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Claims  |
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We claim:
1. In a signal processor system, carrier transmission receiving means;
means for demodulating said carrier transmission to detect an information
transmission thereon; detector means for detecting an embedded signal in
the information transmission and removing it from said information
transmission; first control means responsive to said detected signal to
activate and/or deactivate equipment external to said signal processor
system; second control means activated by said detected signal to monitor
the performance and/or output of said first control means; a recorder
means for receiving and recording data collected by said monitor means;
and control means for instructing said recorder to direct information
recorded thereon to a remote site.
2. In a signal processor, carrier transmission receiving means; means for
demodulating said carrier transmission to detect an information
transmission thereon; detector means for detecting an embedded signal in
the information transmission and for removing said signal from said
information transmission; control means responsive to said detected signal
to activate and/or deactivate equipment external to said signal processor;
monitor means activated by said detected signal to monitor the performance
and/or output of said external equipment; a recorder means for receiving
and recording data collected by said monitor means; control means for
instructing said carrier receiving means to receive the appropriate
carrier transmission within a predetermined time interval and to direct
said received carrier transmission to said demodulating means and said
detector means; and control means for instructing said recorder to direct
information recorded thereon to a remote site.
3. In a signal processor, carrier transmission receiving means; means for
demodulating said carrier transmission to detect an information
transmission thereon; detector means for determining the presence or
absence of an embedded signal in the information transmission within a
predetermined time interval and for detecting said signal and removing it
from said information transmission; recorder means for receiving and
recording the presence or absence of said detected signal; control means
for instructing said carrier receiving means to receive the appropriate
carrier transmission within said predetermined time interval and to direct
said received carrier transmission to said demodulating means and detector
means; control means for instructing said detector means to detect the
presence or absence of said embedded signal within said predetermined time
interval; and control means for instructing said recorder means to
transmit the information recorded thereon to a remote site.
4. In a signal processor, carrier transmission receiving means; means for
demodulating said carrier transmission to detect an information
transmission thereon; detector means for determining the presence or
absence of an embedded signal in said information transmission within a
predetermined time interval and for detecting said signal and removing it
from said information transmission; buffer means for organizing said
detected signals with detected signals from other detector means into a
data stream; recorder means for receiving and recording said stream;
control means for instructing said carrier receiving means to receive the
appropriate carrier transmission within said predetermined time interval
and to direct received said carrier transmission to said demodulating
means and said detector means; control means for instructing said recorder
to direct information recorded thereon to a remote site; control means
responsive to some of said detected signals in said data stream to
activate and/or deactivate equipment external to said signal processor;
and control means responsive to some other of said detected signals in
said data stream to alter the location in succeeding information
transmissions examined for embedded signals.
5. In a signal processor, carrier transmission receiving means; means for
demodulating said carrier transmission to detect an information
transmission thereon; detector means for determining the presence or
absence of an embedded signal in the information transmission within a
predetermined time interval and for detecting said signal and removing it
from said information transmission; buffer means for organizing said
detected signals with detected signals from other detector means into a
data stream; recorder means for receiving and recording said data stream;
control means for instructing said carrier receiving means to receive the
appropriate carrier transmission within said predetermined time interval
and to direct said received carrier transmission to said demodulating
means and said detector means; control means for instructing said detector
means to detect the presence or absence of said embedded signal within
said predetermined time interval; and control means for instructing said
recorder to direct information recorded thereon to a remote site.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the embedded signal is
encrypted and including a decrypter means for decrypting said signal.
7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the embedded signal is
encrypted and including a decrypter means for decrypting said signal.
8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the embedded signal is
encrypted and including a decrypter means for decrypting said signal.
9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the embedded signal is
encrypted and including a decrypter means for decrypting said signal.
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including means for receiving and
detecting embedded signals on a plurality of carrier transmissions.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including means for receiving and
detecting embedded signals on a plurality of carrier transmissions.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 including means for receiving and
detecting embedded signals on a plurality of carrier transmissions.
13. The apparatus in claim 5 wherein the embedded signal is encrypted and
including a decrypter means for decrypting said signal.
14. A method of processing signals including:
(a) the step of receiving a carrier transmission;
(b) the step of demodulating said carrier transmission to detect an
information transmission thereon;
(c) the step of detecting and identifying embedded signals on said
information transmission;
(d) the step of passing said embedded signals to a device or devices to be
controlled based on instructions identified within said embedded signals;
(e) the step of controlling said devices based on the instructions within
said embedded signals; and
(f) the step of recording the receipt of and passing to said devices of
said embedded signals.
15. A method of processing signals as claimed in claim 14 including the
step of decrypting encrypted embedded signals.
16. A method of processing signals as claimed in claim 14 including the
step of recording the response of the device or devices to be controlled
by the embedded signals for later transmission to a remote site.
17. A method of processing signals as claimed in claim 14 including the
step of decrypting an encrypted information transmission.
18. A method of processing signals as claimed in claim 14 including the
step of removing a portion of said detected embedded signal.
19. A method of processing signals as claimed in claim 14 including the
step of adding a second signal to the information transmission.
20. A method of generating computer output at a multiplicity of receiver
stations each of which includes a computer adapted to generate and
transmit user specific signals to one or more associated output devices,
with at least some of said computers being programmed to process
modification control signals so as to modify said computers' method of
processing data and generating output information content, each of said
computers being programmed to accommodate a special user application,
comprising the steps of:
transmitting an instruct-to-generate signal to said computers at a time
when corresponding user specific output information content does not
exist,
detecting the presence of said instruct-to-generate signal at selected
receiver stations and coupling said instruct-to-generate signal to the
computers associated with said selected stations, and
causing said last named computer to generate their user specific output
information content in response to said instruct-to-generate signal,
thereby to transmit to each of their associated output devices an output
signal comprising the user specific output information content and the
user specific signal of its associated computer, the output signals at a
multiplicity of said output devices being different, with each output
signal specific to a specific user.
21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said instruct-to-generate
signal contains information which, when said signal is received by
selected receiver stations, causes said receiver station computers to
generate said specific output information, said generation being in
accordance with said instruct-to-generate signal information.
22. A method according to claim 20, further including the step of
transmitting a modification control signal to at least one computer at a
selected receiver station which is programmed to process modification
control signals, and causing said at least named computer to modify its
method of processing data and generating output information content in
response thereto.
23. A method according to claim 20, further including the step of
preprogramming at least one of said selected receiver stations to modify
its method of processing data and generating output information content in
response to said instruct-to-generate signal.
24. In a method of generating computer output at a multiplicity of receiver
stations each of which includes a computer adapted to generate and
transmit user specific output information content and user specific
signals to one or more associated output devices, with at least some of
said computers being programmed to process modification control signals so
as to modify said computers' method of processing data and generating
output information content, each of said computers, being programmed to
accommodate a special user application, the steps of:
transmitting an instruct-to-generate signal to said computers at a time
when corresponding user specific output information content does not
exist, and
causing said last named computers to generate their user specific output
information content in response to said instruct-to-generate signal,
thereby to transmit to each of their associated output devices an output
signal comprising the user specific output information content and the
user specific signal of its associated computer, the output signals at a
multiplicity of said output devices being different, with each output
signal specific to a specific user.
25. In a method of generating computer output at a multiplicity of receiver
stations each of which includes a computer adapted to generate and
transmit user specific output information content and user specific
signals to one or more associated output devices, with at least some of
said computers being programmed to process modification control signals so
as to modify said computers' method of processing data and generating
output information content, each of said computers being programmed to
accommodate a special user application, the steps of:
detecting at selected receiver stations the presence of an
instruct-to-generate signal transmitted by a transmission source and
coupling said instruct-to-generate signal to the computers associated with
said selected stations, and
causing said last named computers to generate their user specific output
information content in response to said instruct-to-generate signal,
thereby to transmit to each of their associated output devices an output
signal comprising the user specific output information content and the
user specific signal of its associated computer, the output signals at a
multiplicity of said output devices being different, with each output
signal specific to a specific user. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an integrated system of programming communication
and involves the fields of computer processing, computer communications,
television, radio, and other electronic communications; the fields of
automating the handling, recording, and retransmitting of television,
radio, computer, and other electronically transmitted programming; and the
fields of regulating, metering, and monitoring the availability, use, and
usage of such programming.
For years, television has been recognized as a most powerful medium for
communicating ideas. And television is so-called "user friendly"; that is,
despite technical complexity, television is easy for subscribers to use.
Radio and electronic print services such as stock brokers' so-called
"tickers" and "broad tapes" are also powerful, user friendly mass media.
(Hereinafter, the electronic print mass medium is called, "broadcast
print.")
But television, radio, and broadcast print are only mass media. Program
content is the same for every viewer. Occasionally one viewer may see,
hear, or read information of specific relevance to him (as happens when a
guest on a television talk show turns to the camera and says, "Hi, Mom"),
but such electronic media have no capacity for conveying user specific
information simultaneously to each user.
For years, computers have been recognized as having unsurpassed capacity
for processing and displaying user specific information.
But computer processing is not a mass medium. Computers operate under the
control of computer programs that are inputted by specific users for
specific purposes, not programs that are broadcast to and executed
simultaneously at the stations of mass user audiences. And computer
processing is far less user friendly than, for example, television.
Today great potential exists for combining the capacity of broadcast
communications media to convey ideas with the capacity of computers to
process and output user specific information. One such combination would
provide a new radio-based or broadcast print medium with the capacity for
conveying general information to large audiences--e.g., "Stock prices rose
today in heavy trading,"--with information of specific relevance to each
particular user in the audience--e.g., "but the value of your stock
portfolio went down."(Hereinafter, the new media that result from such
combinations are called "combined" media.)
Unlocking this potential is desirable because these new media will add
substantial richness and variety to the communication of ideas,
information and entertainment. Understanding complex subjects and making
informed decisions will become easier.
To unlock this potential fully requires means and methods for combining and
controlling receiver systems that are now separate--television and
computers, radio and computers, broadcast print and computers, television
and computers and broadcast print, etc.
But it requires much more.
To unlock this potential fully requires a system with efficient capacity
for satisfying the demands of subscribers who have little receiver
apparatus and simple information demands as well as subscribers who have
extensive apparatus and complex demands. It requires capacity for
transmitting and organizing vastly more information and programming than
any one-channel transmission system can possibly convey at one time. It
requires capacity for controlling intermediate transmission stations that
receive information and programming from many sources and for organizing
the information and programming and retransmitting the information and
programming so as to make the use of the information and programming at
ultimate receiver stations as efficient as possible.
To unlock this potential also requires efficient capacity for providing
reliable audit information to (1) advertisers and others who pay for the
transmission and performance of programming and (2) copyright holders, pay
service operators, and others such as talent who demand, instead, to be
paid. This requires capacity for identifying and recording (1) what
television, radio, data, and other programming and what instruction
signals are transmitted at each transmission station and (2) what is
received at each receiver station as well as (3) what received programming
is combined or otherwise used at each receiver station and (4) how it is
received, combined, and/or otherwise used.
Moreover, this system must have the capacity to ensure that programming
supplied for pay or for other conditional use is used only in accordance
with those conditions. For example, subscriber station apparatus must
display the commercials that are transmitted in transmissions that
advertisers pay for. The system must have capacity for decrypting, in many
varying ways, programming and instruction signals that are encrypted and
for identifying those who pirate programming and inhibiting piracy.
It is the object of this invention to unlock this great potential in the
fullest measure by means of an integrated system of programming
communication that joins together all these capacities most efficiently.
Computer systems generate user specific information, but in any given
computer system, any given set of program instructions that causes and
controls the generation of user specific information is inputted to only
one computer at a time.
Computer communications systems do transmit data point-to-multipoint. The
Dataspeed Corporation division of Lotus Development Corporation of
Cambridge, Mass. transmits real-time financial data over radio frequencies
to microcomputers equipped with devices called "modios" that combine the
features of radio receivers, modems, and decryptors. The Equatorial
Communications Company of Mountain View, Calif. transmits to similarly
equipped receiver systems by satellite. At each receiver station,
apparatus receive the particular transmission and convert its data content
into unencrypted digital signals that computers can process. Each
subscriber programs his subscriber station apparatus to select particular
data of interest.
This prior art is limited. It only transmits data; it does not control data
processing. No system is preprogrammed to simultaneously control a
plurality of central processor units, operating systems, and pluralities
of computer peripheral units. None has capacity to cause simultaneous
generation of user specific information at a plurality of receiver
stations. None has any capacity to cause subscriber station computers to
process received data, let alone in ways that are not inputted by the
subscribers. None has any capacity to explain automatically why any given
information might be of particular interest to any subscriber or why any
subscriber might wish to select information that is not selected or how
any subscriber might wish to change the way selected information is
processed.
As regards broadcast media, systems in the prior art have capacity for
receiving and displaying multiple images on television receivers
simultaneously. One such system for superimposing printed characters
transmitted incrementally during the vertical blanking interval of the
television scanning format is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,792 to
Kimura, U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,854 to Baer describes a second system for
continuously displaying readable alphanumeric captions that are
transmitted as digital data superimposed on a normal FM sound signal and
that relate in program content to the conventional television information
upon which they are displayed. These systems permit a viewer to view a
primary program and a secondary program.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to overlay any
information other than information transmitted to all receiver stations
simultaneously. It has no capacity to overlay any such information except
in the order in which it is received. It has no capacity to cause receiver
station computers to generate any information whatsoever, let alone user
specific information. It has no capacity to cause overlays to commence or
cease appearing at receiver stations, let alone commence and cease
appearing periodically.
As regards the automation of intermediate transmission stations, various
so-called "cueing" systems in the prior art operate in conjunction with
network broadcast transmissions to automate the so-called "cut-in" at
local television and radio stations of locally originated programming such
as so-called "local spot" advertisements.
Also in the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,522 tp Lambert describes a cable
television system controlled by a minicomputer that responds to signals
transmitted from viewers by telephone. In response to viewers' input
preferences, the computer generates a schedule which determines what
prerecorded, so-called local origination programs will be transmitted,
when, and over what channels. The computer generates a video image of this
schedule which it transmits over one cable channel to viewers which
permits them to see when they can view the programs they request and over
what channels. Then, in accordance with the schedule, it actuates
preloaded video tape, disc or film players and transmits the programming
transmissions from these players to the designated cable channels by means
of a controlled video switch.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to schedule
automatically or transmit any programming other than that loaded
immediately at the play heads of the controlled video players. It has no
capacity to load the video players or identify what programming is loaded
on the players or verify that scheduled programs are played correctly. It
has no capacity to cause the video players to record programming from any
source. It has no capacity to receive programming transmissions or process
received transmissions in any way. It has no capacity to operate under the
control of instructions transmitted by broadcasters. It has no capacity to
insert signals that convey information to or control, in any way, the
automatic operation of ultimate receiver station apparatus other than
television receivers.
As regards the automation of ultimate receiver stations, in the prior art,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,480 to Bourassin et al. describes a dynamic
interconnection system for connecting at least one television receiver to
a plurality of television peripheral units. By means of a single remote
keyboard, a viewer can automatically connect and disconnect any of the
peripheral units without the need manually to switch systems or fasten and
unfasten cabling each time. In addition, using a so-called
"image-within-image" capacity, the viewer can superimpose a secondary
image from a second peripheral unit upon the primary image on the
television display. In this fashion, two peripheral units can be viewed
simultaneously on one television receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,925 to
Freeman et al. describes a multi-channel programming transmission system
wherein subscribers may select manually among related programming
alternatives transmitted simultaneously on separate channels.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for interconnecting or
operating a system at any time other than the time when the order to do so
is entered manually at the system or remote keyboard. It has no capacity
for acting on instructions transmitted by broadcasters to interconnect,
actuate or tune systems peripheral to a television receiver or to actuate
a television receiver or automatically change channels received by a
receiver. It has no capacity for coordinating the programming content
transmitted by any given peripheral system with any other programming
transmitted to a television receiver. It has no capacity for controlling
two separate systems such as, for example, an automatic radio and
television stereo simulcast. It has no capacity for selectively connecting
radio receivers to radio peripherals such as computers or printers or
speakers or for connecting computers to computer peripherals (except
perhaps a television set). It has no capacity for controlling the
operation of decryptors or selectively inputting transmissions to
decryptors or outputting transmissions from decryptors to other apparatus.
It has no capacity for monitoring and maintaining records regarding what
programming is selected or played on any apparatus or what apparatus is
connected or how connected apparatus operate.
The prior art includes a variety of systems for monitoring programming and
generating so-called "ratings." One system that monitors by means of
embedded digital signals is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,851 to
Haselwood, et al. Another that monitors by means of audio codes that are
only "substantially inaudible" is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,391 to
Crosby. A third that automatically monitors a plurality of channels by
switching sequentially among them and that includes capacity to monitor
audio and visual quality is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,804 to
Greenberg.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has capacity to monitor only single
broadcast stations, channels or units and lacks capacity to monitor more
than one channel at a time or to monitor the combining of media. At any
given monitor station, it has had capacity to monitor either what is
transmitted over one or more channels or what is received on one or more
receivers but not both. It has assumed monitored signals of particular
format in particular transmission locations and has lacked capacity to
vary formats or locations or to distinguish and act on the absence of
signals or to interpret and process in any fashion signals that appear in
monitored locations that are not monitored signals. It has lacked capacity
to identify encrypted signals then decrypt them. It has lacked capacity to
record and also transfer information to a remote geographic location
simultaneously.
As regards recorder/player systems, many means and methods exist in the
prior art for recording television or audio programming and/or data on
magnetic, optical or other recording media and for retransmitting
prerecorded programming. Video tape recorders have capacity for automatic
delayed recording of television transmissions on the basis of instructions
input manually by viewers. So-called "interactive video" systems have
capacity for locating prerecorded television programming on a given disc
and transmitting it to television receivers and locating prerecorded
digital data on the same disc and transmitting them to computers.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for automatically
embedding signals in and/or removing embedded signals from a television
transmission then recording the transmission. It has no capacity for
controlling the connection or actuation or tuning of external apparatus.
It has no capacity for retransmitting prerecorded programming and
controlling the decryption of said programming, let alone doing so on the
basis of signals that are embedded in said programming that contain keys
for the decryption of said programming. It has no capacity for operating
on the basis of control signals transmitted to recorder/players at a
plurality of subscriber stations, let alone operating on the basis of such
signals to record user specific information at each subscriber station.
As regards decoders and decryptors, many different systems exist, at
present, that enable programming suppliers to restrict the use of
transmitted programming to only duly authorized subscribers. The prior art
includes so-called "addressable" systems that have capacity for
controlling specific individual subscriber station apparatus by means of
control instructions transmitted in broadcasts. Such systems enable
broadcasters to turn off subscriber station decoder/decryptor apparatus of
subscribers who do not pay their bills and turn them back on when the
bills are paid.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for decrypting combined
media programming. It has no capacity for identifying then selectively
decrypting control instructions embedded in unencrypted programming
transmissions. It has no capacity for identifying programming
transmissions or control instructions selectively and transferring them to
a decryptor for decryption. It has no capacity for transferring the output
of a decryptor selectively to one of a plurality of output apparatus. It
has no capacity for automatically identifying decryption keys and
inputting them to a decryptor to serve as the key for any step of
decryption. It has no capacity for identifying and recording the identity
of what is input to or output from a decryptor. It has no capacity for
decrypting a transmission then embedding a signal in the transmission--let
alone for simultaneously embedding user specific signals at a plurality of
subscriber stations. It has no capacity for distinguishing the absence of
an expected signal or controlling any operation when such absence occurs.
Further significant limitations arise out of the failure to reconcile
aspects of these individual areas of art--monitoring programming,
automating ultimate receiver stations, decrypting programming, generating
the programming itself, etc.--into an integrated system. These limitations
are both technical and commercial.
For example, the commercial objective of the aforementioned monitoring
systems of Crosby, Haselwood et. al., and Greenberg is to provide
independent audits to advertisers and others who pay for programming
transmissions. All require embedding signals in programming that are used
only to identify programming. Greenberg, for example, requires that a
digital signal be transmitted at a particular place on a select line of
each frame of a television program. But television has only so much
capacity for transmitting signals outside the visible image; it is
inefficient for such signals to serve only one function; and broadcasters
can foresee alternate potential for this capacity that may be more
profitable to them. Furthermore, advertisers recognize that if the systems
of Crosby, Haselwood and Greenberg distinguish TV advertisements by means
of single purpose signals, television receivers and video tape recorders
can include capacity for identifying said signals and suppressing the
associated advertisements. Accordingly, no independent automatic
comprehensive so-called "proof-of-performance" audit service has yet
proven commercially viable.
As a second example, because of the lack of a viable independent audit
system, each service that broadcasts encrypted programming controls and
services at each subscriber station one or more receiver/decryptors
dedicated to its service alone. Lacking a viable audit system, services do
not transmit to shared, common receiver/decryptors.
These are just two examples of limitations that arise in the absence of an
integrated system of programming communication.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other
limitations of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists of an integrated system of methods and
apparatus for communicating programming. The term "programming" refers to
everything that is transmitted electronically to entertain, instruct or
inform, including television, radio, broadcast print, and computer
programming as well as combined medium programming. The system includes
capacity for automatically organizing multi-channel communications. Like
television, radio, broadcast print, and other electronic media, the
present invention has capacity for transmitting to standardized
programming that is very simple for subscribers to play and understand.
Like computer systems, the present invention has capacity for transmitting
data and control instructions in the same information stream to many
different apparatus at a given subscriber station, for causing computers
to generate and transmit programming, and for causing receiver apparatus
to operate on the basis of programming and information received at widely
separated times.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods
whereby a simplex point-to-multipoint transmission (such as a television
or radio broadcast) can cause simultaneous generation of user specific
information at a plurality of subscriber stations. One advantage of the
present invention is great ease of use. For example, as will be seen, a
subscriber can cause his own information to be processed in highly complex
ways by merely turning his television receiver on and tuning to a
particular channel. Another advantage of the present invention is its
so-called "transparency"--subscribers see none of the complex processing
taking place. Another advantage is privacy. No private information is
required at transmitting stations, and no subscriber's information is
available at any other subscriber's station.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods
whereby a simplex broadcast transmission can cause periodic combining of
relevant user specific information and conventional broadcast programming
simultaneously at a plurality of subscriber stations, thereby integrating
the broadcast information with each user's own information. One advantage
of the present invention is its use of powerful communication media such
as television to reveal the meaning of the results of complex processing
in ways that appear clear and simple. Another advantage is that receiver
stations that lack said capacity for combining user specific information
into television or radio programming can continue, without modification,
to receive and display the conventional television or radio and without
the appearance of any signals or change in the conventional programming.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods
for the automation of intermediate transmission stations that receive and
retransmit programming. The programming may be delivered by any means
including over-the-air, hard-wire, and manual means. The stations may
transmit programming over-the-air (hereinafter, "broadcast") or over
hard-wire (hereinafter, "cablecast"). They may transmit single channels or
multiple channels. The present invention includes capacity for
automatically constructing records for each transmitted channel that
duplicate the logs that the Federal Communications Commission requires
broadcast station operators to maintain.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods
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