British Sky Broadcasting Limited

Sky UK Limited

Robin Crossley

David Holliday

Nicholas James

Christopher Townsend

Alun David Webber

Christopher Peter Townsend

Xavier Willame

Nigel Bodkin

Marisa Miles

Gerry David O'Sullivan

Nick James

Steven Brown

Andrew Cheer

Neil Warren

Display features of an interactive user interface for a TV environment allow a user to interact with objects and/or information within a display space.

Television display

A receiver for television signals is arranged to receive video signals comprising video data and information data. The receiver is arranged to respond to viewer operation of a control device. The receiver includes a processor for processing selected information data to convert the same into signals representative thereof for output to a television in combination with the video signals. The receiver is arranged to respond to the information data to output for display data derived from said image data and said information data and representing an inter-active image. The receiver is responsive to viewer manipulation of the control device to vary the interactive image and to establish a telecommunications link to a remote site for on-line interaction via the interactive image between the viewer and the remote site. The interactive image may form part of an interactive services interface comprising a broadcast entry level and plural broadcast interactive levels. The interactive services interface may comprise one or more on-line interactive levels entered from one of the broadcast interactive levels for establishing an on-line connection with a remote site.

Receivers for television signals

A receiver for receiving television signals is arranged to receive signals in a plurality of channels. Each signal defines a television program and at least a signal in one of the channels comprises compressed data defining broadcast events in the channels from time to time. The receiver is arranged to produce output signals defining an image of events in the program schedule for displaying on a television screen. The receiver comprises means for receiving data defining a dictionary representing text portions, means for decoding the program scheduling data to identify text portions in the dictionary, and means for constructing the image of events from the identified text portions. A signal in each channel comprises a bouquet identity and a sub-bouquet identity for the channel. The receiver comprises means for storing a reference bouquet identity and one or more reference sub-bouquet identities, means for comparing the bouquet identity and sub-bouquet identity for a channel in a received signal with the reference bouquet and sub-bouquet identities and means for outputting the received television signal for display of the program or other services defined thereby depending on the comparison.

Television receiver utilizing extended service information

A Hard Disk Recorder (HDR) () is arranged to receive signals signals defining television programmes and television programme schedule data. The HDR receives updated programme schedule data substantially constantly in a dedicated programme schedule data channel. The HDR is arranged to output the programme schedule data for display on a television screen (). The HDR comprises a hard disk () for recording received television programmes. A remote control () is provided to select television programmes to be recorded from the displayed programme schedule. Furthermore, the HDR is arranged to receive additional programme schedule information included in each of the received television channels which information is used to control the hard disk to record pre-programmed television programmes according to schedule. The hard disk is operable to record simultaneously two different television programmes received in different channels. Also, the HDR is operable to replay a currently broadcast programme offset in time. The time offset can be overcome by playing back the part of the programme inside the time offset at an increased frame rate. Furthermore, the HDR is arranged to receive transition signals indicating transitions between parts of programmes, such as transitions between advertisements and the 'actual' programmes. The HDR is operable to use these transition signals, for example, to skip between transitions in previously recorded programmes replayed from the hard disk.

Television broadcast receiver comprising a processor to provide an interactive services interface

A receiver for television signals is arranged to receive video signals comprising video data and information data. The receiver is arranged to respond to viewer operation of a control device (). The receiver includes a processor () for processing selected information data to convert the same into signals representative thereof for output to a television in combination with the video signals. In one mode of operation the decoder responds to manipulation of the control device by causing brief scheduling information pertaining to programmes transmitted in the received signal to be displayed. In another mode of operation the receiver is arranged to display detailed scheduling information pertaining to plural different television signals. The receiver is operable to receive signals containing video data representing a plurality of video clips. The processor is arranged to process the signals and to cause simultaneous display of the clips on a television screen. The processor is arranged to respond to user manipulation of the control device by storing data for subsequent viewing of user selected programmes. The decoder may further comprise a modem () and a CD-ROM drive ().

Remote control

A receiver for television signals is arranged to receive video signals comprising video data and information data. The receiver is arranged to respond to viewer operation of a control device ( ). The receiver includes a processor ( ) for processing selected information data to convert the same into signals representative thereof for output to a television in combination with the video signals. In one mode of operation the decoder responds to manipulation of the control device by causing brief scheduling information pertaining to programmes transmitted in the received signal to be displayed. In another mode of operation the receiver is arranged to display detailed scheduling information pertaining to plural different television signals. The receiver is operable to receive signals containing video data representing a plurality of video clips. The processor is arranged to process the signals and to cause simultaneous display of the clips on a television screen. The processor is arranged to respond to user manipulation of the control device by storing data for subsequent viewing of user selected programmes. The decoder may further comprise a modem ( ) and a CD-ROM drive ( ).

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Middlesex, United Kingdom

Robin Crossley