EP0128555A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Prepaid pay-per-view television method and apparatus
Assignee: Tocom Inc
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Filing: 1984-06-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-06-08
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus are disclosed for utilization with pay-per-view television systems in which selected data and pay television programs are transmitted from a central station to a remote subscriber's location. Predetermined credit unit amounts are periodically transmitted by the central station subsequent to a request and appropriate payment by a subscriber. A nonvolatile data storage device is located at the subscriber's location and is utilized to store these credit units. Each pay-per-view television program transmitted by the central station includes an associated cost which may be transmitted by means of an associated debit signal indicative of the credit unit cost for viewing that program or which may be fixed for all programs. Upon selection of a particular program by the subscriber, by means of a subscriber input unit, and verification of a sufficient amount of credit units stored in the data storage device, a control device is utilized to couple the program to the subscriber's television receiver. The control device is also utilized to decrement the amount of credit units stored in the data storage device by an amount equal to the cost of the selected program. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, graphics generation circuitry is utilized to display to the subscriber the various credit unit amounts stored and utilized.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert W. Storey
- 👤 Thomas F. Martin
- 👤 Carl F. Schoeneberger
- 👤 John G. Campbell
- 👤 John Stephen Chenoweth
- 👤 Allan B. Bundens, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 01:53
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17345; H04N7/17363; H04N7/162; H04N7/163
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
In a pay television system in selected data including a pay television program is transmitted from a central station to a remote subscriber's location having visual display means, data storage means, subscriber input means and control means for selectively coupling said pay television program to said visual display means, the process comprising: storing a credit unit amount in said data storage means; transmitting a credit signal representative of a predetermined credit unit amount from said central station to said remote subscriber's location; incrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said predetermined credit unit amount; comparing a credit unit amount charged for viewing a selected pay television program with said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means; generating an enable signal in response to said comparison; decrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program in response to both said enable signal and a select signal from said subscriber input means; and causing said control means to couple said pay television program to said visual display means in response to said decrementing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
In a pay television system in selected data including a pay television program is transmitted from a central station to a remote subscriber's location having visual display means, data storage means, subscriber input means and control means for selectively coupling said pay television program to said visual display means, the process comprising: storing a credit unit amount in said data storage means; transmitting a credit signal representative of a predetermined credit unit amount from said central station to said remote subscriber's location; incrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said predetermined credit unit amount; comparing a credit unit amount charged for viewing a selected pay television program with said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means; generating an enable signal in response to said comparison; decrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program in response to both said enable signal and a select signal from said subscriber input means; and causing said control means to couple said pay television program to said visual display means in response to said decrementing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process according to Claim 1 wherein said enable signal is generated when said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means is greater than said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process according to Claim 1 wherein said control means decodes a coded television program signal in response to said decrementing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process according to Claim 1 wherein the transmitting step is performed subsequent to a purchase of said predetermined credit unit amount by a subscriber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process according to Claim 1 wherein generation of said enable signal includes the step of displaying said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means on said visual display means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of displaying said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means on said visual display means before said decrementing step.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of displaying an identification signal representative of said selected pay television program on said visual display means in response to a signal from said subscriber input means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of displaying said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program on said visual display means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of displaying said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means on said visual display means after said decrementing step.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of transmitting said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means to said central station after said decrementing step.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of transmitting an identification signal representative of said selected pay television program to said central station.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of transmitting the credit amount utilized by a subscriber during a selected reporting period to said central station.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process according to Claim 1 further including the step of transmitting said credit unit amount charged for viewing a selected pay television program with said selected pay television program.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The pay-per-view control system according to Claim 13 wherein said data storage means comprises a nonvolatile digital memory circuit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
193 words
In a pay television system in selected data including a pay television program is transmitted from a central station to a remote subscriber's location having visual display means, data storage means, subscriber input means and control means for selectively coupling said pay television program to said visual display means, the process comprising: storing a credit unit amount in said data storage means; transmitting a credit signal representative of a predetermined credit unit amount from said central station to said remote subscriber's location; incrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said predetermined credit unit amount; comparing a credit unit amount charged for viewing a selected pay television program with said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means; generating an enable signal in response to said comparison; decrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program in response to both said enable signal and a select signal from said subscriber input means; and causing said control means to couple said pay television program to said visual display means in response to said decrementing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
193 words
In a pay television system in selected data including a pay television program is transmitted from a central station to a remote subscriber's location having visual display means, data storage means, subscriber input means and control means for selectively coupling said pay television program to said visual display means, the process comprising: storing a credit unit amount in said data storage means; transmitting a credit signal representative of a predetermined credit unit amount from said central station to said remote subscriber's location; incrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said predetermined credit unit amount; comparing a credit unit amount charged for viewing a selected pay television program with said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means; generating an enable signal in response to said comparison; decrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program in response to both said enable signal and a select signal from said subscriber input means; and causing said control means to couple said pay television program to said visual display means in response to said decrementing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process according to Claim 15 wherein said enable signal is generated when said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means is greater than said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process according to Claim 15 wherein said control means decodes a coded television program signal in response to said decrementing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process according to Claim 15 wherein the transmitting of a predetermined credit unit amount is performed subsequent to a purchase of said predetermined credit unit amount by a subscriber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process according to Claim 15 wherein generation of said enable signal includes the step of displaying said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means on said visual display means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process according to Claim 15 further including the step of displaying said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means on said visual display means before said decrementing step.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process according to Claim 15 further including the step of displaying an identification signal representative of said selected pay television program on said visual display means in response to a signal from said subscriber input means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process according to Claim 15 further including the step of transmitting the credit amount utilized by a subscriber during a selected reporting period to said central station.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process according to Claim 15 further including the step of displaying said credit unit amount charged for viewing said selected pay television program on said visual display means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process according to Claim 15 further including the step of displaying said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means on said visual display means after said decrementing step.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process according to Claim 15 further including the step of transmitting said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means to said central station after said decrementing step.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process according to Claim 15 further including the step of transmitting an identification signal representative of said selected pay television program to said central station.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a pay television system in which selected data including a plurality of pay television programs is transmitted from a central station to a visual display means located at a remote subscriber's location, a pay-per-view control system comprising: data storage means disposed at said remote subscriber's location for storing a credit unit amount transmitted by said central station; subscriber input means for permitting a subscriber to select a particular one of said plurality of pay television programs; comparison means for comparing a credit unit cost associated with said particular one of said plurality of pay television programs with said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means; means for decrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said credit unit cost associated with said particular one of said plurality of said pay television programs in response to both said selection and said comparison; and control means for coupling said particular one of said plurality of pay television programs to said visual display means in response to said decrementing.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a pay television system in which selected data including a plurality of pay television programs is transmitted from a central station to a visual display means located at a remote subscriber's location, a pay-per-view control system comprising: data storage means disposed at said remote subscriber's location for storing a credit unit amount transmitted by said central station; subscriber input means for permitting a subscriber to select a particular one of said plurality of pay television programs; comparison means for comparing a credit unit cost associated with said particular one of said plurality of pay television programs with said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means; means for decrementing said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means by said credit unit cost associated with said particular one of said plurality of said pay television programs in response to both said selection and said comparison; and control means for coupling said particular one of said plurality of pay television programs to said visual display means in response to said decrementing.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
19 words
The pay-per-view control system according to Claim 27 wherein said data storage means comprises a nonvolatile digital memory circuit.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
The pay-per-view control system according to Claim 27 wherein said subscriber input means comprises a remote control keyboard associated with said visual display means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
The pay-per-view control system according to Claim 27 wherein said control means includes means for decoding an encoded pay television program in response to said decrementing.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
42 words
The pay-per-view control system according to Claim 27 wherein said credit unit cost associated with said particular one of said plurality of pay television programs is transmitted from said central station with said particular one of said plurality of pay television programs.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
34 words
The pay-per-view control system according to Claim 27 further including means for displaying said credit unit cost associated with said particular one of said plurality of pay television programs on said visual display means.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
28 words
The pay-per-view control system according to Claim 27 further including means for displaying said credit unit amount stored in said data storage means on said visual display means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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