Importance

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Abstract

An interactive cable television system, such as a one way system, simultaneously provides both regular television programmings for one or more television reception channels and subscriber selectable multi-information television programming for a designated common one of those channels to a plurality of subscribers. Each individual subscriber having a multi-information interface network connected to the multichannel television receiver input may independently choose between reception of the regular television programming on any of the channels, including the designated common channel, and reception of the multi-information television programming which comprises a plurality of multi-information packets. Each packet comprises a plurality of simultaneously transmitted different information message signals which are related in real time and content to each other but which are transmitted at a different frequency from each other and from the associated frequencies of the television reception channels. The interface network, which includes a plurality of selection keys, converts the associated frequency of the desired information message signal in the transmitted packet to the common designated channel frequency to enable television reception thereof in accordance with the key selected. Another subscriber having the interface network may independently choose to receive either the regular television programming on that, or another channel, or a different information message signal, while subscribers not having the interface network may still receive the regular television programming. Labels for the selection keys may be visually presented on the television screen during reception of multi-information programming and may be dynamically varied in accordance with message content, such as in a decision tree or memory accumulation type of programming format.

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First Claim