Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MEDIA ONLINE SERVICES ACCESS SYSTEM AND METHOD
The present invention relates to an electronic
information access system and more specifically to a
media online services access system which provides
direct, automated access to an online information
provider through an address embedded in an electronic
signal which carries a program segment (e. g., through
television, radio, or a pre-recorded video or audio
medium).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore. media receiving and display systems
such as television and radio receivers have been linked
to interactive information providers in only very
limited ways. Some systems exist which permit the
exchange of digital information with the viewer of a
television program over or in combination with a
television signal, but such systems have provided access
to a single information source available from, for
example, the broadcast or cable television operator. In
such systems, the selection of information services has
been entirely within the control of the broadcast or
cable television operator. At the same time, some
television and radio broadcasters have begun announcing
an Internet address for viewer inquiries during the
course of program transmission. Access to this Internet
address requires the user to utilize his or her
computer. No system yet exists which provides automated
and direct user access to online information providers
through an address embedded in a video or audio program
signal.
The recent explosion in the usage of online
information services through digital networks such as
the Internet, Prodigy (R), America Online (R) and
Compuserve (R), for example. indicate that the demand
for access to readily available up-to-date or detailed
information is increasing. The viewer of a video
program, whether the program is received through
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broadcast, or cable means or from a pre-recorded medium,
may often seek to discover more information which
relates to a topic presented in the video program.
Since television programs and recordings are of finite
length, they do not contain all the related information
which a consumer may wish, and the information contained
therein may not be timely. Therefore, it would be
desirable for there to be a system which automatically
and directly provides access to an online information
provider through an address which can be extracted from
an audio or video program such as a television program,
commercial or news story. With such system, several
benefits would be obtained. For example, adults and
children viewing an educational or historical video
program could easily locate additional materials
provided in test or still picture by the producers of
the video program by accessing more information from the
producers digitally through the online address.
Consumers seeking more information about a specific
advertised product could easily find such information by
accessing the online address of an information provider
designated by the advertiser. News program viewers
seeking specific information from news stories or more
detailed information could easily access such
information through an online information provider
designated by the producers of such program.
The online services access system could be used
to provide still other benefits to consumers, business
owners, and the government. For ezample, an automobile
manufacturer could make information available directly
to a consumer through an online address embedded in a
video presentation so the consumer could reach its
online site quickly to ask for more information, to
request a test drive, or to purchase parts. Through
such system, a grocery store could advertise and receive
orders through its onhine.site from customers for home
delivery, or for other shopping needs. A catalog
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retailer could use such system to provide rapid access
to consumers, after airing a commercial, to its catalog
in online form and to enable orders to be placed readily
through its online site. A record company could use
such system to enable customers to order a recording
while listening to a song or viewing a music video.
Government agencies, e.g., the Internal Revenue Service,
military recruiters, or health agencies, for example,
could use such system to provide consumers with readily
available information following the airing of public
service announcements regarding regulations. programs,
or public health concerns, e.g., cancer, AIDS, and heart
disease. Educators and students could use such system
to obtain more detailed or up-to-the-minute information
from online bulletin boards and databases regarding
topics presented in a video program, even though the
program was recorded some time in the past.
Systems exist at present in which digitally
encoded information is transmitted and received through
a modified video signal of a conventional television
transmission. For example, a system is described in
U.S. Patent No. 4,894,789 wherein a digital information
signal is transmitted during the vertical blanking
interval of an analog broadcast television signal and
decoded and displayed on the television screen in
addition to the analog broadcast video signal.
U. S. Patent No. 5,128, 752 describes a system in
which a retailer broadcasts information for reception
upon a conventional television set regarding products
available through a central location. The system
includes a decoder for displaying the product
information on the television screen, and also a token
generator for producing tokens, at the user's option, to
be redeemed when a product is purchased. The broadcast
information includes data related to token redemption
and value considerations available upon purchase of the
product.
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U. S. Patent No . 5, 285.278 describes a system in
which coupon-related digital information is received
from a transmitted television signal through a decoder.
The decoder records the coupon-related data for later
readout and redemption when a product is purchased.
U.S. Patent No. 4,905.094 ("the '094 Patent")
describes an interactive cable television system in
which a subscriber tunes to a channel and requests
connection to a remote location by either dialing a
predetermined telephone number or accessing a cable
television channel. When the system identifies the
subscriber the television set displays the frame of
video (and possibly accompanying audio information)
describing products or services which may be viewed and
purchased. The '094 Patent does not describe the
extraction of encoded address information from the
television signal, or a system enabling a television
program viewer to access online information providers by
establishing connection automatically through such
extracted address.
Thus. systems exist which are capable of
providing interactive user access through a broadcast or
cable television signal. However, such systems are
limited in the access they provide to information
sources directly available through the unitary cable or
broadcast provider. Hy contrast, the present invention
facilitates direct automated user access to an unlimited
number of online information providers through provider
addresses which are embedded in the electronic signal
which carries an video or audio program.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention
to provide a system for extracting an address of an
online information provider from an electronic signal
which carries an video or audio program.
It is a further object of the invention to
provide a system which indicates to the program user
(i.e., viewer or listener), after extracting an online
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information provider address, that more information is
available.
Still another object of the invention is to
provide an automated system which, upon receipt of a
single user command, directly and automatically
establishes a digital connection with an online
information provider through an address extracted from
an electronic signal which carries a video or audio
program.
Another object of the invention is to provide a
system which converts information signals received from
an online information provider to a form capable of
being displayed on a conventional reproducing system
such as a television set.
These and other objects are provided by the
media online services access system of the present
invention.
SUN~1ARY OF THE INVENTION
The media online services access system of the
present invention provides a system and process which
links video and audio program content with online
information signal content. The system provides
heretofore unattained direct automated user access from
a media program such as a received or pre-recorded
television or radio (audio) signal to an online
information provider through a link provided in the
media program. The access system_receives an electronic
signal representing a viaeo or auaio program or a
combined audio/video program from an available medium
(e,g,, broadcast and cable television and radio, or a
pre-recorded medium such as a tape or disc). Embedded
in the electronic signal, for example, in the vertical
blanking interval, or otherwise encoded in the
electronic signal in such manner as not to interfere
with the displayed image, is an information signal
representing an electronic address of an online
information provider. The online information provider
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can be any one of millions of interactive information
providers, which can be accessed through exchange of
digital information signals, for example, a publisher
who is available through the Internet for interactive
transactions. As the media program is received for
reproduction on a video display or audio sound system,
the access system extracts the embedded electronic
address for use in directly . accessing the online
information provider at the selection of the user.
Preferably, the address is stored at the time
of extraction, for use in accessing the online
information provider at the selection of the user. The
duration in which an extracted signal address is stored
may be relatively short, as in the case where the
address is transmitted and refreshed continuously or at
very short intervals, e.g., once per each frame of a
video signal, or it may be longer, as when an address is
transmitted only at selected intervals of a program.
Upon successfully extracting an electronic
address, the access system provides a indicator signal
to the user that more information is available. The
indicator signal may take the form of a message
displayed on a video screen, or other indicators such as
a light, a sound or a wireless tactile indicator, e.g.,
vibrating wristband or clip-on unit. Alternatively, the
video or audio program may contain a logo or message to
be displayed for the user at points in the program which
coincide with the presence of an embedded online
information provider address, which, in such case, would
eliminate the need for the access system to incorporate
specific structure to provide indication to the user, in
response to successful extraction of an online provider
address.
After receiving the indicator signal, if the
user desires more information, the user may request
access to the online information provider through a
command to the access system, e.g., through pushbutton,
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user control keypad, voice command, mouse, touchpad,
touchscreen, or other such input. Upon receiving such
command, the access system automatically establishes a
digital communication link with the online information
provider through transmission of a signal containing the
extracted address. Preferably, upon establishment of
such communication link, the access system enables
interactive communications with the online information
provider.
In another embodiment of the invention, the
extracted address can be used without first being
stored, as in cases where a connection already exists
between the access system and a network. Where such
connection exists, the access system provides an
indicator signal to the user upon successful extraction
of an online information provider address. However, in
this embodiment, the access system waits to receive a
user command to initiate access, and only after
receiving such command does the access system extract
the neat received address from the electronic signal and
use it to establish a direct connection to the online
information provider.
In a preferred embodiment, after accessing an
online services provider, the access system receives
information from the online information provider and
processes it for reproduction on a video or audio
reproducing system. For example, the information can be
displayed on the television screen in place of the
television broadcast signal, on a separate computer
monitor or other display device, or together with the
television broadcast signal in a picture-in-picture
format. In this way, the user can fully explore all of
the related information available from the online
information provider. Preferably, the access system is
provided with hardware to reformat the received
information signal for display upon an otherwise
incompatible system, for example. to convert a digitally
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encoded video signal to an analog signal for
reproduction on a conventional television set.
Preferably, the access system is also provided with
hardware for receiving and processing user commands for
transmission to the online information provider for
providing user communication transactions with the
provider.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block .and schematic diagram
illustrating the online services access system in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block and schematic diagram of an
access controller used in the online access system of
FIG. 1..
FIG. 3 is a block and schematic diagram of
another embodiment of an access controller used with a
computer in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An online services access system according to
the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, the online services access system
includes access controller 10 which incorporates all
components necessary to provide online access and to
access received online information signals. Access
controller 10 is constructed to receive an electronic
signal 12 from a broadcast, cable or prerecorded medium
program in conventional form from a video signal source
14. Video signal source 14 can be selectively
switchable to provide output from a channel selector 16
connected to a cable or broadcast video input 15 or from
a video playback system 18 which may be, for example, a
videocassette recorder or an analog or digital videodisc
device. It will be appreciated that channel selector 16
may be provided in a unit separate from playback system
18, or within access controller 10 itself.
Alternatively, access controller 10 can be constructed
to receive and decode program signals at radio frequency
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as received from a broadcast or cable video source, or
as downconverted to baseband, by for example, the front
end receiving circuitry of a video cassette recorder or
digital video disc device. It will also be appreciated
that the function and results provided by access
controller 10 are not dependent upon which of many
available playback systems is connected thereto, whether
such systems are analog or digital in format, or whether
such playback systems operate upon videotape, audiotape,
or disc media.
Access controller 10 is connected via a primary
output signal line 36 to a conventional reproducing
system 22 such as a television set, and is, optionally
connected through a second output signal line 38 to a
high resolution reproducing system 40, such as a
computer monitor. In addition, access controller 10 ~is
connected to a public or private network 30 through an
information signal carrier 32, e.g., telephone line,
coaxial cable, fiber optic link, cellular,
radiotelephone, or satellite link. Network 30, which
may be any private or public local area network or wide
area network such as an office network, company network,
public Internet or circuit-switched network is used to
route address and information signals between access
controller 10 and a selected one of a plurality of
online information providers 34x, 34b, 34c, . . . 34n.
Access controller 10 receives from the online
information provider, through network 30, information
signals having a video or audio program content and
selectively provides. through appropriate conventional
processing, a conventional program signal or a high
resolution signal for reproduction upon standard
reproducing system 22, or high resolution reproducing
system 40, respectively.
The internal construction of access controller
10 is described with reference to FIG. 2. Access
controller 10 is provided with an address extractor 42
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which receives the electronic signal 12. Address
eatractor~ 42 includes hardware and/or software to
detect, decode and store an address which has been
embedded in a video or audio program signal. Among the
ways which exist to detect an address signal transmitted
in conjunction with an analog video signal, address
extractor 42 may be constructed to detect a digital
address which is transmitted during a vertical blanking
interval or other portion of a conventional video signal
in such manner that displayed image quality is not
affected. For eaample, the address signal can be
transmitted during a portion of a video signal such as
in the vertical interval, in sync or through changes in
the luminance or chroma signals. Address extraction 42
is constructed to electronically store, e.g., via a
register or memory device (not shown), the detected
address for use in accessing the online services
provider at the selection of the user. The address
signal may be transmitted at very short intervals, e.g.,
once for each frame of a video program such that storing
and refreshing of the extracted address signal occurs at
very short intervals. Alternatively, the address signal
may be transmitted at longer intervals, i.e., at
discrete intervals in a program such that the duration
in which an extracted address signal is stored is much
longer.
In such cases in which video or audio program
is encoded digitally, address .extractor 42 may be
constructed in any of several existing ways to detect an
address signal which is received in conjunction with a
digitally encoded video or audio electronic signal 12.
The details of the construction of address extractor 42
are well known in the art and need not be described in
further detail.
Address extractor 42 has an output connection
to an indicator signal generator 46. The indicator
signal generator 46 signals the user that more
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information relating to the program is available, such
information being accessible through an electronic
address when address extractor 42 has decoded such
address from the electronic signal 12. Indicator signal
generator 46 causes, for example, a video image 20
(e.g., picture within picture, logo, or icon) to be
displayed with the video program signal on reproducing
system 22 to signal the user that an address of an
online provider has been stored and that additional
information is available. Instead, or in addition to
such visual display 23, indicator signal generator 46 may
signal the user by activating a light 24 or other visual
indicator located on an exterior panel of access
controller 10 or of reproducing system 22.
Alternatively, indicator signal generator may cause a
sound to be produced on a speaker 26 of reproducing
system 22, or by a speaker 26 provided in access
controller 10. Here again. the design of indicator
signal generator 46 is well known in the art.
2~. Access controller 10 is provided with a user
input interface 56 for receiving a user command which
automatically initiates establishment of a direct
digital communication link to an online information
provider through an address detected from the electronic
signal 12 by address extractor 42 and permits
interactive communication between the user and the
online information provider. It will be appreciated
that many conventional input interfaces are well suited
for use as user interface 56 because of their
compatibility with conventional television and audio
sound systems. Among such input interfaces are
infrared, radio and audio frequency interfaces which
decode single key or multiple key sequence input from a
wired or wireless remote user control. Preferably, user
input interface 56 detects when a special purpose button
on a remote user control has been pressed and provides a
responsive signal which automatically causes the stored
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address of the online provider to be retrieved and
transmitted. User input interface 56 can also be
constructed to detect when a special sequence of keys
has been pressed on a conventional user control (e.g., a
sequence such as "ENTER," "ENTER," °+VOLUME") and to
enable interactive communication with the online
information provider. Alternatively, user input
interface 56 can be implemented by any appropriate
microcomputer type user interface, e.g., mouse,
touchpad, touchscreen, trackball, joystick, pushbutton,
eraser head, or other such device. Preferably, user
interface 56 is constructed to provide and receive
transmission of digital information signals through
modem 54 to the online information provider, thereby
enabling interactive user access with the online
provider for conducting detailed information searches,
conducting transactions, and sending or posting messages
to the accessed provider.
Access controller 10 is provided with a modem
54 for transmitting and receiving digital information
signals between access controller 10 and public
switching network 30 through an information signal
carrier line 32. Modem 54 demodulates incoming
information signals and outputs them to processor 58
which extracts a video and/or an audio signal 38.
Preferably, access controller 10 includes a signal
converter 62 for adjusting or converting an incompatible
signal for display upon conventional reproducing system
22,' such as a television set, either~in place of the
television signal, superimposed over the television
signal, or in picture-in-picture format, as controlled
by the user. Alternatively, processor 58 provides the
video signal on line 38 to a high resolution reproducing
system 40, such as a computer monitor. Indicator signal
generator 46 may also incorporate a switch (not shown)
which automatically switches off the primary output
signal 36 whenever a signal appears at the output of
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signal converter 62. In this manner, information
signals received from online information providers will
be automatically displayed on conventional reproducing
system 22 in place of the ordinarily displayed video
signal 36. Processor 58 can also receive the input
video or audio electronic program signal through a line
55 output from address extractor 42 (although direct
connection of the electronic signal line 12 is
possible). In this manner, processor 58 may be
constructed to operate upon the video or audio signal in
conjunction with information signals received from an
online information provider to generate a "picture
within picture" signal far display upon conventional
reproducing system 22.
The operation of the system will now be
described. An electronic signal 12, such as a signal
from a video or audio program from channel selector 16
or playback system 18, e.g.. prerecorded videotape, or
an analog or digital video discr containing an embedded
signal representing the electronic address of an online
information provider in the blanking interval or other
non-displayed portion of the electronic signal 12 is
received by address extractor 42. From the electronic
signal 12, address extractor 42 detects, decodes and
stores a digital address of the online services
provider, if any such address is embedded therein. If
an address is successfully decoded and stared, address
extractor 42 activates, through signal line 44, 144 (Fig. 3)
indicator signal generator 46. Indicator signal
generator 46 then produces an indicator signal and
overlays or encodes it onto a conventional program
signal 36 to be displayed or transduced by conventional
reproducing system 22. Alternatively, indicator signal
generator 46 produces <u signal on l:~_ne 50, 150 ;Fig. 3) which
activates a special purpose indicator, e.g.,
illuminating a light 24 or producing a sound on a
speaker 28 of access controller 10.
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If the user wants to access the online
information provider., the user gives such command to
access controller 10 by, for eaample, pushing a special
button on his or her remote control device. The remote
control device transmits a command signal to user
interface 56 which receives the command signal. User
interface 56 in turn, produces a signal ~~n Line 57, 157 (Fig.
3) which is applied to address extractor 42 to retrieve the
stored address of the online inf~~rr~r~ti;:~n provider. Under
appropriate software or hardware cont~r.ol, the address is
transmitted via line 52, 152 (Fig. 3) and modem 54 over
network 3~ to an online inforrrration provider, e.g., 34c.
Once access to the online information provider
has been established, access contLOller 10 can
automatically receive digital information signals
through modem 54 from the online information provider.
Received information signals are operated upon by
processor 58 for displaying upon conventional TV
reproducing system 22 or high resolution reproducing
system 40, e.g., a computer monitor or other display
device. Preferably, received signals which are
incapable of being directly displayed upon conventional
reproducing system 22, a»g., a conventional television
set, are converted by a signal converter 62 for display
thereon. Information signals received from an online
information provider may be displayed as still or moving
images in place of the ordinarily displayed video signal
on the conventional reproducing system 22, or may be
displayed as part of a "picture within picture" display
in conjunction with the ordinarily displayed video
signal on conventional reproducing system 22 or on the
computer monitor 40 or other display device.
After access has been established, user
commands received through user interface 56 are
transmitted as information signals through modem 54 to
the online information provider, thereby providing
interactive user access with the online. provider and
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enabling searching for detailed information, conducting
transactions, sending or posting messages to the
accessed provider . and any other actions that can
ordinarily be conducted through an online connection.
Another embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment which
operates in conjunction with an available computer 164.
In this embodiment, access controller 110 does not
require an internal processor or modem because such
functions are provided by a computer 164 attached
thereto. In addition, computer 164 also provides a
monitor and audio reproducing components which function
as high resolution reproducing system 40. Address
extractor 142, indicator signal generator 146, and user
input interface 156 of access controller 110 are
connected through an output interface 166 for providing
decoded address output. indicator signals, and user
commands, respectively, to computer 164. In other
respects, access controller 110 is connected to receive
an electronic signal 12 and provide a conventional
program signal 122 and a signal 150 to indicator 124 or
indicator 128, in like manner as in the self-contained
embodiment of access controller 10 described in the
foregoing (FIG. 2). It will be appreciated that the
computer supported embodiment of the invention (FIG. 3)
provides the same function and operates in essentially
the same manner as the self-contained embodiment (FIGS.
1-2) and need not be described in any further detail.
In still another. embodiment of the invention,
with reference to FIGS. 1-3. a connection to network 30
is maintained continuously by access controller 10
through modem 54 or the modem provided in computer 164.
This embodiment will be described with reference to the
access controller 10 shown in FIG. 2, although the
skilled person in the art will readily understand the
structural modifications required for operation in
accordance with the access controller shown in FIG. 3.
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In this embodiment, address extractor 42 detects and
decodes an online information provider address embedded
in the video or audio program signal, but does not store
the address.
As described in the foregoing embodiments of
the invention, address extractor 42 provides a signal to
indicator signal generator 46 when it successfully
detects an online information provider address in the
electronic signal. Address extractor 42 detects and
decodes the embedded address and passes it to modem 54.
Modem 54, in turn, only uses the extracted address if it
has first received a user command to initiate access to
the online information provider. It will be appreciated
that this embodiment of the inve~ltion can be used with a
video or an audio program signal wherein the online
information provider address is frequently or
continuously transmitted. Modem 54 is provided with
hardware and/or software to automatically establish,
upon receiving a user command to initiate online access,
a direct digital communication link with the online
information provider associated with the neat received
online information provider address.
As an example of the operation of this
non-address storing embodiment of the invention, a video
or an audio program signal having a frequently
transmitted embedded signal containing an online
information provider address is received through line 12
by address extractor 42. Address extractor 42 detects
and decodes the online information provider address, but
does not store it before passing it to modem 54. Modem
54 does nothing with the online information .provider
address unless a user command to initiate access has
first been received from user interface 56. If such
user command has been received, modem 54 transmits a
signal over network 30 using the neat received address
to establish a digital communication link with the
online information provider. The function and operation
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of the non-address storing embodiment is otherwise the
same as in the other described embodiments of the
invention and need not be described in any further
detail.
In yet another embodiment of the invention,
automated direct user access to online information
providers is achieved without incorporating an indicator
signal generator 46, 146 (FIG. 3) into the access
controller 10. In this embodiment, the video or audio
program as produced incorporates a visual or auditory
indicator, such as a logo or message. which is
automatically displayed or sounded by conventional
reproducing system 22 and/or high resolution reproducing
system 40 during portions of the program when: an online
information provider address is present in the
underlying electronic program signal. Through the
visual or auditory indicator, the user is made aware of
the availability of the online information provider
address. Therefore, in this embodiment of the
invention, address extractor 42 may be constructed and
used in a manner so as to detect and decode an embedded
online information provider address only after receiving
a user command to initiate access to the online
information provider. The skilled person in the art
will appreciate that this embodiment of the invention
operates in other respects as in the other embodiments
of the invention described in the foregoing and need not
be described in further detail.
While the invention has been particularly
described and illustrated with reference to preferred
embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that changes in the above description
or illustration may be made with~respect to form or
detail without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention.
