Patent ID: 7565680

Claim:
Apparatus for upgrading a capability of a set top terminal (STT), the STT adapted to receive a data stream including a plurality of compressed television program signals over a cable television program delivery system, decompress a compressed television program signal and provide a corresponding output signal adapted for use by a display device, the apparatus comprising: a STT interface, for enabling communication with the STT, wherein the STT includes a first decryption module, for decrypting a television program signal encrypted according to a first encryption format; an upgrade decryption module, for decrypting an encrypted downstream communication signal to provide thereby a compressed downstream communication signal, wherein the upgrade decryption module decrypts the downstream communication signal encrypted according to a second encryption format for a combined audio and video encryption; an upgrade encryption module, for encrypting an upstream communication signal comprising audio and video data; wherein the apparatus prepares the upstream communication signal for transmission over a transmission network of the cable television program delivery system and provides the television program and a video of the downstream communication signal for simultaneous display of the television program and the video on the display device; a means for multiplexing a non-video data signal with the upstream communication signal, wherein a non-video data signal comprises at least one of: an electronic book, data file, document, spreadsheet, graphic, program, web page or interactive whiteboard; and a means for simultaneously displaying the non-video data signal with the television program and the video on the display device.