Patent ID: 7950031

Claim:
An interactive method for generating a supplementary, program-related output, comprising: obtaining a programming signal; obtaining a supplementary, program-related data signal; combining said programming signal and said supplementary, program-related data signal into a broadcast signal; broadcasting said broadcast signal from a program signal source; receiving said broadcast signal; performing said programming signal of the received broadcast signal with reproduction equipment for an audience; storing said supplementary, program-related data signal of the received broadcast signal; enabling retrieval of said stored supplementary, program-related data signal interactively with said programming signal being performed; and responding to a control signal actuated by a member of said audience tuned to said programming signal being performed to interactively retrieve said stored supplementary, program-related data signal and to generate said supplementary, program-related output; wherein a plurality of supplementary, program-related outputs can be generated as a combination of common output data and specific output data, with said common output data being common to at least two of said outputs, and said specific output data being unique to said outputs, respectively; wherein said supplementary, program-related data signal combined with said programming signal includes said specific output data; wherein said common output data is pre-stored locally with respective members of said audience for retrieval rather than being broadcast with said programming signal; and wherein said pre-stored common output data is retrieved and combined with said received specific output data to generate said supplementary, program-related output in response to said control signal.