Providing subscriber specific content in a network

Abstract

A unified system of programming 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), recorder/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. A method is described for controlling a receiver station using stored data specific to a user. By receiving a computer program transmitted from a transmitter station, the computer program is stored at the receiver station. Upon execution of the computer program, the data specific to a user is processed to generate information content at an output device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of controlling a remote station based on a television broadcast or cablecast transmission, said method comprising the steps of:
 programming a an instruction based electronic computer at said remote station to generate an instruction module comprising executable code in response to a digital control signal, said generated instruction module to be transferred to a digital memory at a remote ultimate receiver station and executed at said remote ultimate receiver station by an instruction based processor under control of an operating system that supports a computer file system upon command to enable said remote ultimate receiver station to receive or present programming to a subscriber; 
 receiving said digital control signal from a transmitter station at said remote station; 
 passing said digital control signal to said instruction based electronic computer at said remote station, wherein said instruction based electronic computer operates under control of an operating system that supports a computer file system; 
 computing using plural arithmetic operations, with said instruction based electronic computer, a variable value in response to said digital control signal, wherein said step of computing is based on digital information stored in a computer file at said remote station; 
 generating, with said instruction based electronic computer, based on said computed variable value, said instruction module; 
 embedding, at said remote station, said generated instruction module into an information transmission including a message with a multibit header, audio, and video to be broadcast or cablecast; and 
 transmitting said information transmission from said remote station to said remote ultimate receiver station in said television broadcast or cablecast transmission, wherein said remote ultimate receiver station processes said information transmission based on digital information stored in a computer file at said remote ultimate receiver station. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of placing said computed variable value into higher language code. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said generated instruction module is generated by compiling higher language code. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of linking at least some of said generated instruction module. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generated instruction module is transmitted with a data module, said method further comprising the steps of:
 selecting some generally applicable video, audio, cost data, or text; and 
 placing said selected video, audio, cost data, or text in said data module. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generated instruction module enables said remote ultimate receiver station to receive or present to a subscriber at least a portion of mass medium programming. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said digital control signal designates video, audio, a cost, or text, said method further comprising the step of transmitting said designated video, audio, cost, or text. 
     
     
       8. A remote station, comprising:
 receiving means for receiving a digital control signal from a transmitter station; 
 computation means coupled to said receiving means and programmed to generate an instruction module, said computation means controlled by an operating system that supports a computer file system; 
 input means for passing said digital control signal to said computation means, wherein said computation means computes a variable value using plural arithmetic operations based on digital information stored in a computer file at said remote station in response to said digital control signal and generates, based on said computed variable value, an instruction module comprising executable code, said generated instruction module to be transferred to a digital memory at a remote receiver station and executed by an instruction based processor under control of an operating system that supports a computer file system at said remote receiver station based on digital information stored in a computer file upon command to enable said remote receiver station to receiver receive or present programming to a subscriber; 
 embedding means for embedding said generated instruction module into an information transmission including a message with a multibit header, audio, and video to be broadcast or cablecast; and 
 transmission means for transmitting said information transmission to said remote receiver station in a television broadcast or cablecast transmission. 
 
     
     
       9. A method of controlling an intermediate station based on a television broadcast or cablecast transmission, comprising the steps of:
 originating an a digital instruct signal at an origination station; 
 transmitting said digital instruct signal to a first remote station, which is effective to cause said first remote station to generate a first instruction set; 
 transmitting said first instruction set to a second remote station including a an instruction based electronic computer under control of an operating system that supports a computer file system programmed to generate a second instruction set, wherein said first instruction set is effective to cause said instruction based electronic computer at said second remote station to compute a variable value using plural arithmetic operations based on digital information stored in a computer file at said second remote station and generate, based on said computed variable value, said second instruction set; and 
 transmitting said second instruction set in a message with a multibit header to a third remote station in said television broadcast or cablecast transmission for execution by an instruction based processor under control of an operating system that supports a computer file system based on digital information stored in a computer file at said third remote station to enable said third remote station to receive or present programming to a subscriber. 
 
     
     
       10. A method of controlling a remote intermediate transmitter station, comprising:
 originating a digital control signal at an origination station, said digital control signal effective to control a an instruction based electronic computer under control of an operating system that supports a computer file system at said remote intermediate transmitter station programmed to generate an instruction module, said digital control signal for controlling said instruction based electronic computer to (1) compute a variable value using plural arithmetic operations based on digital information stored in a computer file at said remote intermediate transmitter station in response to said digital control signal, (2) generate, based on said variable value, an instruction module comprising executable code, said instruction module to be transferred to a digital memory at a an ultimate subscriber station and executed using an instruction based processor that operates according to operating system instructions that support a computer file system at said ultimate subscriber station upon command to enable said ultimate subscriber station to receiver receive or present programming to a subscriber, and (3) transmit to said ultimate subscriber station said generated instruction module in a television broadcast or cablecast transmission; and 
 transmitting said digital control signal to said ultimate subscriber station in an information transmission which includes a message with a multibit header, audio, and video, wherein said ultimate subscriber station processes said information transmission based on digital information stored in a computer file at said ultimate subscriber station. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of providing programming at a an ultimate receiver station for receiving video or audio programming, comprising:
 storing user specific digital data at said ultimate receiver station in a computer file; 
 receiving, at said ultimate receiver station, a mass medium program transmitted from a transmitter station at a scheduled broadcast or cablecast time; 
 receiving, at said ultimate receiver station, a computer program transmitted in a message with a multibit header from said transmitter station; 
 storing said computer program in digital memory at said ultimate receiver station; 
 executing said computer program using a an instruction based processor operating under control of operating system instructions that support a computer file system at said ultimate receiver station to generate information content by processing said stored user specific digital data,; and 
 outputting at an output device during said scheduled broadcast or cablecast time a coordinated presentation of programming including said generated information content and said mass medium program to a subscriber. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of displaying a portion of said coordinated presentation at the picture screen of a video monitor. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of emitting a portion of said coordinated presentation as sound. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of printing a portion of said coordinated presentation. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said transmitter station comprises a cable headend, and said scheduled broadcast or cablecast time is a cablecast time. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said generated information content is automatically output in a time interval of specific relevance during said scheduled broadcast or cablecast time. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said mass medium program comprises a television program, wherein said television program comprises both video and audio. 
     
     
      
       18. A method of controlling a receiver station, comprising: 
       
         storing information about a user of said receiver station at a memory of said receiver station; 
         receiving, at said receiver station, a first computer program transmitted from a transmitter station; 
         storing said first computer program in memory at said receiver station; 
         executing said first computer program using a processor at said receiver station to generate an order for a product by processing said information about a user of said receiver station; 
         receiving, at said receiver station, a second computer program transmitted from a said transmitter station; 
         storing said second computer program in memory at said receiver station; and 
         executing said second computer program using said processor, which causes said receiver station to communicate said order for a product to a remote station. 
       
      
     
     
      
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein said order comprises a shopping list. 
      
     
     
      
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein said transmitter station and said remote station comprise different remote stations. 
      
     
     
       21. A method of controlling an ultimate receiver station, comprising:
 storing digital information about a user of said ultimate receiver station at a digital memory of said ultimate receiver station;   receiving, at said ultimate receiver station, an encrypted first computer program transmitted in a first message from a transmitter station, wherein said first message comprises an unencrypted multibit header and said encrypted first computer program;   decrypting, absent any descrambling, at said ultimate receiver station said encrypted first computer program, wherein said decrypting decrypts using at least one of a plurality of decryption algorithms at said ultimate receiver station, wherein each of said plurality of decryption algorithms employs a different decryption algorithm than the other of said plurality of decryption algorithms, wherein a particular decryption algorithm is identified based on at least one digital code received via electronic transmission from a location remote from said ultimate receiver station, wherein each of said decryption algorithms for converting unintelligible digital information into machine readable, machine intelligible digital information based on a cipher key;   storing said decrypted first computer program in digital memory at said ultimate receiver station;   executing said decrypted first computer program to operate on digital data using an instruction based processor under control of an operating system that supports a computer file system at said ultimate receiver station to generate an order for a physical product by processing said digital information about a user of said ultimate receiver station;   receiving, at said ultimate receiver station, a second computer program transmitted in a second message from said transmitter station, wherein said second message comprises an unencrypted multibit header, wherein said receiving said first message occurs prior to said receiving said second message;   storing said second computer program in digital memory at said ultimate receiver station; and   executing said second computer program to operate on digital data using said instruction based processor under control of said operating system, which causes said ultimate receiver station to communicate said order for a physical product to a remote station using an all-digital communication channel during communication of said order.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21, wherein said order comprises a shopping list. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 21, wherein said transmitter station and said remote station comprise different remote stations. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 21, wherein said ultimate receiver station comprises a plurality of instruction based processors, said plurality of instruction based processors operating on digital data according to instructions under control of operating system instructions stored at said ultimate receiver station. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 21, wherein said order further comprises a physical address associated with said user. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of storing digital information about a user occurs prior to said step of receiving said first computer program. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 21, wherein said first message and said second message are received at said ultimate receiver station using a microwave frequency. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 21, wherein said second computer program is encrypted, further comprising decrypting, absent any descrambling, at said ultimate receiver station said encrypted second computer program using said identified particular decryption algorithm. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 8, wherein said remote receiver station is an ultimate remote receiver station.