Importance

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Abstract

A receiver interface system for enabling an operator to access different types of services in a like manner, wherein the services contain different combinations of service components received by a receiver in different portions of one or more different frequency channels, such as television channels. The system includes a plurality of separate interface channels for carrying different types of services containing different combinations of the service components; switching means for selecting a said service, wherein the switching means is coupled to the interface channels for accessing the respective interface channels in a like manner; and a decoder coupled to the receiver and the interface channels for accessing the components of said selected service received by the receiver in different portions of one or more different frequency channels to provide said selected service on the interface channel carrying the selected service. The decoder includes a service definition table defining access to different combinations of the service components by each of a plurality of the separate interface channels to thereby define access to different types of services by the separate interface channels; and a channel configuration map defining access to the frequency channels by the separate interface channels for enabling the different combinations of service components for each of the services to be accessed in accordance with the service definition table. The service definition table may include means for defining access to different service components located in the same portion of a given frequency channel at different times and/or may define access to different service components located in the following portions of the given frequency channel with respect to a television signal received over the given frequency channel: the video information interval, the horizontal blanking interval, the vertical blanking interval and the subcarrier of the given frequency.

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First Claim