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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention primarily relates to the field of two interactive
entertainment systems typically provided over cable facilities to a user
and, more particularly, to terminal method and apparatus enabling a
programmed background audio or video signal to be displayed as a
background at an associated television receiver.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Two way interactive cable television systems are known for transmitting
entertainment, information and data signals over a cable facility toward a
plurality of users. Data may be transmitted and addressed to a particular
subscriber over a separate data channel, out of band, or a so-called
"in-band" data channel within the video signal, for example, in the
vertical blanking interval. In a downstream direction, addressed control
data may represent services authorized to a particular terminal or control
commands to that terminal. In an upstream direction from a terminal to the
service provide or system manager location, control data may represent
selections made by a user in response to a polling request or at the time
of user selection.
Terminals are often manufactured with stored unique identification numbers
which may be unknown to a user for security purposes. Nevertheless, the
unique identification number is necessary for the system manager to
address a terminal in the system. When video and audio services are
requested from the terminal, the address is used to specifically indicate
destinations for services requested so that information associated with
delivery of a requested service may be delivered to the requesting
terminal.
In the instance of teletext services, screens of at least textual
characters are delivered to terminals and are displayed on an associated
television receiver. According to Campbell et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,536,791, an addressable cable television terminal comprises a
text/graphics generator. Data signals including control and text signals
are inserted on the vertical interval of television signals transmitted to
the terminal. Moreover, full-channel teletext data in video line format is
transmitted to the terminal on dedicated text channels. Data retrieved
from the transmitted television signal may be overlaid on the image
created by the video signal. For example, a channel number retrieved from
the vertical interval can appear in the foreground and a tuned-to program
appears in the backgrounds of a display.
It is also known in a television receiver to selectively tune to a radio
broadcast of an audio signal for accompanying a video program. In this
manner, stereo audio or audio in a foreign language may accompany a
television program whose audio portion is neither stereo nor in the
selected language.
A requirement, however, exists in the art for a selectable overlay of text
upon a video program or an audio program or both to accompany a text
screen. For example, in the provision of premium television program
services, textual instructions would selectively and programmably be
displayed in the foreground and a preview of a premium program appear in
the background with or without accompanying audio. In the presentation of
teletext screens offering room service in a hotel room and advertising
dinner selections, dinner music may be tuned and played in the background
from a dinner musice audio channel and accompany the teletext screens for
room service as they are displayed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus of an
interactive terminal for switchably providing background music for
accompanying a foreground textual screen.
It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus of an
interactive terminal for switchably providing background video for
accompanying a foreground textual screen.
It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus of an
interactive terminal for switchably providing background audio or video or
both according to predetermined programming information associated with a
textual screen.
To accomplish these objects, it is a further object of the present
invention to provide a method of enabling preprogrammed video or audio or
both to accompany a textual screen in the background.
The apparatus for use in a television terminal according to the present
invention comprises a first switch under processor control for switching a
programmably selected channel which may comprise audio or video or both
signals for display. A second switch under processor control switches a
programmably selected output of a teletext generator. The outputs of both
the first and second switches are provided via a summation circuit for
display.
During the creation of a teletext screen for storage in a memory at a
system manager location, a template for the screen is completed in which
the template is associated with an indication of the background
audio/video channel. Consequently, when the screen template is requested
by a terminal, the background channel indication is retrieved from the
system manager and locally stored with the requested screen in terminal
memory. Also an indication is stored as to whether background audio is
enabled or not.
Consequently, according to the present method, when a particular screen is
selected by the user for display, the video and/or audio or both
programmed at the system manager will accompany the screen as background.
Furthermore, if a particular teletext service is associated with a number
of screens displayed serially, the background will continuously be
provided as audio or video or both throughout the display of the series of
screens.
These and other features of the present invention will become evident from
the following description of the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of an interactive entertainment system
in accordance with the present invention applied in a hotel or hospital
system environment comprising 2-way interactive terminals;
FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram of a 2-way interactive terminal
according to the present invention comprising a microprocessor, a memory,
a tuner, a character generator, switches and a television signal output to
an associated television receiver;
FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of the terminal of FIG. 2 in which
the essential element of the present invention are depicted; and
FIG. 4(a) and 4(b) each represent a teletext screen display in accordance
with the present invention, FIG. 4(a) being exemplary of background audio
and FIG. 4(b) being exemplary of background video or both background audio
and video.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a block schematic diagram of an
interactive entertainment system comprising terminal apparatus in
accordance with the present invention. The depicted embodiments relates to
its application in a hotel or hospital system environment; however, the
present invention is not so limited. The present invention may also be
applied in any two-way interactive or one-way non-interactive
entertainment system such as a cable or satellite television entertainment
system involving a distribution network comprising trunk lines and feeder
cables of optical or coaxial cable. For example, satellite receiver and
decoder 3, cable receiver and descrambler 4, video modulator 5,
addressable transmitter receiver 10, locally generated video modulator 11,
and system manager 12 may all be located at the location of a cable
television system head end. In this example, coaxial cable or optical
fiber link 6 can connect the cable television head end to two-way
interactive terminals 7, 8 or 9 of the entertainment system located at
individual subscriber premises.
On the other hand, the embodiment of FIG. 1 is especially exemplary of the
application of the present invention in a hotel or hospital entertainment
system. Transmission link 6, then, may simply comprise a coaxial or
optical fiber cable link between an entertainment control center and N
terminals, for example, terminals 7, 8 or 9 located in rooms of the
facility.
In particular, at the system control center, a satellite signal may be
received at satellite antenna 2 and then received and decoded at satellite
receiver decoder 3 for distribution via modulator 5 over a distribution
cable 6 to the interactive terminals 7, 8 or 9 of the present invention.
Additionally, a band of cable television channels received over cable
facilities 1 are received and, if necessary, descrambled at cable
receiver/descrambler 4. The descrambled video signals are then modulated
at modulator 5 for distribution over facilities 6 to interactive terminals
7, 8 or 9. If desired, an optical scrambler may be provided for scrambling
premium channel transmissions to interactive terminals 7, 8 or 9. Of
course, terminal 7, 8 or 9, then, would comprise descrambler circuitry
capable of descrambling the scrambled premium channel transmissions. Such
circuitry is not shown in either FIG. 1 or 2 but would be preferable in a
system involving distribution of signals to remote subscriber locations.
According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the hotel or hospital
location may be connected to other hotels or hospitals via data link 14.
Over data link 14, data may be received via modem 13 at system manager 12.
In this matter, the hotel or hospital system manager may maintain current
status of all features and all interactive terminals of an entertainment
system comprising a plurality of hotels. For example, entertainment
schedules may be distributed over the data transmission link from a
network control center where the entertainment schedule is composed.
System manager 12 comprises a data processing unit and appropriate memory
for storing status and features associate with all terminals in the
system. System manager 12 also controls the generation of video channels
at modulator 11, if necessary, for transmission over facility 6 of the
two-way interactive terminals 7, 8 or 9. In particular, modulator 11
comprises the capability to generate signals for actuating the selected
display of character screens at terminal locations responsive to the
control of the system manager 12 in the event, for example, that terminals
are unable to generate the characters screens themselves.
The generation of complete screens of characters for transmission to a
terminal according to the present invention for display is not required
because the terminal (FIG. 2) comprises its own character generator 204.
Consequently, locally generated video modulator 11 is optional. Instead,
system manager 12 generates a template for the keyboard terminal actions,
data and commands to generate screens, and not the screens themselves, for
transmission via addressable transmitter 10 to an interactive terminal
according to the present invention. In a "hybrid" system comprising
terminals having no character generator and terminals according to the
present invention, locally generated video modulator 11 would be
necessary. The screens generated either at the terminal or by way of
modulator 11 for example, may relate to the provision of information to
guests or patients about hotel or hospital services, respectively.
Also according to FIG. 1, system manager 12 controsl an addressable
transmitter/receiver 10 for transmitting addressed communications which
are uniquely addressed to terminals 7, 8 or 9 and receiving communications
at random times or in response to polling requests at terminals. The
addressable transmitter 10 according to FIG. 1 may transmit addressed
information on a separate data carrier, for example, at 108 megahertz and
receive information transmitted in a so-called upstream direction from the
terminals on another separate data channel at 25 megahertz. Communications
in the upstream direction may, for example, comprise request to transmit
teletext screens by name or number to the terminal for storage in terminal
memory according to a service request entered by the user through the
terminal keyboard. In an alternative embodiment, all downstream
communications may be transmitted in band or within a particular
television channel transmission, for example, within the horizontal or
vertical intervals of transmitted video signals. Consequently, the system
manager 12 accomplishes in band signaling by controlling data input into
the video signals transmitted via either modulator 5 or 11 (not shown). A
separate data carrier for each direction of transmission may be preferred
due to the increased data carrying capacity. For upstream transmission, a
telephone line or spread spectrum transmission may be employed as an
alternative to a separate data channel.
Besides specifically addressed data communications with the interactive
terminals 7, 8 or 9, the sytem may also address communications globally to
all interactive terminals which communications may or may not required a
terminal to respond. Such global communications, for example, may be
addressed to a global address representing all terminals in the particular
hotel system or to a group address representing a group of terminals
within the system having a commonality of interest.
The problem solved by the present invention relates to the facilitation of
the display of teletext screens via interactive terminal 7, 8 or 9
according to the present invention. The user of a terminal activates his
terminal by activating a power on button and turning on his associated
television receiver. The user then activates teletext service by choosing
one of many possible options: room service, pay-per-view events, checkout,
hotel information telephone message retrieval or in room shopping. These
options are exemplary only of possible options to which the present
invention may be applied to advantage. Teletext screen as used herein is
the term of art related the interactive provision of a screen of text and
graphics for display on a television signal receiver.
To demonstrate the principles of providing background audio for teletext
service, the user, for example, may request a display screen describing
room service. The template and other data stored in memory of terminal 7,
8 or 9 is regarded typically by a microprocessor and commands are
generated to display the first of several screens associated with room
service. Simultaneously, data of the template is regarded for frequency or
other turning data stored for background audio channel. Further, a flag is
regarded indicating enablement of background audio. Under microprocessor
control, the programmed audio channel is tuned and accompanies the
displayed screen.
Further details of providing room service from a terminal 7, 8, or 9 or
according to FIG. 2 are found in U.S. application Ser. No. 07,340-642,
filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Cable Television Transaction
Terminal" and incorporated herein by reference.
To demonstrate the principles of providing background video, the user, for
example, may request display of a premium channel for which the user must
pay for the privilege of viewing. A display screen associated with such
pay-per-view service is then associated with the user request. A template
for the screen is retrieved from memory for display which might read: "You
are now watching a free preview, to purchase, depress the buy key."
Associated with the template is the premium channel which will be
displayed as the background for the teletext screen. Depending on whether
the background audio is enabled, the user will also be able to listen to
the program audio.
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a two-way interactive terminal
according to the present invention. The terminal is coupled via facility 6
to video modulator 5, addressable transmitter/receiver 10 and locally
generated video modulator 11, if provided, as shown in FIG. 1.
In particular, a two-way interactive terminal according to the present
invention comprises an up/down converter 201 for converting channels
received over the facility 6 for display at an associated television
receiver (not shown) or for transmitting data modulated to 25 megahertz by
data transmitter 203 for transmission over facility 6. As explained
earlier, this data may comprise a request to add a teletext screen and
associated data to terminal memory. The television channels received over
facility 6 may comprise audio, video or both. Up/down converter 201 passes
data on the separate data carrier at 108 megahertz for demodulation and
reception at data receiver 203. Received television entertainment signals
(audio/video) are provided by up/down converter 201 the demodulator 202
which also provides automatic frequency control and gain control of
up/down converter 201. Demodulator 202 provides video via on screen
character generator 204 to channel 2/3 modulator 205. In this manner, on
screen character generation may appear superimposed upon an incoming video
signal or display in the form of a teletext screen, for example, text on a
plain colored background. The text screen, also, may be accompanied by
background video or audio or both according to the present invention. Also
at demodulator 202 the baseband audio channel is transmitted to audio
output 211 or via channel modulator 205 to the television receiver at
radio frequency. In addition, a baseband video output 213 may be provided
from on screen character generator 204 at video output jack 213.
The interactive terminal of the present invention further comprises a
processor 206 for controlling data transmission and reception at
data/receiver transmitter 203. Processor 206 also controls character
generation at character generator 204 via gate array 207. Also via gate
array 207, the processor 206 controls a key pad 216 which may be directly
coupled to the gate array or coupled via infrared or other remote control
transmission link receiver 208. Random access memory (RAM) 217, provided
with backup power by capacitor 218, stores character screen templates,
data and associated commands, downloaded feature data and other data
received over the data transmission link via data receiver 203 from the
system manager responsive to processor 206 control. The processor 206 also
has access to a nonvolatile random access memory 222 and access via gate
array 207 to an outboard read only memory (ROM) 219. Processor 206
receives remote contro key commands from a remote control key pad via
infrared or other remote control transmission receiver 208. Processor 206
may also control the operation of a phase lock loop 209 and bandpass
filter 210 for controlling operation of the up/down converter 201.
Consequently, any incoming channel may be tuned at the request of
processor 206.
Power is supplied via an alternating current input to power supply 215
which provides, for example, a plus 5 volts and a plus 12 volt DC input to
various components of the terminal requiring such power. Furthermore, the
alternating current power input to power supply 215 may be provided via a
controlled switch outlet 214 to an associated device such as the
television receiver associated with the terminal. The state of the
switched outlet 214 is controlled via gate array 207 by processor 206. For
example, the switched outlet 214 may continuously provide power to its
associated device or provide power only when an "on" button of key pad 216
or a remote control key pad is set to an on condition.
Values inside of boxes or associated with boxes are exemplary of memory
sizes, clock rates, or component types. For example, clock 202 for
clocking the microprocessor operation may operate at 14.318 megahertz. The
clock signal is divided down by gate array 207 for operation of the
microprocessor 206 which may be a Motorola MC 6803U4 or for clocking other
processes of the terminal. The on screen character generator 204, for
example, may be a Mitsubishi M50455 component. RAM 217 may comprise 16
kilobytes of memory and ROM 219 comprises 32 kilobytes of memory
respectively.
In addition to character generation and screen displays, LEDs 221 may, for
example, indicate at least a power on condition or, additionally, an
alternative display of tuned channel number or other data which may also
be displayed in the foreground on a screen.
Referring to FIG. 3, the elements of the terminal of FIG. 2 pertinent to
the present invention are shown in simplified schematic form. Up/down
converter 201 and demodulator 202 are simply represented as an EIA
(Electronic Industries Association) channel tuning circuit 301. The
on-screen generator 204 is simply represent as screen generation circuit
302. The somewhat complicated control of tuning shown in FIG. 2 is simply
shown as first on/off switch 303 of FIG. 3. Simirlarly, the presence or
absence of teletext output of generator 204 is represented as second
on/off switch 304.
Referring briefly to FIG. 2, video output of demodulator 202 is provided
via generator 204 for display. Consequently, generator 204 also provides a
video signal summation simply represented by summation circuit 305. Also,
gate array 207 controls demodulator 202 in such a way that audio is
switchably provided via lead 211 or RF signal 212 depending on whether
background audio is enabled or not according to the present invention.
The outputs to the TV can be EIA tuning alone, screen generation alone, or
a mixing of screen generation and EIA tuning. For this last opinion the
background sound for the particular screen is the corresponding audio for
the EIA tuned channel. To view the EIA video, the screen attributes stored
in terminal memory for an associated template must be set to "On Screen."
The background audio/video can be configured as any EIA channel in the
range of channels provided over the cable television facility. The audio
can be muted independently. If no volume exists for a particular screen,
the mute volume up and volume down keys of a terminal keyboard have no
effect on the volume. Volume bars may be displayed, however. If there is
no EIA channel configured, audio is automatically muted. In addition, if
the screen attribute is On Screen, the last tuned EIA channel will appear
as the background video in the absence of tuning frequency data associated
with the screen.
There exist two special EIA channel values for the handling of pay-per-view
premium channel services. Since there exist, for example, a lesser number
of individually configurable premium channel and only one set of screens
associated with purchasing premium channels, the need arises for special
handling of background channels. To configure the alternate video channel
for the particular premium as the background video channel, one channel
may be predetermined as the EIA channel. For the premium channel itself as
the background, a second premium channel may be used. If these values are
used while not on a premium channel, the first tune EIA channel will
appear as the background video and the audio will be muted. Scrambling as
indicated above is optional and will only be done for the second premium
channel background.
Details of teletext screen design at a system manager location and of
screen priority of a terminal memory are described in U.S. application
Ser. No. 07,342,987 filed concurrently herewith and incorporated herein by
reference. Suffice it to say, however, screen templates are designed and
stored in system manager memory by screen number. A templetate filed
identified by name and associated with a screen determines what actions
the terminal should take in response to the actuation of keys of a
terminal keyboard. More importantly, associated with the screen in screen
memory is an EIA channel frequency to which the terminal should tune to
obtain background audio/video. Another memory flag indicates whether
background audio is enabled or not. Further, in an attribute list is
included information as to whether "on-screen" status is flagged
indicating that the channel indicated by the tunning data or the
last-tuned EIA channel appears as background as explained above.
Referring to FIG. 4(a), there is shown the first of a series of screens
associated with providing room service at a hotel. This screen is
accessed, for example, by a user tuning to a channel number for room
service. The channel number is unrelated to channel tuning by the
terminal. Rather, according to a channel map in memory, the entered
channel number may correspond to an identifier for the feature start
screen for room service. Typically, as many first screens for different
services are stored in terminal memory as possible according to a scheme
of teletext screen priority and control. Lower priority screens are stored
at the system manager until requested or until it becomes imminent that
they will be requested. The screen priority and control arrangement is
further described in copending, concurrently filed U.S. application Ser. | | |
