Signal processing apparatus and methods

Claims

We claim:

1. A system for inputting, processing and collecting response information from members of an audience consisting of

a plurality of audience stations, each station accommodating a specific audience member and each station having read/write memory means capable of holding specific data of its audience member, input means for inputting information of its audience member, first storage means for holding its audience member's input, processor means for processing its audience member's input and assembling output records that hold additional information besides said input, second storage means for holding said output records, and transmission means for transferring the output of said second storage means, with at least some of said stations programmed to process input information in a predetermined fashion,

a transmission medium for conveying the output of the transmission means of at least some of said audience stations, and

at least one data collection station for receiving the output records of said audience stations, processing said records, and collecting the information of said records.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one audience station initiates transmission of its output to said data collection station including reprogrammable control means operatively connected to the transmission means of said one station for causing said transmission means to initiate communications with at least one selected data collection station.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one audience station initiates transmission of its output in response to an instruct-to-contact signal and said station includes

second processor means for identifying and processing information of an instruct-to-contact signal.

4. The system of claim 3 including control means operatively connected to said second processor means and the transmission means of said one station for causing said transmission means to initiate communications with at least one selected data collection station.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the input means of at least one audience station is a computer that is acting in a predetermined fashion.

6. A method for collecting audience information in a system that consists of a plurality of audience member stations and at least one data collection station, each audience member station accommodating a specific audience member and having read/write memory means capable of holding specific data of its audience member, input means for inputting information of its audience member, first storage means for holding its audience member's input, processor means for processing its audience member's input and assembling output records that hold additional information besides said input, second storage means for holding said output records, and transmission means for transferring the output of said second storage means, with at least some of said stations programmed to process input information in a predetermined fashion and to transfer associated record information to a data collection station, consisting of the steps of:

programming each audience member's station with specific data of its audience member,

programming each audience member station to process audience member response information input and assemble in a predetermined fashion or fashions record information that includes additional information besides said response information input,

expressing a statement that prompts audience members to input response information, and

causing at least one audience member to input response information

thereby to cause said audience member's station to process said member's response information, assemble record information that includes additional data besides said response information, and transmit said additional data to said data collection station.

7. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

input means for inputting member information,

first memory means for storing said input information,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,

processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information in accordance with said instruction and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,

second memory means for storing said data, and

transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said system includes third memory means capable of receiving and storing instructions that control said processor means.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein at least some of the operating instructions that control processing of said system can be reprogrammed by a source external to said system including

control means for receiving operating instructions from said source and selectively reprogramming at least a portion of said system.

10. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

input means for inputting member information,

first memory means for storing said input information,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,

processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,

second memory means for storing said data, and

transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said system includes third memory means for storing detected information.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said system stores output data associated with more than one instance of input member information or detected information including

control means for defining the locations in which said system stores said data.

13. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

first memory means for storing first information of said member,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,

first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said first information and outputting data that include additional information besides said first information,

second memory means for storing said data,

transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station, and

second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said additional information in response to said instruction.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said first processor means or said second processor means receives instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources including

buffer means operatively connected to said first processor or said second processor to hold input instructions and/or information.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said buffer means joins input data together in selected fashions including

control means to control the fashion in which said buffer means joins together at least two selected data.

16. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

input means for inputting member information,

first memory means for storing said input information,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,

first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,

second memory means for storing said data,

transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station,

second detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and

second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said second detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said additional information in response to said instruction.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said system includes third memory means capable of receiving and storing instructions that control said first processor means or said second processor means.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said system stores output data associated with more than one instance of input member information or detected information including

control means for defining the locations in which said system stores said data.

19. The system claim 18 wherein said first processor means or said second processor means receives instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources including

buffer means operatively connected to said first processor or said second processor to hold input instructions and/or information.

20. The system of claim 9 or claim 15 or claim 18 wherein said system is preprogrammed with a plurality of telephone numbers, each corresponding to a data collection station, and said last named instruction causes said system to initiate telephone communications with a selected data collection station by dialing a selected telephone number including

telephone dialer means and

control means associated with said dialer means to cause said dialer to dial a selected telephone number.

21. A method for collecting information about programming use and usage at the receiver station of a potential member of a broadcast or cablecast programming audience, said receiver station including at least one input means for inputting information of the presence, attentiveness or degree of interest of an audience member, one detector means for detecting information of programming, one processor for processing information about programming use and usage, one output means for outputting programming, and one transmission means for transmitting output to a remote station, said receiver station being programmed to transfer information about programming use and usage to a remote station that collects data for use in statistics, consisting of the steps of:

programming said receiver station to process information of an audience member,

programming said station to identify information of a programming transmission,

inputting information of the presence of an audience member,

identifying information of a specific programming transmission outputted at said receiver station and

transmitting said information of member presence and

said in information of a specific transmission to said remote station thereby to cause said remote station to collect information of the presence of an audience member and of the identity of a programming transmission outputted to said member.

22. The method of claim 21 including the additional steps of:

inputting information of the attentiveness or degree of information interest of said audience member and

transmitting said information to said remote station

thereby to cause said remote station to collect information of attentiveness or degree of interest of said audience member in said programming.

23. The method of claims 21 or 22 wherein any portion of said information of presence, attentiveness, or degree of interest is inputted by a physical motion of said member.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said receiver station transmits information to said remote station only periodically and includes memory means to hold information during times when said receiver station is not transmitting information to said remote station, including the additional step of causing said memory means to transmit its information to said remote station.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said receiver station has capacity to initiate transmission of information to said remote station, including the additional step of causing said receiver station to initiate transmission to said remote station.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said receiver station has capacity to determine the degree of fullness of said memory means, including the additional step of causing said station to initiate transmission of information to said remote station after said means reaches a specific degree of fullness.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein said receiver station has capacity for selectively transmitting information to said remote station, including the additional step of discarding duplicate information.

28. The method of claim 27 including the additional step of counting duplicate information.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein said receiver station has clock means, including the additional step of inputting time information to said memory means.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein said station has a plurality of output means for outputting programming to a member and capacity for outputting programming selectivity, including the additional steps of identifying which output means outputs identified programming and transmitting information that identifies said output means.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein said station has capacity for evaluating how equipment operates in conjuction with an input of information of presence, attentiveness, or degree of interest or a detection of the identity of output programming, including the additional step of inputting to said memory means information that indicates specific equipment actuated and/or what affect actuation has.

32. A method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station, with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal, consisting of the steps of:

programming at least some of said last named audience stations to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission,

programming at least one of said some to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal,

transmitting mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions,

receiving said transmission at a plurality of said audience stations and outputting the corresponding mass medium programming,

transmitting to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal,

inputting information of the reaction of an audience member at a selected audience station that is outputting said mass medium programming and is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission,

detecting the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal at said selected audience station and combining information of said signal to at least one processor of said station,

causing said station to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, and

receiving at least a portion of the output of said processor at said data collection station, thereby to cause said data collection station to collect at least a portion of said response information.

33. In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station; with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal; and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, at least one of said some is programmed to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, and information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, the step of:

transmitting to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, thereby causing said selected audience station to detect the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal, combine information of said signal to at least one processor of said station, process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, said data collection station to receive at least a portion of the output of said processor, and said data collection station to collect at least a portion of said response information.

34. A receiver station system for processing, recording, and transferring information of a member of a broadcast program audience to at least one remote data collection station comprising

memory means for storing first information of said member,

first processor means for processing said first information and assembling output records that include additional information besides said first information,

recorder means for storing said output records,

transmission means for transmitting at least some output of said recorder to said data collection station,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and

second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said output in response to said instruction.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said first processor means has means for receiving instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said system includes telephone dialing means and initiates telephone communications with a data collection station by dialing a specific telephone number.

37. In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station; with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal; and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, a transmission stations transmits to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, and the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal is detected at said selected audience station and information of said signal is combined to at least one processor of said station, the step of:

programming said selected station to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, thereby to cause said station to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, and said data collection station to receive at least a portion of the output of said processor and collect at least a portion said response information.

38. In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station; with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to detected instruct-to-respond signal; and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, at least one of said some is programmed to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, a transmission stations transmits to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal is detected at said selected audience station and information of said signal is combined to at least one processor of said station, and said station is caused to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, the step of:

receiving at least a portion of the output of said processor at said data collection station, thereby to cause said data collection station to collect at least a portion said response information.

39. The method of claim 32 wherein at least some of said audience stations have television output means and said mass medium programming is television programming.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said selected station inputs information of a viewer order for a product or service or request for information, said viewer input being made in response to information in a transmission associated with a television program, including the additional step of

causing said station, in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, to determine whether viewer input exists or to process reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal if specific viewer input exists.

41. The method of claim 40 including the additional step of holding said viewer input at said station at a time when said station is not receiving an instruct-to-respond signal.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein a television program viewer physically inputs said viewer input at the input means of said station including the additional step of

communicating an expression in said television program that prompts a viewer to input an order, request or command at the input means of an audience station.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said order, request or command is for additional programming that relates to and/or supplements the information of said television programming and processing said order, request or command enables said station to output said programming including the step of

transmitting to said station programming that is additional to and supplements the information of said television programming.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein said station has a plurality of detectors or a plurality of processors including additional steps of identifying said instruct-to-respond signal and combining said signal to a selected processor that is programmed to process reaction information in response to an instruct-to-respond-signal.

45. The method of claim 44 including the additional step of programming a selected processor of said station to process reaction information in response to an instruct-to-respond signals.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein said station has second output means for outputting said additional programming including the additional step of outputting said additional programming at said second output means.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said second output means is a printer and said additional programming is printed.

48. The method of claim 38, 41 or 43 wherein said input information is an order for a product or service including the additional step of determining for billing purposes at said data collection station that said viewer input or input information is an order.

49. The method of claim 37 or 43 wherein said station has means to transmit its output data to said data collection station in response to an instruct-to-contact signal including the additional step of

programming said station to contact a remote station in response to an instruct-to-contact signal.

50. The method of claim 33, 37, 38, 41 or 43 wherein said station has means to search at least one transmission for an embedded instruct-to-respond signal including the additional step of

programming said station to search for an instruct-to-respond signal.

51. The system of claim 9, 12, 15 or 18 wherein said system displays to its audience member at least a portion of its information of its member including output means operatively connected to said first memory means or said second memory means for outputting information or data contained therein.

52. The system of claim 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16 or 18 wherein said system displays to its audience member programming that supplements the information of a television program including

output means operatively connected to said first memory means or said second memory means for outputting information or data contained therein.

53. The method of claim 6 including the additional steps of:

programming said last named station to process input information in a plurality of fashions and

causing said station to process said response information in a selected fashion.

54. The method of claim 53 including the additional step of: programming said station to contact a data collection station in response to an instruct-to-contact signal.

55. The method of claim 54 including the additional step of:

programming said station to identify an instruct-to-contact signal.

56. The method of claim 55 including the additional steps of:

programming said station with information to contact a plurality of data collection stations and

causing said station to contact a selected one of said plurality.

57. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor of at least one of said audience stations has means for receiving instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources.

58. The system of claim 57 wherein said station includes

buffer means operatively connected to said plurality of sources and said processor for organizing the stream of input instructions and/or information.

59. A receiver station system for processing and recording information of a member of a broadcast program audience for at least one remote data collection station comprising

input means for inputting member information,

memory means for storing said input information,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,

processor means operatively connected to said memory means and said detector means for processing said input information in accordance with said instruction and assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information, and

recorder means for storing said output records on a memory medium.

60. The system of claim 59 wherein said system includes buffer means operatively connected to said input means, said detector means, and said processor means for organizing the instruction and information stream.

61. The system of claim 59 wherein said recorder means holds records associated with more than one instance of input member information and said station has means for defining the locations in which said recorder means holds said records.

62. The system of claim 59 including

transmission means for transmitting the output of said recorder means to said data collection station.

63. A receiver station system for processing and recording information of a member of a broadcast program audience for at least one remote data collection station comprising

input means for inputting member information,

memory means for storing said input information,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,

processor means operatively connected to said memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and

assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information, and

recorder means for storing said output records on a memory medium.

64. The system of claim 63 wherein said system has means to detect a datum at a plurality of sources and includes means to identify the source at which said datum is detected and store information of said source.

65. The system of claim 63 wherein said recorder means holds records associated with more than one instance of input member information and said station has means for defining the locations in which said memory holds said data.

66. The system of claim 63 including

transmission means for transmitting the output of said recorder means to said data collection station.

67. A receiver station system for processing, recording, and transferring information of a member of a broadcast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

input means for inputting member information,

first memory means for storing said input information,

detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,

first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information,

recorder means for storing said output records,

transmission means for transmitting output of said recorder means to said data collection station,

second detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and

second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said second detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit at least some of the output of said recorder means in response to said instruction.

68. The system of claim 67 wherein said system has means to detect a datum at a plurality of sources and includes means to identify the source at which said datum is detected and store information of said source.

69. The system of claim 67 wherein said system includes telephone dialing means and dials a specific telephone number prior to the commencement of a transmission of output of said recorder means.

70. The system of claim 62 or claim 66 or claim 36 or claim 69 wherein said system is programmed with a plurality of telephone numbers, each corresponding to a data collection station and can initiate communications with a selected data collection station by dialing a selected telephone number.

71. The system of claim 62 or claim 66 or claim 69 wherein said system is preprogrammed with a plurality of telephone numbers, each corresponding to a data collection station, and said last named instruction can cause said audience station to initiate telephone communications with a selected data collection station by dialing a selected telephone number.

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 hat 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, Massachusetts 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, California 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 Kimura U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,792. Baer U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,854 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 co-called "cueing" systems in the prior art operate in conjunction with network broadcast transmissions to automate the co-called "cut-in" in local television and radio stations of locally originated programming such as so-called "local spot" advertisements.

Also in the prior art, Lambert U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,522 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, Bourassin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,480 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. Freeman et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,925 describes a multi-channel programing 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 Haselwood, et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,851. Another that monitors by means of audio codes that are only "substantially inaudible" is described in Crosby U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,391. 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 Greenberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,804.

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 connecting 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 st