Patent ID: 8132220

Claim:
A method for generating at a user's premises an overlay using video signals constituting a first data and overlay-enabling digital data constituting a second data, the method comprising: (a) providing a combiner unit at the user's premises, wherein: the combiner unit is coupled to a TV set and connected to a separate TV tuner box or TV tuner in the TV set, at the user's premises, and the combiner unit is also connected through distinct networks to each of a video signal source providing video signals through the TV tuner box or TV tuner in the TV set, and an Internet data source providing overlay-enabling digital data over the Internet, wherein said video signals and said overlay-enabling digital data originate from unrelated sources and are transmitted to the user's premises by different resources as mutually distinct and independent inputs, and wherein said overlay-enabling digital data includes at least: a Web link indicating a website where content that is associated with said overlay-enabling digital data is stored, an image indicative of the content associated with said overlay-enabling digital data, and an overlay activation criterion; and (b) processing at the user's premises said overlay-enabling digital data and generating at the user's premises a corresponding overlay only if said activation criterion is met, wherein generating an overlay includes: generating at the user's premises a first display screen including at least a first portion corresponding to said video signals and a second portion overlaid over said first portion and corresponding at least to said image, and associating the Web link with said second portion of the first display screen thereby allowing a user to cause the combiner unit to retrieve said content, generate a second video display screen including at least a portion which corresponds to said content, and input the second display screen to said TV set.