Addressable subscriber cable television system

• US 4,475,123 A
• Filed: 04/02/1981
• Issued: 10/02/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TSX Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Theta-Com Division Of Texscan
• Inventors: Dumbauld, Lewis D., Tash, Gilbert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUCZINSKI, STEPHEN C
• Application Number:
  US06/250,214
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 358/114, 358/115, 358/117, 358/122, 358/84, 358/86
• US Class Current: 380/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

An addressable cable television system includes a transmission cable for transmitting a plurality of television signals driven onto the cable from a head end thereof and a plurality of multiple subscriber controllers coupled to the cable for controlling reception of television signals by a plurality of subscribers associated with each of the multiple subscriber controllers. Each of the multiple subscriber controllers includes a plurality of programmable frequency converters, each of which is coupled by a drop cable to the antenna of a television receiver within the subscriber'"'"'s home. Authorization signals are transmitted from the head end of the cable to the plurality of multiple subscriber controllers for indicating which of the plurality of television signals a particular subscriber is authorized to receive. Each subscriber is provided with channel request circuitry for transmitting a channel request over the drop cable to the associated multiple subscriber controller. Upon receiving a request from a subscriber for access to a television signal, the associated controller compares the channel requested to those channels for which the subscriber is authorized to receive. If the requested channel is authorized, the frequency converter for the particular subscriber is programmed by the controller to provide the subscriber with the requested channel. All frequency converters are located remote from the associated subscriber and receive electrical power from the associated subscriber'"'"'s home via the drop cable.

Claims

1. A cable television system for distributing a plurality of different television channel signals to a plurality of subscribers, each subscriber having access only to those television channel signals which such subscriber has been authorized to receive, said cable television system comprising in combination:

a. transmission cable means for transmitting the plurality of different television channel signals, said transmission cable means having a head end for generating the plurality of different television channel signals transmitted by said transmission cable means;

b. authorization means coupled to the head end of said transmission cable means for generating authorization signals transmitted by said transmission cable means, the authorization signals including an address portion for identifying a particular subscriber and a data portion for indicating which television channel signals the particular subscriber has been authorized to receive;

c. subscriber selection means operated by each subscriber for generating a selection request signal indicating which television channel signal the subscriber desires to receive;

d. a plurality of multiple subscriber controllers coupled to said transmission cable means, each of said controllers controlling reception of television channel signals by a particular plurality of subscribers, each of said controllers including a memory having primary and secondary tables associated with each subscriber, each of said controllers storing the data portion of authorization signals having an address portion that identifies one of the particular subscribers controlled by each controller in the primary table corresponding to the identified subscriber, each of said controllers being coupled to said subscriber selection means of each of the subscribers for which it controls reception for receiving the selection request signal therefrom, and each of said controllers comparing the selection request signals received from the plurality of subscribers for which it controls reception to the corresponding stored data portions of corresponding authorization signals stored in the primary tables for each subscriber for determining whether each respective subscriber may receive the television channel signal desired by the subscriber;

e. preauthorization means coupled to the head end of said transmission cable means for generating preauthorization signals transmitted by said transmission cable means, the preauthorization signals including an address portion for identifying a particular subscriber and a data portion for indicating whether or not the subscriber has been preauthorized to receive a premium television channel signal; and

f. master strobe means coupled to the head end of said transmission cable means for transmitting a master strobe signal over said transmission cable means immediately prior to transmission of the premium television channel signal; and

wherein each of said controllers includes means for storing the data portion of preauthorization signals having an address portion that identifies one of the particular subscribers controlled by each controller in the secondary table corresponding to the identified subscriber, and strobe detection means for detecting the master strobe signal, each of said controllers being responsive to detection of the master strobe signal for allowing each subscriber controlled by each such controller to access the premium television channel signal provided that the stored data portion of the preauthorization signal stored in the secondary table for each subscriber prior to transmission of the master strobe signal indicates that the subscriber has been preauthorized to access the premium television channel signal.

2. A cable television system as recited in claim 1 further including:

e. a plurality of controller selection means associated with each of said controllers, each of said controller selection means

1. being coupled between said transmission cable means and one of the particular plurality of subscribers for which reception is controlled by each associated controller, at a location remote from its associated subscriber; and

2. coupling one of the plurality of television channel signals to the associated subscriber as determined by said controller.

3. A cable television system for distributing a plurality of different television channel signals to a plurality of subscribers, each subscriber having access only to those television channel signals which such subscriber has been authorized to receive, said cable television system comprising in combination:

a. transmission cable means for transmitting the plurality of different television channel signals, said transmission cable means having a head end for generating the plurality of different television channel signals transmitted by said transmission cable means;

b. authorization means coupled to the head end of said transmission cable means for generating authorization signals transmitted by said transmission cable means, the authorization signals including an address portion for identifying a particular subscriber and a data portion for indicating which television channel signals the particular subscriber has been authorized to receive;

c. subscriber selection means operated by each subscriber for generating a selection request signal indicating which television channel signal the subscriber desires to receive;

d. a plurality of controllers coupled to said transmission cable means for controlling reception of television channel signals by the plurality of subscribers, each of said controllers including a memory having primary and secondary tables associated with each subscriber, each of said controllers storing the data portion of an authorization signal having an address portion that identifies a subscriber controlled by each controller in the primary table corresponding to the identified subscriber, each of said controller being coupled to said subscriber selection means of an associated subscriber for which it controls reception for receiving the selection request signal therefrom, and each of said controllers comparing the selection request signal received from the associated subscriber for which it controls reception to the stored data portion of the authorization signal stored in the primary table corresponding to the associated subscriber for determining whether the associated subscriber may receive the television channel signal desired by the associated subscriber;

e. preauthorization means coupled to the head end of said transmission cable means for generating preauthorization signals, the preauthorization signals including an address portion for identifying a particular subscriber and a data portion for indicating whether or not the subscriber has been preauthorized to receive a premium television channel signal; and

f. master strobe means coupled to the head end of said transmission cable means for transmitting a master strobe signal over said transmission cable means immediately prior to transmission of the premium television channel signal;

and wherein each of said controllers includes means for storing the data portion of a preauthorization signal having an address portion that identifies a subscriber controlled by each controller in the secondary table corresponding to the identified subscriber, and strobe detection means for detecting the master strobe signal, each of said controllers being responsive to detection of the master strobe signal for allowing a subscriber controlled by each such controller to access the premium television channel signal provided that the stored data portion of the preauthorization signal stored in the secondary table for the subscriber prior to transmission of the master strobe signal indicates that the subscriber has been preauthorized to access the premium television channel signal.

4. A cable television system as recited in claim 3 further including:

g. a plurality of controller selection means, each of said controller selection means

1. being associated with a particular one of said controllers;

2. being coupled between said transmission cable means and a subscriber associated with the particular one of said controllers with which each controller selection means is associated, at a location remote from its associated subscriber; and

3. coupling one of the plurality of television channel signals to the associated subscriber with which it is coupled as determined by said controller.