GPS data access system
First Claim
1. A signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
- a signal input to receive at least one signal from a remote source;
a signal processor operably connected to receive signals from the signal input;
a conditional accesser operably connected to the signal processor;
a signal output operably connected to the signal processor and providing a useable output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more signals from the remote source; and
a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at an authorized location; and
wherein the conditional accesser is operable to block access to at least some signals not authorized for reception at the customer location.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated receiver decoder (IRD), commonly called a set-top box, has a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The GPS receiver checks to see if the IRD is at an authorized location and allows descrambling of video signals only if the location is authorized. A central access control system, remote from the customers/viewers, has a high quality GPS receiver and sends some GPS data in the transmission medium used to send video signals to the customers. The set-top box, referred to as a customer access control, establishes different geographic restrictions on different of various video or data signals. Location-specific signals require that the set-top box be at a single fixed location for descrambling. Geographic filtering of data signals is provided. Region-specific signals are accessible only if the set-top box is in a geographic region authorized for reception, there being several such regions. Large area signals are accessible anywhere within a large area including the regions. Region-exclusion signals are accessible only if the set-top box is outside of one or more regions where reception is no allowed.
159 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one signal from a remote source; a signal processor operably connected to receive signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the signal processor and providing a useable output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more signals from the remote source; and a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at an authorized location; and
wherein the conditional accesser is operable to block access to at least some signals not authorized for reception at the customer location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one signal; a signal processor operably connected to receive signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the signal processor and providing a useable output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more signals from the remote source; and a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals indicating that the customer access control is at an authorized location; and wherein the conditional accesser authorizes access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at a single fixed location authorized for service; and
wherein the conditional accesser is operable to block access to at least some signals not authorized for reception at the customer location. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one signal; a signal processor operably connected to receive signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the signal processor and providing a useable output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more signals from the remote source; and a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals indicating that the customer access control is at an authorized location; and
wherein the conditional accesser uses criteria to test for authorization in addition to information about the location of the customer access control; andwherein the conditional accesser is operable to block access to at least some signals not authorized for reception at the customer location. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A signal access control system comprising a central access control remote from customers and having:
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a source of at least one signal; an output device for placing signals from the source onto a transmission medium for transmission to customers; a central GPS receiver operable to directly receive position information from remote GPS sources, the remote sources being remote from both the central access control and the customers, and operably connected to apply position data messages to the output device, the position data messages corresponding to the position information and the output device supplying the position information to the transmission medium for transmission to customers;
the position data messages usable at customer locations to aid in determination of customer locations. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one signal from a remote source; a signal processor operably connected to receive signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the signal processor and providing a useable output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more signals from the remote source; a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at an authorized location; and a region comparer to compare a region code received with the at least one signal from the remote source with a region index stored at the customer location and operable to output a region comparer output, the region code being representative of a geographic region authorized to receive a signal and the region index being representative of a geographic region of the customer access control, there being different region codes for different geographic regions; and wherein the conditional accesser receives the region comparer output and conditions access to a given one(s) of the signals from the remote source upon the region comparer output indicating that those given one(s) of the signals are authorized for an access region of the customer access control; and
wherein the conditional accesser is operable to block access to at least some signals not authorized for reception at the customer location. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A signal system comprising:
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a signal input to receive at least one signal; a geographic filter operably connected to receive signals from the signal input and having a geographic filter output; and a GPS signal receiver at a customer location and operable to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to supply information to the geographic filter and wherein the geographic filter selectively passes signals from the signal input to the geographic filter output depending on the GPS signal receiver receiving signals consistent with the GPS signal receiver being at an appropriate location, thus geographically filtering signals; and wherein the geographical filter is operable to block access to at least some signals not authorized for reception at the customer location. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification