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 Title: |
US5805155:
Virtual assets in an interactive television cable system
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Allibhoy, Nizar; Northridge, CA
Buehl, Joseph George; Van Nuys, CA
Edmonds, Joe; Los Angeles, CA
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| Assignee: |
Time Warner Entertainment Co. L.P. Time Warner Cable, Stamford, CT
other patents from TIME WARNER ENTERTAINMENT CO., L.P. (709757) (approx. 54)
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| Published / Filed: |
1998-09-08
/ 1997-04-15
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| Application Number: |
US1997000834241
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
G06F 17/30;
H04N 7/173;
H04N 5/44;
Core:
more...
IPC-7:
H04N 7/14;
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| ECLA Code: |
H04N7/173B2;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
725/115;
348/E05.108;
348/E07.071;
709/219;
725/086;
725/116;
725/132;
725/134;
Original:
345/327;
348/013;
348/012;
395/200.49;
455/004.2;
455/005.1;
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| Field of Search: |
345/326,327
348/006,7,10,11,12,13
455/3.1,4.1,4.2,5.1,6.1,6.2
<395200.47200.49
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| Priority Number: |
| 1997-04-15 |
US1997000834241 |
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| Abstract: |
An interactive cable TV system includes a large number of set-top terminals that are connected to a system headend by way of a low-speed, time division multiplexed, channel. The headend includes the mass storage of multimedia data-assets that each contain a large number of individual data-items that may be of interest to various set-top users. A set-top user initiates an inquiry to the data-asset storage by way of an item-descriptor comprising a word-picture of the item. When this set-top query is received at the headend, a table or list is established whereby the query and its set-top ID are associated with related data assets. As the headend's data-asset storage is changed from time to time, the changes that relate to listed set-top queries result in an update of the query list. This updated data-asset information is sent to the related set-tops immediately, or is sent only when the headend receives a request from the related set-top.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Knearl, Homer L.Holland & Hart llp ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Powell, Mark R.; Miller, John W.
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
Show legal status actions
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| Family: |
None
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First Claim:
Show all 31 claims |
What is claimed is:
1. In an interactive TV cable network having a headend that is connected to a plurality of set-top terminals by way of a forward-channel that enables headend-to-set-top communication, each of said set-top terminals including a TV set that is connected thereto, each of said set-top terminals being connected to said headend by way of a reverse-channel that enables set-top-to-headend communication, and said headend including memory-storage that contains a plurality of data-assets, each data-asset of which includes a plurality of individual data-items, an arrangement enabling set-top terminals to query said headend for a data-item, comprising:
- query establishing apparatus at each of said set-top terminals enabling a given set-top terminal to formulate an attribute-descriptor of a data-item;
- transmitting apparatus at each of said set-top terminals for transmitting said attribute-descriptor from said given set-top terminal to said headend by way of said reverse-channel;
- searching apparatus at said headend for searching said memory-stored data-assets, and forming a list memory-store of query-related data-assets that contain one or more data-items that satisfy said attribute-descriptor transmitted by said given set-top terminal;
- transmitting apparatus at said headend for transmitting said query-related data-assets to all of said set-top terminals and addressed to said given set-top terminal;
- receiving apparatus at each of said set-top terminals enabling said given set-top terminal to memory-store said query-related data-assets; and
- updating apparatus at said headend for updating said list memory store as said memory-stored data-assets at said headend are periodically changed in relation to said query attribute-descriptor.
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
Show 15 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one
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