Addressable televisions for hospitals and hotels

• US 5,831,663 A
• Filed: 06/26/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Garvy Mayo, John Waterhouse
• Original Assignee: Garvy Mayo, John Waterhouse
• Inventors: Waterhouse, John, Mayo, Garvy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/672,272
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 348/8, 348/10, 348/6, 348/5.5, 348/552, 348/553, 348/725, 455/3.1, 455/6.1, 455/3.2, 455/6.2
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a plurality of television sets in a cable distribution network, wherein each of the plurality of television sets contains an internal mechanism for controlling channel access to the television set, comprising a plurality of television addressable units, where each of the units controls a single television set, and each of the television addressable units has a demodulator and a microprocessor and associated memory operatively arranged to control the internal mechanism of said television set; a radio frequency transmitter operatively arranged to transmit a modulated radio frequency signal across the cable distribution network; and, a central processing unit operatively arranged to communicate with the plurality of television addressable units by generating control codes which are carried throughout the cable distribution network by the modulated radio frequency signal, wherein the control codes contain addressability information which enables the television addressable units to control the internal mechanisms of the television sets, and wherein the demodulator is operatively arranged to demodulate the modulated radio frequency signal, wherein all communications within the apparatus travel from the central processing unit to the plurality of television addressable units in one direction only.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a plurality of television sets in a cable distribution network, wherein each of said plurality of television sets contains an internal mechanism for controlling channel access to said television set, comprising:

a plurality of television addressable units, where each of said units controls a single television set, and each of said television addressable units has a demodulator and a microprocessor and associated memory operatively arranged to control said internal mechanism of said television set;

a radio frequency transmitter operatively arranged to transmit a modulated radio frequency signal across said cable distribution network; and

,

a central processing unit operatively arranged to communicate with said plurality of television addressable units by generating control codes which are carried throughout said cable distribution network by said modulated radio frequency signal, wherein said control codes contain addressability information which enables said television addressable units to control said internal mechanisms of said television sets, and wherein said demodulator is operatively arranged to demodulate said modulated radio frequency signal, wherein all communications within said apparatus travel from said central processing unit to said plurality of television addressable units in one direction only.