Interactive console for television reception

The present invention relates to an interactive system making it possible to participate, from home, by watching his television receiver, in a television program such as a game or a teleshopping or any other transactional application such as an advertising page or the like.

The existing systems, available to viewers, such as the multipoint system, are content with a calculator type box, specializing in a specific type of transaction which is a prize game. This box includes a keyboard, photoelectric sensors for entering information transmitted in binary by two flashing light rectangles appearing on the TV screen at certain times and a microcontroller with a memory to record keyboard activity and information. light captured by photoelectric sensors. To participate in a multi-point game offered during a television program, the viewer must enter, using the photoelectric sensors of his box, information transmitted to the screen by two flashing luminous rectangles to identify the game. Then, he possibly taps on the keypad of its lockmaker an authorization code to participate in the game then an entry code to answer questions asked during the game show. To know his or her gambling winnings, the viewer must return their shoemaker to a distributor or reseller equipped with a specialized processing terminal.

These systems are not very interactive and are therefore not very successful commercially.

The present invention aims at an interactive system allowing a viewer to participate in games, teleshopping or others, which is very user-friendly, inexpensive and easily customizable to adapt it to various forms of applications. transactional character.

Its object is an interactive television reception console comprising a television receiver connected by a television program reception channel to a television program distributor implementing applications of a transactional nature. This console is remarkable in that it further comprises an interface box with data transmission means connected to the television program distributor by a data transmission channel, with data reception means connected to the distributor. television programs via at least one data reception channel and with image inlay means connected to the television receiver and operating on the image presented on the screen of the latter, a chip card reader, a keyboard allowing the intervention of an operator and a smart card which is plugged into the smart card reader and which is personalized for at least one transactional application of which it manages the progress

Thanks to the standardized structure of the interface box and the specialization of the smart card, this console can be used widely, adapted to a wide range of transactional applications, and selective.

Advantageously, the data reception channel is superimposed on the television program reception channel and accessible from the television receiver. It can be doubled with a part superimposed on the television program reception channel and a part taking a telephone channel or the cable channel if the television receiver is connected to a cable network.

The data transmission path uses a telephone channel or the cable channel if the television receiver is connected to a cable network.

The davit can be integral with the interface box or be separated from it and connected by a wired link or other: infrared, radio, ... to improve handling. In the event that it is separate from the interface box, the forceps can be coupled to the smart card led which then no longer integrates with the interface box.

The interface box has its own power supply or is powered by the power supply of the television receiver.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description of several embodiments given by way of examples. This description will be given below with regard to the drawing in which:

- Figure 1 schematically shows an interactive television reception console according to the invention with a television receiver è SCART socket;

FIG. 2 schematically represents an interactive television reception console according to the invention with a television receiver without a SCART socket;

- Figure 3 schematically shows an interactive television reception console according to the invention with a remote davit; and

FIG. 4 schematically represents an interactive television reception console according to the invention with a remote keyboard and smart card reader and with an electrical power supply taken from the television receiver oeHe.

In FIG. 1, the main elements of an interactive television reception console can be distinguished, namely: a television receiver 1, an interface box 2 and a smart card 3.

The television receiver 1 is of the conventional type, with a SCART socket making it possible to divert the image and sound signals after their transposition into video tape. R receives television programs over the air or through a targeted network.

The interface box 2 is connected to the television receiver 1 by a SCART connector 4, to a telephone line by a telephone connector 5 and to the mains by a power supply socket 6. 0 is provided with a modem (modulator-demodulator) capable of managing bidirectional data transmission over a telephone line to or from a computer server specially programmed by the distributor of television programs containing transactional applications, a decoder circuit capable of extracting from the video signal received by the television receiver data coming from the television program distributor intended for participants in transactional applications, a picture-in-picture circuit operating on the 'video image of the television receiver diverted when it passes through the SCART socket, <fun smart card reader, a davit and a microcontroller managing its various elements under the control of the smart card 3.

The smart card 3. which is a microcircuit card, determines each step of the transactional application as a function of data or an own program stored in memory and information which reaches the interface box 2 via the forceps , by the telephone line and by the data channel superimposed on the television programs received by the television receiver 1.

The data reception channel superimposed on the television programs received by the television receiver can contain information in text, in drawing or in digital relating to the different phases of an application of a transactional nature.

It can be added to the video signal received either by a teletel-type coding in the frame return times and during the start and end of scanning genes invisible on the screen or by a particular coding occupying a certain area of ​​the image which can be black on the screen by adjusting the chroma and which is then preferably used by the inlay circuit to superimpose visual information intended for the viewer on the progress of the character report ttahsaetionnel outstanding.

It can also be added to your sound in DTMF (vocal frequency modulation) or other format.

It is doubled by a channel for transmitting and receiving data using the telephone channel more suitable for your transmission by the distributor of targeted television programs more specifically intended for the owner of the console.

The course of a transaction can be as follows:

When the viewer watches a program implementing a transaction, he is warned in plain text to turn on his interface box. The latter, as soon as it is supplied with power, runs a program to verify the correct functioning of its elements then, in the event of positive tests, activates the smart card reader to pass under the control of the smart card which must be checked. * find there. The smart card verifies that your intended transaction is indeed within its purview by comparing an internal code with a code transmitted on the data channel superimposed on the video signal received from the television receiver, calls the server by telephone if necessary and proceeds to the process. process of the transaction by informing you

S viewer through the inlay circuit whenever necessary, either whether the server has to communicate personal information to him or not, or whether he has to make a choice through the davit. Of course, the smart card can be with a secret code if the transaction requires authorization from the viewer.

The TV remission image and sound can be encrypted. The smart card 3 then performs a decryption process by intercepting or causing the reader to intercept the video signal received at the SCART socket 4 and by returning or by causing the reader to return the processed images to the television receiver, always by its prisa SCART 4 ​​for a screen display.

The additional information embedded in the television receiver can be produced by the smart card 3 or sent to the server by the data transmission channel superimposed on the received television program or by the telephone link. In the latter case, they can come from a Minitel emulation which is provided by the smart card 3. In all cases, they are displayed under the control of the smart card 3.

The smart card 3 can be private and allow Faccts to data with security. The purchase of the smart card 3 then gives rights which can be managed over time by the card itself.

The smart card 3 can operate with security by code, authentication or signature.

As the interface box 2 is not specialized and comprises standard electronics making it possible to receive the images, to process them, to send them back to the television receiver, to ensure the telephone link function, to receive a smart card and process your information transmitted by the keyboard, it can be used for many types of televised transactions in which the participants are guided by more or less personal information displayed overlay on the image of the television receiver and where a communication of each participant with a server provides possibilities for dialogue allowing immediate exerdce of choice or selection both on the part of the participant and on the part of the server.

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However, this does not mean that every owner of the interface box is able to follow any transaction. In order to make an interface box operational, it is necessary to have the chip card which manages the routing of the desired transaction.

The smart card is used to launch a transactional application. During a transaction, she can earn a credit in the form of Bonus points, the unit of value of which is defte by the owner of the application. These Bonus points acquired during an interactive sequence can be accumulated and ultimately be redeemed for the value that their owner dome you apply, per exempt in a store. This circulation of Bonus points can be the basis of motivation for an advertising game.

Several applications can possibly be managed by the same smart card and be loaded in cBstincts directories, at $ 1 a reseller. This acquisition can be temporary or permanent. The acquisition mode can be varied, such as loading on a terminal at an application reseller, or even a sales site. R can also be loaded by connection to a Minitel server, and, in this case, the method of payment is defined at connection, and at the time spent or otherwise in the form of bank card information.

FIG. 2 illustrates a variant of the virtual television reception console of FIG. 1 in which the television receiver 11 does not have a SCART socket and where the connection with the interface box 12 is made via the UHF or VHF antenna cable which is diverted by the interface box 12 before reaching the antenna or the connection point of a cable network 14.

As previously, the interface box 12 is connected to a telephone line by a telephone connector 15 and to the sector by a power supply socket 16. It is equipped with a davit and a chip card reader 30 intended for receive a smart card 3 ensuring control of the diversion of a transaction.

Figure 3 illustrates another variation of the interactive television reception console of Figure 1 in which the holder 20 has been detached from the interface box 22. As in the case of Figure 1, the interface box 22 is connected to the television receiver 21 by a SCART connector 24, to a telephone line by a telephone connector 25 and to the sector by a power socket 26.

The fact that the keyboard 20 is separated from the cfinterface box 22 and connected to the latter by a wired link or by an infrared or radio link provides greater ease in handling the console.

FIG. 4 illustrates yet another variant of the interactive television reception console of FIG. 1 in which the keyboard 30 and the smart card reader have been separated from the interface box 32 for better maneuverability. As in the case of FIG. 1, the interface box 32 is connected to the television receiver 31 by a SCART connector 34 and to a telephone line by a telephone connector 35. But it does not have its own electric power supply, this being shared with that of the television receiver by virtue of a particular connection of the SCART socket 34. It could also be supplied by the power supply of the television receiver 31 through a specific outlet for this purpose

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but it is capable of numerous variants accessible to those skilled in the art without the year departing from the spirit of the invention. The telephone line can in particular in the case of a cable television network be replaced by a data transmission channel on the cable. The interface box can be placed inside the television receiver and have as its keyboard that of the remote control of the television receiver, which makes it possible to have a much more compact interactive console. There may also be, in the television reception channel, an auxiliary carrier assigned to the transmission of particular digital or other information, from the application generator to the viewer, with no effect on the reception of the image and the sound. but detectable by suitable signal processing means fitted to the reader.