The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 1990
Filed:
Oct. 26, 1987
Michael J Freeman, Sands Point, NY (US);
501 Actv, Inc., Port Washington, NY (US);
Abstract
A closed circuit interactive television system (10) provides a multichannel television signal from a localized head end (12) which is used for individualized interactive selections by a plurality of users (22, 24, 26). Each user station contains a conventional televison receiver (32a, 32b, 32c) and a smart box or interface and selection device (30a, 30b, 30c). The smart box or interface and selection device (30) is disposed between the television receiver (32) and the RF distribution amplifier (36). The number of user stations (22, 24, 26) on the system (10) is virtually unlimited. The system (10) provides the audio/video television signals (14, 16, 18, 20) in at least frame accurate synchronization to enable seamless video switching between channels, which seamlessness is enhanced through the view of a pair of tuners (44, 46) in the interface selection box (30a, 30b, 30c) which are alternately commanded to pretune to the channel of the next actual choice made prior to the changeover under control a microprocessor (40) in response to command signals embedded in the television signals being received.