Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2I5I6~8
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of
television and in particular to a method of providing
interactive television programs to one or a plurality of
S users.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Interactive television can be provided without
an uplink to a head end by providing several alternative
channels relating to the same program to users, and by
allowing them to select which of the channels they view
by means of a local control.
For example in a sports event, several cameras
can be located so as to provide different angles and
distances from the play, and feed different channels.
The user can select whichever view he wants by switching
channels, but a decoder system at the user location
makes it appear as if the various views are received on
the same channel, in a single program.
In another example, a drama may be broadcast
with various alternative program segments on different
channels. The user, by using a local control, can
select alternative plots, the local control switching
channels in a manner transparent to the user.
In another system, different audio channels are
transmitted with a single video channel. The user, in
selecting different plot lines, selects different audio
channels. In this form of interactive television, there
is a lip sync problem, which restricts its application
to display of inanimate objects, such as playing cards
and games, puppets, etc.
A group of U.S. patents that have advanced the
state of the art, and are assigned to ACTV, Inc., are
4,264,924, 4,264,925, 4,573,072, 4,602,279, 4,847,698,
4,847,699, 4,847,700 and 4,918,516. In summary, the
ACTV patents describe a seamless system in which at
2l5l638
least a pair of television channels involving different
related parts of a program are transmitted on two
television channels. Control data is transmitted via a
narrowband data channel, in the vertical interval of the
video channel, i.e. in scan line 21. At a user location
(station), a pair of tuners tune the different channels
when a user requests a change in the program which would
require a channel change, The control data information
to the tuners instruct a switch when to change channels
by controlling a selection switch receiving the output
of a particular channel at the vertical interval of a
frame, and at a time related to the content of the
television program, and can be, for example, several
seconds after the user selects a program segment change.
This provides seamless switching of the program
information.
For example, if a television program is a card
game, an announcer may request the audience to select a
card or the result of a showing of cards on the
television screen. Different channels will show
different program segments following the selection by
the user, by means of a user remote control. Different
viewers would use their remote controls to make the
selection at different times, some even while the
announcer has not completed the instruction. The
control data carried in the data channel would control
whether the channel should be switched, depending on the
selection of the viewer, and in addition would restrict
switching of the channel until the announcer has
completed the instruction and until the next segment of
the television program begins. Otherwise the program
would be switched too early, and the proper program
segment appropriate to the viewer selection would not be
available until some time later (e.g. a fraction of a
second to several seconds later), which would result in
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annoyingly interrupted and poor programming.
The ACTV system and an improvement to it is
illustrated in block diagram in Figure 1. Four TV
channels, in this example, carrying different segments
of the same television program at appropriate times are
fed via four input lines F1, F2, F3 and F4 to an
electronic switch 2. The program on a selected channel
is fed to a line 21 data extractor 4, from which the
control data referred to above is extracted. This data
is provided to a command interpreter 6. The command
interpreter decodes the control data and stores status
data for variables in a memory 8. The command
interpreter also receives control signals from a user
remote control 10. The selected video channel is
provided to a television set 12.
In operation in accordance with one form of
this design, the user responds to the program being
watched, and pushes a selection button on the remote
control 10, and a resulting signal is received by
command interpreter 6. The command interpreter accesses
the data stored in memory 8, and as a result from the
variable status data that is stored, can determine which
response has been selected, which channel should be
switched to as a result of the particular response that
has been selected, and when should the channel be
switched. It also monitors the timing of the vertical
intervals and controls the switch 2, to select a new
channel, if that is required based on the user
selection. A seamless television program is thus fed to
the television set 12, transparently to the user, based
on the response selected, which can be different for
different users.
In another form of this design, the command
interpreter controls a video display generator (VDG) 14.
In this case, depending on the selection, a limited
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number of graphics generated by the VDG can be inserted
over the video program, such as which may prompt the
user to react and make choices by pressing some of the
active remote control buttons, to display the results of
selections, etc. The graphic overlays have been limited
to small icons, or small areas that display numbers or
comments.
The command interpreter can also control an
audio generator or synthesizer 16, which feeds an audio
input to the television set (merged with or switched in
place of the program audio), which can generate a
warning beep when the user pushes the wrong button, or
make some other sound.
The systems described above, while providing an
effective interactive television experience for the
user, is limited to the control data and to the program
segments transmitted by the head end. As the reader
will appreciate, it is not truly interactive, but only
apparently interactive, since all possible program
segments and channel switching control signals must be
predetermined from the head end, and all graphics
generated by the VDG and sounds are predetermined. As
such it is limited in capability.
A single channel system based on an early ACTV
concept was at one time sold as a View-Master
Interactive Vision (VMIV) system. This system provided
an interactive video program on a video tape, with
accompanying control programs which related to specific
interactive segments of the video program recorded just
ahead of those specific segments. Recorded in the video
program are colored stripes which are displayed at the
sides of the video screen at or just before the
beginning of each of the control programs.
In operation, the user would progress the tape
forward or backward to find the colored stripes. A VCR
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carrying the tape would then be started, beginning the
program from that location on the tape. A controller
would detect the control program and as the interactive
video program progressed and the user pressed certain
control buttons on or associated with the controller,
overlay graphics would be generated and displayed and
sounds would be generated, modifying the displayed
program in accordance with the pressed control buttons
in an apparent interactive manner.
Several problems existed with the VMIV system.
Firstly the user had to start the videotape at a
particular place. If this were not done, interactively
for a segment was not obtained.
Secondly, the system could not be used with
off-air or cable supplied programs. The interactive
program is present to what is recorded on a single video
tape, which could use a coincident head and supplied
program as a feed, since the control program would not
be in any way related to it.
Thirdly the system was restricted to a single
channel. Thus for example directed channels could not
be achieved.
Fourthly, if a person wished to participate in
the program from somewhere in the middle, he was
required to either rewind the tape until he saw the
colored stripes, then started the program to play in a
forward direction, or he had to delay interacting with
the program until the next pair of stripes appeared. In
both cases excitement and enjoyment of using the program
was lost.
The requirement to rewind or otherwise find the
colored stripes on the display was tedious and was not a
pleasant experience, and reduced incentive to play the
program, thus reducing or eliminating its commercial
success. In addition, the presence of the colored
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stripes was found to be an intrusion on the display,
reducing the quality of the video program displayed, and
making it look unedited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an improvement to the
above-described VMIV system, and is a method and system
for providing a true interactive television program to a
user. As such, the present invention significantly
decreases the limitations of the above-described above-
described systems, and is significantly different in
concept, structure and result therefrom.
In accordance with the present invention, a
local memory stores a software program which can
interact with the memory storing the variable status
data, and change the variable status data. For the
purposes of this specification, this function will be
called a parallel process.
The parallel process can change the variable
status data by itself, depending on content of data in
the data channel retrieved by the command interpreter,
depending on time, depending merely on the software
program itself based on any criteria, or based on a user
input from a user control. As such, the parallel
process can read and modify the data representing the
status of variables during the television program in the
memory locations.
Thus in the present invention, the user can
interact with the television program as described with
reference to the ACTV design, but now in addition, the
television program can interact with the software
program and vice versa, and the viewer can interact with
the software program and vice versa, thus providing a
rich array of possibilities to change what the viewer
sees, hears and interacts with.
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The apparatus that is controlled can be located
either at the actual user location or at a virtual user
location adjacent the head end, in the latter case using
an uplink in a two-way CATV system, for example.
S In accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention, a method of providing an interactive program
to a television user is comprised of transmitting a
television program, and transmitting variables relating
to possible television program choices, storing the
variables at a user location, displaying the television
program, and modifying the variables from the user
location during the progress of the television program,
to change the progress of the television program,
whereby program choice variations under control of a
user location based on variables modified at the user
location rather than modified from a head end are
obtained.
In accordance with another embodiment of the
invention, a method of providing an interactive
television program to a television user is comprised of
the steps of downloading a software program to a user
station, receiving a television program, and interacting
with the software program to change or create at least
one of audio, graphics and animation on a television
monitor and or change a program segment of the
television program, for display on the television
monitor.
In accordance with another embodiment of the
invention, a method of providing an interactive
television program to a television user is comprised of
the steps of downloading a software program to a user
station, transmitting a television program having plural
parallel segments, and at least one of: the user inter-
acting with the television program to view different
segments, the user interacting with the software program
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to enable the software program to cause display of
graphics or animation for viewing by the user, and the
software program selecting different segments of the
television program for viewing by the user.
In accordance with another embodiment of the
invention, apparatus for controlling interaction of a
user with a television program is comprised of apparatus
for receiving a television program having several
parallel segments, apparatus for storing parameters
relating to the segments, apparatus for controlling
display to the user of segments based on a look-up of
the parameters, and apparatus for varying the parameters
under local control.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention will be
obtained by reading the description of the invention
below, with reference to the following drawings, in
which:
Figure 1 is a block diagram of a prior art
system,
Figure 2 is a block diagram of a system in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, and
Figure 3 is a more detailed block diagram of
the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning to Figure 2, a system is shown which is
a modification of the system shown in Figure 1, wherein
similar elements are given similar reference numerals.
However, in the present invention a parallel process is
provided, which parallel process is comprised of the
operation process involving the software program and the
system processor, to be described in more detail with
respect to the Figure 3.
The parallel process reads and can modify the
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data in memory 8, and in addition can cause the
generation of various displays by the VDG, and various
sounds and/or synthesized speech and music by the audio
generator.
S Different ways in which the system can operate
will now be described.
In a first way in which the system can operate,
the television program is received as in the prior art
system, and the line 21 data is decoded by the command
interpreter and is stored in memory 8. This of course
can occur in a dynamic manner, with the data being
changed as the program content requires.
The data stored in memory 8 is consulted by the
software program and the software program changes its
behavior depending on the content of the variables.
Thus the variables become an essential part of the
operation of the software program.
For example, depending on the content of the
variables, the software program may provide a half
screen graphic in a wipe procedure, in the event
particular variables relate to a program segment that
requires anticipation of what is obscured by the
graphic, and later a venetian blind reappearance of the
program behind the graphic (i.e. disappearance of the
graphic).
As another example, the software program may
provide a cartoon character graphic with synthesized
voice to provide an instruction, or to fill a time gap
or segway in the programming, based on the data stored
in memory 8.
None of the above were capable of being
provided in the prior art system.
A second way in which the present invention can
operate is to have a user provide commands via the
remote control 10 to the parallel process. In this
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case, the software program itself can display choices or
can ask questions on the television screen by
controlling operation of VDG 14, and can cause voice
synthesization of the questions or provide other audio
sounds, by controlling audio generator 16.
In the prior art system, the television program
itself provides choices to the user. When the user
makes the choice, the result is stored in memory 8 and
the result is the command interpreter changing channels.
Thus, the number of choices is limited to the number of
channels carrying the various segments of the television
program, four, for the four channel system shown. While
the present invention still accommodates that prior art
capability, the parallel process can provide a rich
array of other capabilities depending on the software
program of the parallel process. This allows use of a
large number of applications buttons (switches) on the
remote control to enable the array of capabilities.
For example, assume that a marionette character
in a television program informs the viewer that he will
sing a song and promises a reward to the user for
pressing a certain button (not one that results in a
channel change) every time a favorite number, previously
selected by the user, is included in the words of the
song. Every time the viewer meets these conditions, a
graphic locally generated under control of the parallel
process, is overlaid on the screen showing lively
animated graphics.
In this case, the user has interacted with the
television program by selecting a number by inputting it
on the remote control. This selection is detected by
the parallel process, which stores it in a local memory,
or in memory 8. In this case the user has used a button
on the remote control different from one that causes a
channel change, in the prior art system. At an
Z~.~g3g
appropriate time in the television program, when the
marionette sings the number, the user pushes the same or
another button, which is detected by the parallel
process. The parallel process checks the memory 8,
detecting whether or not the latest selected button
conforms to the originally selected number, and checks
data stored in memory 8 to determine whether it is
enabled to react to it (premature pushing of a button,
being equivalent to premature selection, being
inhibited). Thus the line 21 data stored in memory 8
can provide a selection window during which the number
selection is valid, and thus during which the software
program can use the user input to perform its next
routine.
The selection having been made, the software
program in the parallel process can cause generation of
the graphic overlay to be displayed in accordance with
the correctness or incorrectness of the input by the
user.
Thus in this case the user has interacted with
the software program, and has not been limited to use
only of four buttons on his remote control substantially
conforming to the four channels input to the system from
the head end, as was required in the prior art.
In another manner of operation of the present
invention, the software program of the parallel process
can modify the program variables stored in memory 8,
which may or may not be based on the television program
content.
For example, the user may initiate operation of
a software program routine by use of the remote control.
The parallel process detects the data stored in memory
8, which can involve program content. In one such case
the television program may be a story which can result
in either male and female leads having an ending by
~g'163~
being together, or by parting, story lines of the
television program being different in certain segments
to achieve either end. The user can be prompted at the
beginning to choose which form of ending is preferred,
which is input via one of the buttons on the remote
control 10. The resulting data is stored in memory 8 or
in a separate memory associated with the parallel
process.
Now the parallel process tracks the data stored
in memory 8 relating to the story line, and at
appropriate times dictated by the original input from
the user, automatically sends commands to the command
interpreter to control switch 2 during the progress of
the television program to select program segments
appropriate to the ending preselected by the user.
As another example, a television network
provides electronic mail boxes for individual subscriber
station. An advertiser, at the start of a television
program, sends over the network, at random station
addresses, a premium gift to 500 of the mail boxes, and
asks the viewers to verify for the message in their mail
boxes. The data to the 500 addresses notifying that
they are winners is stored in memory 8 or another local
memory that stores electronic mail. Those viewers which
respond, push a designated button on their remote
controls, acknowledging receipt of the premium. The
parallel process checks the locally stored winner-
designating data, making a verification, and if correct,
stores data in memory 8 to this effect. That data is
used by the command interpreter to automatically select
the channels to be presented to the winners for program
segments related to winners, while if the viewer is not
a winner, different data is stored in memory 8, that is
used by the command interpreter to select channels
having the segments related to persons other than
Z~ 3~8
winners. Thus the television program becomes different
for the winners (which may be shown details of the prize
they have won, for example) from others.
Figure 3 illustrates a system that may be used
to implement the present invention. An antenna or cable
provides television signals via input 20 to a splitter
22, which splits the signals and provides them to the
inputs of tuners 24. While two tuners are shown, it
should be recognized that one may be used.
The output signals of tuners 24 are applied to
the inputs of respective descramblers 26. The outputs
of the descramblers are applied to inputs of electronic
switch 28. Switch 28 corresponds to switch 2 of the
embodiment described with respect to Figure 2. The
output of switch 28 is applied to the input of line 21
data extractor 30, which provides the data signal from
line 21 of the video signal applied thereto to PIA 32,
and passes the video signal via combiner 34 to
television set or monitor 36.
A central processor 37, to which is connected a
read only memory (ROM) 38, is connected to a bus 38.
Random access memory (RAM) 40 is also connected to bus
38.
A data extractor 37, whose function will be
described below, is connected to the switch 28, and an
output connected to bus 38. Video and audio interfaces
are also connected to switch 28, for receiving video and
audio signals carried by the output line of switch 28.
A remote control 10 has a preferably infrared
transmitter, and a receiver 46, which has an output
interfacing bus 38, has an infrared receiver for
receiving infrared signals from the infrared transmitter
of remote control 10.
RAM 40 contains an operating system, data input
from remote control 10 to receiver 46, and part of which
21~i6~&
forms memory 8, containing program variables. ROM 38
contains a user station address as well as a booting
program, which operates in conjunction with CPU 37 in a
well known manner.
In operation, assume television programs are
being received via one of the tuners 24. With no
scrambled signal, the descrambler passes the signal, not
needing to descramble it. The signal is passed to
switch 28, where it is passed via line 21 data extractor
to television monitor 36.
Wideband data is carried on a data channel,
which is received via the same, or in this embodiment,
the other tuner. For example, the wideband data can be
an operating system for CPU 37. This data is extracted
from the line carrying it by data extractor 42, and is
passed to CPU 37 via bus 38. CPU 37 stores the
operating system program in RAM 40 under control of the
booting program stored in ROM 38.
Once the operating system has been received, a
software program for operating the parallel process is
similarly downloaded from the head end and is stored in
RAM 40.
Assuming that an interactive program is to be
received, both (or more) tuners 24 tune the channels
which carry the various continuous segments of an
interactive television program. Alternatively, if the
interaction is to be done using the parallel process
described earlier, as few as a single channel may be
used, with a single tuner, whereby the interaction is
exclusively between the parallel process and the user,
and/or between the parallel process and the VDG 14 and
audio generator 16.
When an interactive program is received, data
is present in the line 21 data channel, which is
detected by data extractor 30 and is passed via PIA 32
14
21~638
to processor 36. Processor 36 stores variable status
bits in RAM 40, in memory locations corresponding to
memory 8 (as described with reference to Figure 2).
Assuming that the television program causes
display of a selection to the viewer on monitor 36, the
user pushes a button (closes a switch) on the remote
control lO. This causes a signal to be transmitted via
its infrared transmitter to an infrared receiver of
receiver 46. The data is provided to CPU 37, which
stores it in RAM 40. CPU 37 then checks the meaning of
the selection, and the status bits relating to the
program from memory 8, and in one example, is enabled
when a status bit indicating the end of a television
program segment is changed, as a result of receipt of a
variable in line 21 of the television signal. The CPU
then issues a command to switch 28 to switch its output
signal from a different tuner. This is received in a
seamless manner at monitor 36 where it is displayed.
As described above, data received from the
remote control is received by receiver 46 and stored in
RAM 40 for interaction by the parallel process, which
can control the generation of graphics by VDG 14 and/or
the generation of synthesized sound by audio generator
16 for application to the sound input of monitor 36.
Further, as described above, the CPU 37, under
control of the software program of parallel process
stored in RAM 40, the software program can change the
data stored in the memory 8 portion of RAM 40, for
controlling operation of switch 28.
Thus an embodiment of the invention is
comprised of downloading a software program to a user
station, receiving a television program, and interacting
with the software program to change or create at least
one of audio, graphics and animation on a television
monitor and/or change a program segment of the
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television program, for display on the television
monitor. Choices can be presented to the user, for
example by means of a displayed menu, and the user
selects an item from the menu. A peripheral controller
can be controlled to control a peripheral device by
means of the software program reacting to the selection
of the item.
The television program can be transmitted via
single channel, the program segment being changed by
means of the software program, or at least some segments
of the television program can be transmitted
simultaneously via different channels, and program
segments changed under control of the software program
switching channels to program the television program in
a seamless manner.
The software program can be downloaded at
intervals during the television program, rather than
only at the beginning, which allows persons tuning to
the program after it has started to participate with the
program in an interactive manner.
The content of the software program is
preferred to be synchronized with the content of the
television program, separate downloads of at least parts
of the software program being done during the progress
of the television program for control of creation or
change of the audio, still picture, graphics, animation
or program segment in a manner synchronized with the
television program.
It should be understood that by television
program or program segment, it is intended that at least
one of sound, still picture or sequence of still
pictures, graphics, animation or moving video from
whatever source is included and presented to the user.
Choices can be presented to the user during the
program (such as to choose a playing card in a video
16
2151638
card game by pressing remote control buttons), and the
resulting signal interacts with the software to select a
choice, whereby the software controls the creation or
change of the audio, graphics, animation and/or program
S segment.
It should also be noted that the term "user
location" is not intended to be restricted to a physical
location of the user, but can be at a virtual user
location. In such case the remote control controls an
uplink transmitter to send commands to a parameter
storing apparatus and controlling apparatus for display
of segments based on the look-up of the parameters and
for varying the parameters, located at the head end as a
virtual user location. Thus the user controls the above
apparatus in a manner as described above, the major
different from the embodiment described being that the
commands from the remote control are sent from the
subscriber to the apparatus via a cable network upstream
to the above apparatus located at the head end, as
described for example in Canadian Patent 1,327,238
issued February 22, 1994 invented by Michel Dufresne et
al and assigned to the same assignee as is this
invention, and that the resulting signal is modulated
and sent downstream from the head end addressed to the
user, for demodulation and presentation to the display
of the user, using apparatus as described for example in
U.S. Patent 4,623,920 issued November 18, 1986 invented
by Michel Dufresne et al and assigned to the same
assignee. Both the aforenoted patents are incorporated
herein by reference.
While the aforenoted apparatus can be located
at the head end as a "virtual user location", it should
be noted that individual discrete sets of apparatus need
not be used at the head end, and may be merged into at
least one computer which performs a similar function for
2l5l~6l38
all subscribers, but which is more economical in use of
apparatus.
Thus the term "downloading" as used in the
disclosure and claims is intended to mean providing the
programs, etc. of whatever form to the apparatus to
which the signals are downloaded, whether that apparatus
is located at a virtual user location adjacent a head
end or at the actual physical location of the user,
downstream of the distribution system.
It is intended also that the invention is not
restricted to use of a CATV system, but is applicable to
other kinds of distribution systems. For example a
downstream system can be a satellite to home downlink
with a wired or wireless uplink, e.g. by coaxial cable,
optical fiber, telephone wire, wireless personal
communication system (PCS) etc.
It may thus be seen that with the use of this
invention, there may be interaction between the user and
the television program, between the user and the
parallel process, and between the parallel process and
the television program. The system provides true
interaction, rather than apparent interaction, which is
the case in prior art systems. As a result, a much
richer interactive television program experience can be
achieved.
The invention can be used, for example, for
entertainment, education, training, advertising, etc.,
and is not restricted to full motion video. For
example, it can be used with still frame alone or
combined with motion video, digitizing or analog sound,
etc. It may also be used to control peripheral
equipment that may interface the bus 38. For example,
home services may be controlled and monitored by the
present invention, using interactive commands.
18
21~1638
A person understanding this invention may now
conceive of alternative structures and embodiments or
variations of the above. All of those which fall within
the scope of the claims appended hereto are considered
to be part of the present invention.
19
