Method and apparatus for providing broadcast data services
US9009773B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 14, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/488
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A novel advanced set top terminal capable of digital decompression, menu generation, interactivity and other advanced functional capabilities for use in a television program delivery system (200) is described. The invention relates to methods and apparatus for upgrading existing set top terminals (220) to provide menu generation capability and advanced functional capabilities. The invention is particularly useful in television program delivery systems (200) with hundreds of channels of programming, providing (i) menu driven program selection through the addition of an upgrade module (300) or menu generation card and (ii) advanced functional capabilities using a set of hardware upgrades (e.g., 130) and/or an expansion card. Specifically, the invention is an upgradeable system that supports advanced set top functionality through the use of internal software, hardware upgrades, an upgrade module and/or expansion cards. The upgraded hardware generally includes a microprocessor, various input/output ports (e.g., 308), processing circuitry (e.g., 108) and memory (e.g., 116). The invention results in an upgraded set top terminal that supports: menu generation; picture-on-picture displays;…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.