The present invention utilizes an aggregator for searching, packaging and delivering content. The aggregator processes requests, searches, provides search results and acquires content. The aggregator, operating in a communications network, includes a request and results processing server, a search engine server coupled to the request and results processing server and a content acquisition server coupled to the request and results processing server. A request and results processing server receives a request for content, the search engine server searches for the content and the content acquisition program acquires content for delivery to the user. The request and results processing server includes a search request processor that receives information related to a user's search request and provides the information to a search results form builder that creates an electronic search request.

Video and digital multimedia aggregator

Circuitry and processed carried out thereby are disclosed for transmitting video­-on-demand and interactive service data (10) and other service data (19) on an MPEG multiplex and sending management and control data including conditional access EMM key data in-band in said MPEG multiplex (24) in MPEG packets having the DOCSIS PID (20). Processes to send conditional access data by sending ECM messages containing control words encrypted with session keys in said MPEG multiplex and sending EMM messages containing session keys encrypted with private set top box users keys are disclosed. The EMM messages are sent in-band in MPEG packets having the DOCSIS PID to only the set top boxes that request them via the upstream DOCSIS (33) which have ordered encrypted service. A head end with routing/switching capability to route MPEG transport streams encapsulated in IP packets is also disclosed.

Thin docsis in-band management for interactive hfc service delivery

A method and an apparatus are used to target interactive virtual objects to subscribers in a television delivery system. Programs are selected and virtual object locations are defined in the selected programs. The virtual objects (1265) available for targeting categorized and categories are correlated to subscriber information (1210) to determine the optimum targeting of the virtual objects (1260). The virtual objects may be targeted (1220) based on individual subscriber information (1210) or on information related to a group of subscribers. When a frame of program includes a virtual object location, a default or an alternate virtual objects is displayed. The virtual object location may change over space or time. The virtual object may be interactive, and may be used to link a subscriber to a remote location, such as an Internet web site. The television terminals record which virtual objects were displayed and report this information back to the headends and the operations center. The reported information is used to generate billing for commercial advertisers and to analyze viewer watching habits.

Method and apparatus for targeting of interactive virtual objects

A program guide in which a video layer includes a plurality of video objects including title objects, each title object having associated with it a channel and at least one time slot, the video layer being formed in response to a received video stream; and a graphics layer comprising a plurality of graphics objects including title overlay objects, each of the title overlay objects selectively imparting at least a visual de-emphasis to a respective title object in the video layer, the visual de-emphasis being imparted to title objects not being associated with a desired time slot.

Data structure and methods for providing an interactive program guide

A data interface for transferring digital data between a host and a client over a communication path using packet structures linked together to form a communication protocol for communicating a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data. The signal protocol is used by link controllers configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming the communications protocol, and to form digital data into one or more types of data packets, with at least one residing in the host device and being coupled to the client through the communications path. The interface provides a cost-effective, low power, bi-directional, high-speed data transfer mechanism over a short-range “serial” type data link, which lends itself to implementation with miniature connectors and thin flexible cables which are especially useful in connecting display elements such as wearable micro-displays to portable computers and wireless communication devices.

High data rate interface apparatus and method

In a data multiplexing device which multiplexes and transmits the transport stream packets of program data consisting of a plurality of data elements constructed in the form of transport stream packets, a program distribution system, a program transmission system, a pay broadcast system, a program transmission method, a conditional access system, and a data reception device according to the present invention, by generating a scramble key Ks corresponding to one or more data elements among the plurality of data elements constituting a program and by scrambling each data element, an audience can subscribe for each data element.

Data multiplexing device, program distribution system, program transmission system, pay broadcast system, program transmission method, conditional access system, and data reception device

An information transmitter includes a signal separator for separating a packet line multiplexed by another transmitting device into a packet line of element data and a packet line of second additional information on the element data; an additional information generator for generating third additional information integrated by combining and regenerating the second additional information and first additional information; and a controller for controlling packet identifiers which are added at encoders and instructing a plurality of encoding to add packet identifiers that are different from each other. Thus, the overlaps of additional information and packet identifier information can be easily avoided with a simple construction.

Information transmitter device and transmitting method

A digital video signal is transmitted via a communication system which can transmit digital data through an asynchronous communication line (ATM communication line) or the like and, at the same time, voice information for the working communication and information such as computer information are transmitted by using the communication system. The user of a first data transmitting apparatus sets up the character data etc. for communication on the terminal. The set character data is multiplexed in the predetermined transmission packet together with the audio and video data output from the VTR device and transmitted via an ATM communication line 2 to a second data transmitting apparatus. In the second data transmitting apparatus, the character data is demultiplexed from the transmission packet and displayed on for example the display device of the personal computer. In place of the character information, also voice information can be transmitted by a telephone set. In this way, the users of both data transmitting apparatuses transmit and receive the working communication information by using the communication line for transmitting the digital video signal.

Data transmitting system

A data transmission method, a data transmission apparatus and a data transmission system, in which the delay time of transmitted data is measured to compensate for the transmission delay in a communication line and received data are processed on the receiving side. The transmitting side receives measurement bits and returns them to the receiving side. A delay processing circuit on the receiving side detects the time difference between the sent and returned measurement bits. The delay processing circuit on the receiving side generates a reference signal before the reference signal inside the receiving side by the detected time difference, and transmits it to the receiving side. A delay processing circuit (24) on the transmission side supplies the received reference signal to a VTR apparatus (14b), and the VTR apparatus (14b) generates sound/video data in synchronism with the reference signal sent thereto and transfers it to the receiving side.

Data transmission method, data transmission apparatus and data transmission system

Even the case where the transmission rate for packets is varied in forming a sequence of packets from the packets, time information previously added to each packet is corrected based on absolute time information added to each of the packets forming the sequence of packets, thereby making it possible to realize a data processing apparatus and method capable of significantly improving the transmission efficiency for packetized data.

Tatsuya Kubota

Papers

Data multiplexing device, program distribution system, program transmission system, pay broadcast system, program transmission method, conditional access system, and data reception device

Information transmitter device and transmitting method

Data transmitting system

Data transmission method, data transmission apparatus and data transmission system

Data processing device and method for the same