Secured scramble decoder filter

• US 4,097,894 A
• Filed: 11/01/1976
• Issued: 06/27/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tanner Electronic Systems Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tanner Electronic Systems Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Tanner, James L., Sanchez, George, Rist, Bruno A., Becht, Balazs
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, S. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/737,755
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 358/114, 358/118, 325/477, 361/399, 361/422, 200/61.08, 339/37, 340/280
• US Class Current: 380/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/161 Constructional details of the subscriber equipment H04N7/164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible

Abstract

A secured scramble decoder filter comprised of a narrow band filter assembled on a fragile substrate and mounted in a housing wich automatically destroys the filter when any tampering is attempted. The filter is a series tuned network bridging a conductor coupled through a capacitor to a parallel tuned network, which is connected to ground. The coils for the filter are printed on a special electronic glass tube for temperature stability while the capacitors are deposited on the fragile substrate. The filter is mounted in a sealed housing in brackets with a spring, loaded to break the substrate when the device is tampered with to render it inoperative. The device is provided with a mounting screw requiring a special tool for removal so that when the device is mounted any prying in an attempt to remove the device will trigger the destruction of the filter.

Claims

1. A circuit device for removing an interfering signal purposely injected between the video carrier and audio carrier of a television transmission signal, said interfering signal having a frequency substantially in the range of one-fourth to three-fourths of the frequency interval between the video carrier and the audio carrier comprising:

a housing;

a narrow band notch filter mounted in said housing;

means for tuning said filter to the optimum frequency for eliminating the interfering signal, the latter having a frequency substantially in the range of one-fourth to three-fourths of the frequency interval between the video carrier and the audio carrier; and

means for mounting said housing, said mounting means including means for securing said filter against unauthorized removal from said mounting.

2. The circuit device according to claim 1 wherein said filter comprises:

a series resonant inductance and capacitance circuit; and

a parallel resonant inductance and capacitance circuit.

3. The circuit device according to claim 2 wherein said means for tuning the filter comprises:

a tunable capacitor in said series and said parallel resonant circuits.

4. The circuit device according to claim 1 further including breakable mounting means in said housing, said narrow band notch filter being mounted upon said breakable mounting means and wherein said means for securing said filter comprise:

means for breaking said breakable mounting means when said device is tampered with.

5. The circuit device according to claim 2

wherein said narrow band notch filter is mounted on a substrate and further including a temperature stable glass member mounted upon said substrate, said inductances of said series and parallel resonant circuits being mounted upon said stable glass member.

6. The circuit device according to claim 2 wherein said means for tuning said filter comprises:

means for tuning said series and parallel inductances.

7. The circuit device according to claim 3 wherein said means for tuning said filter further includes;

depositing at least one capacitor for the series and parallel resonant circuits on a temperature stable substrate;

depositing the filter conductors on said substrate;

said deposited capacitors including means for coarse tuning said filter.

8. A circuit device for removing an interfering signal purposely injected between the video and audio of a television transmission comprising:

a housing;

a frangible substrate mounted in said housing;

a narrow band notch filter mounted in said housing upon said frangible substrate;

tuning means for tuning said filter to the optimum frequency for eliminating the interfering signal;

mounting means for mounting said housing containing said filter;

said mounting means including breaking means for breaking said frangible substrate when said device is tampered with, the breaking means comprising a spring, means for cocking said spring, and means for triggering said spring whereby said spring breaks said frangible substrate rendering said filter inoperative.

9. The circuit device according to claim 8 wherein said spring for breaking said breakable mounting means comprises:

a coil spring having one end resting on a shelf in said housing;

the other end of said spring extending into a cavity adjacent to the head of a special mounting screw;

whereby said mounting screw head will trigger said spring if an attempt is made to forcibly remove said housing from its mounting.

10. The circuit according to claim 9 including;

spacer means beneath said screw head for preventing triggering of said spring during mounting;

said spacer means having crushable legs for triggering said spring by said screw head when a predetermined force is applied to said housing.

11. The circuit device according to claim 8 wherein;

said triggering means comprises a second cocking spring beneath the first spring;

said cocking spring being biased by the head of a screw for mounting said housing;

said cocking spring triggering said first spring whenever the housing is removed from its mounting whereby said filter device will be rendered inoperative if removed from its mounting by any means.

12. A circuit device for removing an interfering signal purposely injected between the video and the audio of a television transmission comprising:

a housing;

a narrow band notch filter mounted in said housing, said filter comprising a series resonant inductance and capacitance circuit and a parallel resonant inductance and capacitance circuit, conductors for said filter being deposited upon a substrate;

tuning means for tuning said filter to the optimum frequency for eliminating the interfering signal, said tuning means comprising tunable capacitor means in said series and said parallel resonant circuits, said tunable capacitor means comprising at least one capacitor for the series and parallel resonant circuits, said at least one capacitor being deposited upon a temperature stable member attached to said substrate, said at least one capacitor comprising a plurality of strips deposited upon said substrate and being coarse tunable by removal of all or a portion of said strips.