Pay television system utilizing binary coding
First Claim
1. Subscription television system comprising, in combination, at the transmitting end:
- means for encoding the television signals together constituting a given program in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of encoder modes;
means for inserting a program identification number signifying said program into said television signal at predetermined time instants thereof; and
transmitting means for transmitting the so-encoded television signals with the so-inserted program identification number to all subscribers;
for each of said subscribers;
receiving means for receiving the so-transmitted television signal;
detecting means for detecting said program identification number and furnishing corresponding detected program identification signals;
accept signal furnishing means for furnishing an accept signal indicative of acceptance of said program by said subscriber upon activation by said subscriber;
main storage means having a plurality of billing storage locations for storing program identification numbers for subsequent billing; and
recording means connected to said detecting means and said accept signal furnishing means, for recording said detected program identification signals in said billing storage locations only upon receipt of said accept signal, whereby only program identification numbers signifying programs accepted by said subscriber are stored in said billing storage locations of said main storage means.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
At the sending end randomly generated binary code number signals are inserted into predetermined lines of the vertical retrace interval. The code number signals are also processed in accordance with a program assignment code to change or leave unchanged a predetermined characteristic of the television signal. Periodically, program identification signals, each signifying a program identification number, are inserted into the television signal instead of the binary code number signals. At the receiving end, the program identification signals are utilized to address a random access memory which furnishes program assignment signals. The program assignment signals control logic circuits to process the code number signals in accordance with the same program assignment code utilized at the transmitter. The output of these logic circuits is then utilized to decode the received encoded signal. Further, means are furnished to record the program identification number in the random access memory at the receiver for billing purposes, if the subscriber indicates acceptance of the program. Both this recording and the decoding of the encoded signal are impeded if a catagory switch at the decoder furnishes a catagory selection number which does not correspond to a catagory selection number inserted into the encoded television signal at the transmitting end.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. Subscription television system comprising, in combination, at the transmitting end:
- means for encoding the television signals together constituting a given program in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of encoder modes;
means for inserting a program identification number signifying said program into said television signal at predetermined time instants thereof; and
transmitting means for transmitting the so-encoded television signals with the so-inserted program identification number to all subscribers;for each of said subscribers;
receiving means for receiving the so-transmitted television signal;
detecting means for detecting said program identification number and furnishing corresponding detected program identification signals;
accept signal furnishing means for furnishing an accept signal indicative of acceptance of said program by said subscriber upon activation by said subscriber;
main storage means having a plurality of billing storage locations for storing program identification numbers for subsequent billing; and
recording means connected to said detecting means and said accept signal furnishing means, for recording said detected program identification signals in said billing storage locations only upon receipt of said accept signal, whereby only program identification numbers signifying programs accepted by said subscriber are stored in said billing storage locations of said main storage means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- means for encoding the television signals together constituting a given program in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of encoder modes;
Specification