and selectably converting any one of the associated frequencies of said simultaneously provided frequency separated related different program information message signals into the associated frequency of a designated one of said television reception channels and passing said selected frequency converted one of said simultaneously provided frequency separated related different program information message signals to said multichannel television receiver in said one subscriber television reception system; whereby subscribers in said television system may independently selectably choose between said regular television programming being transmitted on said corresponding television reception channels and said multi-information television programming being received on said designated television reception channel.