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Signal processing apparatus and methods

  • US 7,992,169 B1
  • Filed: 06/07/1995
  • Issued: 08/02/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1981
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of inhibiting piracy of information at a subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:

  • receiving at said subscriber station an information transmission from a remote station;

    detecting instruct-to-sample instructions including selected comparison information in the information transmission;

    processing, under control of said instruct-to-sample instructions, a datum at said subscriber station resulting in selection of a selected sample of preprogrammed operating information;

    comparing, under control of said instruct-to-sample instructions, said selected comparison information of said instruct-to-sample instructions to said selected sample of preprogrammed operating information at said subscriber station, whereby a successful match indicates that said subscriber station is properly programmed and a failed match suggests that said preprogrammed operating information at said subscriber station has been tampered with; and

    performing, under control of said instruct-to-sample instructions, at said subscriber station at least one of the steps of;

    (1) disabling functionality of some portion of said subscriber station (i) when said step of comparing results in a determination that said subscriber station has been tampered with or (ii) when an instruction is executed based on said step of comparing and said subscriber station fails to respond in a predetermined fashion or within a predetermined period of time;

    (2) communicating appearance-of-tampering information to said remote station when said step of comparing results in a determination that said subscriber station has been tampered with; and

    (3) enabling at least some of a programming presentation when said step of comparing results in a determination that said subscriber station is properly programmed.

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