Reprogrammable subscriber terminal

• US 8,120,924 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacon, Kinney C., Haman, R. Thomas, Lett, David B., Banker, Robert O., Harney, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Semenenko, Yuriy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aychillhum, Andargie M
• Application Number:
  US11/758,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20070234434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 361/728, 361/719, 361/730, 361/752, 174/50, 174/520, 174/50.5
• US Class Current: 361/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4435 Memory management allocation of memory to service a request G06F9/5016; addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/03 Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/06 Systems for the simultaneous transmission of one television signal, i.e. both picture and sound, by more than one carrier H04N7/084, H04N7/087 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• 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 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A reprogrammable subscriber terminal of a subscription television service which can have the control program code of its control processor modified by downloading new program code from the headend. The control processor stores a boot program in an internal read only memory. Upon start up and resets, the boot program determines whether the control program should be changed from a command sent from the headend. The command, termed a parameters transactions, includes the number of expected download program code transactions required to complete the control code modification, the memory space areas where the code is to be loaded, and the channel over which the download program code transactions are to be transmitted. The channel is tuned and when the boot program receives all the download program code transactions accurately and stores them, the boot program will cause the control program to be restarted at a selected address of the new or modified control program code which has been downloaded. The boot program may download code to different configurations of subscriber terminals including those with Flash EPROM or extended memories from plug-in expansion modules.

Claims

1. A removable card for television services comprising:

a printed circuit board having edge connection terminals along a first edge thereof, the printed circuit board supporting a secure microprocessor for conditional access coupled to the edge connection terminals; and

a casing comprising;

a housing portion comprising upper sloped portions sloping to a peaked point, and fitted around and supporting the printed circuit board,

a grip portion, and

a trough between the housing portion and the grip portion, the trough being shaped to divert liquids away from the printed circuit board.

2. The removable card of claim 1, wherein the grip portion being oriented on an opposite side from the first edge of the printed circuit board.

3. The removable card of claim 2, wherein the grip portion has a height that is greater than the height of the housing portion, the grip portion including a first wall segment facing a first direction corresponding to a direction of insertion of the removable card into a slot of a subscriber television terminal.

4. The removable card of claim 3, wherein the first wall segment abuts a shoulder portion of the television subscriber terminal when the removable card is substantially fully inserted in the slot of the television subscriber terminal.

5. The removable card of claim 4, wherein the grip portion comprises a second wall portion facing a second direction opposite of the first direction, the second wall portion being substantially flush with a surface of the television subscriber terminal when the removable card is substantially fully inserted.

6. The removable card of claim 1, further comprising a door that is pivotable with respect to the casing, the door configured to pivot to an open position when the removable card is inserted into a slot of a television subscriber terminal, the door further configured to pivot to a closed position when the removable card is removed from the slot of the television subscriber terminal, wherein the edge connection terminals contact a connector of the television subscriber terminal when the removable card is fully inserted in the slot of the television subscriber terminal.

7. The removable card of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board also supports a memory component that includes flash memory or dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

8. A subscriber terminal of a television subscription system, the subscriber terminal comprising:

a casing comprising;

a housing portion comprising upper sloped portions sloping to a peaked point having a slot adapted for receiving a memory module,

a grip portion, and

a trough between the housing portion and the grip portion, the trough being shaped to divert liquids away from a printed circuit board;

a connector mounted within the casing for releasable connection with the printed circuit card of the memory module;

guides that align the memory module with respect to the connector when the memory module is inserted in the slot; and

at least one tang positioned to pivot a protective door of the memory module when the memory module is inserted in the slot.

9. The subscriber terminal of claim 8, wherein the slot is defined by a shoulder portion of the casing, the shoulder portion configured to abut a grip portion of the memory module when the memory module is fully inserted in the slot.

10. The subscriber terminal of claim 8, further comprising internal memory that is supplemented by a memory component of the memory module when the memory module is inserted in the slot.

11. The subscriber terminal of claim 10, further comprising a memory bus connected to the connector for coupling the internal memory with the memory component of the memory module.

12. The subscriber terminal of claim 8, further comprising a secure processor that is supplemented by an extended security component of the memory module when the memory module is inserted in the slot.

13. The subscriber terminal of claim 8, further comprising means for detecting when the printed circuit card of the memory module is connected to the connector.

14. The subscriber terminal of claim 13, further comprising means for downloading parameters to configure internal memory and a memory component of the memory module when the detecting means detects a connection between the printed circuit card and the connector.

15. The subscriber terminal of claim 13, further comprising means for downloading parameters to configure internal memory when the detecting means does not detect a connection between the printed circuit card and the connector.