Systeme unifie de communication a programmation regroupant les communications de l'art anterieur (telles que par exemple la television, la radio, l'impression transmise electroniquement, et les communications par ordinateur) ainsi que les nouveaux mass medias specifiques aux utilisateurs. Unified programming communication system involving communications of the prior art (such as eg television, radio, print transmitted electronically, and computer communications) and new mass media specific users. Dans le systeme unifie, des moyens (205) et procedes mettant en oeuvre des systemes d'ordinateurs ont la capacite de produire des informations specifiques a un utilisateur particulier, simultanement a chaque poste (26) d'une pluralite de postes d'abonnes (26). In the unified system, means (205) and methods employing computer systems have the ability to generate specific information to a particular user, simultaneously with each station (26) a plurality of subscriber stations ( 26).

Signal processing apparatus and methods.

An electronic program schedule system with access to both stored television program schedule information and data feeds containing status information for live programs such as sporting events. The system includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs and data feeds containing status information for certain of the programs, and a video display generator for generating a display signal simultaneously comprising information from both the stored schedule information and the received data feed. The system is further provided with user control means such as a remote controller for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto so as to control the content of the display signal. The display signal may be displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. In addition, the program schedule system of the present invention utilizes category-specific user interfaces providing access to multiple services including television programs, received data feeds, home shopping services, and video games as well as the stored program schedule information.

Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access

An electronic program schedule system which includes a receiver for receiving broadcast, satellite or cablecast television programs for a plurality of television channels and a tuner for tuning a television receiver to a selected one of the plurality of channels. A data processor receives and stores in a memory television program schedule information for a plurality of television programs to appear on the plurality of television channels. A user control apparatus, such as a remote controller, is utilized by a viewer to choose user control commands and transmit signals in response to the data processor which receives the signals in response to user control commands. A television receiver is used to display the television programs and television program schedule information. A video display generator receives video control commands from the data processor and program schedule information from the memory and displays a portion of the program schedule information in overlaying relationship with a television program appearing on a television channel in at least one mode of operation of the television programming guide. The data processor controls the video display generator with video control commands, issued in response to the user control commands, to display program schedule information for any chosen one of the plurality of television programs in overlaying relationship with at least one television program then appearing on any chosen one of the plurality of channels on the television receiver.

Electronic television program guide schedule system and method

A client-server interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide client is implemented on user television equipment. The interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to define expressions that are processed by the program guide server. The program guide server may provide program guide data, schedules reminders, schedules program recordings, and parentally locks programs based on the expressions. Users' viewing histories may be tracked. The program guide server may analyze the viewing histories and generates viewing recommendations, targets advertising, and collects program ratings information based on the viewing histories.

Client-server electronic program guide

An online television program information system extracts from a broadcast datastream of television program information only that program information for those shows which meet predetermined selection criteria, and stores only the extracted information. By not storing all broadcast television information, memory size for information storage is reduced and a high performance processor is not required for subset searches of the entire stored datastream for programs of interest. A low cost online television program information system is thereby provided, which may store large amounts of useful program information. Content selective storage is facilitated by transmitting and receiving the television program information in three groups, with the first group comprising event data, the second group comprising titles and the third group comprising descriptions.

Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving television program information

Auxiliary graphics information signals to be displayed by the kinescope of a television receiver during on-screen display intervals are applied to the kinescope via a video signal coupling path of the receiver by means of a gated transistor and a differentially controlled current steering switch which are controlled by graphics timing signals. A current source for the current steering switch supplies an operating current for the video path when normal video signals are to be displayed, operating current for the gated transistor when graphics signals of a color other than black are to be displayed, and operating current for blanking the video path to produce a black graphics display.

Switching circuit for television receiver on-screen display

An automatic kinescope beam current limiter for a television receiver comprises a source of signal representative of kinescope beam current conduction, a first transistor responsive to the representative signal over first, second and third ranges of excessive beam currents above a threshold level, and a second transistor. A first control signal derived from the first transistor modifies the video signal peak-to-peak amplitude (contrast level) when beam currents above the threshold level occur. The output of the first transistor is selectively coupled to an input of the second transistor when beam currents beyond the first range occur. A second control signal derived from the second transistor modifies the video signal D.C. component (brightness level) to limit beam currents beyond the first range, whereby both the peak amplitude and D.C. components are modified over the second range. The first control signal is clamped to a fixed level in response to beam currents beyond the second range, whereby the video signal D.C. component is modified alone to limit beam currents over the third range.

Automatic kinescope beam current limiter with sequential control modes

A circuit for generating a composite keying signal comprises a burst gate circuit and a voltage translating network in a color television receiver also including keyed signal processing circuits and means for deriving horizontal and vertical blanking signals and a horizontal sync signal from a composite color television signal containing a color burst component. The burst gate circuit responds to the horizontal sync signal to develop a burst gate pulse encompassing the burst interval. A voltage level developed by the translating network in response to the horizontal and vertical blanking signals is combined with the burst gate pulse to produce a composite keying signal. The composite keying signal comprises a first pulse component of a desired level as determined by the translating network and ocurring during the blanking intervals, and a second pulse cmponent as provided from the burst gate circuit, superimposed on the first pulse and encompassing the burst interval. Means are also included for inhibiting the output of the keying signal generator during picture intervals of the television signal, to prevent false keying of the keyed circuits in response to keying signals generated by the keying signal generator in the presence of spurious input signals occurring during picture intervals.

Controlled output composite keying signal generator for a television receiver

A television receiver includes a character generator for permitting kinescope display of auxiliary characters in addition to display of normal video signal information, and means for sensing a given characteristic (e.g., bias) of video signal processing circuits of the receiver during prescribed sensing intervals. The character generator is disabled during the sensing intervals to prevent false outputs from the character generator from distorting the characteristic being sensed.

Television receiver with selectively disabled on- screen character display system

Color reference oscillator comprises a non-inverting amplifier, with positive feedback via a crystal filter linking its output and input. A quadrature phase shift network, coupled to the filter output, delivers phase shifted signals to a pair of independently controlled amplifiers. One of the controlled amplifiers is responsive to control voltage outputs of a burst-responsive phase detector so as to inject phase shifted signals into the oscillator loop, as and when required, to effect synchronization of oscillator with burst component of incoming color television signal. The second of the controlled amplifiers is responsive to a reference DC voltage and to a manually adjustable DC control voltage, and develops a phase shifted signal output, of a magnitude and polarity dependent upon the magnitude and sense of the difference, if any, between the respective DC voltages, for combination with the non-inverting amplifier's output. Variation of the manually adjustable control voltage effects an adjustment of the free-running frequency of the oscillator.

Ii Robert Loren Shanley

Papers

Switching circuit for television receiver on-screen display

Automatic kinescope beam current limiter with sequential control modes

Controlled output composite keying signal generator for a television receiver

Television receiver with selectively disabled on- screen character display system

Oscillator synchronizing system with dc control of free-running frequency