Patent ID: 8522267

Claim:
An apparatus for enabling a programming originator to exert control of various closed caption display aspects of caption text, comprising: a programming originator input component for generating a plurality of selectively operable control elements respectively representative of the closed caption display aspects; a component responsive to selective operation of any of the control elements for generating first control data corresponding to at least one of the closed caption display aspects, wherein the first control data controls at least one of a size and a spatial position of how the caption text will be displayed on a display device; a first output for supplying, by the programming originator, the first control data apart from the caption text; a first input for receiving external caption data comprising the caption text and second control data, the second control data including portions obtained from the first control data; a second output for supplying the caption data received at the first input in a substantially unaltered form; and wherein the first output and the first input are combined as a first bi-directional port; and the second output comprises a second port different than the first port.