Method and apparatus for displaying textual or graphic data on the screen of television receivers

Abstract

A local language is pre-stored in permanent memory. Equivalent data is transmitted in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) to television receivers. Each equivalent data set comprises a unique language identifier and a foreign language translation of, or graphical representative of, the local language pre-stored in permanent memory. The viewer selects the language to be displayed from an on screen menu with a remote controller. The selected equivalent data is retrieved from the VBI and stored in a RAM for future display. When the microprocessor calls up the text of a command for display, the equivalent data is substituted for the local language data so the foreign language version of the command can be displayed in a seamless manner. If no equivalent data is in the RAM, the local language pre-stored in permanent memory is displayed on the television screen in accordance with the normal operation of the microprocessor.

1 - 17 . (canceled)  
   
   
       18 . A system for displaying textual or graphic data on a television receiver comprising: 
 a decoder for extracting data from a transmission link of a television signal, wherein the extracted data includes commands in one or more foreign languages;    a storage device at the television receiver for storing the extracted data; and    a microprocessor configured to display the commands in a selected foreign language on the television receiver responsive to a status bit set by a user.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a memory device at the television receiver in which data representing local language commands is stored.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising means for changing the status bit by a user.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the extracted data includes unique language identifiers corresponding to the foreign language commands.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising an input device for transmitting a viewer's choice of the language identifiers to the microprocessor.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the commands have addresses in the storage device that identify the location on the television receiver where the commands are to be displayed.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 18 , in which the storage device is a RAM.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 19 , in which the memory device is a ROM.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the decoder is a VBI decoder.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the transmission link is a VBI.  
   
   
       28 . A method for displaying textual or graphic data on television receivers comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting to a television receiver data via a transmission link of a television signal, the data including a plurality of translations or graphical representatives of commands in one or more foreign languages;    receiving and storing the data in a storage device at the television receiver; and    configuring a microprocessor to display the data for a selected foreign language on the television receiver responsive to a status bit set by a user.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of: 
 creating a language menu including a listing of a plurality of foreign languages; and    displaying the language menu on the screen.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising the steps of: 
 choosing one of the plurality of foreign languages from the language menu at the television receiver; and    displaying a foreign language translation of the commands corresponding to the chosen foreign language on the screen.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of: 
 attaching to the transmitted data a plurality of language identifiers, each being unique to one of the foreign language translations or graphical data representations;    inputting a choice from among the language identifiers;    comparing the inputted choice with the language identifiers attached to the data; and    displaying the data when a match occurs in the comparing step.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step of transmitting comprises inserting the data into a VBI of television signal at a head end location.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the step of assigning addresses to the language commands and the data indicating the location on the television receiver where the commands are to be displayed.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the step of configuring the microprocessor when a call is made to issue an address to designate a screen location, retrieve the command responsive to the status bit and the issued address, and display the retrieved command.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the transmission link is a VBI.