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United States Patent
5233654
Harvey , ; et al.
August 3, 1993
Title
Signal processing apparatus and methods
Abstract
A unified system of programing communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), record/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
Inventors:
Harvey; John C.
(New York,
NY
)
, Cuddihy; James W.
(New York,
NY
)
Assignee:
The Personalized Mass Media Corporation
(New York,
NY
)
Appl. No.:
849226
Filed:
March 10, 1992
Current U.S. Class:
725/135
Field of Search:
380/20,5,10 358/124
U.S. Patent Documents
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Primary Examiner:
Cain; David
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Howrey & Simon
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 588,126 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,414, filed Sept. 25, 1990which was a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 096,096 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,825 filed Sept, 11, 1987, which was a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 829,531 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,725, filed Feb. 14, 1986 which was a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 317,510 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,490, filed Nov. 3, 1981.
Claims
We claim:
1. A system for inputting, processing and collecting response information from members of an audience consisting of
a plurality of audience stations, each station accommodating a specific audience member and each station having read/write memory means capable of holding specific data of its audience member, input means for inputting information of its audience member, first storage means for holding its audience member's input, processor means for processing its audience member's input and assembling output records that hold additional information besides said input, second storage means for holding said output records, and transmission means for transferring the output of said second storage means, with at least some of said stations programmed to process input information in a predetermined fashion,
a transmission medium for conveying the output of the transmission means of at least some of said audience stations, and
at least one data collection station for receiving the output records of said audience stations, processing said records, and collecting the information of said records.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one audience station initiates transmission of its output to said data collection station including reprogrammable control means operatively connected to the transmission means of said one station for causing said transmission means to initiate communications with at least one selected data collection station.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one audience station initiates transmission of its output in response to an instruct-to-contact signal and said station includes
second processor means for identifying and processing information of an instruct-to-contact signal.
4. The system of claim 3 including control means operatively connected to said second processor means and the transmission means of said one station for causing said transmission means to initiate communications with at least one selected data collection station.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the input means of at least one audience station is a computer that is acting in a predetermined fashion.
6. A method for collecting audience information in a system that consists of a plurality of audience member stations and at least one data collection station, each audience member station accommodating a specific audience member and having read/write memory means capable of holding specific data of its audience member, input means for inputting information of its audience member, first storage means for holding its audience member's input, processor means for processing its audience member's input and assembling output records that hold additional information besides said input, second storage means for holding said output records, and transmission means for transferring the output of said second storage means, with at least some of said stations programmed to process input information in a predetermined fashion and to transfer associated record information to a data collection station, consisting of the steps of:
programming each audience member's station with specific data of its audience member,
programming each audience member station to process audience member response information input and assemble in a predetermined fashion or fashions record information that includes additional information besides said response information input,
expressing a statement that prompts audience members to input response information, and
causing at least one audience member to input response information
thereby to cause said audience member's station to process said member's response information, assemble record information that includes additional data besides said response information, and transmit said additional data to said data collection station.
7. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising
input means for inputting member information,
first memory means for storing said input information,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,
processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information in accordance with said instruction and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,
second memory means for storing said data, and
transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein said system includes third memory means capable of receiving and storing instructions that control said processor means.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein at least some of the operating instructions that control processing of said system can be reprogrammed by a source external to said system including
control means for receiving operating instructions from said source and selectively reprogramming at least a portion of said system.
10. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising
input means for inputting member information,
first memory means for storing said input information,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,
second memory means for storing said data, and
transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein said system includes third memory means for storing detected information.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein said system stores output data associated with more than one instance of input member information or detected information including
control means for defining the locations in which said system stores said data.
13. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising
first memory means for storing first information of said member,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,
first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said first information and outputting data that include additional information besides said first information,
second memory means for storing said data,
transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station, and
second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said additional information in response to said instruction.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein said first processor means or said second processor means receives instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources including
buffer means operatively connected to said first processor or said second processor to hold input instructions and/or information.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein said buffer means joins input data together in selected fashions including
control means to control the fashion in which said buffer means joins together at least two selected data.
16. A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising
input means for inputting member information,
first memory means for storing said input information,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,
second memory means for storing said data,
transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station,
second detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and
second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said second detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said additional information in response to said instruction.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein said system includes third memory means capable of receiving and storing instructions that control said first processor means or said second processor means.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein said system stores output data associated with more than one instance of input member information or detected information including
control means for defining the locations in which said system stores said data.
19. The system claim 18 wherein said first processor means or said second processor means receives instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources including
buffer means operatively connected to said first processor or said second processor to hold input instructions and/or information.
20. The system of claim 9 or claim 15 or claim 18 wherein said system is preprogrammed with a plurality of telephone numbers, each corresponding to a data collection station, and said last named instruction causes said system to initiate telephone communications with a selected data collection station by dialing a selected telephone number including
telephone dialer means and
control means associated with said dialer means to cause said dialer to dial a selected telephone number.
21. A method for collecting information about programming use and usage at the receiver station of a potential member of a broadcast or cablecast programming audience, said receiver station including at least one input means for inputting information of the presence, attentiveness or degree of interest of an audience member, one detector means for detecting information of programming, one processor for processing information about programming use and usage, one output means for outputting programming, and one transmission means for transmitting output to a remote station, said receiver station being programmed to transfer information about programming use and usage to a remote station that collects data for use in statistics, consisting of the steps of:
programming said receiver station to process information of an audience member,
programming said station to identify information of a programming transmission,
inputting information of the presence of an audience member,
identifying information of a specific programming transmission outputted at said receiver station and
transmitting said information of member presence and
said in information of a specific transmission to said remote station thereby to cause said remote station to collect information of the presence of an audience member and of the identity of a programming transmission outputted to said member.
22. The method of claim 21 including the additional steps of:
inputting information of the attentiveness or degree of information interest of said audience member and
transmitting said information to said remote station
thereby to cause said remote station to collect information of attentiveness or degree of interest of said audience member in said programming.
23. The method of claims 21 or 22 wherein any portion of said information of presence, attentiveness, or degree of interest is inputted by a physical motion of said member.
24. The method of claim 21 wherein said receiver station transmits information to said remote station only periodically and includes memory means to hold information during times when said receiver station is not transmitting information to said remote station, including the additional step of causing said memory means to transmit its information to said remote station.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein said receiver station has capacity to initiate transmission of information to said remote station, including the additional step of causing said receiver station to initiate transmission to said remote station.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein said receiver station has capacity to determine the degree of fullness of said memory means, including the additional step of causing said station to initiate transmission of information to said remote station after said means reaches a specific degree of fullness.
27. The method of claim 24 wherein said receiver station has capacity for selectively transmitting information to said remote station, including the additional step of discarding duplicate information.
28. The method of claim 27 including the additional step of counting duplicate information.
29. The method of claim 24 wherein said receiver station has clock means, including the additional step of inputting time information to said memory means.
30. The method of claim 21 wherein said station has a plurality of output means for outputting programming to a member and capacity for outputting programming selectivity, including the additional steps of identifying which output means outputs identified programming and transmitting information that identifies said output means.
31. The method of claim 24 wherein said station has capacity for evaluating how equipment operates in conjuction with an input of information of presence, attentiveness, or degree of interest or a detection of the identity of output programming, including the additional step of inputting to said memory means information that indicates specific equipment actuated and/or what affect actuation has.
32. A method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station, with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal, consisting of the steps of:
programming at least some of said last named audience stations to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission,
programming at least one of said some to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal,
transmitting mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions,
receiving said transmission at a plurality of said audience stations and outputting the corresponding mass medium programming,
transmitting to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal,
inputting information of the reaction of an audience member at a selected audience station that is outputting said mass medium programming and is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission,
detecting the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal at said selected audience station and combining information of said signal to at least one processor of said station,
causing said station to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, and
receiving at least a portion of the output of said processor at said data collection station, thereby to cause said data collection station to collect at least a portion of said response information.
33. In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station; with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal; and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, at least one of said some is programmed to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, and information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, the step of:
transmitting to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, thereby causing said selected audience station to detect the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal, combine information of said signal to at least one processor of said station, process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, said data collection station to receive at least a portion of the output of said processor, and said data collection station to collect at least a portion of said response information.
34. A receiver station system for processing, recording, and transferring information of a member of a broadcast program audience to at least one remote data collection station comprising
memory means for storing first information of said member,
first processor means for processing said first information and assembling output records that include additional information besides said first information,
recorder means for storing said output records,
transmission means for transmitting at least some output of said recorder to said data collection station,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and
second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said output in response to said instruction.
35. The system of claim 34 wherein said first processor means has means for receiving instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources.
36. The system of claim 35 wherein said system includes telephone dialing means and initiates telephone communications with a data collection station by dialing a specific telephone number.
37. In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station; with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal; and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, a transmission stations transmits to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, and the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal is detected at said selected audience station and information of said signal is combined to at least one processor of said station, the step of:
programming said selected station to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, thereby to cause said station to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, and said data collection station to receive at least a portion of the output of said processor and collect at least a portion said response information.
38. In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station; with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to detected instruct-to-respond signal; and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, at least one of said some is programmed to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, a transmission stations transmits to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal is detected at said selected audience station and information of said signal is combined to at least one processor of said station, and said station is caused to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, the step of:
receiving at least a portion of the output of said processor at said data collection station, thereby to cause said data collection station to collect at least a portion said response information.
39. The method of claim 32 wherein at least some of said audience stations have television output means and said mass medium programming is television programming.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein said selected station inputs information of a viewer order for a product or service or request for information, said viewer input being made in response to information in a transmission associated with a television program, including the additional step of
causing said station, in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, to determine whether viewer input exists or to process reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal if specific viewer input exists.
41. The method of claim 40 including the additional step of holding said viewer input at said station at a time when said station is not receiving an instruct-to-respond signal.
42. The method of claim 41 wherein a television program viewer physically inputs said viewer input at the input means of said station including the additional step of
communicating an expression in said television program that prompts a viewer to input an order, request or command at the input means of an audience station.
43. The method of claim 42 wherein said order, request or command is for additional programming that relates to and/or supplements the information of said television programming and processing said order, request or command enables said station to output said programming including the step of
transmitting to said station programming that is additional to and supplements the information of said television programming.
44. The method of claim 42 wherein said station has a plurality of detectors or a plurality of processors including additional steps of identifying said instruct-to-respond signal and combining said signal to a selected processor that is programmed to process reaction information in response to an instruct-to-respond-signal.
45. The method of claim 44 including the additional step of programming a selected processor of said station to process reaction information in response to an instruct-to-respond signals.
46. The method of claim 43 wherein said station has second output means for outputting said additional programming including the additional step of outputting said additional programming at said second output means.
47. The method of claim 46 wherein said second output means is a printer and said additional programming is printed.
48. The method of claim 38, 41 or 43 wherein said input information is an order for a product or service including the additional step of determining for billing purposes at said data collection station that said viewer input or input information is an order.
49. The method of claim 37 or 43 wherein said station has means to transmit its output data to said data collection station in response to an instruct-to-contact signal including the additional step of
programming said station to contact a remote station in response to an instruct-to-contact signal.
50. The method of claim 33, 37, 38, 41 or 43 wherein said station has means to search at least one transmission for an embedded instruct-to-respond signal including the additional step of
programming said station to search for an instruct-to-respond signal.
51. The system of claim 9, 12, 15 or 18 wherein said system displays to its audience member at least a portion of its information of its member including output means operatively connected to said first memory means or said second memory means for outputting information or data contained therein.
52. The system of claim 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16 or 18 wherein said system displays to its audience member programming that supplements the information of a television program including
output means operatively connected to said first memory means or said second memory means for outputting information or data contained therein.
53. The method of claim 6 including the additional steps of:
programming said last named station to process input information in a plurality of fashions and
causing said station to process said response information in a selected fashion.
54. The method of claim 53 including the additional step of: programming said station to contact a data collection station in response to an instruct-to-contact signal.
55. The method of claim 54 including the additional step of:
programming said station to identify an instruct-to-contact signal.
56. The method of claim 55 including the additional steps of:
programming said station with information to contact a plurality of data collection stations and
causing said station to contact a selected one of said plurality.
57. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor of at least one of said audience stations has means for receiving instructions and/or information from a plurality of input sources.
58. The system of claim 57 wherein said station includes
buffer means operatively connected to said plurality of sources and said processor for organizing the stream of input instructions and/or information.
59. A receiver station system for processing and recording information of a member of a broadcast program audience for at least one remote data collection station comprising
input means for inputting member information,
memory means for storing said input information,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,
processor means operatively connected to said memory means and said detector means for processing said input information in accordance with said instruction and assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information, and
recorder means for storing said output records on a memory medium.
60. The system of claim 59 wherein said system includes buffer means operatively connected to said input means, said detector means, and said processor means for organizing the instruction and information stream.
61. The system of claim 59 wherein said recorder means holds records associated with more than one instance of input member information and said station has means for defining the locations in which said recorder means holds said records.
62. The system of claim 59 including
transmission means for transmitting the output of said recorder means to said data collection station.
63. A receiver station system for processing and recording information of a member of a broadcast program audience for at least one remote data collection station comprising
input means for inputting member information,
memory means for storing said input information,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
processor means operatively connected to said memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and
assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information, and
recorder means for storing said output records on a memory medium.
64. The system of claim 63 wherein said system has means to detect a datum at a plurality of sources and includes means to identify the source at which said datum is detected and store information of said source.
65. The system of claim 63 wherein said recorder means holds records associated with more than one instance of input member information and said station has means for defining the locations in which said memory holds said data.
66. The system of claim 63 including
transmission means for transmitting the output of said recorder means to said data collection station.
67. A receiver station system for processing, recording, and transferring information of a member of a broadcast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising
input means for inputting member information,
first memory means for storing said input information,
detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information,
recorder means for storing said output records,
transmission means for transmitting output of said recorder means to said data collection station,
second detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and
second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said second detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit at least some of the output of said recorder means in response to said instruction.
68. The system of claim 67 wherein said system has means to detect a datum at a plurality of sources and includes means to identify the source at which said datum is detected and store information of said source.
69. The system of claim 67 wherein said system includes telephone dialing means and dials a specific telephone number prior to the commencement of a transmission of output of said recorder means.
70. The system of claim 62 or claim 66 or claim 36 or claim 69 wherein said system is programmed with a plurality of telephone numbers, each corresponding to a data collection station and can initiate communications with a selected data collection station by dialing a selected telephone number.
71. The system of claim 62 or claim 66 or claim 69 wherein said system is preprogrammed with a plurality of telephone numbers, each corresponding to a data collection station, and said last named instruction can cause said audience station to initiate telephone communications with a selected data collection station by dialing a selected telephone number.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an integrated system of programming communication and involves the fields of computer processing, computer communications, television, radio, and other electronic communications; the fields of automating the handling, recording, and retransmitting of television, radio, computer, and other electronically transmitted programming; and the fields of regulating, metering, and monitoring the availability, use, and usage of such programming.
For years, television has been recognized as a most powerful medium for communicating ideas. And television is so-called "user friendly"; that is, despite technical complexity, television is easy for subscribers to use.
Radio and electronic print services such as stock brokers' so-called "tickers" and "broad tapes" are also powerful, user friendly mass media. (Hereinafter, the electronic print mass medium is called, "broadcast print.")
But television, radio, and broadcast print are only mass media. Program content is the same for every viewer. Occasionally one viewer may see, hear, or read information of specific relevance to him (as happens when a guest on a television talk show turns to the camera and says, "Hi, Mom"), but such electronic media have no capacity for conveying user specific information simultaneously to each user.
For years, computers have been recognized as having unsurpassed capacity for processing and displaying user specific information.
But computer processing is not a mass medium. Computers operate under the control of computer programs that are inputted by specific users for specific purposes, not programs that are broadcast to and executed simultaneously at the stations of mass user audiences. And computer processing is far less user friendly than, for example, television.
Today great potential exists for combining the capacity of broadcast communications media to convey ideas with the capacity of computers to process and output user specific information. One such combination would provide a new radio-based or broadcast print medium with the capacity for conveying general information to large audiences--e.g., "Stock prices rose today in heavy trading,"--with information of specific relevance to each particular user in the audience--e.g., "but the value of your stock portfolio went down." (Hereinafter, the new media that result from such combinations are called "combined" media.)
Unlocking this potential is desirable because these new media will add substantial richness and variety to the communication of ideas, information and entertainment. Understanding complex subjects and making informed decisions will become easier.
To unlock this potential fully requires means and methods for combining and controlling receiver systems that are now separate--television and computers, radio and computers, broadcast print and computers, television and computers and broadcast print, etc.
But it requires much more.
To unlock this potential fully requires a system with efficient capacity for satisfying the demands of subscribers who have little receiver apparatus and simple information demands as well as subscribers who have extensive apparatus and complex demands. It requires capacity for transmitting and organizing vastly more information and programming than any one-channel transmission system can possibly convey at one time. It requires capacity for controlling intermediate transmission stations that receive information and programming from many sources and for organizing the information and programming and retransmitting the information and programming so as to make the use of the information and programming at ultimate receiver stations as efficient as possible.
To unlock this potential also requires efficient capacity for providing reliable audit information to (1) advertisers and others who pay for the transmission and performance of programming and (2) copyright holders, pay service operators, and others such as talent who demand, instead, to be paid. This requires capacity for identifying and recording (1) what television, radio, data, and other programming and what instruction signals are transmitted at each transmission station and (2) what is received at each receiver station as well as (3) what received programming is combined or otherwise used at each receiver station and (4) how it is received, combined, and/or otherwise used.
Moreover, this system must have the capacity to ensure hat programming supplied for pay or for other conditional use is used only in accordance with those conditions. For example, subscriber station apparatus must display the commercials that are transmitted in transmissions that advertisers pay for. The system must have capacity for decrypting, in many varying ways, programming and instruction signals that are encrypted and for identifying those who pirate programming and inhibiting piracy.
It is the object of this invention to unlock this great potential in the fullest measure by means of an integrated system of programming communication that joins together all these capacities most efficiently.
Computer systems generate user specific information, but in any given computer system, any given set of program instructions that causes and controls the generation of user specific information is inputted to only one computer at a time.
Computer communications systems do transmit data point-to-multipoint. The Dataspeed Corporation division of Lotus Development Corporation of Cambridge, Massachusetts transmits real-time financial data over radio frequencies to microcomputers equipped with devices called "modios" that combine the features of radio receivers, modems, and decryptors. The Equatorial Communications Company of Mountain View, California transmits to similarly equipped receiver systems by satellite. At each receiver station, apparatus receive the particular transmission and convert its data content into unencrypted digital signals that computers can process. Each subscriber programs his subscriber station apparatus to select particular data of interest.
This prior art is limited. It only transmits data; it does not control data processing. No system is preprogrammed to simultaneously control a plurality of central processor units, operating systems, and pluralities of computer peripheral units. None has capacity to cause simultaneous generation of user specific information at a plurality of receiver stations. None has any capacity to cause subscriber station computers to process received data, let alone in ways that are not inputted by the subscribers. None has any capacity to explain automatically why any given information might be of particular interest to any subscriber or why any subscriber might wish to select information that is not selected or how any subscriber might wish to change the way selected information is processed.
As regards broadcast media, systems in the prior art have capacity for receiving and displaying multiple images on television receivers simultaneously. One such system for superimposing printed characters transmitted incrementally during the vertical blanking interval of the television scanning format is described in Kimura U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,792. Baer U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,854 describes a second system for continuously displaying readable alphanumeric captions that are transmitted as digital data superimposed on a normal FM sound signal and that relate in program content to the conventional television information upon which they are displayed. These systems permit a viewer to view a primary program and a secondary program.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to overlay any information other than information transmitted to all receiver stations simultaneously. It has no capacity to overlay any such information except in the order in which it is received. It has no capacity to cause receiver station computers to generate any information whatsoever, let alone user specific information. It has no capacity to cause overlays to commence or cease appearing at receiver stations, let alone commence and cease appearing periodically.
As regards the automation of intermediate transmission stations, various co-called "cueing" systems in the prior art operate in conjunction with network broadcast transmissions to automate the co-called "cut-in" in local television and radio stations of locally originated programming such as so-called "local spot" advertisements.
Also in the prior art, Lambert U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,522 describes a cable television system controlled by a minicomputer that responds to signals transmitted from viewers by telephone. In response to viewers' input preferences, the computer generates a schedule which determines what prerecorded, so-called local origination programs will be transmitted, when, and over what channels. The computer generates a video image of this schedule which it transmits over one cable channel to viewers which permits them to see when they can view the programs they request and over what channels. Then, in accordance with the schedule, it actuates preloaded video tape, disc or film players and transmits the programming transmissions from these players to the designated cable channels by means of a controlled video switch.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to schedule automatically or transmit any programming other than that loaded immediately at the play heads of the controlled video players. It has no capacity to load the video players or identify what programming is loaded on the players or verify that scheduled programs are played correctly. It has no capacity to cause the video players to record programming from any source. It has no capacity to receive programming transmissions or process received transmissions in any way. It has no capacity to operate under the control of instructions transmitted by broadcasters. It has no capacity to insert signals that convey information to or control, in any way, the automatic operation of ultimate receiver station apparatus other than television receivers.
As regards the automation of ultimate receiver stations, in the prior art, Bourassin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,480 describes a dynamic interconnection system for connecting at least one television receiver to a plurality of television peripheral units. By means of a single remote keyboard, a viewer can automatically connect and disconnect any of the peripheral units without the need manually to switch systems or fasten and unfasten cabling each time. In addition, using a so-called "image-within-image" capacity, the viewer can superimpose a secondary image from a second peripheral unit upon the primary image on the television display. In this fashion, two peripheral units can be viewed simultaneously on one television receiver. Freeman et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,925 describes a multi-channel programing transmission system wherein subscribers may select manually among related programming alternatives transmitted simultaneously on separate channels.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for interconnecting or operating a system at any time other than the time when the order to do so is entered manually at the system or remote keyboard. It has no capacity for acting on instructions transmitted by broadcasters to interconnect, actuate or tune systems peripheral to a television receiver or to actuate a television receiver or automatically change channels received by a receiver. It has no capacity for coordinating the programming content transmitted by any given peripheral system with any other programming transmitted to a television receiver. It has no capacity for controlling two separate systems such as, for example, an automatic radio and television stereo simulcast. It has no capacity for selectively connecting radio receivers to radio peripherals such as computers or printers or speakers or for connecting computers to computer peripherals (except perhaps a television set). It has no capacity for controlling the operation of decryptors or selectively inputting transmissions to decryptors or outputting transmissions from decryptors to other apparatus. It has no capacity for monitoring and maintaining records regarding what programming is selected or played on any apparatus or what apparatus is connected or how connected apparatus operate.
The prior art includes a variety of systems for monitoring programming and generating so-called "ratings." One system that monitors by means of embedded digital signals is described in Haselwood, et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,851. Another that monitors by means of audio codes that are only "substantially inaudible" is described in Crosby U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,391. A third that automatically monitors a plurality of channels by switching sequentially among them and that includes capacity to monitor audio and visual quality is described in Greenberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,804.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has capacity to monitor only single broadcast stations, channels or units and lacks capacity to monitor more than one channel at a time or to monitor the combining of media. At any given monitor station, it has had capacity to monitor either what is transmitted over one or more channels or what is received on one or more receivers but not both. It has assumed monitored signals of particular format in particular transmission locations and has lacked capacity to vary formats or locations or to distinguish and act on the absence of signals or to interpret and process in any fashion signals that appear in monitored locations that are not monitored signals. It has lacked capacity to identify encrypted signals then decrypt them. It has lacked capacity to record and also transfer information to a remote geographic location simultaneously.
As regards recorder/player systems, many means and methods exist in the prior art for recording television or audio programming and/or data on magnetic, optical or other recording media and for retransmitting prerecorded programming. Video tape recorders have capacity for automatic delayed recording of television transmissions on the basis of instructions input manually by viewers. So-called "interactive video" systems have capacity for locating prerecorded television programming on a given disc and transmitting it to television receivers and locating prerecorded digital data on the same disc and transmitting them to computers.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for automatically embedding signals in and/or removing embedded signals from a television transmission then recording the transmission. It has no capacity for controlling the connecting or actuation or tuning of external apparatus. It has no capacity for retransmitting prerecorded programming and controlling the decryption of said programming, let alone doing so on the basis of signals that are embedded in said programming that contain keys for the decryption of said programming. It has no capacity for operating on the basis of control signals transmitted to recorder/players at a plurality of subscriber stations, let alone operating on the basis of such signals to record user specific information at each subscriber station.
As regards decoders and decryptors, many different systems exist, at present, that enable programming suppliers to restrict the use of transmitted programming to only duly authorized subscribers. The prior art includes so-called "addressable" systems that have capacity for controlling specific individual subscriber station apparatus by means of control instructions transmitted in broadcasts. Such systems enable broadcasters to turn off subscriber station decoder/decryptor apparatus of subscribers who do not pay their bills and turn them back on when the bills are paid.
This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for decrypting combined media programming. It has no capacity for identifying then selectively decrypting control instructions embedded in unencrypted programming transmissions. It has no capacity for identifying programming transmissions or control instructions selectively and transferring them to a decryptor for decryption. It has no capacity for transferring the output of a decryptor selectively to one of a plurality of output apparatus. It has no capacity for automatically identifying decryption keys and inputting them to a decryptor to serve as the key for any step of decryption. It has no capacity for identifying and recording the identity of what is input to or output from a decryptor. It has no capacity for decrypting a transmission then embedding a signal in the transmission--let alone for simultaneously embedding user specific signals at a plurality of subscriber stations. It has no capacity for distinguishing the absence of an expected signal or controlling any operation when such absence occurs.
Further significant limitations arise out of the failure to reconcile aspects of these individual areas of art--monitoring programming, automating ultimate receiver stations, decrypting programming, generating the programming itself, etc.--into an integrated system. These limitations are both technical and commercial.
For example, the commercial objective of the aforementioned monitoring systems of Crosby, Haselwood et. al., and Greenberg is to provide independent audits to advertisers and others who pay for programming transmissions. All require embedding signals in programming that are used only to identify programming. Greenberg, for example, requires that a digital signal be transmitted at a particular place on a select line of each frame of a television program. But television has only so much capacity for transmitting signals outside the visible image; it is inefficient for such signals to serve only one function; and broadcasters can foresee alternate potential for this capacity that may be more profitable to them. Furthermore, advertisers recognize that if the systems of Crosby, Haselwood and Greenberg distinguish TV advertisements by means of single purpose signals, television receivers and video tape recorders can include capacity for identifying said signals and suppressing the associated advertisements. Accordingly, no independent automatic comprehensive so-called "proof-of-performance" audit service has yet proven commercially viable.
As a second example, because of the lack of a viable independent audit system, each service that broadcasts encrypted programming controls and services at each subscriber station one or more receiver/decryptors dedicated to its service alone. Lacking a viable audit system, services do not transmit to shared, common receiver/decryptors.
These are just two examples of limitations that arise in the absence of an integrated system of programming communication.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other limitations of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists of an integrated system of methods and apparatus for communicating programming. The term "programming" refers to everything that is transmitted electronically to entertain, instruct or inform, including television, radio, broadcast print, and computer programming as well as combined medium programming. The system includes capacity for automatically organizing multi-channel communications. Like television, radio, broadcast print, and other electronic media, the present invention has capacity for transmitting to standardized programming that is very simple for subscribers to play and understand. Like computer systems, the present invention has capacity for transmitting data and control instructions in the same information stream to many different apparatus at a given subscriber station, for causing computers to generate and transmit programming, and for causing receiver apparatus to operate on the basis of programming and information received at widely separated times.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods whereby a simplex point-to-multipoint transmission (such as a television or radio broadcast) can cause simultaneous generation of user specific information at a plurality of subscriber stations. One advantage of the present invention is great ease of use. For example, as will be seen, a subscriber can cause his own information to be processed in highly complex ways by merely turning his television receiver on and tuning to a particular channel. Another advantage of the present invention is its so-called "transparency"--subscribers see none of the complex processing taking place. Another advantage is privacy. No private information is required at transmitting stations, and no subscriber's information is available at any other subscriber's station.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods whereby a simplex broadcast transmission can cause periodic combining of relevant user specific information and conventional broadcast programming simultaneously at a plurality of subscriber stations, thereby integrating the broadcast information with each user's own information. One advantage of the present invention is its use of powerful communication media such as television to reveal the meaning of the results of complex processing in ways that appear clear and simple. Another advantage is that receiver stations that lack said capacity for combining user specific information into television or radio programming can continue, without modification, to receive and display the conventional television or radio and without the appearance of any signals or change in the conventional programming.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods for the automation of intermediate transmission stations that receive and retransmit programming. The programming may be delivered by any means including over-the-air, hard-wire, and manual means. The stations may transmit programming over-the-air (hereinafter, "broadcast") or over hard-wire (hereinafter, "cablecast"). They may transmit single channels or multiple channels. The present invention includes capacity for automatically constructing records for each transmitted channel that duplicate the logs that the Federal Communications Commission requires broadcast station operators to maintain.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods for the automation of ultimate receiver stations, especially the automation of combined medium and multi-channel presentations. Such ultimate receiver stations may be private homes or offices or commercial establishments such as theaters, hotels, or brokerage offices.
It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods for identifying and recording what television, radio, data, and other programming is transmitted at each transmission station, what programming is received at each receiver station, and how programming is used. In the present invention, certain monitored signals may be encrypted, and certain data collected from such monitoring may be automatically transferred from subscriber stations to one or more remote geographic stations.
It is a further purpose of this invention to provide means and methods for recording combined media and/or multi-channel programming and for playing back prerecorded programming of such types.
It is a further purpose of this invention to provide a variety of means and methods for restricting the use of transmitted communications to only duly authorized subscribers. Such means and methods include techniques for encrypting programming and/or instructions and decrypting them at subscriber stations. They also include techniques whereby the pattern of the composition, timing, and location of embedded signals may vary in such fashions that only receiving apparatus that are preinformed regarding the patterns that obtain at any given time will be able to process the signals correctly.
The present invention employs signals embedded in programming. Embedded signals provide several advantages. They cannot become separated inadvertently from the programming and, thereby, inhibit automatic processing. They occur at precise times in programming and can synchronize the operation of receiver station apparatus to the timing of programming transmissions. They can be conveniently monitored.
In the present invention, the embedded signals contain digital information that may include addresses of specific receiver apparatus controlled by the signals and instructions. that identify particular functions the signals cause addressed apparatus to perform.
In programming transmissions, given signals may run and repeat, for periods of time, continuously or at regular intervals. Or they may run only occasionally or only once. They may appear in various and varying locations. In television they may appear on one line in the video portion of the transmission such as line 20 of the vertical interval, or on a portion of one line, or on more than one line, and they will probably lie outside the range of the television picture displayed on a normally tuned television set. In television and radio they may appear in a portion of the audio range that is not normally rendered in a form audible to the human ear. In television audio, they are likely to lie between eight and fifteen kilohertz. In broadcast print and data communications transmissions, the signals may accompany conventional print or data programming in the conventional transmission stream but will include instructions that receiver station apparatus are preprogrammed to process that instruct receiver apparatus to separate the signals from the conventional programming and process them differently. In all cases, signals may convey information in discrete words, transmitted at separate times or in separate locations, that receiver apparatus must assemble in order to receive one complete instruction.
(The term "signal unit" hereinafter means one complete signal instruction or information message unit. Examples of signal units are a unique code identifying a programming unit, or a unique purchase order number identifying the proper use of a programming unit, or a general instruction identifying whether a programming unit is to be retransmitted immediately or recorded for delayed transmission. The term "signal word" hereinafter means one full discrete appearance of a signal as embedded at one time in one location on a transmission. Examples of signal words are a string of one or more digital data bits encoded together on a single line of video or sequentially in audio. Such strings may or may not have predetermined data bits to identify the beginnings and ends of words. Signal words may contain parts of signal units, whole signal units, or groups of partial or whole signal units or combinations.)
In the present invention, particular signal processing apparatus (hereinafter called the "signal processor") detect signals and, in accordance with instructions in the signals and preprogramming in the signal processor, decrypt and/or record and/or control station apparatus by means of the signals and/or discard the signals. The apparatus include one or more devices that can selectively scan transmission frequencies as directed and, separately, capacity to receive signals from one or more devices that continuously monitor selected frequencies. The frequencies may convey television, radio, or other programming transmissions. The input transmissions may be received by means of antennas or from hard-wire connections. The scanners/switches, working in parallel or series or combinations, transfer the transmissions to receiver/decoder/detectors that identify signals encoded in programming transmissions and convert the encoded signals to digital information; decryptors that may convert the received information, in part or in whole, to other digital information according to preset methods or patterns; and one or more processor/monitors and/or buffer/comparators that organize and transfer the information stream. The processors and buffers can have inputs from each of the receiver/detector lines and evaluate information continuously. From the processors and buffers, the signals may be transferred to external equipment such as computers, videotape recorders and players, etc. And/or they may be transferred to one or more internal digital recorders that receive and store in memory the recorded information and have connections to one or more remote sites for further transmission of the recorded information. The apparatus has means for external communication and an automatic dialer and can contact remote sites and transfer stored information as required in a predetermined fashion or fashions. The apparatus has a clock for determining and recording time as required. It has a read only memory for recording permanent operating instructions and other information and a programmable random access memory controller ("PRAM controller") that permits revision of operating patterns and instructions. The PRAM controller may be connected to all internal operating units for full flexibility of operations.
Signal processing apparatus that are employed in specific situations that require fewer functions than those provided by the signal processor described above may omit one or more of the specific operating elements described above.
A central objective of the present invention is to provide flexibility in regard to installed station apparatus. At any given time, the system must have capacity for wide variation in individual station apparatus in order to provide individual subscribers the widest range of information options at the least cost in terms of installed equipment. Flexibility must exist for expanding the capacity of installed systems by means of transmitted software and for altering installed systems in a modular fashion by adding or removing components. Flexibility must exist for varying techniques that restrict programming to duly authorized subscribers in order to identify and deter pirates of programming.
Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will appear in the following descriptions and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video/computer combined medium receiver station.
FIG. 1A shows a representative example of a computer generated, user specific graphic as it would appear by itself on the face of a display tube.
FIG. 1B shows a representative example of a studio generated graphic displayed on the face of a display tube.
FIG. 1C shows a representative example, on the face of a display tube, of a studio graphic combined with a user specific graphic.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a signal processor.
FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a TV signal decoder apparatus.
FIG. 2B is a block diagram of a radio signal decoder apparatus.
FIG. 2C is a block diagram of an other signal decoder apparatus.
FIG. 2D is a block diagram of one embodiment of a receiver station signal processing system.
FIG. 2E illustrates one example of the composition of signal information and shows the initial binary information of a message that contains execution, meter-monitor, and information segments.
FIG. 2F shows one instance of a meter-monitor segment.
FIG. 2G shows one instance of a command that fills a whole number of byte signal words incompletely.
FIG. 2H shows one instance of a message that contains execution and meter-monitor segments and consists of the command of FIG. 2G with three padding bits added at the end to complete the last byte signal word.
FIG. 2I shows one instance of a SPAM message stream.
FIG. 2J shows one instance of a message that consists of just a header and an execution segment and fills one byte signal word completely.
FIG. 2K shows one instance of a message that contains execution and meter-monitor segments and fills a whole number of byte signal words completely but ends with one full byte signal word of padding bits because the last byte signal word of command information is an EOFS word.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a video/computer combined medium receiver station with a signal processing system.
FIG. 3A is a block diagram of the preferred embodiment the controller apparatus of a SPAM decoder.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one example of a signal processing programming reception and use regulating system.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one example of a signal processing apparatus and methods monitoring system installed to monitor a subscriber station.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are block diagrams of one example of signal processing apparatus and methods at an intermediate transmission station, in this case a cable system headend.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methods at an ultimate receiver station.
FIG. 7A is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methods with external equipment regulating the environment of the local receiver site.
FIG. 7B is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methods used to control a combined medium, multi-channel presentation and to monitor such viewership.
FIG. 7C is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methods selecting receivable information and programming and controlling combined medium, multi-channel presentations.
FIG. 7D is a block diagram of a radio/computer combined medium receiver station.
FIG. 7E is a block diagram of a television/computer combined medium receiver station.
FIG. 7F is a block diagram of an example of controlling television and print combined media.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of selected apparatus of the station of FIG. 7 with a station specific EPROM, 20B, installed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
One Combined Medium
FIG. 1 shows a video/computer combined medium subscriber station. Via conventional antenna, the station receives a conventional television broadcast transmission at television tuner, 215. The Model CV510 Electronic TV Tuner of the Zenith Radio Corporation of Chicago, Illinois, which is a component of the Zenith Video Hi-Tech Component TV system, is one such tuner. This tuner outputs conventional audio and composite video transmissions. The audio transmission is inputted to TV monitor, 202M. The video transmittion is inputted to video transmission divider, 4, which is a conventional divider that splits the transmission into two paths. One is inputted continuously to TV signal decoder, 203, and the other to microcomputer, 205. TV signal decoder, 203, which is described more fully below, has capacity for receiving a composite video transmission; detecting digital information embedded therein; correcting errors in the received information by means of forward error checking techniques, well known in the art; converting the received information, as may be required, by means of input protocol techniques, well known in the art, into digital signals that microcomputer, 205, can receive and process and that can control the operation of microcomputer, 205; and transferring said signals to microcomputer, 205. Microcomputer, 205, is a conventional microcomputer system with disk drives that is adapted to have capacity for receiving signals from decoder, 203; for generating computer graphic information; for receiving a composite video transmission; for combining said graphic information onto the video information of said transmission by graphic overlay techniques, well known in the art; and for outputting the resulting combined information to a TV monitor, 202M, in a composite video transmission. One such system is the IBM Personal Computer of International Business Machines Corporation of Armonk, New York with an IBM Asynchronous Communications Adapter installed in one expansion slot and a PC-MicroKey Model 1300 System with Techmar Graphics Master Card, as supplied together by Video Associates Labs of Austin, Texas, installed in two other slots. Microcomputer, 205, receives digital signals from decoder, 203, at its asynchronous communications adapter and the video transmission from divider 4, at its PC-MicroKey 1300 Systems. It outputs the composite video transmission at its PC-MicroKey System. Microcomputer, 205, has all required operating system capacity--eg., the MS/DOS Version 2.0 Disk Operating System of Microsoft, Inc. of Bellvue, Washington with installed device drivers. TV monitor, 202M, has capacity for receiving composite video and audio transmissions and for presenting a conventional television video image and audio sound. One such monitor is the Model CV1950 Color Monitor of the Zenith Radio Corporation.
In the example, the subscriber station of FIG. 1 is in New York City and is tuned to the conventional broadcast television transmission frequency of channel 13 at 8:30 PM on a Friday evening when the broadcast station of said frequency, WNET, commences transmitting a television program about stock market investing, "Wall Street Week." Said WNET station is an intermediate transmission station for said program which actually originates at a remote television studio in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Hereinafter, a studio or station that originates the broadcast transmission of programming is called the "program originating studio.") From said program originating studio said program is transmitted by conventional television network feed transmission means, well known in the art, to a large number of geographically dispersed intermediate transmission stations that retransmit said program to millions of subscriber stations where subscribers view said program. Said network transmission means may include so-called landlines, microwave transmissions, a satellite transponder, or other means.
At said subscriber station, microprocessor, 205, contains a conventional 51/4" floppy disk at a designated one of its disk drives that holds a data file recorded in a fashion well known in the art. Said file contains information on the portfolio of financial instruments owned by the subscriber that identifies the particular stocks in the portfolio, the number of shares of each stock owned at the close of business of each business day from the end of the previous week, and the closing share prices applicable each day. Decoder, 203, is preprogrammed to detect digital information on a particular line or lines (such as line 20) of the vertical interval of its video transmission input; to correct errors in said information; to convert said corrected information into digital signals usable by microcomputer, 205; and to input said signals to microcomputer, 205, at its asynchronous communications adapter. Microcomputer, 205, is preprogrammed to receive said input of signals at its asynchronous communications adapter and to respond in a predetermined fashion to instruction signals embedded in the "Wall Street Week" programming transmission.
Other similarly configured and preprogrammed subscriber stations also tune to the transmission of said "Wall Street Week" program by given intermediate transmission stations. At each subscriber station, the records in the contained financial portfolio file hold, in identical format, information on the particular investments of that station's subscriber.
At the start of the transmission of said "Wall Street Week" program, all subscriber station apparatus is on and fully operational.
At said program originating studio, at the outset of said program transmission, a first series of control instructions is generated, embedded sequentially on said line or lines of the vertical interval, and transmitted on the first and each successive frame of said television program transmission, signal unit by signal unit and word by word, until said series has been transmitted in full. The instructions of said series are addressed to and control the microcomputer, 205, of each subscriber station.
In said series in full--and in any one or more subsequent series of instructions--particular instructions are separated, as may be required, by time periods when no instruction that controls the microcomputer, 205, of any station is transmitted which periods allow sufficient time for the microcomputer, 205, of each and every subscriber station to complete functions controlled by previously transmitted instructions and commence waiting for a subsequent instruction, in a waiting fashion well known in the art, before receiving a subsequent instruction.
Tuner, 215, receives this television transmission, converts the received television information into audio and composite video transmissions, and transmits the audio to monitor, 202M, and the video via divider, 4, to microcomputer, 205, and decoder, 203. Decoder, 203, detects the embedded instruction information, corrects it as required, converts it into digital signals usable by microcomputer, 205, and transmits said signals to microcomputer, 205.
With each step occurring in a predetermined fashion or fashions, well known in the art, this first set of instructions commands microcomputer, 205, (and all other subscriber station microcomputers simultaneously) to interrupt the operation of its central processor unit (hereinafter, "CPU") and any designated other processors; then to record the contents of the registers of its CPU and any other designated processors either at a designated plate in random access memory (hereinafter, "RAM") or on the contained disk; then to set its PC-MicroKey 1300 to the "GRAPHICS OFF" operating mode in which mode it transmits all received composite video information to monitor, 202M, without modification; then to record all information in RAM with all register information in an appropriately named file such as "INTERUPT.BAK" at a designated place on the contained disk; then to clear all RAM (except for that portion of RAM containing the so-called "operating system" of said microcomputer, 205) and all registers of said CPU and any other designated processors; then to wait for further instructions from decoder, 203.
Operating in said preprogrammed fashion under control of said first set of instructions, microcomputer, 205, reaches a stage at which the subscriber can input information only under control of signals embedded in the broadcast transmission and can reassume control of microcomputer, 205, (so long as microcomputer, 205, remains on and continues, in a predetermined fashion, to receive said embedded transmitted signals) only by executing a system reset (or so-called "warm boot") which on an IBM PC is accomplished by depressing simultaneously the "Ctrl", "Alt" and "Del" keys on the console keyboard.
(Hereinafter, this first set of instructions is called the "control invoking broadcast control.")
After completing all steps of invoking broadcast control, the microcomputer at each subscriber station (including microcomputer, 205) is preprogrammed (1) to evaluate particular initial instructions in each distinct series of received input instructions to ascertain how to process the information of said series and (2) to operate in a predetermined fashion or fashions in response to said initial instructions.
Subsequently, a second series of instructions is embedded and transmitted at said program originating studio. Said second series is detected and converted into usable digital signals by decoder, 203, and inputted to microcomputer, 205, in the same fashion as the first series. Microcomputer, 205, evaluates the initial signal word or words which instruct it to load at RAM (from the input buffer to which decoder, 203, inputs) and run the information of a particular set of instructions that follows said word or words just as the information of a file named FILE.EXE, recorded on the contained floppy disk, would be loaded at RAM (from the input buffer to which the disk drive of said disk inputs) and run were the command "FILE" entered from the console keyboard to the system level of the installed disk operating system. (Hereinafter, such a set of instructions that is loaded and run is called a "program instruction set.") In a fashion well known in the art, microcomputer, 205, loads the received binary information of said set at a designated place in RAM until, in a predetermined fashion, it detects the end of said set, and it executes said set as an assembled, machine language program in a fashion well known in the art.
Under control of said program instruction set and accessing the subscriber's contained portfolio data file for information in a fashion well known in the art, microcomputer, 205, calculates the performance of the subscriber's stock portfolio and constructs a graphic image of that performance at the installed graphics card. The instructions cause the computer, first, to determine the aggregate value of the portfolio at each day's close of business by accumulating, for each day, the sum of the products of the number of shares of each stock held times that stock's closing price. The instructions then cause microcomputer, 205, to calculate the percentage change in the portfolio's aggregate value for each business day of the week in respect to the final business day of the prior week. Then in a fashion well known in the art, the instructions cause microcomputer, 205, to enter digital bit information at the video RAM of the graphics card in a particular pattern that depicts the said percentage change as it would be graphed on a particular graph with a particular origin and set of scaled graph axes. Upon completion of these steps, the instructions cause microcomputer, 205, to commence waiting for a subsequent instruction from decoder, 203.
If the information at video RAM at the end of these steps were to be transmitted alone to the video screen of a TV monitor, it would appear as a line of a designated color, such as red, on a background color that is transparent when overlaid on a separate video image. Black is such a background color, and FIG. 1A shows one such line.
As each subscriber station completes the steps of calculation and graphic imaging performed under control of said program instruction set, information of such a line exists at video RAM at said station which information reflects the specific portfolio performance of the user of said station. Said information results from much computation, but the meaning of said information is hardly clear. FIG. 1A shows just a line.
While microcomputer, 205, performs these steps, TV monitor, 202M, displays the conventional television image and the sound of the transmitted "Wall Street Week" program. During this time the program may show the so-called "talking head" of the host as he describes the behavior of the stock market over the course of the week. Then the host says, "Now as we turn to the graphs, here is what the Dow Jones Industrials did in the week just past," and a studio generated graphic is transmitted. FIG.
1B shows the image of said graphic as it appears on the video screen of TV monitor, 202M. Then the host says, "And here is what your portfolio did." At this point, an instruction signal is generated at said program originating studio, embedded in the programming transmission, and transmitted. Said signal is identified by decoder, 203; transferred to microcomputer, 205; and executed by microcomputer, 205, at the system level as the statement, "GRAPHICS ON". Said signal instructs microcomputer, 205, at the PC-MicroKey 1300 to overlay the graphic information in its graphics card onto the received composite video information and transmit the combined information to TV monitor, 202M. TV monitor, 202M, then displays the image shown in FIG. 1C which is the microcomputer generated graphic of the subscriber's own portfolio performance overlaid on the studio generated graphic. And microcomputer, 205, commences waiting for another instruction from decoder, 203.
By itself, the meaning of FIG. 1A is hardly clear. But when FIG. 1A is combined and displayed at the proper time with the conventional television information, its meaning becomes readily apparent. Simultaneously, each subscriber in a large audience of subscribers sees his own specific performance information as it relates to the performance information of the market as a whole.
(Hereinafter, an instruction such as the above signal of "GRAPHICS ON" that causes subscriber station apparatus to execute a combining operation in synchronization is called a "combining synch command." Said initial signal word or words that preceded the above program instruction set provide another example of a combining synch command in that said word or words synchronized all subscriber station computers in commencing loading and running information for a particular combining.)
While the TV monitor at this particular subscriber station displays this particular subscriber's own overlay information, each other subscriber station displays the specific overlay information applicable at that station.
As the program proceeds, in the same fashion a further instruction signal is generated at said studio; transmitted; detected; inputted from decoder, 203, to microcomputer, 205; and executed as "GRAPHICS OFF." Then said studio ceases transmitting the graphic image, and transmits another image such as the host's talking head. Simultaneously, the GRAPHICS OFF command causes microcomputer, 205, to cease overlaying the graphic information onto the received composite video and to commence transmitting the received composite video transmission unmodified. Thereafter the "Wall Street Week" program proceeds, and microcomputer, 205, continues to operate under control of received instructions.
This combined medium example is of a television based medium. Like conventional television, said combined medium transmits the same signals to all subscriber stations. But unlike conventional television where each subscriber views only programming viewed by every other subscriber and where said programming is known to and available at the program originating studio, each subscriber of said combined medium views programming that is personalized and private. The programming he views is his own--in the example, his own portfolio performance--and his programming is not viewed by any other subscriber nor is it available at the program originating studio. In addition, personalized programming is displayed only when it is of specific relevance to the conventional television programming of said combined medium. In the example, each subscriber views a graphic presentation of his own portfolio performance information as soon as it becomes specifically relevant to graphic information of the performance of the market as a whole. Prior to its time of specific relevance, no personalized information is displayed (despite the fact that said graphic information of the performance of the market as a whole is displayed). And said personalized information is displayed only for so long as it remains specifically relevant. As soon as its specific relevance terminates, its display terminates.
This "Wall Street Week" portfolio performance example provides but one of many examples of television based combined medium programming.
This television based combined medium is but one example of many combined media.
The Signal Processor
In the present invention, the signal processor--26 in FIG. 2; 26 in the signal processor system of FIG. 2D, in the signal processor system, 71, of FIG. 6; 200 in FIG. 7; and elsewhere--is focal means for the controlling and monitoring subscriber station operations. It meters communications and enables owners of information to offer their information to subscribers in many fashions on condition of payment. It has capacity for regulating communications consumption by selectively decrypting or not decrypting encrypted programming and/or control signals and capacity for assembling and retaining meter records at each subscriber station that document the consumption of specific programming and information at said station. It has capacity for identifying the subject matter of each specific unit for programming available on each of many transmission channels at each subscriber station as said unit becomes available for use and/or viewing which enables subscriber station apparatus to determine automatically whether the subject matter of said unit is of interest and, if so, to tune automatically to said programming. It has capacity, at each station, for receiving monitor information that identifies what programming is available, what programming is used, and how said programming is used and capacity for assembling and retaining monitor records that document said availability and usage. It has capacity for transferring said meter records automatically to one or more remote automated billing stations that account for programming and information consumption and bill subscribers and said monitor records automatically to one or more remote so-called "ratings" stations that collect statistical data on programming availability and usage. It has capacities for processing information in many other fashions that will become apparent in this full specification.
FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a signal processor. Said processor, 26, is configured for simultaneous use with a cablecast input that conveys both television and radio programming and a broadcast television input.
At switch, 1, and mixers, 2 and 3, signal processor, 26, monitors all frequencies or channels available for reception at the subscriber station of FIG. 2 to identify available programming. The inputted information is the entire range of frequencies or channels transmitted on the cable and the entire range of broadcast television transmissions available to a local television antenna of conventional design. The cable transmission is inputted simultaneously to switch, 1, and mixer, 2. The broadcast transmission is inputted to switch, 1. Switch, 1, and mixers, 2 and 3, are all controlled by local oscillator and switch control, 6. The oscillator, 6, is controlled to provide a number of discrete specified frequencies for the particular radio and television channels required. The switch, 1, acts to select the broadcast input or the cablecast input and passes transmissions to mixer, 3, which, with the controlled oscillator, 6, acts to select a television frequency of interest that is passed at a fixed frequency to a TV signal decoder, 30. Simultaneously, mixer, 2, and the controlled oscillator, 6, act to select a radio frequency of interest which is inputted to a radio signal decoder, 40.
At decoders, 30 and 40, signal processor, 26, identifies specific programming and its subject matter as said programming becomes available for use and/or viewing. Decoder, 30, which is shown in detail in FIG. 2A, and decoder, 40, which is shown in FIG. 2B, detect signal information embedded in the respective inputted television and radio frequencies, render said information into digital signals that subscriber station apparatus can process, modify particular ones of said signals through the addition and/or deletion of particular information, and output said signals and said modified signals to buffer/comparator, 8. Said decoders are considered more fully below.
Buffer/comparator, 8, receives said signals from said decoders and other signals from other inputs and organizes the received information in a predetermined fashion. Buffer/comparator, 8, has capacity for comparing a particular portions or portions of inputted information to particular preprogrammed information and for operating in preprogrammed fashions on the basis of the results of said comparing. It has capacity for detecting particular end of file signals in inputted information and for operating in preprogrammed fashions whenever said information is detected.
The process of communication metering commences at buffer/comparator, 8. In a predetermined fashion, buffer/comparator, 8, determines whether a given instance of received signal information requires decryption, either in whole or part. In a fashion described more fully below, buffer/comparator, 8, and a controller, 20, which, too, is described more fully below, determine whether signal processor, 26, is enabled to decrypt said information. If signal processor, 26, is so enabled, buffer/comparator, 8, transfers said information to decryptor, 10. If signal processor, 26, is not so enabled, buffer/comparator, 8, discards said information in a predetermined fashion. Buffer/comparator, 8, transfers signals that do not require decryption directly to processor or controller 12.
Decryptor, 10, is a standard digital information decryptor, well known in the art, that receives signals from buffer/comparator, 8, and under control of said controller, 20, uses conventional decryptor techniques, well known in the art, to decrypt said signals as required. Decryptor, 10, transfers decrypted signals to controller, 12.
Controller, 12, is a standard controller, well known in the art, that has microprocessor and RAM capacities and one or more ports for transmitting information to external apparatus. Said microprocessor capacity of controller, 12, is of a conventional type, well known in the art, but is specifically designed to have particular register memories, discussed more fully below. Controller, 12, may contain read only memory (hereinafter, "ROM").
Controller, 12, receives the signals inputted from buffer/comparator, 8, and decryptor, 10; analyzes said signals in a predetermined fashion; and determines whether they are to be transferred to external equipment or to buffer/comparator, 14, or both. If a signal or signals are to be transferred externally, in a predetermined fashion controller, 12, identifies the external apparatus to which the signal or signals are addressed and transfers them to the appropriate port or ports for external transmission. If they contain meter and/or monitor information and are to be processed further, controller, 12, selects, assembles, and transfers the appropriate information to buffer/comparator, 14. Controller, 12, has capacity to modify received signals by adding and/or deleting information and can transfer a given signal to one apparatus with one modification and to another apparatus with another modification (or with no modification). Controller, 12, receives time information from clock, 18, and has means to delay in a predetermined fashion the transfer of signals when, in a predetermined fashion, delayed transfer is determined to be required.
Buffer/comparator, 14, receives signal information that is meter information and/or monitor information from controller, 12, and from other inputs; organizes said received information into meter records and/or monitor records (called, in aggregate, hereinafter, "signal records") in a predetermined fashion or fashions; and transmits said signal records to a digital recorder, 16, and/or to one or more remote sites. With respect to particular simple or frequently repeated instances of signal information, buffer/comparator, 8, has capacity to determine, in a predetermined fashion or fashions, what received information should be recorded, how it should be recorded, and when it should be transmitted to recorder, 16, and/or to said remote sites and to initiate or modify signal records and to discard unnecessary information accordingly. To avoid overloading digital recorder, 16, with duplicate data, buffer/comparator, 14, has means for counting and/or discarding duplicate instances of particular signal information and for incorporating count information into signal records. Buffer/comparator, 14, receives time information from clock, 18, and has means for incorporating time information into signal records. Buffer/comparator, 14, also has means for transferring received information immediately to a remote site or sites via telephone connection, 22, and for communicating a requirement for such transfer to controller, 20, which causes such transfer. Buffer/comparator, 14, operates under control of controller, 20, and has capacity whereby controller, 20, can cause modification of the formats of and information in signal records at buffer/comparator, 14. (In circumstances where information collecting and processing functions are extensive-- for example, when a given buffer/comparator, 14, must collect monitor information at a subscriber station with apparatus and/or communications flows that are extensive and complex--buffer/comparator, 14, may operate under control of a dedicated, so-called "on-board" controller, 14A, at buffer/comparator, 14, which is preprogrammed with appropriate control instructions and is controlled by controller, 20, similarly to the fashion in which controller, 12 is controlled by controller,
20.)
Digital recorder, 16, is a memory storage element of standard design that receives information from buffer/comparator, 14, and records said information in a predetermined fashion. In a predetermined fashion, recorder, 16, can determine how full it is and transmit this information to controller, 20. Recorder, 16, may inform controller, 20, automatically when it reaches a certain level of fullness.
Signal processor, 26, has a controller device which includes programmable RAM controller, 20; ROM, 21, that may contain unique digital code information capable of identifying signal processor, 26, and the subscriber station of said processor, 26, uniquely; an automatic dialing device 24; and a telephone unit, 22. A particular portion of ROM, 21, is erasable programmable ROM (hereinafter, "EPROM") or other forms of programmable nonvolatile memory. Under control particular preprogrammed instructions at that portion of ROM, 21, that is not erasable, signal processor, 26, has capacity to erase and reprogram said EPROM in a fashion that is described more fully below. Controller, 20, has capacity for controlling the operation of all elements of the signal processor and can receive operating information from said elements. Controller, 20, has capacity to turn off any element or elements of controlled subscriber station apparatus, in whole or in part, and erase any or all parts of erasable memory of said controlled apparatus.
As an apparatus in the unified system of programming communication of the present invention, a signal processor can monitor any combination of inputs and transmission frequencies, and the signal processor of FIG. 2 is but one embodiment of a signal processor. Other embodiments can receive and monitor available programming in transmission frequencies other than radio and television frequencies through the addition of one or more other signal decoders such as that of FIG. 2C described below. Embodiments can receive one or more fixed frequencies continuously at one or more decoders that monitor for available programming. For certain applications, one particular embodiment (hereinafter, "signal processor alternative #1") can be configured to receive only other inputs at buffer/comparator, 8, in which case said embodiment has no oscillator, 6; switch, 1; mixers, 2 and 3; or decoders, 30 or 40. For other particular applications, another particular embodiment (hereinafter, "signal processor alternative #2") can be configured to receive only inputs at buffer/comparator, 14, in which case said embodiment has only buffer/comparator, 14; recorder, 16; clock, 18; and the control device apparatus associated with controller, 20. Other signal processor embodiments will become apparent in this full specification. Which particular embodiment of signal processor is preferred at any given subscriber station depends on the particular communications requirements of said station.
Signal Decoders
Signal decoder apparatus such as decoder, 203, in FIG. 1 and decoders, 30 and 40, in FIG. 2 are basic in the unified system of this invention.
FIG. 2A shows a TV signal decoder that detects signal information embedded in an inputted television frequency, renders said information into digital signals that subscriber station apparatus can process, identifies the particular apparatus to which said signals are addressed, and outputs said signals to said apparatus. Decoder, 203, in FIG. 1 is one such TV signal decoder; decoder, 30, in FIG. 2 is another.
In FIG. 2A, a selected frequency is inputted at a fixed frequency to said decoder at filter, 31, which defines the particular channel of interest to be analyzed. The television channel signal then passes to a standard amplitude demodulator, 32, which uses standard demodulator techniques, well known in the art, to define the television base band signal. This base band signal is then transferred through separate paths to three separate detector devices. The apparatus of these separate paths are designed to act on the particular frequency ranges in which embedded signal information may be found. The first path, designated A, detects signal information embedded in the video information portion of said television channel signal. Path A inputs to a standard line receiver, 33, well known in the art. Said line receiver, 33, receives the information of one or more of the lines normally used to define a television picture. It receives the information only of that portion or portions of the overall video transmission and passes said information to a digital detector, 34, which acts to detect the digital signal information embedded in said information, using standard detection techniques well known in the art, and inputs detected signal information to controller, 39, which is considered in greater detail below. The second path, designated B, detects signal information embedded in the audio information portion of said television channel signal. Path B inputs to a standard audio demodulator, 35, which uses demodulator techniques, well known in the art, to define the television audio transmission and transfers said audio information to high pass filter, 36. Said filter, 36, defines and transfers to digital detector, 37, the portion of said audio information that is of interest. The digital detector, 37, detects signal information embedded in said audio information and inputs detected signal information to controller, 39. The third path, designated C, inputs the separately defined transmission to a digital detector, 38, which detects signal information embedded in any other information portion of said television channel signal and inputs detected signal information to controller, 39. Line receiver, 33; high pass filter, 36; detectors, 34, 37, and 38; and controller, 39, all operate under control of controller, 39, and in preprogrammed fashions that may be changed by controller, 39.
FIG. 2B shows a radio signal decoder that detects and processes signal information embedded in an inputted radio frequency. Decoder, 40, in FIG. 2 is one such radio signal decoder. A selected frequency of interest is inputted at a fixed frequency to standard radio receiver circuitry, 41, which receives the radio information of said frequency using standard radio receiver techniques, well known in the art, and transfers said radio information to radio decoder, 42. Radio decoder, 42, decoders the signal information embedded in said radio information and transfers said decoded information to a standard digital detector, 43. Said detector, 43, detects the binary signal information in said decoded information and inputs said signal information to controller, 44, discussed more fully below. Circuitry, 41; decoder, 42; and detector, 43, all operate under control of controller, 44, and in predetermined fashions that may be changed by controller, 44.
FIG. 2C shows a signal decoder that detects and processes signal information embedded in a frequency other than a television or radio frequency. A selected other frequency (such as a microwave frequency) is inputted to appropriate other receiver circuitry, 45, well known in the art. Said receiver circuitry, 45, receives the information of said frequency using standard receiver techniques, well known in the art, and transfers said information to an appropriate digital detector, 46. Said detector, 46, detects the binary signal information in said information and inputs said signal information to controller, 47, considered more fully below. Circuitry, 45, and detector, 46, operate under control of controller, 47, and in predetermined fashions that may be changed by controller, 47.
Each decoder is controlled by a controller, 39, 44, or 47, that has buffer, microprocessor, ROM, and RAM capacities. Said buffer capacity of controller, 39, 44, or 47, includes capacity for receiving, organizing, and storing simultaneous inputs from multiple sources while inputting information, received and stored earlier, to said microprocessor capacity of controller, 39, 44, or 47. Said microprocessor capacity of controller, 39, 44, or 47, is of a conventional type, well known in the art, and is specifically designed to have particular register memories, discussed more fully below, including register capacity for detecting particular end of file signals in inputted information. The ROM capacity of controller, 39, 44, or 47, contains microprocessor control instructions of a type well known in the art and includes EPROM capacity. Said ROM and/or said EPROM may also contain one or more digital codes capable of identifying its controller, 39, 44, or 47, uniquely and/or identifying particular subscriber station functions of said controller, 39, 44, or 47. The RAM capacity of controller, 39, 44, or 47, constitutes workspace that the microprocessor of said controller, 39, 44, or 47, can use for intermediate stages of information processing and may also contain microprocessor control instructions. Capacity exists at said controller, 39, 44, or 47, for erasing said EPROM, and said RAM and said EPROM are reprogrammable.
Controller, 39, 44, or 47, is preprogrammed to receive units of signal information, to assemble said units into signal words that subscriber station apparatus can receive and process, and to transfer said words to said apparatus. In each decoder, the controller, 39, 44, or 47, receives detected digital information from the relevant detector or detectors, 34, 37, 38, 43, and 46. Upon receiving any given instance of signal information, controller, 39, 44, or 47, is preprogrammed to process said information automatically. Controller, 39, is preprogrammed to discard received duplicate, incomplete, or irrelevant information; to correct errors in retained received information by means of forward error correction techniques well known in the art; to convert, as may be required, the corrected information, by means of input protocol techniques well known in the art, into digital information that subscriber station apparatus can receive and process; to modify selectively particular corrected and converted information in a predetermined fashion or fashions; to identify in a predetermined fashion or fashions subscriber station apparatus to which said signal information should be transferred; and to transfer said signals to said apparatus. Said controller, 39, 44, or 47, has one or more output ports for communicating signal information to said apparatus.
Controller, 39, 44, or 47, has capacity for identifying more than one apparatus to which any given signal should be transferred and for transferring said signal to all said apparatus. It has capacity for recording particular signal information in particular register memory and for transferring a given signal to one apparatus, modifying it and transferring it to a second apparatus, and modifying it again and transferring it to a third apparatus.
As described above, said controller, 39, 44, or 47, controls particular apparatus of its signal decoder and has means for communicating control information to said apparatus. Said controller, 39, 44, or 47, also has means for communicating control information with a controller, 20, of a signal processor, 26. (Said communicating means is shown clearly in FIG. 2D which is discussed below.) Via said communicating means and under control of instructions and signals discussed more fully below, said controller, 20, has capacity to cause information at said EPROM to be erased and to reprogram said microprocessor control instructions at said RAM and said EPROM.
The Signal Processor System.
Signal processing apparatus and methods involve an extended subscriber station system focused on the signal processor. Said system includes external signal decoders.
FIG. 2D shows one embodiment of a signal processing system. Said system contains signal processor, 26, and external decoders, 27, 28, and 29. Each said external decoder may be a TV signal decoder (FIG. 2A) or a radio signal decoder (FIG. 2B) or an other signal decoder (FIG. 2C) depending on the nature of the selected frequency inputted. As FIG. 2D shows, each decoder, 27, 28, and 29, receives one selected frequency and has capacity for transferring detected, corrected, converted, and possibly modified signals to signal processor, 26, at buffer/comparator, 8, and also to other station apparatus. Each decoder, 27, 28, and 29, also has capacity for transferring detected, corrected, converted, and possibly modified monitor information to signal processor, 26, at buffer/comparator, 14. As FIG. 2D shows, controller, 20, has capacity to control all decoder apparatus, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 40. Controller, 20, has capacity to preprogram (or reprogram) all said decoder apparatus, 27, 28, 29, 30, and
40, and thereby controls the fashions of detecting, correcting, converting, modifying, identifying, transferring, and other functioning of said decoders.
Not every installed decoder in said signal processor system requires all the apparatus and system capacity of FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C. For example, because a television base band signal is inputted to decoder, 203 of FIG. 1, said decoder does not require filter, 31, and demodulator, 32, of FIG. 2A. Likewise, because decoders, 30 and 40 of FIG. 2, transfer signals only to buffe