WO2006095319A1

WO2006095319A1 - A system and method for incorporating multi-channel chat messaging in a television broadcast system

Info

Publication number: WO2006095319A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/050727
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johannes H.M. Lemmers
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V.; U.S. Philips Corporation
Priority date: 2005-03-10
Filing date: 2006-03-08
Publication date: 2006-09-14

Abstract

A system and method is provided for including a multi-channel chat application as enhancement content in a television broadcast system. According to one aspect of the invention, a broadcast station (101) embeds multiple chat channels as enhancement content into a broadcast stream to a plurality of receivers (103). End users (190) associated with the receivers (103) may view the embedded chat channels and interact in chat sessions conducted in accordance with each chat channel by entering chat messages to be transmitted back to the broadcast station (101) via a suitable backchannel. According to another aspect of the invention, a broadcast station (101) embeds multiple chat channels as enhancement content into a broadcast stream to a plurality of receivers (103). End users (190) associated with the receivers may view the embedded multiple chat channels but may not interact in chat session conducted in accordance with each of the multiple chat channels. That is, there is no provision made to allow the end users (190) to participate in the chat sessions. In this regard, the chat application, according to the described embodiment, is used as a subtitle and/or expert comments application.

Description

A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INCORPORATING MULTI-CHANNEL CHAT MESSAGING IN A TELEVISION BROADCAST SYSTEM

The present invention relates to systems and methods for enabling and automating the delivery of interactive television content to subscribers.

A number of different mechanisms have been developed for carrying enhancement contents in television broadcasts, either accompanying a video program or as a stand-alone data program, such that the data can be displayed interactively by recipients with suitable TV receivers. Some of these are proprietary, such as systems by Wink Communications, Inc., or OpenTV, Inc. Some are open standards, such as the

ATVEF specification, MHP (the Multimedia Home Platform, issued by DVB, the Digital Video Broadcasting Project), OCAP (the OpenCable Application Platform), and DASE (the DTV Application Software Environment standard under development by ATSC, the Advanced Television Systems Committee). There is also a well known set of "IP Multicast" standards for broadcasting data in IP (Internet Protocol) networks.

One form of enhancement content provided to television viewers comprise data related to additional services such as interactive services. This data is typically embedded in the broadcast transmission data. For example, in an MHP system, application data for interactive services are embedded within an MPEG2 encoded signal stream. The application data is repeatedly inserted in the encoded signal stream such that it is repeatedly available for use by an MHP terminal. That is, the MHP terminal is able to retrieve the data from the broadcast stream. The retrieved application data is processed to provide the corresponding interactive application. MHP thus enables additional services to be provided based on a single broadcast signal. One type of interactive service not presently available in systems such as the ones described above is a Chat service. Chat does not refer to audible conversation engaged in by people gathered together in one place, but rather to textual conversations between people that are connected by the Internet to the same chat room, which may be a file on a server. In this case, a participant in such a chat room types a message into his or her computer and the message appears virtually immediately on all the other computers connected to that chat room. It is common for a chat room to be related to a particular topic, with the participants attracted to that chat room by their interest in the topic. While many chat rooms exist regarding various topics, one popular theme for chat rooms is mass entertainment, such as television shows. Thus, chat rooms may exist devoted to a popular television show, such as "Seinfield®". One drawback of such chat services is that the services are only made available to users utilizing a computer and an Internet connection.

It would therefore be desirable to make a multi-channel chat service available to television viewers as enhancement content in television broadcasts, either accompanying a video program or as a stand-alone data program, such that the data can be displayed interactively by recipients with suitable TV receivers.

The present invention provides, in one aspect, a system and method for including a multi-channel chat application as enhancement content in a television broadcast system. The present invention also provides, in another aspect, a system and method for including an expert commentary application as enhancement content in a television broadcast system.

According to one aspect, a broadcast station embeds one or more chat channels as enhancement content into a broadcast stream to a plurality of receivers. End users associated with the receivers may view the embedded chat channels and interact in chat sessions conducted in accordance with each chat channel by entering chat messages to be transmitted back to the broadcast station via a suitable backchannel.

According to another aspect, a broadcast station embeds one or more expert commentary channels as enhancement content into a broadcast stream to a plurality of receivers. No provision is made to allow end users associated with the receivers to participate in or interact with the expert commentary channels. The end users are, however, capable of viewing the expert commentary being provided from the broadcaster. In this regard, the application, according to the described embodiment, is used as an expert comments application.

The foregoing features of the present invention will become more readily apparent and may be understood by referring to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where FIG. 1 illustrates a broadcast system for providing a multi-channel chat application incorporated as enhancement content in a television broadcast, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed illustration of the elements of the supervisor/operator/editor (SOE) of Fig. 1 ;

FIG. 3 illustrates operational steps in flow diagram form of an embodiment of a method of the invention for providing a multi-channel chat application incorporated as enhancement content in a television broadcast;

FIG. 4 illustrates a broadcast system which provides an alternate transmission path for sending chat messages from the Broadcaster to the receivers, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a broadcast system which includes a message response module configured to automatically respond to chat content collected at the Broadcaster from end users, according to an embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 6 illustrates a broadcast system which provides a message response module at the broadcaster configured to automatically respond to chat content collected by the chat collector.

Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purpose of illustration, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following description are within the scope of the invention.

Accordingly, the following preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention

The present invention provides a broadly flexible, powerful, and simple technique that enhances a subscribers viewing experience by providing a multi-channel chat feature as enhancement content in a television broadcast system.

As used herein, a "chat channel" is broadly defined as a broadcast stream of chat messages dedicated to a particular chat topic.

FIG. 1 is an overview of a broadcast system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The broadcast system 100 operates, by way of example in this embodiment, in accordance with the MHP broadcast protocol. It should be understood, however, that the embodiments described herein are not limited to a particular broadcast protocol, such as the MHP broadcast protocol.

The broadcast system 100 comprises, in the embodiment of Fig. 1, a broadcast station, referred to herein as a "Broadcaster" 101 configured to broadcast a DVB-MHP broadcast stream over a unidirectional broadcast network 107 to a plurality of MHP receivers 103, one of which is shown.

The Broadcaster 101 comprises a: (a) supervisor/operator/editor (SOE) 110, (b) a chat channel content formatter and timing module 112, (c) a chat collector module 114, (d) an MHP generator 116, and four back channel interface modules including, a modem bank 118, an Internet interface 120 an SMS collector 122 and a Web server 124.

FIG. 2 is a more detailed illustration of the elements of the SOE 110. As shown, the SOE 110 is shown to include four sub-modules and a display device 113. The display device 113 can be any conventional display provided as an end user interface to operate/control the broadcaster 101. The display 113 can be, for example, a dedicated display or a generic computer terminal. The four sub-modules include (i) a channel definition module 104, (ii) a chat filter module 106 (optional), (iii) a controller and configuration module 108 and (iv) a chat content stimulator module 111.

The channel definition module 104 is configured to define, add and remove chat channels. In the description below, each chat channel is an electronic conference room having an identifier such as a name or address, unique to that chat channel. Chat channels definitions may include various topics of interest to end users 190 such as, for example, "what is playing now", "latest news", "today's sport game" and "introduce yourself.

The chat filter module 106 is an optional module configured to suppress unwanted chat messages including untoward language.

The controller and configuration module 108 controls the overall system operation including defining chat channels, configuring the chat filter module 106 and configuring system behavior including, for example, chat message display duration.

The Chat Content Stimulator Module 111 is configured to allow a system operator 180 to inject chat messages into the various chat sessions being conducted to stimulate chat sessions that show little to no activity. The injected chat messages can include, for example, general questions posed to the chat members and/or the offering of an opinion for comment by the chat members.

The chat content transformation and timing module 112 is configured to prepare chat content for broadcast by constructing a data structure that continuously updates the various chat channels in use with the latest incoming chat messages collected by the chat collector 114. Specifically, the chat content transformation and timing module 112 transforms each received chat channel message into a plurality of data blocks suitable for broadcast. The chat content transformation and timing module 112 is also configured to control the timing of the broadcast of the transformed chat channel messages. With regard to timing, a determination is made by the chat content transformation and timing module 112 regarding the point in time in which the transformed chat channel message is to be inserted, and removed from, the broadcast stream to allow the end users 190 sufficient time to retrieve the chat messages from the broadcast stream.

In the present illustrative embodiment specific to the MHP/OCAP broadcast protocol, the transmission of the transformed chat channel messages from the broadcaster 101 to the plurality of receivers 103 may be performed in a number of ways including (1) placing at least a part of the transformed chat channel messages in DSMMC files in the broadcast file system, or (2) transmitting at least a part of the transformed chat channel messages are transmitted in a DSMCC stream event data field, or (3) transmitting at least a part of the transformed chat channel messages in DVB tables and/or sections.

The chat collector 114 is shown having a single input multiplexed to each of the respective outputs of four backchannel transmitter/receiving devices 118, 120, 122 and 124 and an output operatively coupled to an input of the SOE 110. The chat collector 114 is configured to (1) receive chat messages via the four backchannel transmitter/receiving devices 118, 120, 122 and 124, (2) identify the source of each received chat message (a particular MHP end user 190/receiver 103), (3) append the source identity to the chat message; (4) organize the chat messages on each of the respective chat channels; (5) push the chat content received via the four backchannel transmitter/receiving devices 118, 120, 122 and 124 to the SOE 110. In certain embodiments, the chat collector 114 may also be configured to timestamp the incoming chat messages to ensure synchronous presentation to the end users. The MHP generator 116 is a conventional generating device well-known in the art, configured to construct and broadcast a DVB/MHP broadcast stream incorporating the formatted page including the chat content. The DVB-MHP stream is transmitted across a communication network, such as network 107 to a plurality of MHP receivers 103, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. Network 107 is a unidirectional network and may be configured as a cable, terrestrial or antenna network or combinations thereof.

The four backchannel transmitter/receiving devices 118, 120, 122 are optional and as such, may or may not be included in certain embodiments.

The Modem Bank 118 is a generic device to handle all incoming modem communication from end users 190/receivers 103. The Internet Interface 120 is a generic device that is coupled to the Internet 109 to handle all incoming chat content from end users 190/receivers 103 formatted in a proprietary protocol at the receiver 103. The SMS collector 122 is a generic device to handle all incoming SMS messages from end users 190/receivers 103. The SMS collector has an interface to telecom providers to receive the incoming SMS messages. The web server 124 is a generic server to handle all incoming chat content transmitted from end users 190/receivers 103 across the Internet 111.

The system 100 of Fig. 1 illustrates an MHP Receiver 103 including an MHP Application 130, MHP middleware 103, a Chat Presenter module 132 ,a Chat Input module 134 and a display 144. In certain embodiments, an MHP receiver 103 may also include one or more of the following optional elements: a Modem 136, a Broadband Modem 138, a mobile phone 140 and a PC/Web-browser 142.

Generally, the MHP receivers 103 receive a DVB/MHP signal including chat content broadcast from the broadcaster 101 by the MHP generator 116. The MHP receivers 103 are configured to extract chat content (i.e., chat messages) from the MHP/DVB broadcast stream for presentation to the end users 190.

The MHP receivers 103 may comprise set-top boxes, personal computers, interactive televisions, or other equipment operable to process television signals and other information, such as control information and program guides. Display unit 144 may comprise a television, computer monitor, or other device operable to display video images. The MHP middleware 103 is a generic platform configured to receive a DVB- MHP broadcast stream from the Broadcaster 101 and to run MHP applications, such as MHP "chat" application 130 included as part of the DVB-MHP broadcast stream.

In the present illustrative embodiment, an MHP "chat" application 130 is downloaded to a plurality of receiver 103 of the MHP television broadcast system. An end user 190 is capable of engaging in chat messaging subsequent to receiving and executing the MHP Chat application 130 transmitted from the Broadcaster 101. The MHP Chat Application 130 includes two sub-modules, a chat presenter module 132 and a chat input module 134, each of which are described as follows. The Chat Presenter module 132 is configured to present multi-channel chat information, composed and transmitted from the Broadcaster 101 to end users 190. The Chat Presenter module 132 allows end users 190 to select one or multiple chat channels from the multiple chat channels provided or otherwise deactivate the chat feature.

The Chat/Channel Input module 134 is an interface module configured to handle chat input from an end user 190 for a specific chat channel chosen by the end user 190. For example, if the end user 190 wishes to enter a chat message for the "dog & cat" chat channel, the chat input module 134 accepts the chat message from the end user 190 and requests the MHP middleware 103 to route the chat message to the Broadcaster 101 via one of two backchannels. The two backchannels are respectively comprised of :

(modem 136 - telecom provider network 108 - modem bank 118) (1)

(broadband modem 138 - Internet 109 - Internet Interface 120) (2)

The Modem Interface 136 of the receiver 103 is preferably a generic analogue modem used by an end user 190 to send/receive chat messages. To send/receive a chat message via modem interface 136, the MHP application 130 requests the modem 136 interface, via the MHP middleware 103 to dial into the modem bank 118 of the Broadcaster 101. Once a connection has been established, the MHP application 130 can exchange chat messages with the Broadcaster 101. The Broadband Modem 138 is a generic broadband modem interface of the receiver 103 used by and end user 190 to communicate with the Broadcaster 101 via a continuous Internet connection via Internet interface 120 on the Broadcaster 101 side. Communication on this interface is conducted in accordance with a proprietary protocol. Once a connection has been established, the MHP application 130 can exchange chat messages with the Broadcaster 101.

Mobile Phone 140 is a generic mobile phone interface for sending chat messages in the SMS format to a corresponding SMS collector module 122 of the Broadcaster 101. In operation, an end user 190 is shown the mobile phone number and message structure of an SMS message on display 144. In response, the end user 190 composes an SMS message including a chat channel tag and chat message and sends it to the mobile phone number provided over mobile network 110. Mobile operators of mobile network 110 forward SMS messages including a specific mobile number to a server operated by Broadcaster 101 which hosts SMS collector 122. The SMS collector 122 parses the incoming SMS messages to extract the chat channel and chat message and passes this information on to the chat collector 114.

PC/Web-browser 142 provides the end user 190 with a capability for posting chat messages using a conventional PC and a web browser. The Broadcaster 101 operates a Web server 124 as shown. An end user 190, using the PC and a web browser, is able to access the web server 124 to identify specific chat channels and post chat messages to one or multiple chat channels. In another embodiment, the Broadcaster 101 could provide the end user 190 with a dedicated PC software application. The dedicated PC application could be configured to provide an end user 190 with a user interface to allow the end user 190 to enter chat messages and watch chat messaging for one or more chat channels.

Flowchart

Referring now to FIG 3., there is shown an overview of operational steps in flow diagram form, of an embodiment of a method of the invention for providing a multichannel chat application incorporated as enhancement content in a television broadcast; At act 305 - pre-configuration - an operator 180 configures the chat controller 114 with a plurality of chat channels to be broadcasted. In other words, the number and types of chat channels to be broadcasted are defined at this stage.

At act 310 - starting the application - An MHP application 130 is automatically started at the MHP receiver 103 by MHP middleware 103. The MHP application 130 may be broadcast from the Broadcaster 101 or is otherwise resident in the MHP receiver 103.

At act 315 - chat channel selection - an end user 190 selects a particular chat channel from among the plurality of chat channels being broadcast, via chat presenter module 132.

At act 320 - message retrieval -Chat messages for the selected chat channel are continuously extracted from the broadcast MHP/DVB stream at the receiver 103 for presentation to the end user 190.

At act 325 - determination - the end user 190 determines whether he or she wishes to (1) select a different chat channel, (2) view the chat messages being broadcast on the presently selected chat channel, or (3) post a chat message on the presently selected chat channel. If the end user selects option (1), the process returns to act 315. If the end user 10 selects option (2), the process returns to act 320. If the end user 190 selects option (3), the process continues at act 330. At act 330 -posting a chat message - the end user 190 can post a chat message in a number of ways (5) - (8):

( MHP application 130 - MHP middleware 103 - modem 136) (5)

( MHP application 130 - MHP middleware 103 - broadband modem 138) (6) Mobile phone 140 (using the SMS service), and (7)

PC/Web-browser 142. (8)

The process then returns to act 320.

In the case where the end user 190 posts a chat message via methods (5) or (6) above, i.e., using the MHP application 130, the end user 190 enters text data, via a keyboard and/or remote control (not shown), to be processed by the chat/channel input module 134.

Second Embodiment FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention in which the chat messages can be transmitted from the Broadcaster 101 back to the MHP receivers 103 using either a high speed unidirectional network or a low speed bidirectional backchannel network. Specifically, broadcaster 101 further includes switch 126 to provide a mechanism to route chat messages from the Broadcaster 101 to the MHP receivers 103 via the unidirectional DVB network 107 or via the previously described bidirectional backchannel network as defined by:

(modem bank 118 - telecom provider network 108 - modem 136) (9)

(Internet Interface 120 - Internet 109 - broadband modem 138) (10)

Transmitting the chat channels using the high speed unidirectional DVB network 107 or one of the bidirectional backchannel networks (9) or (10) is determined by the type of chat channel being transmitted. Specifically, the unidirectional DVB broadband network 107 is a preferred network for distributing generic chat channels, accessible to all end users, while the bidirectional backchannel network is a preferred network for transmitting chat channels as peer-to-peer connections between a restricted (i.e., limited) group of end users.

In those embodiments where the receivers 103 are not configured with a backchannel, then no backchannel network is available and chat messaging may be transmitted from the Broadcaster 101 to the receivers 103 via SMS messaging using the path:

SMS collector 122 - Mobile network 110 - mobile phone 140 (11)

or alternatively via the path: web server 124 - Internet 109 - PC/Web-browser 142 (12)

Switch 126 operatively coupled to the output of the Chat Content Formatter and Timing module 112 provides a coupling mechanism in support of both the public chat channels (accessible to every end user) and the non-public (i.e., restricted) chat channels (accessible to a limited group of end users).

Advantageously, the ability to transmit chat messages via the bidirectional backchannel broadcast network, i.e., (1) and (2), provides end users with the ability to start new non-public, restricted chat channels or participate in pre-existing non-public, restricted chat channels, similar to the well known Internet chat rooms.

In certain embodiments, end users may access the non-public, restricted chat channels via a subscription request to the Broadcaster 101. End users may be enrolled by any suitable process. For example an end user can start a non-public, restricted chat session with a group of friends during a televised sports contest. The chat session will be made available to only the initiating end user and his group of friends.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention in which the broadcaster 101 further includes a message response module 115 configured to automatically respond to chat content collected by the chat collector 114 from the various end users 190. The message response module 115 automatically responds to end users 190 via one of the backchannels to save bandwidth. Message responses may be sent to end users 190, for example, to confirm that a chat message has arrived, to send advertisements and/or other useful information back to the end users 190, to enable end users 190 to propose new chat channels or to simply thank an end user 190 for sending a chat message.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention for an MHP application which is intended for use as an expert commentary application. In the present embodiment, certain television programs broadcast on channels of a broadcast station may be accompanied by text commentary describing the associated television program. The expert commentary can provide additional insight and entertainment value to the television programs being broadcast by the MHP broadcaster 101. For example, at a sporting event such expert commentary might be directed to performance statistics, specific players or teams, game strategy and tactics, recently executed plays or injured players. The availability of such commentary may materially increase a fans' enjoyment of the sporting event.

In one implementation, an end user 190 operating a display device 144 at receiver 103 receives a broadcast stream from broadcaster 101, the broadcast stream includes a number of channels where each channel broadcasts a plurality of television programs. For certain television programs, expert commentary is provided as enhancement content. The expert commentary is provided by one or more editor/writers 180 at broadcaster 101. The editor/writers 180 provide their respective commentary via data input (expert) terminals 160 which can be conventional PCs, laptops and the like. The expert commentary is output in real time to the SOE module 110 which is configured to group the expert commentary according to broadcast channel. The expert commentary may include, without limitation, text, images (e.g., tactical schemes), graphical animations and combinations thereof.

An MHP "expert" application 150 is broadcast from the MHP broadcaster 101 to a plurality of MHP receivers 103 (shown at receiver 103) and is signaled on each of the broadcast channels. It is noted that the MHP "expert" application 150 is comprised of application code that can be transmitted in compressed or uncompressed format using any number of protocols including, without limitation, the Data Storage Media Command and Control (DSMCC) protocol which utilizes the DSMCC carousel. The present embodiment will be described, by way of example, in the context of the DSMCC protocol.

At the receiver 103, data files are downloaded from the MHP "expert" application's DSMCC carousel. Two data files are provided, an 'experts overview' file and an 'expert contents' data file. The 'experts overview' file contains (1) a list of experts and an associated broadcast channel (or channels) the experts are commenting on at the moment and (2) the filenames of the 'expert content' data files for each television program for which expert commentary is being provided. The 'expert contents' data files include, for each active expert 182, up-to-the-minute expert commentary for each channel/television program the experts 182 are commenting on at that time. It is noted that the respective files are broadcast with a very small cycle time to minimize display delay at the receivers 103.

The expert commentary embodiment is further illustrated, by way of example, for an MHP broadcaster 101 broadcasting on 5 broadcast channels, as shown in table I. Expert commentary is made available for three of the broadcast channels, i.e., channels 1, 2 and 5 (see column 2) for television programs currently being aired on those channels at the indicated times (see columns 3 and 4). Column 5 illustrates the number of active experts that are available for the channels providing expert commentary.

Table I

In operation, the MHP "expert" application 150 is activated by MHP middleware 105. Once activated, the MHP "expert" application 150 runs continuously at MHP receiver 150 and is configured to detect the presence or absence of expert commentary on each broadcast channel. An end user 190 surfing through the available channels is shown a small icon as one element of the display on each channel (e.g., 1, 2 and 5) offering expert commentary as it becomes available. When an icon is shown in the display 144, the end user 190 has the option of activating the expert commentary, via selection from a remote control, making the expert commentary available for display. The end user 190 may use any of a variety of means to indicate acceptance or denial of the expert commentary. For example, different single or even multiple buttons on a remote control may be pressed by the end user 190 to accept or decline the expert commentary. According to one embodiment, an "accept expert commentary" key and a "deny expert commentary" key may be present on the end user's remote control that may be pressed by the end user 190 whenever an expert commentary icon is being displayed on the television display. The end user 190 are transmitted and operated on by the expert commentary selector module 151 of the MHP expert application 150.

In the case where multiple experts are available, the end user 190 may use up/down arrow keys on the end user' s remote control together with the previously described buttons to select a particular expert of interest to the end user. Regardless of the exact means of accepting or declining the expert commentary, if it is determined that the end user 190 did not accept the expert commentary, no further processing is performed.

Assuming that an end user 190 accepts the expert commentary for a particular expert or multiple experts on a particular broadcast channel, the expert presenter module 153 of the MHP "expert" application 150 accesses the "experts overview" file to extract the active experts for the selected channel. The active experts identity or identities are made available for display to the end user 190, as small icons on the display to allow the user the option of selecting one or more available experts on request or otherwise deactivate the service. When the end user 190 activates a specific expert, the MHP "expert" application 150 extracts the expert comments provided by the expert from the 'expert content' data file and presents the expert comments to the end user 190 on display 144. The expert comments can be provided, in one way, in a scalable portion of the display

144 analogous to a windows frame display in windows without frame borders. The MHP application 150 is also responsible for continuously monitoring the 'expert comments' file to determine when updates are made available. When an updated file becomes available, in accordance with the broadcast cycle time at the broadcaster 101, the MHP application 150 extracts the updated expert comments and presents them to the end user 190 on display 144.

The SOE module 110 also includes a control and configuration module 111 which is configured to enable an operator 180 to configure the system including, for example, setting the duration of single message (i.e., expert commentary). The output of the SOE 110 is provided to the Chat Content Formatter & Timing module 112 which performs the identical function to that described above. Although this invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations will be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

In interpreting the appended claims, it should be understood that: a) the word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or acts than those listed in a given claim; b) the word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements; c) any reference signs in the claims do not limit their scope; d) several "means" may be represented by the same item or hardware or software implemented structure or function; e) any of the disclosed elements may be comprised of hardware portions (e.g., including discrete and integrated electronic circuitry), software portions (e.g., computer programming), and any combination thereof; f) hardware portions may be comprised of one or both of analog and digital portions; g) any of the disclosed devices or portions thereof may be combined together or separated into further portions unless specifically stated otherwise; and h) no specific sequence of acts is intended to be required unless specifically indicated.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method for incorporating chat channel messaging for a plurality of chat channels in a television broadcast system including a broadcast station (101) and a plurality of receivers (103), the method comprising the acts of: receiving, at a broadcast station (101), chat messages from end users (190) associated with the plurality of receivers (103) of said television broadcast system (100), each chat message corresponding to one of the plurality of chat channels; updating those chat channels from among said plurality of chat channels for which at least one corresponding chat message has been received; scheduling said updated chat channels to be embedded in a broadcast stream which is continuously broadcast to said plurality of receivers (103); embedding said updated chat channels into said broadcast stream in accordance with said schedule; and transmitting said broadcast stream to said plurality of receivers (103) via one of a unidirectional network (107) or a bidirectional backchannel network (136/108/118) (138/109/120).

2. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the broadcast stream is transmitted to said plurality of receivers (103) via said unidirectional network when said chat channels are generic chat channels.

3. The method according to Claim 2, wherein the unidirectional network is a DVB network.

4. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the broadcast stream is transmitted to said plurality of receivers (103) via said bidirectional backchannel network (136/108/118) (138/109/120) when said chat channels are non-generic chat channels.

5. The method according to Claim 3, wherein said backchannel network

(136/108/118) (138/109/120) is one of: a modem (136) coupled to a telecom provider network (108) coupled to a modem bank (118), and a broadband modem (138) coupled to an Internet (109) coupled to an Internet Interface (120).

6. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the chat messages comprise one or more text chat message, graphic chat messages and (text and graphic) chat messages.

7. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the acts of: determining an identity of an end user (190) associated with each received chat message; and appending said determined end user identity to said received chat message.

8. The method of Claim 1, wherein the act of updating those chat channels from among said plurality of chat channels for which at least one corresponding chat message has been received, further comprises the acts of: determining for said at least one corresponding chat message, a corresponding chat channel; and grouping said at least one corresponding chat message with its corresponding chat channel based on said determination.

9. The method of Claim 1, further comprising the act of filtering the received chat messages to remove unwanted chat messages subsequent to said receiving act.

10. The method according to Claim 9, wherein said act of filtering the received chat messages to remove unwanted chat messages; further comprises the acts of: reviewing each received chat message to determine if it falls below a pre- established filter threshold criteria; and filtering said received chat message when it is determined to fall below said filter threshold criteria.

11. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the acts of: receiving, at said plurality of receivers (103), said transmitted broadcast stream including said plurality of chat channels; viewing a title list describing said plurality of chat channels; selecting a chat channel from said title list; and viewing the electronic chat channel messages included in said selected chat channel.

12. The method according to Claim 11, wherein the title list is broadcast to said receivers (103) in an overview channel included in the broadcast stream.

13. The method of Claim 11, further comprising the act of posting at least one electronic chat message for inclusion in said selected channel.

14. The method of Claim 13, wherein the act of posting at least one electronic chat message further comprises the acts of: constructing at least one electronic chat message; selecting a backchannel to transmit said at least one constructed electronic chat message; and transmitting said constructed electronic chat message back to said broadcast station (101) over said selected backchannel.

15. The method according to Claim 14, wherein said selected backchannel comprises one of a wired telecommunications network (108), a wireless telecommunications network (110) and the Internet (109).

16. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the act of embedding said updated chat channels into said broadcast stream in accordance with said schedule; further comprises the acts of: constructing a plurality of data structures from said those chat channels for which at least one corresponding chat message has been received; defining one or more broadcast parameters for each constructed data structure; and embedding the plurality of data structures and their corresponding broadcast parameters into the broadcast stream in accordance with said schedule.

17. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the act of automatically responding to chat messages received at said broadcast station (101) from end users (190) associated with the plurality of receivers (103) of said television broadcast system (100).

18. The method according to Claim 17, wherein said automatic response is transmitted via a bidirectional backchannel network (136/108/118) (138/109/120).

19. A method for incorporating expert commentary in a television broadcast system, the method comprising the acts of: collecting expert commentary from at least one expert commentary provider, wherein said expert commentary refers to at least one TV program being broadcast on certain channels of said television broadcast system; grouping the collected expert commentary; embedding the grouped expert commentary in a broadcast stream; and transmitting said broadcast stream including the embedded expert commentary from said broadcaster to a plurality of receivers (103) of the television broadcast system.

20. The method according to Claim 19, wherein the broadcast stream is transmitted to said plurality of receivers (103) via a unidirectional network.

21. The method according to Claim 20, wherein the unidirectional network is a DVB network.

22. The method according to Claim 19 wherein the expert commentary comprises of one or more of (a) text and (b) graphics.

23. The method according to Claim 19, wherein the act of grouping the collected expert commentary further comprises grouping the collected expert commentary into one or more data files.

24. The method according to Claim 23, where the one or more data files are organized according to at least one of (a) broadcast channels, (b) experts, and (c) content format.

25. The method according to Claim 21, wherein the act of grouping the collected expert commentary further comprises grouping the collected expert commentary into a stream event.

26. The method according to Claim 21, wherein the act of grouping the collected expert commentary further comprises grouping the collected expert commentary into DVB sections and/or tables for incorporation into said broadcast stream.

27. The method according to Claim 22, wherein the act of grouping the collected expert commentary further comprises constructing a relational table relating experts and the broadcast channels said experts are commenting on.

28. The method of Claim 21, further comprising the acts of: receiving,the transmitted broadcast stream at the plurality of receivers

(103); viewing at least one channel of expert commentary corresponding to a currently broadcasted television program.

29. A system for incorporating chat channel messaging for a plurality of chat channels in a television (TV) broadcast system (100), the system comprising: means for receiving, at a broadcast station (101), chat messages from end users (190) associated with the plurality of receivers (103) of said television broadcast system (100), each chat message corresponding to one of the plurality of chat channels; means for updating those chat channels from among said plurality of chat channels for which at least one corresponding chat message has been received; means for scheduling said updated chat channels to be embedded in a broadcast stream which is continuously broadcast to said plurality of receivers (103); means for embedding said updated of chat channels into said broadcast stream in accordance with said schedule; and means for transmitting said broadcast stream to said plurality of receivers (103).

30. The system of Claim 29, wherein the means for updating those chat channels from among said plurality of chat channels for which at least one corresponding chat message has been received, further comprises: means for determining a corresponding chat channel for said chat messages; and means for grouping said chat messages with their corresponding chat channels based on said determination.

31. The system of Claim 29, wherein the means for receiving, at a broadcast station (101), chat messages from end users (190) associated with the plurality of receivers (103) of said television broadcast system (100), further comprises: means for determining the identity of an end user (190) generating the at least one received chat message; and means for appending the determined end user identity to the at least one received chat message.

32. The system according to Claim 28, wherein the means for transmitting said broadcast stream to said plurality of receivers (103) is a unidirectional data network (107).

33. The system according to Claim 28, wherein the means for transmitting said broadcast stream to said plurality of receivers (103) is a bidirectional data network.

34. The system according to Claim 28, wherein said bidirectional data network is one of: a modem (136) coupled to a telecom provider network (108) coupled to a modem bank (118), and a broadband modem (138) coupled to an Internet (109) coupled to an Internet Interface (120).

35. The system of Claim 28, wherein said means for receiving said at least one incoming chat message from said plurality of end users (190) is one of (1) a modem bank (118) configured to receive said incoming chat messages, (2) an analogue modem, (3) an Internet interface (120) configured to receive said incoming chat messages formatted in a proprietary protocol, (4) an SMS collector (122) configured to receive incoming chat messages in SMS format, and (5) a web server 124 configured to receive incoming chat messages via the Internet (109).

36. The system of Claim 28, wherein the means for preparing the at least one chat message for broadcast to each of the plurality of end users (190) of the TV broadcast system (100), further comprises means for constructing a data structure configured to continuously update the plurality of chat channels with said chat messages.

37. The system of Claim 28, wherein the broadcast stream is a DVB/MHP broadcast stream.

38. The system of Claim 28, further comprising means for defining, adding and removing chat channels; means for suppressing certain of said at least one received chat message based on a pre-established filter criteria; and means for creating chat messages for incorporation into certain of said plurality of chat channels to stimulate end user discussion activity; and means for configuring system behavior.

39. The system of Claim 28, further comprising means for automatically responding to said at least one received chat message over one of a plurality of backchannels.

40. A system for incorporating expert commentary in a television broadcast system, comprising: means for collecting expert commentary from at least one expert commentary provider, wherein said expert commentary refers to at least one TV program being broadcast on certain channels of said television broadcast system; means for grouping the collected expert commentary; means for embedding the grouped expert commentary in a broadcast stream; and means for transmitting said broadcast stream including the embedded expert commentary from said broadcaster to a plurality of receivers (103) of the television broadcast system.

41. The system of Claim 39, wherein the broadcast stream is a DVB/MHP broadcast stream.