International Business Machines Corporation

Milan Milenkovic

Antonio Ruiz

Richard Steven Chernock

Frank Andre Schaffa

Chatschik Bisdikian

Paolo Dettori

An interactive presentation system receives a plurality of series of digital data segments (e.g., image frames), each series of digital data segments appearing at the video presentation system on a repetitive, cyclic basis. Each digital data segment includes a first data portion from which an image can be constructed and a second data portion which includes information relating to the image and further includes, if required, information which links an active area of the image to another data source. The system includes an interface for receiving the repetitively transmitted series of digital data segments and a switch for selecting at least one of the received series of digital data segments. A display presents an image that is constructed from the first data portion of a data segment that is included in a series of digital data segments. A processor is responsive to a user's selection of an active area on a displayed image to employ information from the second data portion that is associated with the displayed image to operate the switch to access another data source. The other data source can be another data segment, a video presentation, or an audio presentation. The video presentation system is operable without requiring a reverse channel for communications with the transmission head end.

System and method for enabling a user to move between cyclically transmitted image streams

A video presentation system receives a plurality of series of digital data segments (e.g., image frames) that are cyclically transmitted, wherein certain of the digital data segments manifest a higher priority and are present in the form of plural, time-spaced copies during a series of the digital data segments. The system includes an interface for receiving the repetitively transmitted series of digital data segments and a switch for selecting at least one of the received series of digital data segments. A display presents an image that is constructed from a digital data segment that is selected by a user. By providing plural copies of higher priority digital data segments in each series, a reduction in image access time results when the user selects one of the higher priority digital data segments. A set-top box which serves as the receiver can also be provided with sufficient memory to buffer a certain number of the higher priority digital data segments.

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Boca Raton, FL, United States of America

Milan Milenkovic