Combining television broadcast and personalized/interactive information

Abstract

The invention provides an improved method and system for interactive broadcast and web information browsing. In embodiments of the invention, web information is presented in conjunction with a broadcast television image, either at an edge of the image screen or overlaid with the image screen in an opaque, transparent or translucent image. The presented web information is fully interactive and can be interacted with by the user using all known features of interactive web presentation.

1 . An information system, comprising: 
 a controller, for generating an image representative signal adapted for use by a display device;    a broadcast interface, for applying broadcast information to a controller; and    an interactive information interface, for applying interactive information to said controller;    said controller including said broadcast information, said interactive information and a user selectable element in said image representative signal such that corresponding presented imagery includes an interactive portion, a broadcast portion and a user selectable element.    
     
     
         2 . The information system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said user selectable element comprises a hyperlink having associated with it an object;    said interactive information interface, in response to a selection of said hyperlink, includes said object associated with said hyperlink within said interactive information.    
     
     
         3 . The information system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an input device for selecting said user selectable element, said input element comprising at least one of a keypad, a pointing device and a graphical user interface.    
     
     
         4 . The information system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 data memory for storing a user preference.    
     
     
         5 . The information system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said interactive information interface comprises a network access device.    
     
     
         6 . The information system of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said internet access device includes a web modem.    
     
     
         7 . The information system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said interactive portion of said imagery comprises objects retrieved from a network and displayed in a first image panel; and    said broadcast portion of said imagery comprises broadcast video imagery displayed in a second image panel.    
     
     
         8 . The information system of  claim 7 , wherein: 
 said first panel is at least partially transparent and overlaps said second panel.    
     
     
         9 . The information system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said user selectable element includes a control button for selecting a preference, said preference being used to determine how said broadcast information is presented in relationship to said interactive information.    
     
     
         10 . The information system of  claim 1  wherein said first image panel is used to display web content.  
     
     
         11 . The information system of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said user preference stored in said data memory is accessible to at least a networked server to which the preference relates.    
     
     
         12 . The information system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said interactive information interface retrieving information from a network in response to the reception of broadcast information conforming to a user preference.    
     
     
         13 . The information system of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said retrieved information is displayed in said first image panel.    
     
     
         14 . The information system of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 data memory for storing a user preference, said user preference being stored in said memory by a web site interacting with said interactive information interface.    
     
     
         15 . The information system of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 data memory for storing a user preference, said user preference being stored in said memory in response to user interaction via said user selectable element.    
     
     
         16 . A method of displaying information comprising: 
 initializing a display system;    receiving selected web content;    receiving broadcast content;    receiving personalized indicia;    formatting received web content, received broadcast content, and received personalized indicia into video information; and    displaying video information to simultaneously produce interactive information having a user selectable element and a television broadcast.    
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16  further including identifying personalized indicia within at least one of the displayed video information and an out-of-band portion of a television signal.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17  further including retrieving personalized information based on the personalized indicia.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the personalized indicia is a web browser cookie.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 15  further including retrieving preferences and formatting the received selected web content and received broadcast content based on those preferences.