Method and apparatus for retrieving data from a broadcast signal

1. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a broadcast signal including a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal, wherein the broadcast signal further includes the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in the broadcast signal, and wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal;

means for decoding the data encoded in the broadcast signal; and

means for ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal ignores the data identifier if the data identifier matches another data identifier associated with the indicator.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal includes a time period during which the data identifier should be ignored.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the broadcast signal includes a broadcast image, and wherein the data identifier is broadcast in line twenty-one of the broadcast image.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is encoded in the broadcast signal.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the broadcast signal includes a broadcast image, and wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal is encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of the broadcast image.

7. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying data associated with a television broadcast;

means for generating a television broadcast signal that includes a data identifier that identifies the data associated with the television broadcast and includes the data associated with the television broadcast, wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal; and

means for transmitting the television broadcast signal to a plurality of television receivers.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the data identifier is contained in line twenty-one of a broadcast image.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is included in the broadcast signal.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the data that is included in the broadcast signal is contained in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.

11. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive a television broadcast signal that includes a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal, the data identifier being broadcast in line twenty-one of a broadcast image, the broadcast signal further includes the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of the broadcast image, and wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal;

decode the data encoded in the broadcast signal; and

ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal.

12. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 11 wherein the indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal includes an associated time period during which the data identifier should be ignored.

13. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 11 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is encoded in the broadcast signal.

14. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

identify data associated with a television broadcast;

generate a television broadcast signal that includes a data identifier that identifies the data associated with the television broadcast and includes the data associated with the television program, wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal; and

transmit the television broadcast signal to a plurality of television receivers.

15. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14 wherein the data identifier is contained in line twenty-one of a broadcast image.

16. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is included in the broadcast signal.

17. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14 wherein the data that is included in the broadcast signal is contained in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.

18. A system comprising:

a memory device; and

a processor coupled to the memory device, wherein the processor is configured to:

identify data associated with a television broadcast;

generate a television broadcast signal that includes a data identifier that identifies the data associated with the television broadcast and includes the data associated with the television program, wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal; and

transmit the television broadcast signal to a plurality of television receivers.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the data identifier is contained in line twenty-one of a broadcast image.

20. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is included in the broadcast signal.

21. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the data that is included in the broadcast signal is contained in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.