CHANNEL MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 3,733,430 A
• Filed: 12/28/1970
• Issued: 05/15/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John R. Thompson, Robert L. Schoenbeck
• Original Assignee: John R. Thompson, Robert L. Schoenbeck
• Inventors: Thompson, John R., Schoenbeck, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borchelt, Benjamin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buczinski, S. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/101,818
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 178/5.1,DIG.13 325/31 343/6.5LC 179/2AS
• US Class Current: 725/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/002 only replying the state of the sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/70 characterised in that receivers can be addressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/97 using uplink of the CATV systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/14 for the transfer of light or images, e.g. for video-surveillance, for television or from a computer screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/41 characterized by the control of the jamming activation or deactivation time control of jamming activation and deactivation time only for the purpose of alternating between jamming mode and target monitoring mode H04K3/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/17372 the upstream transmission being initiated or timed by a signal from upstream of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A novel remote monitoring system, described in the context of a cable antenna television system, which includes a control monitoring station for interrogating and monitoring various devices in a subscriber'"'"''"'"'s remote site. The interrogation signals are transmitted by means of high frequency FM transmission via a trunk cable to a multitude of remote sites. Each remote site is addressed by a unique code and each remote site stores information indicative of the status of its respective monitored devices. Upon request from the control monitor station, such information is transmitted to the control monitor station by means of low frequency FM transmission via the aforementioned trunk cable. For tv channel identification, as for pay tv billing, each individual channel is marked with an identification signal which may be stored in the respective subscriber'"'"''"'"'s remote unit until the control monitor station requests such information by interrogating the remote unit. The stored information is transmitted to the control monitor station and transferred to storage means, such as a computer, for billing or for other purposes.

Claims

1. In a communication system having a plurality of channels by which information is transmitted from a central station to a plurality of remote stations, each of which remote stations includes equipment having the capability of selecting at least one of said channels for receiving the information on the selected channel, the combination comprising:

means at the central station for marking each of the channels in succession;

means at the remote station for noting the interval at which a selected channel is marked as channel identification data; and

means for returning data from the remote station means to the central station.

2. The combination of claim 1 further including means for interrogating a selected remote station to initiate the return of data therefrom.

3. The combination of claim 2 further including storage means at the remote station for storing data including the channel identification data until the remote station is interrogated by the central station.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein each of the remote stations is uniquely identified and further including means at the central station for selectively interrogating the remote station. 5. The combination of claim 3 further including means at the remote station for identifying each of the separate channels selected at a single remote location by a plurality of receivers at the remote station and for returning said identification to the central station on demand.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the data returning means provides channel identification data to the central station on demand in the same format as the marking of the selected channel is received from the central station.

7. The combination of claim 1 further including means for controlling equipment at the remote station in response to signals from the central station.

8. The combination of claim 7 further including means for detecting a fault at a remote station and for signalling the equipment at said remote station to disconnect said station in response to said fault detection.

9. The combination of claim 7 further including means at said remote station for jamming selected ones of said channels to prevent reception of information thereon by said remote station.

10. The combination of claim 9 further including means at the central station for controlling said jamming means.

11. The combination of claim 10 further including means at the central station for controlling a selected remote station receiver to selectively degrade the quality of the information provided by said receiver without jamming the selected channel.

12. The combination of claim 3 further including means at the remote station for developing data signals indicative of selected conditions at the remote station and for presenting said data signals to the storage means for transmission to the central station upon interrogation thereof.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises means for developing data corresponding to the condition of utility meters at the remote location.

14. The combination of claim 12 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a device operable by an individual at the remote location for communicating to the central location opinions expressed in response to information received from the central station over a selected channel.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein the communication system comprises a cable antenna television system, further including means for recording opinions of viewers relating to channel information.

16. The combination of claim 15 further including means at the central station for processing data returned from the remote stations.

17. A subscriber monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of monitored devices;

control monitor station means for supplying a plurality of first coded signals for recognition purposes and for initiating the storing of information indicative of the respective status of said monitored devices, and for further supplying a plurality of second coded signals for initiating the transmission of said stored information to said control monitor station means, and means for receiving said stored information;

a plurality of remote receiving means for respectively receiving and responding to at least one of said first coded signals and for storing said information, and for respectively responding to at least one of said second coded signals and transmitting said stored information to said control monitor station means, each said remote receiving means being connected to at least one of said plurality of monitored devices; and

coupling means for intercoupling said control monitor station means to said plurality of remote receiving means.

18. A subscriber monitoring system as recited in claim 17 wherein:

said control monitor station means includes a high frequency FM transmitter for transmitting said first and second coded signals, and said means for receiving said stored information is a low frequency FM receiver;

said plurality of remote receiving means each includes a high frequency FM receiver for respectively receiving said first and seconD coded signals, and a low frequency FM transmitter for transmitting said stored information to said control monitor station means; and

said coupling means is a coaxial cable trunk line having at least one coaxial cable branch line connected to each remote receiving means.

19. A subscriber monitoring system as recited in claim 18 wherein:

said monitored devices are television sets;

said control monitor station means includes television signal transmission means for providing television programming to said television sets, means for sequentially marking each television channel, and storage means for recording information indicative of the status of said television sets for billing purposes.

20. A subscriber monitoring system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said first and second coded signals are digital signals and are sequentially transmitted to said plurality of remote receiving means, and each said remote receiving means includes digital means for providing a unique digital output which is compared with said first and second coded signals for recognition and response purposes.

21. A subscriber monitoring system in accordance with claim 20 further including means responsive to the return of data from one remote receiving means for initiating the transmission of said coded signals to the next remote receiving means in sequence.

22. A subscriber monitoring system in accordance with claim 21 including means initiating said transmission to the next remote receiving means in sequence in the event of failure of return of data from a preceding remote receiving means after repeated interrogation thereof.

23. A method of identifying channels selected by respective remote stations of a cable antenna television system for recording at a central station for subscriber monitoring purposes comprising the steps of:

initiating the marking mode;

marking each of the channels in succession;

timing the interval of the marking signal on a selected channel for channel identification;

storing the channel identification data; and

transmitting the identification data to the central station on demand therefrom.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of initiating the marking mode comprises interrupting transmission on all of the channels simultaneously for synchronization.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of marking each of the channels in succession comprises sequentially interrupting transmission on each of the channels in turn.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of transmitting identification data to the central station comprises providing a signal in a relative time interval which corresponds to the time interval in which the marking signal on the selected channel was located.

27. In a system which includes local receiver means, and local transmitter means for transmitting to many remote receiver means a plurality of television programs, each program on a different channel, a system for ascertaining which remote receiver means is tuned to which channel comprising, in combination:

means at said local transmitter means for marking, at different times, the transmissions over the different channels;

means at each remote receiver means for producing and storing an indication of the time at which the channel to which it is tuned is marked;

means at said local transmitter means for individually interrogating said remote receiver means; and

means at each remote receiver means responsive to the interrogation of that receiver means for transmitting to said local receiver means the indication stored at said remote receiver means.

28. In a system as set forth in claim 27, said means at each remote receiver means for producing and storing an indication comprising means for measuring the time interval between a reference time and the time at which the channel to which it is tuned is marked.

29. In a system as set forth in claim 28, further including means at said local transmitteR means for concurrently transmitting to all of said remote receiver means a signal for indicating said reference time.

30. In a system as set forth in claim 29, said means for transmitting a signal for indicating said reference time comprising means for simultaneously interrupting for a short interval of time the transmission on all channels.

31. In a system as set forth in claim 29, said means for transmitting a signal for indicating said reference time comprising means for transmitting said signal at a frequency different than that of any of said channels.

32. In a system as set forth in claim 27, said means at said local transmitter for marking at different times the transmissions over the different channels comprising means for interrupting said transmissions for relatively short, mutually exclusive time intervals.

33. In a system as set forth in claim 27, said means at said local transmitter means for marking at different times, the transmissions over the different channels comprising means for modulating a subcarrier onto the transmission in channel, during discrete, mutually exclusive time intervals.

34. In a system as set forth in claim 27, said means at said local transmitter means for individually interrogating said remote receiver means comprising means for sequentially addressing the respective receiver means during mutually exclusive time intervals.

35. In a system as set forth in claim 27, said means at each remote receiver means for producing and storing an indication including means for producing and storing a binary number indicative of the time at which the channel to which it is tuned is marked.

36. In a system as set forth in claim 35, said means for producing and storing a binary number comprising means for producing and storing a binary number comprising means for producing a number having 1 bit of one value and all remaining bits of the other value, the position of said bit of one value indicating the time at which the channel to which said receiver means is tuned was marked.

37. In a two-way cable television system, in combination:

local transmitter means for, during one period of time, marking, in succession, its transmissions over the different television channels;

a plurality of remote receiver means, each including means for sensing the time at which its channel is marked and for storing an indication of that time; and

means in said local transmitter means for, during a succeeding period of time, addressing each of said remote receiver means in succession for obtaining a reading of the indication stored at each remote receiver means.

38. In a two-way system as set forth in claim 37, further including at said local transmitter means, means responsive to the failure to obtain from a local receiver means a reading of the indication stored thereat after a given interval of time for repeating the address of that means a given number of times and, if said reading is still not obtained, for changing said address to that for another remote receiver means.