Patent EP0161913A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0161913A2
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EP
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Method and apparatus for subscription control for television programming
Assignee: Comsat Corp
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Filing: 1985-05-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-05-09
Abstract
Abstract @ One-way subscription television service control allows the subscribers to subscribe in advance to a variety of programming orto select programming on a pay-per-view basis. This involves coding program identification information (20) according to preselected program characteristics and transmitting this information concurrently with programming being transmitted having the said program characteristics to all program subscribers. This is received and read into a subscription table memory (10) at every subscriber address. Individual program subscription information (40) is coded for each subscriber address according to programming selections made by each subscriber and is periodically transmitted to all subscribers. The program subscription information for each subscriber address which corresponds to that subscriber address coded with program subscription information being transmitted at a given time is received and written into the memory (10) where it is compared with the program identification information which has been read into the memory (10). As a result individual subscriber program receivers are enabled so that each subscriber is able to receive programming then being transmitted in response to correspondance between the program subscription information and the program identification information.
Inventors
- 👤 Lin Nan Lee
- 👤 Neal David Becker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 00:33
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04H; H04H20/00; H04H20/28; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/08; H04N7/087; H04N7/088; H04N7/0888; H04N7/16; H04N7/162
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for one-way program subscription control for a plurality of program subscribers comprising the steps of: coding program identification information according to preselected program characteristics; concurrently transmitting said coded program identification information with programming being transmitted having said program characteristics to all program subscribers; receiving and reading into a subscription table memory said coded program identification information at every subscriber address; coding individual program subscription information for each subscriber address according to programming selections made by each subscriber; periodically transmitting said program subscription information to all subscribers; receiving and writing into said subscription table memory said program subscription information for each subscriber address which corresponds to that subscriber address coded with said program subscription information being transmitted at a given time; comparing said program identification information which has been read into said subscription table memory with said program subscription information which has been written in said subscription table memory at every subscriber address; and enabling individual subscriber program receivers so that each said subscriber is able to receive programming then being transmitted in response to correspondence of said program subscription information and said program identification information.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for one-way program subscription control for a plurality of program subscribers comprising the steps of: coding program identification information according to preselected program characteristics; concurrently transmitting said coded program identification information with programming being transmitted having said program characteristics to all program subscribers; receiving and reading into a subscription table memory said coded program identification information at every subscriber address; coding individual program subscription information for each subscriber address according to programming selections made by each subscriber; periodically transmitting said program subscription information to all subscribers; receiving and writing into said subscription table memory said program subscription information for each subscriber address which corresponds to that subscriber address coded with said program subscription information being transmitted at a given time; comparing said program identification information which has been read into said subscription table memory with said program subscription information which has been written in said subscription table memory at every subscriber address; and enabling individual subscriber program receivers so that each said subscriber is able to receive programming then being transmitted in response to correspondence of said program subscription information and said program identification information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step for coding programming identification information comprises the further step of characterizing a program with a unique program number; and the step for coding individual program subscription information comprises the further step of identifying a program category or categories defined in terms of program numbers, said category or categories being selected by an individual subscriber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
105 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of coding program identification information comprises the further step of characterizing a program with a number of viewing units per unit of viewing time for use with a pay-per-view option; the step of coding program subscription information comprising the further step of identifying a number of preauthorized viewing units available for each subscriber; the step of adding to a preauthorized viewing unit memory the number of preauthorized viewing units represented in said program subscription information; and, the step of subtracting viewing units from said preauthorized viewing unit memory as viewing units are used by each said subscriber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of selectively disabling the step of writing into each subscriber's subscription table memory and the step of adding to each subscriber's preauthorized unit memory, when said program subscription information received is identical to that previously received by said subscriber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coding program identification information further comprises the step characterizing a program with a pay-per-view signal making a pay-per-view option available for the programming then being transmitted.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of disabling an individual subscriber's program receiver when the number of preauthorized viewing units remaining in said subscriber's preauthorized viewing unit memory does not meet a predetermined threshold value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of coding the program identification information further comprises the step of providing an end-of-program signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of disabling an individual subscriber's program receiver upon reception of an end-of-program signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus for one-way program subscription control of a plurality of subscribers wherein each subscriber has a control unit associated with a programming receiver comprising: means for periodically reading and writing transmitted coded information, representing presubscribed programming selections for each said subscribed, into subscription memory means; means for reading coded information, representing programming concurrently being transmitted; means for determining if the identity of said programming being transmitted corresponds to presubscribed programming selections and generating an output signal if correspondence exists; means for enabling a programming receiver in response to said output signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus for one-way program subscription control of a plurality of subscribers wherein each subscriber has a control unit associated with a programming receiver comprising: means for periodically reading and writing transmitted coded information, representing presubscribed programming selections for each said subscribed, into subscription memory means; means for reading coded information, representing programming concurrently being transmitted; means for determining if the identity of said programming being transmitted corresponds to presubscribed programming selections and generating an output signal if correspondence exists; means for enabling a programming receiver in response to said output signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the subscription memory means comprises two sections such that a first section is dedicated to a first program viewing period and a second unit is dedicated to a second program viewing period.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
190 words
The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means for receiving transmitted coded information representing a number of preauthorized viewing units; means for adding said preauthorized viewing units into preauthorized viewing unit memory means wherein the number of preauthorized viewing units available to each said subscriber is stored; means for counting the number of viewing units used by said subscriber; means for algebraically adding the number of viewing units used with the number of preauthorized viewing units stored in the viewing unit memory means to determine the number of preauthorized viewing units remaining; means for updating the preauthorized viewing unit memory means so that the number of preauthorized viewing units available as set equal to the number of preauthorized viewing units remaining; means for comparing the number of pre- authorized viewing units remaining with a predetermined threshold value; means for enabling the program timing receiver responsive to said means for comparing so that said each subscriber is able to receive programming on a pay-per-view basis even if said programming selection has not been subscribed to by said each subscriber provided the number of preauthorized viewing units exceeds said predetermined threshold value.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for counting viewing units includes clock means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the clock means may be disabled by an end-of-program signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the clock means may be disabled by a manual switch.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the clock means may be disabled in response to the number of preauthorized viewing units falling below a predetermined threshold value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for comparing a unique subscriber address associated with said information representing prescribed programming selections with an address contained in said control unit; and means for disabling said means for writing said information representing prescribed programming selections if said addresses do not correspond.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for updating the subscription memory means and said viewing unit memory means only when said coded information, representing presubscribed programming and said coded information representing preauthorized viewing units, changes with respect to information previously received.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for updating includes means for transmitting a message number associated with said coded information representing presubscribed programming and said coded information, representing preassigned viewing units; means for storing a message number received by said control unit; means for comparing said stored message number with a subsequently received message number; and means for generating an update enabling signal when said message numbers are different.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising means for updating the subscription memory means and said viewing unit memory means only when said coded information, representing presubscribed programming and said coded information representing preauthorized viewing units, changes with respect to information previously received.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for updating includes means for transmitting a message number associated with said coded information representing presubscribed programming and said coded information representing preassigned viewing units; means for storing a message number received by said control unit; means for comparing said stored message number with a subsequently received message number, and means for generating an update enabling signal when said message numbers are different.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said viewing unit memory means comprises a register in combination with an EEPROM.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said viewing unit memory comprises a register in combination with an EAPROM.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said viewing unit memory comprises a register in combination with a CMOS RAM with a back-up battery.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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