Recorded program communication system

• US 4,590,516 A
• Filed: 06/01/1982
• Issued: 05/20/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: World Video Library Incorporated
• Original Assignee: World Video Library Incorporated
• Inventors: Abraham, Nicholas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US06/383,604
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 358/85, 358/86, 358/84, 358/142, 358/114, 358/141, 455/5
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Telephone selection signals are conducted through a separate signal path to a program selector at a remote program storing station from which program readout signals are conducted, after the telephone link is broken, to a signal carrier transmitter. A message signal is inserted during a timed message period, after which program transmission begins and is registered by a billing computer.

Claims

1. In a communication system having a plurality of subscriber stations each of which has a carrier signal broadcast receiver and a conventional telephone instrument associated with a telephone communication network, and a remote subscriber service station coupled to said telephone network by a switching mechanism through which signal readout of a program storing library is controlled in response to telephone dialed selection signals from the subscriber station for transmission of selected program signals through a signal carrier distribution network to the receivers at the subscriber stations, the improvement comprising signal traffic controller means operatively connecting the switching mechanism and the distribution network to the program storing library for automatically establishing separate signal paths for the telephone dialed signals and the selected program signals, signal content identifying means for generating an identifying signal of predetermined duration, means for inserting the identifying signal through the same established signal path corresponding to the selected program signals prior to transmission thereof, and means for registering transmission of the selected program signals in response to completion of the identifying signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said broadcast receivers is a conventional television set.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said signal carrier distribution network is of the cable transmission type.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said signal carrier distribution network includes a satellite relay system.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said program storing library includes a plurality of VHF record players.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said selected program signals include code and combined audio and video carrier modulating data.

7. The system of claim 6 including code responsive means connected to each of said broadcast receivers for conditioning the receivers to receive the selected program signals.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the transmission registering means includes a billing computer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said program storing library includes a plurality of VHF record players.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said selected program signals include code and combined audio and video carrier modulating data.

11. The system of claim 10 including code responsive means connected to each of said broadcast receivers for conditioning the receivers to receive the selected program signals.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmission registering means includes a billing computer.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the program storing library, the signal traffic controller means, the signal content identifying means, and the signal switching means are located at the remote subscriber service station.

14. In a communication system having a plurality of carrier signal receivers to which selected program information is transmitted by carrier modulating signals from a remote record storing library in response to coded pulse signals, the improvement comprising signal traffic controller means for alternately establishing signal paths along which the coded pulse signals to the record storing library and the carrier modulating signals therefrom are respectively fed, signal content identifying means for generating an identifying signal of predetermined duration, means for automatically applying the identifying signal to one of the established signal paths during intervals between the carrier modulating signals, and means for registering the selected program information transmitted only in response to prior completion of the identifying signal corresponding thereto.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the transmission registering means includes a billing computer.

16. The system as defined in claim 15 including signal operated means responsive to reset signals transmitted through the other of the established signal paths prior to completion of the identifying signal for preventing the registration of the selected program information.

17. A method of registering reception of selected program information at subscriber stations of a subscription television system having a head end library at which a plurality of signal sources modulate a carrier signal to transmit the selected program information to the subscriber stations in response to selection command signals carried by a conventional telephone network linking the head end library to the subscriber stations, including the steps of:

establishing separate signal paths for carrier modulating signals and the selection command signals, respectively, between each of the subscriber stations and the library;

transmitting the selection command signals and the carrier modulating signals along the respective signal paths thereof in time spaced relation to each other;

applying a program identifying signal to the carrier modulating signal path during intervals between the selection command and carrier modulating signals preceding the selected program information;

registering the carrier modulating signals transmitted along the signal path thereof upon elapse of the intervals immediately preceding each of the carrier modulating signals; and

preventing said registration of the carrier modulating signals in response to reset signals transmitted along said command signal path during the preceding intervals.

18. A subscriber type television system having a central television program library and processing facility, a plurality of subscriber terminals, a cable distribution subsystem linking the facility with the subscriber terminals, and means for enabling selection of video programs available at the facility servient to the plurality of said terminals, including means for conversion of signals communicated in upstream and downstream signal paths between the subscriber terminals and the facility, the improvement comprising program control means at the facility having first means for enabling any of said terminals during a predetermined period of time, prior to said communication by the converted signals in one of the signal paths, second means for transmitting the selected program on a pay basis after termination of said predetermined period of time, and third means responsive to a reset signal in the other of the paths during said predetermined period for inhibiting transmission of the selected program.

19. Apparatus for remotely viewing selected television program material at remote receiving locations comprising, television transmitting means at a central location for providing a plurality of television signals on a plurality of channels, means at said central location for transmitting said television signals over a common transmission path to said remote receiving locations, a plurality of sources of selectable television program video signals, computer means coupled to said sources said television transmitting means responsive to a selecting signal from a remote receiving location designating a selected television program for providing selecting control signals enabling a corresponding one of said program sources to provide the corresponding television video signal and for providing switching control signals for coupling the latter video signal for broadcast by said television transmitting means on a designated one of said channels, video switching means responsive to said switching control signals for coupling the television program video signals from the enabled sources to said television transmitting means for broadcast on designated ones of said channels, said computer means also providing a data signal to said television transmitting means on the designated one of said channels, representative of the selected television program to be transmitted, during a timed interval preceding the transmission of the selected television program, telephone means for transmitting said selecting signal from a remote receiving location to the computer means to designate the selected television program and viewer operated means at the receiving location connected to the telephone means for generating the selected signal transmitted to the computer means before said timed interval.