Television program distribution and metering system

Claim 1

IN A PROGRAMMED TELEVISION SERVICE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION OF: MEANS FOR DELIVERING TO A DISTRIBUTION LINE A PLURALITY OF PROGRAMS EACH OF WHICH IS MODULATED ON A SEPARATE CARRIER FREQUENCY IN A DISTINCT CHANNEL, SELECTOR-CONVERTER MEANS ACCESSIBLE TO THE SUBSCRIBER FRO SELECTION OF THE DESIRED CHANNEL AND CONVERSION OF SIGNALS THEREIN INTO A SIGNAL INPUT TO A TELEVISION RECEIVER, A TELEVISION RECEIVER COUPLED TO SAID SELECTOR-CONVERTER MEANS, AND A SECURITY UNIT LOCATED AT A PLACED SUBSTANTIALLY INACESSIBLE TO THE SUBSCRIBER FOR INTERLOCKING THE FURNISHING OF THE PROGRAM AND METERING OF THE USAGE THEREOF; SAID SECURITY UNIT COMPRISING METER MEANS FOR GENERATING METERING SIGNALS AND TRANSMITTING THEM THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, MEANS ACTUATED BY THE SELECTOR-CONVERTER MEANS FOR RENDERING OPERATIVE THE METER MEANS, AND MEANS ACTUATED BY THE SELECTORCONVERTER MEANS FOR RELEASING SIGNALS FROM THE DESIRED CHANNEL INTO THE SELECTOR-CONVERTER MEANS.