Interactive cable television system without a return path

Abstract

A method for providing interactive information content in an analog cable system having only a one-way communication path from a cable head end to a communication device, such as a set-top box that is associated with a television is disclosed. A set-top box receives a plurality of interactive information content signals on at least one analog channel from the cable head end. In certain embodiments the interactive information content signals are data streams that sent over an analog carrier channel. The set-top box provides a selection screen to the television for display. A user can then use a user-input device, such as, a remote control to make a selection. In general, the user will select a key, such as a directional key and the remote control will provide the selection/directional signal to the set-top box. The set-top box then outputs a new information content signal based the received selection signal without having to transmit to the head end.

1 . A method for providing interactive information content in an analog cable system having only a one way communication path from a cable headend, the method comprising: 
 receiving at a set-top box a plurality of interactive information content signals on at least one analog channel from the cable headend;    the set-top box sending to a television for display a selection screen for selection of at least one of the plurality of interactive information content signals; and    based on a received selection signal at the set-top box, outputting an interactive information content signal associated with the selection signal to the television.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the interactive information content signal is a data stream.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 receiving a map from the cable head end for at least a plurality of interactive information content streams usable by the set-top box for determining a next stream of information content based upon a received selection signal.    
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein interactive information content is representative of a web page.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the web page is encoded as an MPEG stream.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the set-top box decodes MPEG streams.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein the map is a coordinate map that relates locations of web links associated with interactive information content streams with selection signals from a user input device.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein a stream may be data representative of a web page.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8  wherein a stream may periodically have data updated for the web page.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein all of the interactive information content signals are on one analog channel.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the interactive information content signals are digital data.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the selection screen is interactive information content.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the selection screen is representative of a web page.  
   
   
       14 . A computer program product on a computer readable medium having computer code thereon for operation with a set-top box for providing interactive information content in an analog cable system having only a one way communication path from a cable headend, the computer code comprising: 
 computer code for receiving a plurality of interactive information content signals on at least one analog channel from the cable headend;    computer code for sending to a television for display a selection screen for selection of at least one of the plurality of interactive information content signals; and    computer code for outputting to the television an interactive information content signal associated with a received selection signal.    
   
   
       15 . The computer program product according to  claim 14 , wherein each interactive information content signal is a data stream.  
   
   
       16 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 computer code for receiving a map from the cable head end for at least a plurality of interactive information content streams; and    computer code for determining a next stream of information content based upon a received selection signal and the map.    
   
   
       17 . The computer program product according to  claim 14 , wherein interactive information content is representative of a web page.  
   
   
       18 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the web page is encoded as an MPEG stream.  
   
   
       19 . The computer program product according to  claim 18  further comprising: computer code for decoding MPEG streams.  
   
   
       20 . The computer program product according to  claim 17  wherein the map is a coordinate map that relates locations of web links associated with interactive information content streams with selection signals from a user input device.  
   
   
       21 . The computer program product according to  claim 15  wherein a stream may be data representative of a web page.  
   
   
       22 . The computer program product according to  claim 21  wherein a stream may periodically have data updated.  
   
   
       23 . The computer program product according to  claim 14 , wherein all of the interactive information content is on one analog channel.  
   
   
       24 . The computer program product according to  claim 14  wherein the interactive information content is digital data.  
   
   
       25 . The computer program product according to  claim 14  wherein the selection screen is interactive information content.  
   
   
       26 . The computer program product according to  claim 14 , wherein the selection screen is representative of a web page.