US5199067A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for promotion of pay television broadcasts, and device for use of the process
Assignee: Laboratoire Europeen de Recherches Electroniques Avancees SNC
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Filing: 1990-12-10
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Granted: 1993-03-30
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Expires: 2010-12-10
Abstract
Abstract The process of the invention concerns pay television networks with reinforced scrambling. To attract potential subscribers, the invention consists in cyclically transmitting non-scrambled images for brief periods, so that the type of program can be seen.
Inventors
- 👤 Michel Leduc
- 👤 Joel Hamon
- 👤 Eric Diehl
- 👤 Albert Dorner
- 👤 Jacky Mahler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 13:52
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N21/20; H04N21/25; H04N21/254; H04N21/2543; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/167
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
A process for promotion of pay television network broadcast, comprising the steps of: providing a television broadcast signal; scrambling said television signal to a predetermined level in order to emit a scrambled signal; and controlling, independent of said viewer, said scrambling in order to provide a preprogrammed intermittent reduction in the percentage of said broadcast signal rendered unintelligible.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
58 words
A process for promotion of pay television network broadcast, comprising the steps of: providing a television broadcast signal; scrambling said television signal to a predetermined level in order to emit a scrambled signal; and controlling, independent of said viewer, said scrambling in order to provide a preprogrammed intermittent reduction in the percentage of said broadcast signal rendered unintelligible.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein at least part of an image is made visible during said intermittent reduction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein non-scrambled messages are displayed at at least approximately regular intervals on reception screens not equipped with decoders.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
Process according to claim 3, wherein the messages indicate how to subscribe to the network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein there are alternate periods of scrambled and non-scrambled image emission.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Process according to claim 5, wherein the alternate periods have a fixed cyclic ratio.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
Process according to claim 5, wherein the alternate periods have a variable cyclic ratio.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
Process according to claim 5, wherein the alternate periods are random.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein non-scrambled zones and completely scrambled zones are made to alternate in the signal emitted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
Process according to claim 9, wherein these zones are horizontal bands covering the whole width of a television screen.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
Process according to claim 9, wherein these zones are vertical bands covering the whole height of a television screen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
Process according to claim 9, wherein the non-scrambled zones are temporal windows in a television screen image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
10 words
Process according to claim 9, wherein the zones are fixed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
10 words
Process according to claim 9, wherein the zones are mobile.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein a mosaic is created over at least part of a television screen, containing a succession of horizontal bands in each of which a cut-off point is determined which is the same for all the lines in the band concerned.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
76 words
A pay television broadcast promotion device in a pay television system, comprising a television transmitter and a plurality of receivers, wherein said transmitter comprises an inverter controlled by a scrambling control circuit, said invertor being connected to a video channel of the transmitter before a scrambling circuit, a first output of said inverter being connected to an input of the scrambling circuit, and its second output being directly connected to an output of the scrambling circuit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
A pay television broadcast promotion device in a pay television system, comprising a television transmitter and a plurality of receivers, wherein said transmitter comprises an inverter controlled by a scrambling control circuit, said invertor being connected to a video channel of the transmitter before a scrambling circuit, a first output of said inverter being connected to an input of the scrambling circuit, and its second output being directly connected to an output of the scrambling circuit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
The pay television promotion device according to claim 16, further including a register inserted between a pseudo-random generator circuit controlling the scrambling and said video scrambling circuit, the control input of said register being connected to a line counting circuit.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-03-29 | 1996-09-28 | 1997-03-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-03-29 | 2000-09-28 | 2001-03-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-03-29 | 2004-09-28 | 2005-03-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |