Cable Diagnostic and Monitoring System

• US 20110099570A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aran London Sadja, Eric James Holcomb, Leo M. Pedlow Jr
• Original Assignee: Aran London Sadja, Eric James Holcomb, Leo M. Pedlow Jr
• Inventors: Holcomb, Eric James, Pedlow, Leo M. JR., Sadja, Aran London
• Granted Patent: US 8,413,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/901 Digital rights management

Abstract

A cable television method for a cable television network involves sending a polling message to a modem forming a part of a television set top box from a cable television headend via a cable television cable connection to the set top box; wherein the polling message instructs the cable television set top box to report a currently tuned channel of the television set top box; receiving a response message from the cable television set top box transmitted by the modem and containing the currently tuned channel of the television set top box; and compiling the currently tuned channel information from a plurality of set top boxes received in response messages to determine actual program viewing statistics for a television time slot during which the polling responses were sent. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A cable television method for a cable television network, comprising:

sending a polling message to a modem forming a part of a television set top box from a cable television headend via a cable television cable connection to the set top box;

wherein the polling message instructs the cable television set top box to report a currently tuned channel of the television set top box;

receiving a response message from the cable television set top box transmitted by the modem and containing the currently tuned channel of the television set top box; and

compiling the currently tuned channel information from a plurality of set top boxes received in response messages to determine actual program viewing statistics for a television time slot during which the polling responses were sent.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a report of program viewing statistics.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising sending the report to a rating service.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a report to a rating service.

5. The method according to claim 1, where the polling interval represents a time slot in television programming

6. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 1.

7. A cable television method for a cable television network, comprising:

sending a polling message to a modem forming a part of a television set top box from a cable television headend via a cable television cable connection to the set top box;

wherein the polling message instructs the cable television set top box to report a currently tuned channel of the television set top box;

receiving a response message from the cable television set top box transmitted by the modem and containing the currently tuned channel of the television set top box;

compiling the currently tuned channel information from a plurality of set top boxes received in response messages to determine actual program viewing statistics for a television time slot during which the polling responses were sent;

generating a report of program viewing statistics; and

sending the report to a rating service.

8. The method according to claim 7, where the polling interval represents a time slot in television programming.

9. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a cable television method for a cable television network, comprising:

sending a polling message to a modem forming a part of a television set top box from a cable television headend via a cable television cable connection to the set top box;

wherein the polling message instructs the cable television set top box to report a currently tuned channel of the television set top box;

receiving a response message from the cable television set top box transmitted by the modem and containing the currently tuned channel of the television set top box;

compiling the currently tuned channel information from a plurality of set top boxes received in response messages to determine actual program viewing statistics for a television time slot during which the polling responses were sent;

generating a report of program viewing statistics; and

sending the report to a rating service.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, where the polling interval represents a time slot in television programming.