Patent ID: 7805748

Claim:
A method of controlling a network, said network comprising at least one transmitter station and at least one receiver station, said network having at least one computer for controlling the communication of signals, said method comprising the steps of: inputting at said at least one transmitter station a control signal transmission schedule, said control signal transmission schedule including information for each of a plurality of control signals, said information including: (1) an identification datum designating each of said plurality of control signals; and (2) a time designating the transmission of each of said plurality of control signals; storing at said at least one transmitter station said control signal transmission schedule; receiving at said at least one transmitter station each of said plurality of control signals embedded in incoming programs; automatically selecting a first control signal of said plurality of control signals received at said transmitter station in accordance with said identification datum and said time designating the transmission for each of said plurality of control signals in said control signal transmission schedule; transmitting said selected first control signal from said at least one transmitter station to said at least one receiver station; automatically controlling said network on the basis of said selected and transmitted first control signal, said step of automatically controlling including the steps of: (1) selecting one of television programming and radio programming; (2) communicating said selected one of said television programming and said radio programming; (3) at least one of storing and outputting said selected one of said television programming and said radio programming at said at least one receiver station; and (4) generating graphic video overlays for overlaying predetermined graphics in sequence on a display.