General Instrument Corporation

Google Inc.

Raymond C Bontempi

Lawrence D Vince

David Grubb

Arthur P Jost

Joseph F Halgas, Jr

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is used to enable interactive functions via network generated overlays. This invention enables network operators to launch interactive functionality without requiring changes to existing equipment that exists in the field on the client end.

System and method for interactive advertising via network generated overlays

A method for enabling at least one of a plurality of user devices to provide a service flow is described. In one example, a code is transmitted to a home identification device (HID) to be combined with an HID identification number. The combined response, which is comprised of the code and the HID identification number, is then transmitted from the HID and received by the user device(s). If the combined response is equivalent to at least one predetermined match key, which is stored in the user device(s), that user device(s) provides the service flow to a respective television(s).

Method and apparatus for linking a plurality of user devices to a service location

A technique is described that allows a viewer to eliminate a fixed information band portion of a television image (e.g., a scrolling news 'crawl' or fixed advertising band) from a television display by 'stretching' the main program portion to fill the screen, effectively pushing the undesired crawl or advertising band off of the display. This eliminates a feature of many television broadcasts that many viewers find distracting and/or annoying, and helps to prevent phosphor burn on phosphor-based display screens.

Elimination of fixed, edge-justified information bands from television display images

All upstream messages that are desired to be sent from one of a plurality of settop terminals sharing a common upstream channel are segmented into data packets through an adaptation layer before sending into the upstream channel by a settop terminal, using the present invention using a hybrid of contention and reservation methodologies. If the upstream message is lengthy, a user settop terminal can request and gain exclusive control over the upstream channel and transmit the message using a reservation and self-acknowledging mechanism. In accordance with the present invention, a combination reservation mechanism and calculation method to optimize random backoff time for upstream transmission is added to conventional contention based Media Access Control methods and this embodiment to substantially enhance performance.

Reservation/retry media access control

In order to transition to digital television services, existing analog televisions require additional equipment that can decode received digital data streams. Devices of this sort are readily available, however they can become expensive as the feature list expands. The present invention provides a low-cost digital television settop or the like, with built-in digital decoding and analog signal pass-through capabilities. The tuner within an analog television receives (i) passed through analog television channels and (ii) digital channels that have been converted to analog signals and placed on a predetermined analog television channel.

Growing community of inventors

Jamison, PA, United States of America

Raymond C Bontempi