Patent US5467397A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5467397A
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Interdiction method and apparatus with variable dwell time
Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt LLC
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Filing: 1992-12-16
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Granted: 1995-11-14
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Expires: 2012-12-16
Abstract
Abstract A cable television interdiction apparatus comprises a microprocessor actuation and control means for actuating and controlling one or more frequency agile voltage controlled oscillators. The voltage controlled oscillators selectively jam only unauthorized premium programming transmitted from a headend to a particular subscriber. The method of interdiction comprises the steps of generating and storing voltage control words for operating the oscillators consistent with a headend selected jamming factor for a particular channel to be jammed and addressably transmitted and stored premium programming authorization data.
Inventors
- 👤 Lamar E. West
- 👤 David P. Durand
- 👤 Melvin Paulick
- 👤 Guy A. Primiano
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 21:01
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04K; H04K3/00; H04K3/80; H04K3/82; H04K3/825; H04K3/40; H04K3/41; H04K3/42; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/166; H04K2203/00; H04K2203/10; H04K2203/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
An interdiction apparatus used in a cable television system having a headend for preventing unauthorized reception of programming transmitted to a subscriber comprising: jamming means for jamming each of a plurality of unauthorized channels with a controlled jamming signal; and control means for programmably controlling, during a jamming cycle wherein each of said plurality of unauthorized channels is jammed, said jamming means to selectively jam each of said plurality of unauthorized channels for a variable proportion of said jamming cycle, said variable proportion of said jamming cycle being determined by an addressed communication from said headend to said control means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
100 words
An interdiction apparatus used in a cable television system having a headend for preventing unauthorized reception of programming transmitted to a subscriber comprising: jamming means for jamming each of a plurality of unauthorized channels with a controlled jamming signal; and control means for programmably controlling, during a jamming cycle wherein each of said plurality of unauthorized channels is jammed, said jamming means to selectively jam each of said plurality of unauthorized channels for a variable proportion of said jamming cycle, said variable proportion of said jamming cycle being determined by an addressed communication from said headend to said control means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
95 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means for determining said variable proportion of said jamming cycle comprises: means for assigning a predetermined number of time slots per jamming cycle and means for assigning a variable number of said time slots per jamming cycle to frequencies within each of said plurality of unauthorized channels for which selective jamming is desired, said variable number of said time slots per jamming cycle assigned to said frequencies within each of said plurality of unauthorized channels determined by said addressed communication from said headend to said control means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one of said unauthorized channels is assigned a greater number of time slots than another of said unauthorized channels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the assignment of particular time slots to particular unauthorized channels creates a jamming pattern, further wherein said control means is capable of varying said jamming pattern by varying the assignment of one or more of said time slots from one jamming cycle to the next.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said time slots are of substantially equal duration and the amount of jamming per unauthorized channel per jamming cycle is based on the number of time slots assigned to respective channels per jamming cycle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one or more of said time slots are not of equal duration with respect to the duration of another of said time slots and the amount of jamming per unauthorized channel per jamming cycle is based on the duration of the time slots assigned to each unauthorized channel per cycle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the duration of each time slot is between about 30-100 microseconds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the duration of each time slot is about 50 microseconds.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the duration of each time slot ranges from about 30 microseconds to about 100 microseconds.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the assignment of particular time slots to particular channels creates a jamming pattern, further wherein said control means is capable of varying said jamming pattern.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
74 words
The apparatus of any one of claims 3, 5 or 6 wherein the number of time slots per cycle assigned to a particular unauthorized channel and the duration of one or more of said time slots may vary, and the amount of time a particular unauthorized channel is jammed in a given jamming cycle is base on the number and duration of time slots assigned to said unauthorized channel for said given jamming cycle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
161 words
In an interdiction system for selectively jamming a plurality of unauthorized channels in a cable television system comprising a headend and an interdiction apparatus having control means and controlled oscillator means for generating jamming signals which selectively interdict each of said unauthorized channels during a jamming cycle, said jamming cycle comprising a plurality of time slots, a method for varying the amount of time unauthorized channels are jammed within said jamming cycle, said method comprising the steps of: assigning a variable number of said time slots per jamming cycle to each unauthorized channel, said variable number of said time slots per jamming cycle assigned to each unauthorized channel determined by addressed communication from said headend to said control means; and jamming each of said unauthorized channels by interdicting said channels with said jamming signals for a variable proportion of said jamming cycle, said-variable proportion based on the assignment of the time slots per jamming cycle to each of said unauthorized channels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
161 words
In an interdiction system for selectively jamming a plurality of unauthorized channels in a cable television system comprising a headend and an interdiction apparatus having control means and controlled oscillator means for generating jamming signals which selectively interdict each of said unauthorized channels during a jamming cycle, said jamming cycle comprising a plurality of time slots, a method for varying the amount of time unauthorized channels are jammed within said jamming cycle, said method comprising the steps of: assigning a variable number of said time slots per jamming cycle to each unauthorized channel, said variable number of said time slots per jamming cycle assigned to each unauthorized channel determined by addressed communication from said headend to said control means; and jamming each of said unauthorized channels by interdicting said channels with said jamming signals for a variable proportion of said jamming cycle, said-variable proportion based on the assignment of the time slots per jamming cycle to each of said unauthorized channels.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 12 wherein each time slot is of substantially the same duration and the amount of time an unauthorized channel is jammed in a given jamming cycle depends on the number of time slots assigned to said unauthorized channel for said given jamming cycle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said time slots are not all of equal duration and the amount of time an unauthorized channel is jammed in a given jamming cycle is based on the duration of the time slot or slots assigned to said unauthorized channel for said given jamming cycle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the number of time slots assigned to any unauthorized channel and the duration of one or more time slots may vary, and the amount of time a particular unauthorized channel is jammed in a given jamming cycle is based on the number and duration of time slots assigned to said unauthorized channel for said given jamming cycle.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
40 words
The method of any one of claims 12, 13, 14, or 15 further comprising the step of: generating a varying jamming pattern by varying the number of adjacent time slots assigned to any unauthorized channel in any given, jamming cycle.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
37 words
The method of any one of claims 12, 13, 14, or 15 further comprising the step of: generating a varying jamming pattern by varying the time slots assigned to any unauthorized channel in any given jamming cycle.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
167 words
An interdiction apparatus used in a cable television system having a headend for preventing unauthorized reception of programming transmitted to a subscriber comprising: means for interdicting a plurality of channels for which selective jamming is desired with controlled jamming signals; control means, responsive to an addressed communication from the headend, for programmably controlling the generation of said jamming signals; said interdicting means being capable of selectively jamming a plurality of said channels, each for a predetermined amount of time during a jamming cycle, and wherein the amount of time that any channel is jammed within a cycle can be programmably varied; and means for assigning a predetermined number of time slots per jamming cycle and means for assigning a number of said time slots to frequencies within said channels for which selective jamming is desired, wherein at least one of said time slots assigned to a particular channel does not occur consecutively in time with respect to another of said time slots assigned to said particular channel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
167 words
An interdiction apparatus used in a cable television system having a headend for preventing unauthorized reception of programming transmitted to a subscriber comprising: means for interdicting a plurality of channels for which selective jamming is desired with controlled jamming signals; control means, responsive to an addressed communication from the headend, for programmably controlling the generation of said jamming signals; said interdicting means being capable of selectively jamming a plurality of said channels, each for a predetermined amount of time during a jamming cycle, and wherein the amount of time that any channel is jammed within a cycle can be programmably varied; and means for assigning a predetermined number of time slots per jamming cycle and means for assigning a number of said time slots to frequencies within said channels for which selective jamming is desired, wherein at least one of said time slots assigned to a particular channel does not occur consecutively in time with respect to another of said time slots assigned to said particular channel.
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