Upstream transmission using multiple transmission tags and downstream acknowledgements in conditional access packets
First Claim
1. In a two-way communications network, a method of acknowledging an upstream data message transmitted from a subscriber terminal to a central facility comprising the steps of:
- multiplexing a plurality of product and conditional access data packets to form a transport bitstream, said conditional access packets comprising a plurality of conditional access data bits and one or more upstream data message acknowledgment status bits;
transmitting said transport bitstream in a downstream direction from said central facility to said terminal; and
controlling a conditional access module and an upstream data transmission module in said terminal in response to said conditional access data bits and said upstream data message acknowledgment status bits respectively of said transmitted conditional access packets.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Upstream transmissions in a two-way communications network are effected from subscriber terminals in upstream packets having one of a plurality of different separately acknowledgeable acknowledgment tags. Downstream acknowledgments of upstream messages are contained in CA packets multiplexed with product packets to form a transport bitstream. The transport bitstream is applied to a digital conditional access module (DCAM) in the terminal which is controlled by the conditional access data bits of the CA packets. The DCAM includes a status register for storing the acknowledgment bits of the CA packets, which bits are coupled by a microprocessor for controlling the upstream transmitter.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a two-way communications network, a method of acknowledging an upstream data message transmitted from a subscriber terminal to a central facility comprising the steps of:
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multiplexing a plurality of product and conditional access data packets to form a transport bitstream, said conditional access packets comprising a plurality of conditional access data bits and one or more upstream data message acknowledgment status bits; transmitting said transport bitstream in a downstream direction from said central facility to said terminal; and controlling a conditional access module and an upstream data transmission module in said terminal in response to said conditional access data bits and said upstream data message acknowledgment status bits respectively of said transmitted conditional access packets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a two-way communications network, a method of sending an upstream data message from a subscriber terminal to a central facility comprising the steps of:
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defining a plurality of acknowledgment tags each having a different assigned value; composing said data message including an acknowledgment tag having a value selected from said plurality of assigned values, transmitting said data message in an upstream direction from said terminal to said central facility; multiplexing a plurality of product and conditional access data packets to form a transport bitstream, said conditional access packets comprising a plurality of conditional access data bits and one or more acknowledgment status bits representing the successful receipt at said central facility of said data message including the acknowledgment tag having said selected value; and transmitting said transport bitstream in a downstream direction from said central facility to said terminal and controlling a conditional access module and an upstream data transmission module in said terminal in response to said conditional access data bits and said acknowledgment status bits respectively of said transmitted conditional access packets. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A subscription decoder comprising:
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means for composing an upstream data message; means for transmitting said upstream data message to a central facility; a conditional access module; and means for receiving a stream of multiplexed downstream conditional access and product packets, said conditional access packets including a plurality of conditional access bits for controlling access of said conditional access module to said received product packets and at least one communication status bit representing acknowledgment by said central facility of successful receipt of said upstream data message. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification