WIRED BROADCASTING SYSTEMS

• US 3,665,311 A
• Filed: 06/02/1970
• Issued: 05/23/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eric J. Gargini
• Original Assignee: Eric J. Gargini
• Inventors: Gargini, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): D'Amico, Tom
• Application Number:
  US05/042,773
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2TV 178/DIG.13,DIG.9,DIG.15 325/308,51,53,54,57 343/176,177
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Wired broadcasting systems provide for originating programs at the subscriber station for transmissions over the same signal conductors for receiving programs. Central equipment makes the subscriber originated programs available for other subscribers.

Claims

1. A wired broadcasting system including a central station, a plurality of program sources, a plurality of subcriber stations and central station control equipment selectively coupling subscribers to receive predetermined ones of the programs from said program sources in which at least one subscriber is provided with means for originating a program transmission, means for returning said program transmission to said control equipment of the system over the same signal conductors by means of which said subscriber is enabled to receive program sources from said program from said central station and means are provided at said central station which serve to make the subscriber originated program transmission available to at least one other subscriber in the same manner as said other programs are made available.

2. A wired broadcasting system Including a central station, a plurality of program sources, a plurality of subscriber stations and central station control equipment selectively coupling subscribers to receive predetermined ones of the programs from said program sources, said system being arranged for the distribution of television signals as modulated high frequency carrier waves in which at least one subscriber is provided with means for originating a television program transmission, means are provided for returning said program transmission to said central station control equipment of the system over the same signal conductors by means of which said subscriber is enabled to receive other programs from said central station as a modulated carrier wave signal lying at least partly outside the band of frequencies employed for the distribution of television signals from said central station and frequency translating means are provided at said central station which serve to translate the subscriber originated television program transmission to the frequency band employed for the distribution of television signals from said central station.

3. A wired broadcasting system including a central station, a plurality of program sources, a plurality of subscriber stations and central station control equipment selectively coupling subscribers to receive predetermined ones of the programs from said program sources, said system being arranged for the distribution of a plurality of television signals as modulated high frequency carrier waves on corresponding signal highways in which program selection is arranged to be effected at a program exchange by the selective connection of a signal distribution line at each subscriber station to one or other of a plurality of signal highways carrying signals from said program sources and at least one subscriber station is provided with means for originating a television program transmission, means are provided for returning said program transmission to the program exchange on a cable providing television signals to the one said subscriber as a modulated carrier wave signal lying at least partly outside the band of frequencies employed for the distribution of television signals from said program exchange to said subscriber stations, frequency translating means are provided at said central station for translating said subscriber originated television program transmission to the frequency band employed for the distribution of television signals from the program exchange together with means for applying said frequency translated subscriber originated television program transmission to a signal highway reserved, at least for a proportion of time, for the use of said one subscriber whereby other subscribers of said system are enabled to derive signals from said reserved signal highway in the same manner as other signals are derived from other signal highways.

4. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for returning a subscriber-originated program transmission to a central station of the system includes a three-part network of which a first part is arranged for connection of the signal conductors, a second part is arranged for connection to a television receiving equipment and a third part is arranged for connection to a television transmitting equipment, the signal transmission characteristics of said three part network being such that signals may pass without undue attenuation between said first part and said second part and between said third part and said first part while the path between sad second and third parts offers appreciable attenuation to signals.

5. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a frequency selective filter is interposed between said third part and the television transmitting equipment which presents a negligible impedance to the signals produced by said television transmitting equipment and an appreciable impedance to program signals received from the central station.

6. A wired broadcasting system as clAimed in claim 5, wherein the frequency selective filter is a high pass filter.

7. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a frequency selective filter is interposed between said second part and the television receiving equipment which presents a negligable impedance to program signals received from the central station and an appreciable impedance to the signals produced by said television transmitting equipment.

8. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said three part network comprises a hybrid transformer.

9. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 2 wherein at the central station there are associated with a subscriber'"'"''"'"'s signal conductors a further three part network of which a first part is arranged for connection to the signal conductors, a second part is arranged to receive the output signals of a television transmitting equipment and a third part is arranged for connection to signal receiving means for receiving subscriber-originated program transmissions, the signal transmission characteristics of said three-part network being such that signals may pass without undue attenuation between said first part and said third part and between said second part and said first part while the path between said second and third parts offers appreciable attenuation to signals.

10. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a frequency selective filter is interposed between said second part and said signal receiving means which presents a negligible impedance to signals pertaining to subscriber-originated program transmissions and an appreciable impedance to program signals transmitted from the central station.

11. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the frequency selectiver filter is a high pass filter.

12. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a frequency selective filter is interposed between said second part and the television transmitting equipment which presents a negligable impedance to program signals transmitted from the central station and an appreciable impedance to signals pertaining to subscriber-originated program transmissions.

13. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the signal receiving means includes a frequency changing device by the intermediary of which signals peitaining to subscriber-originated transmissions are translated to that frequency band employed for the transmission of programs from said central station to subscribers.

14. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 13, whereing means are provided for applying a frequency-translated subscriber-originated program transmission to one of a plurality of signal highways from which signals may be derived by subscribers of the system.

15. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the frequency translation means are arranged to apply frequency-translated subscriber-originated program transmission to one of a plurality of signal highways in dependance upon the carrier wave frequency of said subscriber-originated program transmissions.

16. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein programs transmitted from the central station to subscribers are arranged to occupy the frequency band 4 - 11 MHz, whilst subscriber-originated program transmissions are arranged to occupy a frequency band above 11 MHz.

17. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 2 wherein two or more subscribers are provided with means for originating a program transmission and means are provided for ensuring that the carrier wave employed by one of said subscribers for program transmission has a frequency which differs from that of the carrier wave employed by the other subscriber.

18. A wired boradcasting system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the carrier waves employed by said two subscribers differ by approximatly one third of the line scanning frequency of the television being employed.

19. A wired broadcastinG system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the subscriber -originated program transmission is made in accordance with a transmission standard different from that of the programs transmitted from the central station to subscribers and at least one subscriber is provided with means for receiving said different standard transmission.

20. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein means are provided for making available a monitoring station displaying at least one subscriber-originated program transmission of pictures of the subscriber'"'"''"'"'s premises or part thereof.

21. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the carrier wave employed for a transmission of pictures of a subscriber'"'"''"'"'s premises has a frequency whichlies in a band different from that employed for other types of subscriber originated transmissions.

22. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 21, wherein programs transmitted from the central station to subscriber'"'"''"'"'s are arranged to occupy the frequency band 4 - 11 MHz, whilst subscriber-originated transmissions of pictures of the subscriber'"'"''"'"'s premises are arranged to occupy a frequency band below 4 MHz.

23. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 20, wherein a plurality of subscriber-originated program transmissions of pictures of the subscribers'"'"''"'"' premises are made available at the monitoring station and program selection means are provided whereby a lesser number of receivers may be conditioned to display a desired selection of said transmissions.

24. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 23, wherein each subscriber-originated transmission of pictures of the subscribers'"'"''"'"' premises is applied to a signal sampling device effective to provide an indication upon a change occurring in the picture signals.

25. A wired broadcasting system as claimed in claim 23, wherein control means are provided at the monitoring station and connected over conductors of the wired broadcasting system to responsive means at the subscribers premises whereby apparatus at said subscriber'"'"''"'"'s premises may be subjected to telecontrol from said monitoring station.