Patent ID: 9124945
Filing Date: 2015-09-01
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A TV-Internet Integration circuit configured to combine, at a user's premises, TV channel video with Internet Protocol (IP) material selected by the user through overlays displayed at the user's premises in response to an overlay activation signal that the user has selected, said circuit comprising: a TV screen at the user's premises configured to display video in response to display drive signals; a combiner circuit at the user's premises having a first input for receiving the TV channel video, a second input for receiving the IP material, and an output for outputting display drive signals to the TV screen; wherein (i) as received by the combiner circuit at the user's premises, the TV channel video conforms to a TV broadcast format standard, and (ii) a received by the combiner circuit at the user's premises, the IP material conforms to an IP format standard that is different from the TV broadcast format standard and is received via a path different from that for the TV channel video at least in part; a memory circuit operatively associated with the combiner circuit and configured to store, at the user's premises, plural overlays each associated with respective IP material; said combiner circuit being configured to selectively generate display drive signals causing the TV screen to display the TV channel video received at the first input and, further, to selectively process at the user's premises an overlay activation signal; said combiner circuit being further configured to respond to the processing of the overlay activation signal by obtaining the overlays from the memory circuit and generating display drive signals causing the TV screen to display the overlays; said combiner circuit being still further configured to respond to a user selection of one of the displayed overlays to generate display drive signals causing the TV screen to display the IP material associated with the selected overlay and received at the second input; wherein depending on user selection at the user's premises the TV screen displays, at respective times, the TV channel video received at the first input, the overlays, and the IP material that the user has selected through the displayed overlays.