# How Interactive Television Systems Send Applications Alongside Video Streams > A system for broadcasting interactive software applications alongside video programs so that a television or set-top box can run them in real-time. - **Patent:** US RE44685 - **Original title:** USRE44685E1 - Apparatus for transmitting and receiving executable applications as for a multimedia system, and method and system to order an item using a distributed computing system - **Owner:** OpenTV Inc - **Granted:** 2013 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 1 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, telecommunications, software ## What it does The patent describes a way to bundle interactive software with a video broadcast. It uses a data stream where video packets and application packets are mixed together using time-division multiplexing. A client device, like a set-top box, acts as a filter; it identifies which packets belong to the video and which belong to the application code. It then assembles the application and runs it, allowing the software to overlay graphics or sound directly onto the video program, creating an interactive experience for the viewer. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover applications delivered solely over the internet via standard HTTP/IP protocols. - Does not cover video-on-demand systems where the application is not bundled in the same multiplexed stream as the video. - Does not cover non-interactive video broadcasting where no auxiliary application code is executed. ## The clever bit The system repetitively broadcasts the application code independently of the client's state, meaning a viewer can tune into a channel at any time and the set-top box will eventually catch the full application cycle to start the interactive features. ## Real-world examples 1. Early digital cable set-top boxes 2. Interactive electronic program guides (EPG) 3. Broadcast-based interactive television services ## Why it matters This technology was foundational for the transition from passive television to interactive digital television. It allowed cable and satellite providers to offer features like on-screen program guides, interactive advertisements, and simple games that felt integrated into the broadcast signal. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Interactive Television Systems Send Applications Alongside Video Streams cover? A system for broadcasting interactive software applications alongside video programs so that a television or set-top box can run them in real-time. ### Who owns patent US RE44685? OpenTV Inc owns this patent, granted in 2013. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on December 31, 2033, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US RE44685 cited by? This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology was foundational for the transition from passive television to interactive digital television. It allowed cable and satellite providers to offer features like on-screen program guides, interactive advertisements, and simple games that felt integrated into the broadcast signal. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover applications delivered solely over the internet via standard HTTP/IP protocols. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE44685/noise-cancelling-headphones **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/USRE44685 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Web Browsers Run Embedded Programs Inside Documents](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5838906/microsoft-internet-browser) — A 1994 invention that allowed web browsers to automatically launch and run external programs directly inside a webpage, enabling interactive content like 3D models or complex data viewers. - [How Cable Boxes Download Software Updates Remotely](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5440632/reprogrammable-subscriber-terminal) — A method for cable television boxes to automatically download and install new software updates sent over the air from the cable provider's main office. - [Prodigy's System for Interactive Online Information and Shopping](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5347632/java-programming-language) — Prodigy's 1994 patent outlines an interactive online system that delivered news, shopping, and banking to personal computers by breaking applications into 'objects' stored locally or remotely, and used user data for targeted ads. - [Delivering Targeted Ads and Digital Content to Remote Kiosks](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10210529/shopify-app-store) — A method for sending digital content and personalized advertisements to remote kiosks by combining scheduled data pushes with real-time requests. - [How Cable Networks Manage Virtual Ownership of Digital Movies](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9021535/netflix-user-profiles) — A system for cable providers to let users 'own' digital movies on a server instead of buying physical discs, allowing the provider to update that content remotely.