Pay television system, method and apparatus
First Claim
1. In a pay TV system including transmitter means arranged at a transmitting station for broadcasting encoded video and audio signals of at least one given program, and receiver means arranged at a receiving station for receiving and decoding said video and audio signals, the improvement which comprises:
- (a) transmitter recording means arranged at the transmitting station (8) for prerecording on a subscriber card (10) program data (14) corresponding to a given program to be transmitted, said program data and additional decoding data being arranged in groups in a numbered column, whereby it may be visually identified by a subscriber as belonging to a specific program;
(b) said transmitter means including encoder means (12) for inverting first groups of selected picture lines of the program, the remaining second groups of picture lines being transmitted in their normal uninverted condition, said transmitter means also being operable to transmit, during intervals following the vertical sync pulses, a digital code signal including a group select signal for selecting from the card data of the column, a group of data required to decode respective signals, following encoded video signals;
(c) said receiver means including(1) detector means (48) for detecting the encoded video signals;
(2) means including video polarity switch means (54) for transmitting the video signals to a television receiver;
(3) card reader means (36) for producing from the subscriber card, when transported to the receiving station, a program line code data signal; and
(4) decoder means (40) responsive both to the digital program code that is transmitted with the video signals and the program line code instruction signal obtained from the subscriber card for operating said video polarity switch means to reinvert those groups of program lines that were initially inverted by said encoder means.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved pay TV method and apparatus is disclosed, characterized in that the program to be broadcast is encoded to effect electrical inversion of selected groups of lines of the program, thereby to scramble and disguise the video and audio signals. Simultaneously with the encoding of the program, a card is marked with programming, subscriber and area/month identifying information, which card is transmitted to the subscriber. During the actual broadcasting of the program, the subscriber inserts his card into a punch/reader in the subscriber box unit that is connected with his television receiver. When the subscriber selects a program for paid viewing, his subscriber card is punched, and decoder means operable by information contained on the subscriber'"'"'s card serve to electrically reinvert those lines which were initially inverted by the encoder means, whereby the program is unscrambled for unimpaired viewing, and the sound is made audible. The subscriber'"'"'s card is subsequently processed by the broadcaster for the preparation of a bill that is sent to the subscriber.
179 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. In a pay TV system including transmitter means arranged at a transmitting station for broadcasting encoded video and audio signals of at least one given program, and receiver means arranged at a receiving station for receiving and decoding said video and audio signals, the improvement which comprises:
-
(a) transmitter recording means arranged at the transmitting station (8) for prerecording on a subscriber card (10) program data (14) corresponding to a given program to be transmitted, said program data and additional decoding data being arranged in groups in a numbered column, whereby it may be visually identified by a subscriber as belonging to a specific program; (b) said transmitter means including encoder means (12) for inverting first groups of selected picture lines of the program, the remaining second groups of picture lines being transmitted in their normal uninverted condition, said transmitter means also being operable to transmit, during intervals following the vertical sync pulses, a digital code signal including a group select signal for selecting from the card data of the column, a group of data required to decode respective signals, following encoded video signals; (c) said receiver means including (1) detector means (48) for detecting the encoded video signals; (2) means including video polarity switch means (54) for transmitting the video signals to a television receiver; (3) card reader means (36) for producing from the subscriber card, when transported to the receiving station, a program line code data signal; and (4) decoder means (40) responsive both to the digital program code that is transmitted with the video signals and the program line code instruction signal obtained from the subscriber card for operating said video polarity switch means to reinvert those groups of program lines that were initially inverted by said encoder means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. The method of transmitting and receiving the encoded signals of at least one pay TV program, which comprises the steps of
(a) prerecording on a subscriber card at a transmitting station a plurality of program data, said program data and additional decoding data being arranged in groups in a numbered column whereby it may be visually identified by a subscriber as belonging to a specified program; -
(b) transmitting to a subscriber at a receiving station for each program; (1) first groups of program picture lines the signals of which have been electrically inverted, (2) second groups of program picture lines the signals of which have not been electrically inverted, and (3) digital decoding signals including a group select signal for selecting from the card data of the column, a group of data required to decode respective signals, following encoded video signals; (c) receiving the transmitted signals and supplying the same to a television receiver at the receiving station via video polarity reversing means; (d) recording on the subscriber card, when transported to the receiving station, data corresponding to a selected one of said programs; and (e) operating the video polarity reversing means, in accordance with both the corresponding program identifying code on the subscriber card and the decoding signals transmitted with the selected program, to reinvert only those signals of the first groups of picture lines, thereby to supply unimpaired video signals to the television receiver. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification