Claims
- 1. An electronic program guide (EPG) data processor for a video signal, said video signal having a vertical blanking interval (VBI) and digital data slots defined in the VBI, the processor comprising:
a receiver for receiving EPG data from a supplier of EPG data and for receiving a video signal from a video signal supplier; a memory coupled to the receiver for storing the EPG data related to the video signal; and an encoder coupled to the memory for inserting the stored EPG data into the digital data slots defined in the video signal.
- 2. The EPG data processor in claim 1, further including means for receiving the EPG data via a broadband connection to a global information network.
- 3. The EPG data processor in claim 1, further including means for receiving the EPG data via a narrowband connection to a global information network.
- 4. The EPG data processor in claim 1, further including a tuner for receiving the EPG data from a predetermined channel provided by the video signal supplier.
- 5. The EPG data processor in claim 4, further including a processor configured to decode the EPG data from the VBI of a television signal carried on the predetermined channel.
- 6. The EPG data processor in claim 1, wherein the digital data slots are defined by one of an extended data services (XDS) portion and a teletext portion within the VBI.
- 7. The EPG data processor in claim 1, wherein the receiver receives the video signal as a digital video signal, the digital video signal including at least one video program and the EPG data; and
wherein the receiver further comprises circuitry for converting the at least one video program into a different format and for transmitting the different formatted program to the encoder.
- 8. The EPG data processor in claim 7, wherein the different formatted program is formatted as an NTSC signal having digital data slots defined in the VBI and the stored EPG data is inserted into the digital data slots of the NTSC signal.
- 9. The EPG data processor in claim 8, wherein the digital data slots comprise an XDS portion within the VBI.
- 10. The EPG data processor in claim 7, wherein the circuitry converts the at least one video program into component video signals, said component video signals having a VBI and digital data slots defined in the VBI and the stored EPG data is inserted into the digital data slots portion of the at least one component signal of the component video signals.
- 11. The EPG data processor in claim 10, wherein the digital data slots comprise an XDS portion within the VBI and the stored EPG data is inserted into the XDS portion of the at least one component video signal.
- 12. The EPG data processor in claim 10, wherein the component video signals include a luminance component and a chrominance component and wherein the stored EPG data is inserted in the XDS portion of the luminance component.
- 13. The EPG data processor in claim 1, wherein the received EPG data includes data for at least two programs and the receiver includes circuitry to retrieve specific EPG data for at least one of said at least two programs.
- 14. The EPG data processor in claim 1, wherein the receiver receives an NTSC signal from the video signal supplier, the receiver further comprising circuitry for converting the NTSC signal into component video signals, the component video signals including a luminance component signal having a VBI and an XDS portion within the VBI, wherein the encoder receives the component video signals and the stored EPG data and inserts the stored EPG data into the XDS portion of the luminance signal.
- 15. The EPG data processor in claim 1, wherein:
the receiver receives a component video signal including a luminance component and a chrominance component signal from the video signal supplier, said luminance component video signal having a VBI and an XDS portion of the VBI; the encoder receives the component video signals and the stored EPG data and inserts the stored EPG data into the XDS portion to form XDS-enhanced video signals.
- 16. The EPG data processor in claim 15, wherein the receiver further comprises circuitry for converting the XDS-enhanced video signals into an NTSC format.
- 17. An electronic program guide (EPG) data processor for a video signal, said video signal having a vertical blanking interval (VBI) and digital data slots defined in the VBI, the processor comprising:
a receiver for receiving EPG data from a supplier of EPG data and for receiving a video signal from a video signal supplier, wherein the video signal received by the receiver is an analog video signal as one of a baseband television signal, a component video signal, and a carrier modulated with a television signal; a memory coupled to the receiver for storing the EPG data related to the video signal; and an encoder coupled to the memory for inserting the stored EPG data into the digital data slots defined in the video signal to provide an EPG enhanced video signal, wherein the EPG enhanced video signal is one of a baseband television signal, a component video signal, and a carrier modulated with a television signal.
- 18. The EPG data processor of claim 17, wherein the receiver includes circuitry to identify the program being received.
- 19. The EPG data processor of claim 17, wherein the component video signals include a luminance component and a chrominance component and EPG data is inserted in the XDS portion of the luminance component.
- 20. The EPG data processor of claim 19, wherein the received EPG data includes data for at least two programs and the receiver includes circuitry to retrieve specific EPG data for at least one of the at least two programs.
- 21. The EPG data processor of claim 20, further including circuitry for inserting the EPG data for the program into the XDS portion of the luminance component to provide an EPG enhanced luminance component to provide an EPG enhanced luminance component.
- 22. The EPG data processor of claim 21, wherein the chrominance and EPG enhanced luminance component video signals are provided as respective output signals of the processor.
- 23. The EPG data processor of claim 22, further including means to convert the chrominance and EPG enhanced luminance component video signals into an NTSC formatted signal and for providing the NTSC formatted signal as a further output signal.
- 24. The EPG data processor of claim 23, further including a modulator for modulating a carrier with an NTSC signal and for providing the modulated signal as a yet further output signal.
- 25. The EPG data processor of claim 24, wherein the received signal further includes an NTSC signal and the EPG data processor further includes means for separating the received NTSC signal into the luminance component signal and the chrominance component signal.
- 26. The EPG data processor of claim 25, wherein the received signal further includes a carrier modulated with a television signal and the EPG data processor further includes a demodulator to recover the modulated signal to provide the NTSC signal.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit under Title 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/334,272 filed on Nov. 30, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60334272 |
Nov 2001 |
US |