Title: Signal transmission system for transmitting programed information such as programed instruction

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A signal transmission system for transmitting programmed information including signals corresponding to a plurality of program materials, comprising at a transmitter end:

a program material source for producing said signals corresponding to said plurality of program materials;

means for producing a plurality of identification signals a respective one of which denotes each of said signals corresponding to said plurality of program materials;

means for producing a plurality of label signals each of which denotes a minimum program material group comprising a minimum significant information unit composed of one or more of said signals corresponding to said program materials;

means for receiving said identification and label signals to form a program material control signal composed of a plurality of combinations of said label and identification signals, each of said combinations including a respective label signal and one or more identification signals which denote one or more of said signals corresponding to said program materials in said minimum program material group denoted by said respective label signal;

composite signal forming means for receiving said signals corresponding to said program materials and said program material control signal to form a composite signal; and

means for transmitting said composite signal; and at a receiver end:

means for receiving said composite signal;

means for reproducing at least a part of said program material control signal from the received composite signal;

label determining means for determining a label signal of a minimum program material group to be displayed;

identification signal detecting means for receiving said reproduced program material control signal and said determined label signal to detect one or more identification signals which form one of said combinations in said reproduced program material control signal together with said determined label signal;

means for extracting from the received composite signal a minimum program material group of one or more of said signals corresponding to said program materials denoted by said one or more detected identification signals; and

means for displaying said one or more extracted signals corresponding to said program materials.

2. A signal transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said label determining means provided at the receiver end comprises:

a label denoting member which is actuated by a user to produce a label signal of a minimum program material group to be displayed; and

means for supplying said label signal to said identification signal detecting means.

3. A signal transmission system according to claim 2, wherein said system further comprises at the transmitter end:

means for adding an automatic program progress control signal to given successive combinations in said program material control signal, the label signals included in said successive combinations denoting successive minimum program material groups which are to be successively displayed; and at the receiver end:

means for detecting said automatic program progress control signal in said reproduced program material control signal;

means for receiving said reproduced program material control signal and said detected automatic program progress control signal to determine automatically said successive label signals in said successive combinations to which said automatic program progress control signal is added; and

means for supplying successively said determined successive label signals to said identification signal detecting means to detect said successive minimum program material groups to be displayed.

4. A signal transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises at the transmitter end:

means for receiving said label signals and forming a program progress control signal composed of a plurality of combinations of said label signals, each of said combinations including a respective label signal denoting a respective minimum program material group and one or more label signals denoting one or more minimum program material groups any one of which can be displayed next to said respective minimum program material group; and

means for supplying said program progress control signal to said composite signal forming means; and at the receiver end:

means for reproducing said program progress control signal;

present label storing means for storing the label signal of the presently displayed minimum program material group supplied from said label determining means;

next label determining means for receiving said reproduced program progress control signal and said stored label signal to determine a next label signal of a minimum program material group which is to be displayed next to said presently displayed minimum program material group; and

means for supplying said determined next label signal to said identification signal detecting means.

5. A signal transmission system according to claim 4, wherein said next label determining means provided at the receiver end comprises:

a response input member which is actuated by a user to produce a response signal; and

means for receiving said response signal and said program progress control signal to select one label signal from one or more label signals which form said combination in said program progress control signal together with said stored label signal denoting the presently displayed minimum program material group.

6. A signal transmission system according to claim 4, wherein said means for forming said program material control signal comprises means for making a plurality of rows each of which includes a label signal formed by a digit composed of a given number of bits and one or more identification signals denoting one or more of said signals corresponding to said program materials comprising a minimum program material group denoted by a label signal related to said stored label signal denoting the presently displayed minimum program material group in said program progress control signal, and said identification signal means provided at the receiver end comprises

next label storing means for storing the digit of the next label signal determined by said next label determining means;

first comparing means for comparing bit-by-bit said stored digit of said next label signal with digits of successive label signals in said reproduced program material control signal to produce a first coincidence signal when these digits coincide with each other;

first row extracting means for receiving said first coincidence signal and said reproduced program material control signal to extract one row of said program material control signal, said extracted row including the label signal which has the same digit as that of said stored next label signal; and

means for extracting one or more identification signals in said extracted row.

7. A signal transmission system according to claim 6, wherein said means for forming said program progress control signal comprises means for forming a plurality of rows of signals each of which includes an indexing label signal and one or more branching label signals denoting one or more minimum program material groups any one of which can be displayed next to the minimum program material group denoted by said indexing label signal, each of said indexing label and branching label signals being formed by a digit composed of a given number of bits, and said label determining means provided at the receiver end comprises:

second comparing means for comparing bit-by-bit said digit of the label signal stored in said present label storing means with digits of the successive indexing label signals in said program progress control signal to produce a second coincidence signal when these digits coincide with each other;

second row extracting means for extracting in response to said second coincidence signal one row of signals in said program progress control signal, said extracted row including the indexing label signal which has the same digit as that of said stored label signal denoting the presently displayed minimum program material group;

a response input member which is actuated by the user to produce a response signal; and

means for receiving said response signal and said extracted row to select one branching label signal in said extracted row of the program progress control signal.

8. A signal transmission system according to claim 7, further comprising at the transmitter end:

means for adding an automatic program progress control signal to given rows of signals of said program material control signal, said given rows including label signals denoting given minimum program material groups which are to be successively displayed in an automatic program progress control mode; and at the receiver end:

means for detecting said automatic program progress control signal inserted in the extract row of said program material control signal;

means for storing said detected automatic program progress control signal;

means for determining in response to said stored automatic program progress control signal a label signal of a minimum program material group which is to be displayed next to the presently displayed minimum program material group; and

means for rewriting the content in said next label storing means by said determined label signal.

9. A signal transmission system according to claim 8, wherein said means for adding said automatic program progress control signal provided at the transmitter end comprises:

means for forming given label signals in said given rows of said program material control signal as sequential number digits, said label signal denoting the minimum program material groups which are to be successively displayed at the receiver end in the automatic program progress mode; and said means provided at the receiver end for determining the successive label signal in response to said stored automatic program progress control signal comprises

means for changing the digits of successive label signals which are successively stored in said next label storing means by one digit.

10. A signal transmission system according to claim 8, wherein said signals corresponding to said program materials are still picture video signals each of which is inserted in a television frame period and audio signals which are inserted in a plurality of channels as audio multiplexed signals and said system further comprises at the transmitter end:

means for transmitting repeatedly said video and audio signals alternately at a given period;

means for transmitting each row of said program progress control signal in one video signal transmission period at a period which is equal to an integer multiple of said given period; and

means for transmitting each of said rows of said program material control signal in parts of the video and audio signal transmission periods at a time instance preceding to the signals corresponding to said program materials which are to be controlled by the related row of said program material control signal.

11. A signal transmission system according to claim 10, wherein each of said identification signals in said program material control signal includes a video identification signal for identifying each still picture video signal, an audio channel through which the audio signal is transmitted and audio start and end signals for denoting start and end timings of the audio signal.

12. A signal transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said transmitting means provided at the transmitter end comprises:

means for transmitting said signals corresponding to said program materials, said program material control signal and said program progress control signal in a given time period; and

said system comprises at the receiver end:

means for storing all of said signals corresponding to said program materials, said program progress control signal and said program material control signal; and

means for reading out selectively the content of said storing means.

13. A signal transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said transmitting means provided at the transmitter end comprises:

means for transmitting said signals corresponding to said program materials, said program progress control signal and said program material control signal once in a given time period;

and said system further comprises at the receiver end:

means for storing said signals corresponding to said program materials, said program progress control signal and said program material control signal;

means for reading out repeatedly the content stored in said storing means; and

a plurality of terminal receivers each of which receives said read-out signals corresponding to said program materials, program progress control signal and program material control signal.

14. A signal transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said signals corresponding to said program materials are instruction program material signals including at least one correct answer program material group and at least one hint program material group and said system further comprises at the transmitter end

means for inserting in at least one row of said program progress control signal a correct answer label signal and a hint label signal which denote the correct answer program material group and the hint program material group, respectively relating to the program material group denoted by the indexing label signal in a related row; and

means for inserting in said program material control signal at least one row which includes said correct answer label signal and at least one identification signal denoting at least one correct answer program material signal composing said correct answer program material group denoted by said correct answer label signal and at least one row which includes said hint label signal and at least one identification signal denoting at least one hint program material signal composing said hint program material group denoted by said hint label signal; and at the receiver end

a correct answer request member which is actuated by the user to produce a correct answer request signal;

a hint request member which is actuated by the user to produce a hint request signal;

means for receiving said extracted row of the program progress control signal and said correct answer request signal to extract said correct answer label signal in said extracted row which includes the indexing label signal of the presently displayed minimum program material group; and

means for receiving said row of the program progress control signal and said hint request signal to extract said hint label signal in said extracted row.

15. A signal transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said system further comprises at the receiver end

a repeat request member which is actuated by the user to produce a repeat request signal; and

means for receiving said repeat request signal to supply the label signal of the present displayed minimum program material group stored in said present label storing means to said identification signal detecting means, whereby said presently displayed minimum program material group denoted by said label signal is repeatedly displayed.

16. A signal transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said system further comprises at the receiver end

a back request member which is actuated by the user to produce a back request signal;

last label storing means for storing the label signal of the minimum program material group which has been displayed just before the presently displayed minimum program material group; and

means for receiving said back request signal to supply said stored label signal to said identification signal detecting means, whereby said last displayed minimum program material group is once again displayed.

17. A signal transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said means provided at the transmitter end for forming the program progress control signal comprises:

means for forming item signals each of which denotes a group of one or more of said minimum program material groups denoted by one or more of said label signals and is formed by a digit composed of a given number of bits;

means for forming block signals each of which denotes a group of one or more minimum program material groups denoted by one or more of said item signals and is formed by a digit composed of a given number of bits;

means for forming list signals each of which denotes a group of one or more of said minimum program material groups denoted by one or more of said block signals and is formed by a digit composed of a given number of bits;

means for receiving said item, block and list signals to form each of said indexing label signals in said program progress control signal by means of a combination of said digits of said item, block and list signals to which said indexing label signal belongs;

means for receiving said item signals to form each of said branching label signals in each row of said program control signal by means of only said digit of the item signal to which said branching label signal belongs;

means for adding to said row of said program progress control signal a combination of said digits of the block and item signals to which all of said branching label signals in said row belong; and said means provided at the receiver end for selecting the branching label signal comprises:

list-block extracting means for extracting said combination of the digits of the block and item signals from the extracted row of the program progress control signal;

item extracting means for extracting one item signal in said extracted row of the program progress control signal in response to said response signal supplied from said response input member; and

means for combining digits of said extracted list, block and item signals to form said combination digit of the label signal denoting said minimum program material group which is to be displayed next to the presently displayed minimum program material group.

18. A signal transmission system according to claim 17, wherein said system further comprises at the receiver end:

a back request member which is actuated by the user to produce a back request signal;

means for producing a particular digit representing a label signal which denotes a first minimum program material group in the block signal; and

means for receiving said back request signal to supply said particular digit of the label signal to said next label storing means.

19. A signal transmission system according to claim 17, wherein said means provided at the transmitter end for forming the program progress control signal comprises:

means for forming at least one row in which said indexing label signal is expressed by a particular list digit and each of said branching label signals being formed by a combination of the block and list digits, and said system further comprises at the receiver end:

means for detecting said particular list digit in the extracted row of the program progress control signal to produce a particular list signal;

means for receiving said particular list signal to form a particular item digit;

means for receiving said response signal and said extracted row to select one combination of block and list digits in said extracted row; and

means for supplying said particular item digit and said selected one combination of block and list digits to said combining means to form a particular combination of digits of the particular label signal denoting a minimum program material group which is to be displayed next to the presently displayed minimum program material group and belongs to a particular item signal in a different block signal than that to which the presently displayed minimum program material group belongs.

20. A signal transmission system according to claim 19, wherein said system further comprises at the receiver end:

a start member which is actuated by the user to produce a start signal;

means for producing a particular combination of item, block and list digits; and

means for receiving said start signal to supply said particular combination of item, block and list digits to said next label storing means.

21. A signal transmission system according to claim 17, wherein said system further comprises at the receiver end:

a repeat request member which is actuated by the user to produce a repeat request signal;

means for storing the combination of digits of the item, block and list signals to which the presently displayed minimum program material group belongs, said combination of digits representing the label signal of the first minimum program material group among the minimum program material groups denoted by said item signal; and

means for receiving said repeat request signal to supply said stored combination of digits to said next label storing means; whereby the minimum program material groups belonging to said item signal are repeatedly displayed from the beginning thereof.

22. A signal transmission system according to claim 21, wherein said system further comprises at the transmitter end means for adding an automatic program progress control signal to given rows of said program material control signal, said given rows including label signals denoting given minimum program material groups which are to be successively displayed in an automatic program progress mode; and

means for adding an inhibit signal to at least a first one row of said given rows of the program material control signal, said at least first one row including a label signal denoting a minimum program material group which should not be displayed in the repeat operation; and at the receiver end;

means for detecting said automatic program progress control signal inserted in the extracted row of the program material control signal;

means for detecting said inhibit signal in said extracted row of the program material control signal;

means for detecting in response to said automatic program progress control signal a label signal of a minimum program material group which is to be displayed next to the presently displayed minimum program material group;

means for supplying said detected label signal to said next label storing means; and

means for receiving said inhibit signal to inhibit the supply of said detected label signal to said next label storing means, whereby when the minimum program material group denoted by the label signal having said automatic program progress signal added thereto is displayed and said repeat request member is actuated, the minimum program material groups belonging to said item signal except for at least a first one minimum program material group denoted by the label signal in said at least first one row to which said inhibit signal is added are selectively displayed in the automatic program progress mode.

23. A signal transmission system according to claim 17, wherein said system further comprises at the receiver end:

a back request member which is actuated by the user to produce a back request signal;

means for storing the first label signal in the preceding item signal which has been displayed just before the presently displayed item signal; and

means for receiving said back request signal to supply said stored label signal of the preceding item signal to said identification signal detecting means, whereby one or more minimum signals corresponding to said program materials denoted by said preceding item signal are once again displayed from the minimum program material group denoted by said first label signal.

24. A signal transmission system according to claim 23, wherein said system further comprises at the transmitter end:

means for adding an automatic program progress control signal to given rows of said program material control signal, said given rows including label signals denoting given minimum program material groups which are to be successively displayed in an automatic program progress mode; and means for adding an inhibit signal to at least first one row of said given rows of the program material control signal, said at least first one row including a label signal denoting a minimum program material group which should not be displayed in the back operation; and at the receiver end:

means for detecting said automatic program progress control signal inserted in the extracted row of the program material control signal;

means for detecting said inhibit signal in said extracted row of the program material control signal;

means for receiving said program material control signal and said automatic program progress control signal to detect a label signal of a minimum program material group which is to be displayed next to be the presently displayed minimum program material group;

means for supplying said detected label signal to said next label storing means; and

means for receiving said inhibit signal to inhibit the supply of said detected label signal to said next label storing means, whereby when said back request member is actuated and the minimum program material groups belong to said preceding item signal are requested to be displayed, the program material groups belonging to said preceding item signal except for at least one minimum program material group denoted by the label signal in said at least first one row to which said inhibit signal is added are selectively displayed in the automatic program progress mode.

Other info:

Inventors: Yanagimachi, Akio (Kawasaki, JA)
Uehara, Takashi (Inagi, JA)
Yamamoto, Tetsuo (Machida, JA)
Yamane, Hisakichi (Tokyo, JA)
Sawabe, Eiichi (Machida, JA)
Yoshino, Takehiko (Yokohama, JA)
Takezawa, Teruhiro (Komae, JA)
Masuda, Michio (Tokyo, JA)
Nabeyama, Hiroaki (Yokohama, JA)
Fukuda, Masaaki (Kodaira, JA)
Kayano, Tatsuo (Hachioji, JA)

Application Number: 392557
Filing Date: 1973-08-29
Publication_date: 1976-02-03
Assignee: Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Tokyo, JA); Hitachi, Ltd. (Tokyo, JA); Hitachi Electronics Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, JA)
Primary Class(es): 348/24 348/485, 434/307R
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3245157	Apr, 1966	Laviana	35/9.
3546791	Dec, 1970	Koos et al.	35/9.
3566482	Mar, 1971	Morchand	35/9.
3606688	Sep, 1971	Zawels et al.	35/9.
3757225	Sep, 1973	Ulicki	325/308.
3760275	Sep, 1973	Ohsawa et al.	325/31.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Safourek, Benedict V.
Assistant Examiner: Saffian, Mitchell
Attorney: Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher