Technique for encoding and decoding t.v. transmissions by means of a coded electronic ticket

Claim 2

A pay television receiver for viewing a television signal having a carrier frequency at a designated receiver channel at a frequency different than that of said carrier frequency, said receiver comprising means for receiving a program-selecting member having a first preselected conducting pattern thereon, said member receiving means comprising means including a second conducting pattern spaced from and electrically non-contacting said first conducting pattern when said member is received in said member receiving means for producing a first control signal having a control parameter representative of said first and second conducting patterns, normally deactuated local oscillator means for producing, when actuated, a mixing signal at a predetermined frequency, control means coupled to said control signal producing means and said local oscillator means, and responsive to said control parameter of said first control signal to produce an oscillator actuating signal for actuating said local oscillator means, and mixer means having one input coupled to said local oscillator means and receiving said television signal at another input for translating the carrIer frequency of said television signal to a frequency for viewing at said designated receiver channel.

Claim 3

The receiver of claim 1, in which said member receiving means includes a tuned circuit including a fixed capacitance proportional to said second conducting pattern, the effective net capacitance of said tuned circuit being determined by the capacitance of said first conducting pattern and said fixed capacitance when said program-selecting member is received in said member receiving means, said control parameter of said first control signal being determined by said effective net capacitance.

Claim 4

The receiver of claim 2, in which said member comprises a generally rectangular insulating body, said conducting pattern including a metallic region on said insulating body.

Claim 5

The receiver of claim 3, in which said tuned circuit capacitance comprises at least one metallic plate, said metallic region on said member being in close proximity to but insulated from said metallic plate when said member is received in said member receiving means.

Claim 6

The receiver of claim 4, in which said control means includes a plurality of normally deactuated switching means, and further comprising frequency selecting means coupled between said member receiving means and said control means for selectively actuating one of said switching means in accordance with the frequency of said first control signal.

Claim 7

The receiver of claim 5, in which said local oscillator means comprises a corresponding plurality of oscillating stages respectively coupled to and actuated by said plurality of switching stages and capable when thus actuated to derive a mixing signal at one of a plurality of different preselected signals.

Claim 8

The receiver of claim 6, further comprising reset means coupled between said member receiving means and said control means for deactuating the previously actuated one of said switching means upon the receipt of an end-of-program signal in said television signal.

Claim 9

The receiver of claim 7, in which said reset means includes a filter having a narrow pass centered about the frequency of said end-of-program signal.

Claim 10

The receiver of claim 1, in which said member receiving means includes first and second tuned circuits having first and second capacitance members respectively, said coded pattern including first and second preselected conductive patterns for placement in respective proximity to said first and second capacitance members to establish the respective resonant frequencies of said first and second tuned circuits at the frequency of a certification signal and the video carrier frequency of said communications signal.

Claim 11

The receiver of claim 9, further comprising logic means coupled between said first and second tuned circuits and said control means for actuating the latter when said first and second tuned circuits are caused to be resonant at the frequencies of said certification signal and said video carrier.

Claim 12

The receiver of claim 10, further comprising filter means having pass bands centered at the frequencies of said audio and video carriers coupled between said first and second tuned circuits and said logic means.

Claim 13

The receiver of claim 1, in which said control means includes a plurality of normally deactuated switching means, and further comprising frequency selecting means coupled between said member receiving means and said control means for selectively actuating one of said switching means in accordance with the frequency of said first control signal.

Claim 14

The receiver of claim 12, in which said local oscillator means comprises a corresponding plurality of oscillating stages resepctively coupled to and actuated by said plurality of switching stages and capable when thus actuated to derive a mixing signal at one of a plurality of different preselected signals.

Claim 15

The receiver of claim 13, further comprising reset means coupled between said member receiving means and said control means for deactuating the previously actuated one of said switching means upon the receipt of an end-of-program signal in said communications signal.

Claim 16

The receiver of claim 14, in which said reset means includes a filter having a narrow pass centered about the frequency of said end-of-program signal.

Claim 17

The receiver of claim 1, further comprising reset means coupled between said member receiving means and said control means for deactuating the previously actuated one of said control means upon the receipt of an end-of-program signal.

Claim 18

The receiver of claim 16, in which said reset means includes a filter having a narrow pass centered about the frequency of said end-of-program signal.

Claim 19

A pay television receiver for receiving a television signal having a carrier outside a designated viewing channel, said receiver comprising means including a first conductive pattern for receiving a coded program-select member having a predetermined second conductive pattern thereon, said second conductive pattern being spaced from and electrically non-contacting said first conductive pattern when said member is received in said member receiving means, normally deactuated local oscillator means, means coupled to said member receiving means and to said local oscillator means for producing an oscillator control signal having a control parameter determined by said first and second conductive patterns, means responsive to said control parameter of said control signal for actuating said local oscillator means to cause the latter to produce a mixing signal at a selected frequency in response to the insertion of said program-select member into said member receiving means, and mixing means coupled to said local oscillator means and receiving said television signal and said mixing signal for translating upon the actuation of said local oscillator means the carrier frequency of said television signal to a frequency for viewing at said designated viewing channel.

Claim 20

A pay television receiver for receiving a television signal having a carrier outside a designated viewing channel, said receiver comprising means including a first conductive pattern for receiving a coded program-select member having a predetermined second conductive pattern thereon, said second conductive pattern being spaced from and electrically non-contacting said first conductive pattern when said member is received in said member receiving means, normally deactuated local oscillator means, means coupled to said member receiving means and to said local oscillator means for producing an oscillator control signal having a control parameter determined by said first and second conductive patterns, means responsive to said control parameter of said control signal for actuating said local oscillator means to cause the latter to produce a mixing signal at a selected frequency in response to the insertion of said program-select member into said member receiving means, and mixing means coupled to said local oscillator means and receiving said television signal and said mixing signal for translating upon the actuation of said local oscillator means the carrier frequency of said television signal to a frequency for viewing at said designated viewing channel.

Claim 21

The receiver of claim 18, in which said member receiving means includes a tuned circuit including a fixed capacitance, the value of the effective net capacitance of said tuned circuit being determined by the effective capacitance of said second conductive pattern and said fixed capacitance when said member is received in said member receiving means, the frequency of said first control signal being determined by said effective net capacitance.

Claim 22

The receiver of claim 19, in which said member comprises a generally rectangular insulating body, said second conductive pattern including a metallic region on said insulating body.

Claim 23

The receiver of claim 20, in which said tuned circuit capacitance comprises at least one metallic plate, said metallic region on said member being in close proximity to but insulated from said metallic plate when said member is received in said member receiving means.

Claim 24

The receiver of claim 18, further comprising reset means coupled between said member receiving means and said control means for deactuating the previously actuated one of said control means upon the receipt of an end-of-program signal.

Claim 25

The receiver of claim 22, in wiich said reset means includes a filter having a narrow pass centered about the frequency of said end-of-program signal.

Claim 26

The receiver of claim 21, further comprising reset means coupled between said member receiving means and said control means for deactuating the previously actuated one of said control means upon the receipt of an end-of-program signal.

Claim 27

A communications receiver for receiving a communications signal such as a television signal having a carrier outside a designated channel, said receiver comprising means including a first conductive pattern for receiving a coded member having a predetermined second conductive pattern thereon, said first and second conductive patterns being spaced from and electrically non-contacting one another when said member is received within said member-receiving means, a plurality of normally deactuated local oscillator means capabLe of producing mixing signals at different frequencies, means coupled to said member receiving means for producing an oscillator control signal having a control parameter determined by said first and second conductive patterns, means coupled to said control signal producing means for actuating one of said local oscillator means in response to said control parameter, and mixing means coupled to said local oscillator means and receiving the mixing signal from said one of said local oscillator means for translating the carrier frequency of said communications signals to a frequency for viewing at a designated viewing channel.

Claim 28

A communications receiver for receiving a communications signal such as a television signal having a carrier outside a designated channel, said receiver comprising means including a first conductive pattern for receiving a coded member having a predetermined second conductive pattern thereon, said first and second conductive patterns being spaced from and electrically non-contacting one another when said member is received within said member-receiving means, a plurality of normally deactuated local oscillator means capabLe of producing mixing signals at different frequencies, means coupled to said member receiving means for producing an oscillator control signal having a control parameter determined by said first and second conductive patterns, means coupled to said control signal producing means for actuating one of said local oscillator means in response to said control parameter, and mixing means coupled to said local oscillator means and receiving the mixing signal from said one of said local oscillator means for translating the carrier frequency of said communications signals to a frequency for viewing at a designated viewing channel.

Claim 29

The receiver of claim 25, in which said member receiving means includes a tuned circuit including a capacitance, the value of said tuned circuit capacitance being proportional to said first and second conducting patterns when said coded member is received in said member receiving means.

Claim 30

The receiver of claim 26, in which said member comprises a generally rectangular insulating body, said second conducting pattern including a metallic region arranged on said insulating body.