Television transmitter, television transmitting method, television receiver and television receiving method

Abstract

A TV transmitter, a TV transmitting method, a TV receiver and a TV receiving method allowing users to find and choose desired programs through the use of a program guide displayed by graphical user interface (GUI). The TV transmitter comprises a signal generation unit for generating text data signals associated with TV broadcast programs and hyper text data signals corresponding to the text data signals, a multiplexer for multiplexing the text data signals and the hyper text data signals onto video signals of the TV broadcast programs to provide a multiplexed TV broadcast signal, and an output unit for outputting the multiplexed TV broadcast signal provided by the multiplexer. The TV receiver comprises a display unit for receiving and displaying text data signals extracted from a multiplexed TV broadcast signal interleaving the text data signals associated with TV broadcast programs and hyper text data signals corresponding to the text data signals a designation unit for designating any one of the text data signals displayed by the display unit a detection unit for detecting the hyper text data signal corresponding to the text data signal designated by the designation unit and a processing unit for processing the TV broadcast program corresponding to the hyper text data signal detected by the detection unit.

1 . A television receiver comprising: 
 means for receiving a television broadcast signal including television program signals and multimedia data files, the multimedia data files including address information which designates a linked multimedia data file;    means for extracting said multimedia data files from the television broadcast signal to form extracted multimedia data files;    means for storing the extracted multimedia data files and said linked multimedia data file;    means for retrieving and interpreting at least one of the extracted multimedia data files and generating a display signal for displaying a displayed link portion that is associated with the address information; and    means for selecting the displayed link portion, wherein said means for retrieving and interpreting recognizes said address information associated with said displayed link portion, retrieves said linked multimedia data file corresponding to the address information from said means for storing, and interprets the linked multimedia data file to generate another display signal.    
   
   
       2 . The television receiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said multimedia data files further include at least one of image data, audio data, text data and moving picture data.  
   
   
       3 . The television receiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said user interface means is not contained in said television receiver.  
   
   
       4 . The television receiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said multimedia data files are transmitted at a predetermined time from a broadcast source.  
   
   
       5 . The television receiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said address information is written in Hyper Text Markup Language.  
   
   
       6 . The television receiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said address information designates said linked multimedia data file, which is located at a remote location.  
   
   
       7 . The television receiver according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 means for connecting to a processor at a remote location identified by said address information and for receiving said linked multimedia data file from said processor; and    means for controlling said means for connecting to establish said connection when said address information recognized by said means for retrieving and interpreting designates said linked multimedia data file located at said remote location.    
   
   
       8 . The television receiver according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said link portion includes video recorder information; and    said means for retrieving and interpreting further includes means for controlling a video recorder according to said video recorder information as selected by said user interface means.    
   
   
       9 . The television receiver according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for receiving from a processor at a remote location a control signal for controlling an execution of a process.    
   
   
       10 . A television receiving method comprising steps of: 
 receiving a television broadcast signal including television program signals and multimedia data files, the multimedia data files including address information which designates a linked multimedia data file;    extracting said multimedia data files from the received television broadcast signal;    storing the extracted multimedia data files and said linked multimedia data file;    retrieving and interpreting at least one of the extracted multimedia data files and generating a display signal for displaying a displayed link portion that is associated with address information; and    selecting the displayed link portion,    wherein said step of retrieving and interpreting further recognizes said address information associated with said displayed link portion, retrieves said linked multimedia data file corresponding to the recognized address information stored in said step of storing, and interprets the linked multimedia data file to generate another display signal.    
   
   
       11 . The television receiving method according to  claim 10 , wherein said multimedia data files further include at least one of image data, audio data, text data and moving picture data.  
   
   
       12 . The television receiving method according to  claim 10 ,  
     wherein said user interface step is performed using an apparatus that is not contained in said television receiver.  
   
   
       13 . The television receiving method according to  claim 10 , wherein said multimedia data files are transmitted at a predetermined time from a broadcast source.  
   
   
       14 . The television receiving method according to  claim 10 ,  
     wherein said address information is written in Hyper Text Markup Language.  
   
   
       15 . The television receiving method according to  claim 10 , wherein said address information designates said linked multimedia data file, which is located at a remote location.  
   
   
       16 . The television receiving method according to  claim 15 , further comprising steps of: 
 establishing a connection with a processor at a remote location identified by said address information and receiving said linked multimedia data file from said proceessor; and    controlling said connection step to execute establishment of said connection when said address information recognized in said step of retrieving and interpreting designates said linked multimedia data file located at said remote location.    
   
   
       17 . The television receiving method according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said link portion includes video recorder information; and    said step of retrieving and interpreting further includes a step for controlling a video recorder according to said video recorder information as selected in said user interface step.    
   
   
       18 . The television receiving method according to  claim 10 , further comprising a step of: 
 receiving from a processor at a remote location a control signal for controlling an execution of a process.    
   
   
       19 . A television receiver comprising: 
 a television broadcast receiver configured to receive a television broadcast signal and extract there from television program signals;    a data broadcast receiver coupled to said television broadcast receiver and configured to extract from said television broadcast signal multimedia data files, wherein said multimedia data files include address information which designates a linked multimedia data file;    a computer readable medium configured to store said multimedia data files and said linked multimedia data file;    an audio-visual processing mechanism coupled to said data broadcast receiver and said television broadcast receiver and configured to receive said television program signals and said multimedia data files and in accordance therewith to generate a display signal for displaying a displayed link portion that is associated with address information which designates a linked multimedia data file; and    a control processor coupled to said data broadcast receiver, said television broadcast receiver, said audio-visual processing mechanism and said computer readable medium, said control processor configured to receive an operation signal and in accordance therewith control said data broadcast receiver, said television broadcast receiver, said audio-visual processing mechanism and said computer readable medium, wherein said operation signal further indicates a predetermined selection of at least one of said link portions and in accordance therewith said audio-visual processing mechanism generates another display signal.    
   
   
       20 . The television receiver according to  claim 19 , wherein said multimedia data files further include at least one of image data, audio data, text data and moving picture data.  
   
   
       21 . The television receiver according to  claim 19 , wherein said operation signal is generated from a user interface, which is not contained in said television receiver.  
   
   
       22 . The television receiver according to  claim 19 , wherein said multimedia data files are transmitted at a predetermined time from a broadcast source.  
   
   
       23 . The television receiver according to  claim 19 , wherein said address information is written in Hyper Text Markup Language.  
   
   
       24 . The television receiver according to  claim 19 , wherein said address information designates said linked multimedia data file, which is located at a remote location.  
   
   
       25 . The television receiver according to  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 an apparatus for transmitting and receiving data over a distance, coupled to said control processor, said apparatus for transmitting and receiving data configured to establish a connection with a processor at a remote location identified by said address information and to receive said linked multimedia data file from said processor,    wherein said control processor is further configured to control said apparatus for transmitting and receiving data to establish said connection when said address information designates said linked multimedia data file located at said remote location.    
   
   
       26 . The television receiver according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said link portions include video recorder information; and    said control processor is further configured to generate a video recorder control signal for controlling a video recorder according to said video recorder information as selected by said operation signal.    
   
   
       27 . The television receiver according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 an interface configured to connect to a processor at a remote location so as to get a control signal for controlling an execution of a process.