Abstract:
A system is disclosed for providing direct automated access to an online information services provider through an address embedded in a video or audio program, commercial message, or news story. The system operates with video or audio programs which are received through broadcast, cable or pre-recorded media, and which are encoded in either analog or digital formats. The address of an online information provider is encoded in a vertical blanking interval or other non-displayed portion of an electronic signal which represents the video or audio program so as not to interfere with the program as displayed or transduced on a television or audio sound system. The online information provider address is detected and decoded from the electronic signal and used in establishing a direct digital communication link to the online information provider. Upon detecting an online provider address, the system indicates to the user that more information is available. The user may then elect to establish a connection with the online information provider by giving a simple command, e.g., pushing a special button on a remote control. The system then automatically establishes a direct digital communication link to the online information provider through the address and provides for interactive information exchange and processing to permit signals received from the online information provider to be displayed on a conventional television, transduced on a sound system, or also on a high resolution reproducing system such as a computer monitor, or other reproduction device.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to an electronic information access system and more specifically to a media online services access system which provides direct, automated access to an online information provider through an address embedded in an electronic signal which carries a program segment (e.g., through television, radio, or a pre-recorded video or audio medium).  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Heretofore, media receiving and display systems such as television and radio receivers have been linked to interactive information providers in only very limited ways. Some systems exist which permit the exchange of digital information with the viewer of a television program over or in combination with a television signal, but such systems have provided access to a single information source available from, for example, the broadcast or cable television operator. In such systems, the selection of information services has been entirely within the control of the broadcast or cable television operator. At the same time, some television and radio broadcasters have begun announcing an Internet address for viewer inquiries during the course of program transmission. Access to this Internet address requires the user to utilize his or her computer. No system yet exists which provides automated and direct user access to online information providers through an address embedded in a video or audio program signal.  
           [0003]    The recent explosion in the usage of online information services through digital networks such as the Internet, Prodigy (R), America Online (R) and Compuserve (R), for example, indicate that the demand for access to readily available up-to-date or detailed information is increasing. The viewer of a video program, whether the program is received through broadcast, or cable means or from a pre-recorded medium, may often seek to discover more information which relates to a topic presented in the video program. Since television programs and recordings are of finite length, they do not contain all the related information which a consumer may wish, and the information contained therein may not be timely. Therefore, it would be desirable for there to be a system which automatically and directly provides access to an online information provider through an address which can be extracted from an audio or video program such as a television program, commercial or news story. With such system, several benefits would be obtained. For example, adults and children viewing an educational or historical video program could easily locate additional materials provided in text or still picture by the producers of the video program by accessing more information from the producers digitally through the online address. Consumers seeking more information about a specific advertised product could easily find such information by accessing the online address of an information provider designated by the advertiser. News program viewers seeking specific information from news stories or more detailed information could easily access such information through an online information provider designated by the producers of such program.  
           [0004]    The online services access system could be used to provide still other benefits to consumers, business owners, and the government. For example, an automobile manufacturer could make information available directly to a consumer through an online address embedded in a video presentation so the consumer could reach its online site quickly to ask for more information, to request a test drive, or to purchase parts. Through such system, a grocery store could advertise and receive orders through its online site from customers for home delivery, or for other shopping needs. A catalog retailer could use such system to provide rapid access to consumers, after airing a commercial, to its catalog in online form and to enable orders to be placed readily through its online site. A record company could use such system to enable customers to order a recording while listening to a song or viewing a music video. Government agencies, e.g., the Internal Revenue Service, military recruiters, or health agencies, for example, could use such system to provide consumers with readily available information following the airing of public service announcements regarding regulations, programs, or public health concerns, e.g., cancer, AIDS, and heart disease. Educators and students could use such system to obtain more detailed or up-to-the-minute information from online bulletin boards and databases regarding topics presented in a video program, even though the program was recorded some time in the past.  
           [0005]    Systems exist at present in which digitally encoded information is transmitted and received through a modified video signal of a conventional television transmission. For example, a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,789 wherein a digital information signal is transmitted during the vertical blanking interval of an analog broadcast television signal and decoded and displayed on the television screen in addition to the analog broadcast video signal.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,752 describes a system in which a retailer broadcasts information for reception upon a conventional television set regarding products available through a central location. The system includes a decoder for displaying the product information on the television screen, and also a token generator for producing tokens, at the user&#39;s option, to be redeemed when a product is purchased. The broadcast information includes data related to token redemption and value considerations available upon purchase of the product.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,278 describes a system in which coupon-related digital information is received from a transmitted television signal through a decoder. The decoder records the coupon-related data for later readout and redemption when a product is purchased.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,094 (“the &#39;094 Patent”) describes an interactive cable television system in which a subscriber tunes to a channel and requests connection to a remote location by either dialing a predetermined telephone number or accessing a cable television channel. When the system identifies the subscriber the television set displays the frame of video (and possibly accompanying audio information) describing products or services which may be viewed and purchased. The &#39;094 Patent does not describe the extraction of encoded address information from the television signal, or a system enabling a television program viewer to access online information providers by establishing connection automatically through such extracted address.  
           [0009]    Thus, systems exist which are capable of providing interactive user access through a broadcast or cable television signal. However, such systems are limited in the access they provide to information sources directly available through the unitary cable or broadcast provider. By contrast, the present invention facilitates direct automated user access to an unlimited number of online information providers through provider addresses which are embedded in the electronic signal which carries an video or audio program.  
           [0010]    Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system for extracting an address of an online information provider from an electronic signal which carries an video or audio program.  
           [0011]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a system which indicates to the program user (i.e., viewer or listener), after extracting an online information provider address, that more information is available.  
           [0012]    Still another object of the invention is to provide an automated system which, upon receipt of a single user command, directly and automatically establishes a digital connection with an online information provider through an address extracted from an electronic signal which carries a video or audio program.  
           [0013]    Another object of the invention is to provide a system which converts information signals received from an online information provider to a form capable of being displayed on a conventional reproducing system such as a television set.  
           [0014]    These and other objects are provided by the media online services access system of the present invention.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0015]    The media online services access system of the present invention provides a system and process which links video and audio program content with online information signal content. The system provides heretofore unattained direct automated user access from a media program such as a received or pre-recorded television or radio (audio) signal to an online information provider through a link provided in the media program. The access system receives an electronic signal representing a video or audio program or a combined audio/video program from an available medium (e.g., broadcast and cable television and radio, or a pre-recorded medium such as a tape or disc). Embedded in the electronic signal, for example, in the vertical blanking interval, or otherwise encoded in the electronic signal in such manner as not to interfere with the displayed image, is an information signal representing an electronic address of an online information provider. The online information provider can be any one of millions of interactive information providers which can be accessed through exchange of digital information signals, for example, a publisher who is available through the Internet for interactive transactions. As the media program is received for reproduction on a video display or audio sound system, the access system extracts the embedded electronic address for use in directly accessing the online information provider at the selection of the user.  
           [0016]    Preferably, the address is stored at the time of extraction, for use in accessing the online information provider at the selection of the user. The duration in which an extracted signal address is stored may be relatively short, as in the case where the address is transmitted and refreshed continuously or at very short intervals, e.g., once per each frame of a video signal, or it may be longer, as when an address is transmitted only at selected intervals of a program.  
           [0017]    Upon successfully extracting an electronic address, the access system provides a indicator signal to the user that more information is available. The indicator signal may take the form of a message displayed on a video screen, or other indicators such as a light, a sound or a wireless tactile indicator, e.g., vibrating wristband or clip-on unit. Alternatively, the video or audio program may contain a logo or message to be displayed for the user at points in the program which coincide with the presence of an embedded online information provider address, which, in such case, would eliminate the need for the access system to incorporate specific structure to provide indication to the user, in response to successful extraction of an online provider address.  
           [0018]    After receiving the indicator signal, if the user desires more information, the user may request access to the online information provider through a command to the access system, e.g., through pushbutton, user control keypad, voice command, mouse, touchpad, touchscreen, or other such input. Upon receiving such command, the access system automatically establishes a digital communication link with the online information provider through transmission of a signal containing the extracted address. Preferably, upon establishment of such communication link, the access system enables interactive communications with the online information provider.  
           [0019]    In another embodiment of the invention, the extracted address can be used without first being stored, as in cases where a connection already exists between the access system and a network. Where such connection exists, the access system provides an indicator signal to the user upon successful extraction of an online information provider address. However, in this embodiment, the access system waits to receive a user command to initiate access, and only after receiving such command does the access system extract the next received address from the electronic signal and use it to establish a direct connection to the online information provider.  
           [0020]    In a preferred embodiment, after accessing an online services provider, the access system receives information from the online information provider and processes it for reproduction on a video or audio reproducing system. For example, the information can be displayed on the television screen in place of the television broadcast signal, on a separate computer monitor or other display device, or together with the television broadcast signal in a picture-in-picture format. In this way, the user can fully explore all of the related information available from the online information provider. Preferably, the access system is provided with hardware to reformat the received information signal for display upon an otherwise incompatible system, for example, to convert a digitally encoded video signal to an analog signal for reproduction on a conventional television set. Preferably, the access system is also provided with hardware for receiving and processing user commands for transmission to the online information provider for providing user communication transactions with the provider. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 is a block and schematic diagram illustrating the online services access system in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 is a block and schematic diagram of an access controller used in the online access system of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a block and schematic diagram of another embodiment of an access controller used with a computer in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    An online services access system according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the online services access system includes access controller  10  which incorporates all components necessary to provide online access and to access received online information signals. Access controller  10  is constructed to receive an electronic signal  12  from a broadcast, cable or prerecorded medium program in conventional form from a video signal source  14 . Video signal source  14  can be selectively switchable to provide output from a channel selector  16  connected to a cable or broadcast video input  15  or from a video playback system  18  which may be, for example, a videocassette recorder or an analog or digital videodisc device. It will be appreciated that channel selector  16  may be provided in a unit separate from playback system  18 , or within access controller  10  itself. Alternatively, access controller  10  can be constructed to receive and decode program signals at radio frequency as received from a broadcast or cable video source, or as downconverted to baseband, by for example, the front end receiving circuitry of a video cassette recorder or digital video disc device. It will also be appreciated that the function and results provided by access controller  10  are not dependent upon which of many available playback systems is connected thereto, whether such systems are analog or digital in format, or whether such playback systems operate upon videotape, audiotape, or disc media.  
         [0025]    Access controller  10  is connected via a primary output signal line  36  to a conventional reproducing system  22  such as a television set, and is optionally connected through a second output signal line  38  to a high resolution reproducing system  40 , such as a computer monitor. In addition, access controller  10  is connected to a public or private network  30  through an information signal carrier  32 , e.g., telephone line, coaxial cable, fiber optic link, cellular, radiotelephone, or satellite link. Network  30 , which may be any private or public local area network or wide area network such as an office network, company network, public Internet or circuit-switched network is used to route address and information signals between access controller  10  and a selected one of a plurality of online information providers  34   a ,  34   b ,  34   c , . . .  34   n . Access controller  10  receives from the online information provider, through network  30 , information signals having a video or audio program content and selectively provides, through appropriate conventional processing, a conventional program signal or a high resolution signal for reproduction upon standard reproducing system  22 , or high resolution reproducing system  40 , respectively.  
         [0026]    The internal construction of access controller  10  is described with reference to FIG. 2. Access controller  10  is provided with an address extractor  42  which receives the electronic signal  12 . Address extractor  42  includes hardware and/or software to detect, decode and store an address which has been embedded in a video or audio program signal. Among the ways which exist to detect an address signal transmitted in conjunction with an analog video signal, address extractor  42  may be constructed to detect a digital address which is transmitted during a vertical blanking interval or other portion of a conventional video signal in such manner that displayed image quality is not affected. For example, the address signal can be transmitted during a portion of a video signal such as in the vertical interval, in sync or through changes in the luminance or chroma signals. Address extraction  42  is constructed to electronically store, e.g., via a register or memory device (not shown), the detected address for use in accessing the online services provider at the selection of the user. The address signal may be transmitted at very short intervals, e.g., once for each frame of a video program such that storing and refreshing of the extracted address signal occurs at very short intervals. Alternatively, the address signal may be transmitted at longer intervals, i.e., at discrete intervals in a program such that the duration in which an extracted address signal is stored is much longer.  
         [0027]    In such cases in which video or audio program is encoded digitally, address extractor  42  may be constructed in any of several existing ways to detect an address signal which is received in conjunction with a digitally encoded video or audio electronic signal  12 . The details of the construction of address extractor  42  are well known in the art and need not be described in further detail.  
         [0028]    Address extractor  42  has an output connection to an indicator signal generator  46 . The indicator signal generator  46  signals the user that more information relating to the program is available, such information being accessible through an electronic address when address extractor  42  has decoded such address from the electronic signal  12 . Indicator signal generator  46  causes, for example, a video image  20  (e.g., picture within picture, logo, or icon) to be displayed with the video program signal on reproducing system  22  to signal the user that an address of an online provider has been stored and that additional information is available. Instead, or in addition to such visual display, indicator signal generator  46  may signal the user by activating a light  24  or other visual indicator located on an exterior panel of access controller  10  or of reproducing system  22 . Alternatively, indicator signal generator may cause a sound to be produced on a speaker  26  of reproducing system  22 , or by a speaker  28  provided in access controller  10 . Here again, the design of indicator signal generator  46  is well known in the art.  
         [0029]    Access controller  10  is provided with a user input interface  56  for receiving a user command which automatically initiates establishment of a direct digital communication link to an online information provider through an address detected from the electronic signal  12  by address extractor  42  and permits interactive communication between the user and the online information provider. It will be appreciated that many conventional input interfaces are well suited for use as user interface  56  because of their compatibility with conventional television and audio sound systems. Among such input interfaces are infrared, radio and audio frequency interfaces which decode single key or multiple key sequence input from a wired or wireless remote user control. Preferably, user input interface  56  detects when a special purpose button on a remote user control has been pressed and provides a responsive signal which automatically causes the stored address of the online provider to be retrieved and transmitted. User input interface  56  can also be constructed to detect when a special sequence of keys has been pressed on a conventional user control (e.g., a sequence such as “ENTER,” “ENTER,” “+VOLUME”) and to enable interactive communication with the online information provider. Alternatively, user input interface  56  can be implemented by any appropriate microcomputer type user interface, e.g., mouse, touchpad, touchscreen, trackball, joystick, pushbutton, eraser head, or other such device. Preferably, user interface  56  is constructed to provide and receive transmission of digital information signals through modem  54  to the online information provider, thereby enabling interactive user access with the online provider for conducting detailed information searches, conducting transactions, and sending or posting messages to the accessed provider.  
         [0030]    Access controller  10  is provided with a modem  54  for transmitting and receiving digital information signals between access controller  10  and public switching network  30  through an information signal carrier line  32 . Modem  54  demodulates incoming information signals and outputs them to processor  58  which extracts a video and/or an audio signal  38 . Preferably, access controller  10  includes a signal converter  62  for adjusting or converting an incompatible signal for display upon conventional reproducing system  22 , such as a television set, either in place of the television signal, superimposed over the television signal, or in picture-in-picture format, as controlled by the user. Alternatively, processor  58  provides the video signal on line  38  to a high resolution reproducing system  40 , such as a computer monitor. Indicator signal generator  46  may also incorporate a switch (not shown) which automatically switches off the primary output signal  36  whenever a signal appears at the output of signal converter  62 . In this manner, information signals received from online information providers will be automatically displayed on conventional reproducing system  22  in place of the ordinarily displayed video signal  36 . Processor  58  can also receive the input video or audio electronic program signal through a line  55  output from address extractor  42  (although direct connection of the electronic signal line  12  is possible). In this manner, processor  58  may be constructed to operate upon the video or audio signal in conjunction with information signals received from an online information provider to generate a “picture within picture” signal for display upon conventional reproducing system  22 .  
         [0031]    The operation of the system will now be described. An electronic signal  12 , such as a signal from a video or audio program from channel selector  16  or playback system  18 , e.g., prerecorded videotape, or an analog or digital video disc, containing an embedded signal representing the electronic address of an online information provider in the blanking interval or other non-displayed portion of the electronic signal  12  is received by address extractor  42 . From the electronic signal  12 , address extractor  42  detects, decodes and stores a digital address of the online services provider, if any such address is embedded therein. If an address is successfully decoded and stored, address extractor  42  activates, through signal line  44 , indicator signal generator  46 . Indicator signal generator  46  then produces an indicator signal and overlays or encodes it onto a conventional program signal  36  to be displayed or transduced by conventional reproducing system  22 . Alternatively, indicator signal generator  46  produces a signal on line  50  which activates a special purpose indicator, e.g., illuminating a light  24  or producing a sound on a speaker  28  of access controller  10 .  
         [0032]    If the user wants to access the online information provider, the user gives such command to access controller  10  by, for example, pushing a special button on his or her remote control device. The remote control device transmits a command signal to user interface  56  which receives the command signal. User interface  56  in turn, produces a signal which is applied to address extractor  42  to retrieve the stored address of the online information provider. Under appropriate software or hardware control, the address is transmitted via modem  54  over network  30  to an online information provider, e.g.,  34   c.    
         [0033]    Once access to the online information provider has been established, access controller  10  can automatically receive digital information signals through modem  54  from the online information provider. Received information signals are operated upon by processor  58  for displaying upon conventional TV reproducing system  22  or high resolution reproducing system  40 , e.g., a computer monitor or other display device. Preferably, received signals which are incapable of being directly displayed upon conventional reproducing system  22 , e.g., a conventional television set, are converted by a signal converter  62  for display thereon. Information signals received from an online information provider may be displayed as still or moving images in place of the ordinarily displayed video signal on the conventional reproducing system  22 , or may be displayed as part of a “picture within picture” display in conjunction with the ordinarily displayed video signal on conventional reproducing system  22  or on the computer monitor  40  or other display device.  
         [0034]    After access has been established, user commands received through user interface  56  are transmitted as information signals through modem  54  to the online information provider, thereby providing interactive user access with the online provider and enabling searching for detailed information, conducting transactions, sending or posting messages to the accessed provider and any other actions that can ordinarily be conducted through an online connection.  
         [0035]    Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment which operates in conjunction with an available computer  164 . In this embodiment, access controller  110  does not require an internal processor or modem because such functions are provided by a computer  164  attached thereto. In addition, computer  164  also provides a monitor and audio reproducing components which function as high resolution reproducing system  40 . Address extractor  142 , indicator signal generator  146 , and user input interface  156  of access controller  110  are connected through an output interface  166  for providing decoded address output, indicator signals, and user commands, respectively, to computer  164 . In other respects, access controller  110  is connected to receive an electronic signal  12  and provide a conventional program signal  122  and a signal  150  to indicator  124  or indicator  128 , in like manner as in the self-contained embodiment of access controller  10  described in the foregoing (FIG. 2). It will be appreciated that the computer supported embodiment of the invention (FIG. 3) provides the same function and operates in essentially the same manner as the self-contained embodiment (FIGS.  1 - 2 ) and need not be described in any further detail.  
         [0036]    In still another embodiment of the invention, with reference to FIGS.  1 - 3 , a connection to network  30  is maintained continuously by access controller  10  through modem  54  or the modem provided in computer  164 . This embodiment will be described with reference to the access controller  10  shown in FIG. 2, although the skilled person in the art will readily understand the structural modifications required for operation in accordance with the access controller shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, address extractor  42  detects and decodes an online information provider address embedded in the video or audio program signal, but does not store the address.  
         [0037]    As described in the foregoing embodiments of the invention, address extractor  42  provides a signal to indicator signal generator  46  when it successfully detects an online information provider address in the electronic signal. Address extractor  42  detects and decodes the embedded address and passes it to modem  54 . Modem  54 , in turn, only uses the extracted address if it has first received a user command to initiate access to the online information provider. It will be appreciated that this embodiment of the invention can be used with a video or an audio program signal wherein the online information provider address is frequently or continuously transmitted. Modem  54  is provided with hardware and/or software to automatically establish, upon receiving a user command to initiate online access, a direct digital communication link with the online information provider associated with the next received online information provider address.  
         [0038]    As an example of the operation of this non-address storing embodiment of the invention, a video or an audio program signal having a frequently transmitted embedded signal containing an online information provider address is received through line  12  by address extractor  42 . Address extractor  42  detects and decodes the online information provider address, but does not store it before passing it to modem  54 . Modem  54  does nothing with the online information provider address unless a user command to initiate access has first been received from user interface  56 . If such user command has been received, modem  54  transmits a signal over network  30  using the next received address to establish a digital communication link with the online information provider. The function and operation of the non-address storing embodiment is otherwise the same as in the other described embodiments of the invention and need not be described in any further detail.  
         [0039]    In yet another embodiment of the invention, automated direct user access to online information providers is achieved without incorporating an indicator signal generator  46 ,  146  (FIG. 3) into the access controller  10 . In this embodiment, the video or audio program as produced incorporates a visual or auditory indicator, such as a logo or message, which is automatically displayed or sounded by conventional reproducing system  22  and/or high resolution reproducing system  40  during portions of the program when an online information provider address is present in the underlying electronic program signal. Through the visual or auditory indicator, the user is made aware of the availability of the online information provider address. Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, address extractor  42  may be constructed and used in a manner so as to detect and decode an embedded online information provider address only after receiving a user command to initiate access to the online information provider. The skilled person in the art will appreciate that this embodiment of the invention operates in other respects as in the other embodiments of the invention described in the foregoing and need not be described in further detail.  
         [0040]    While the invention has been particularly described and illustrated with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the above description or illustration may be made with respect to form or detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.