Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

In a system including an originating source for providing multiple television programs to one or more local cable television systems for their distribution on a pay-per-view basis, data processing equipment at the originating source stores, for each local cable system, address information, information regarding which of the programs offered by the source it wishes to carry and the times it wishes to present each to its subscribers, and information identifying its addressable head-end equipment. The data processing equipment periodically assembles and communicates to all of the local cable systems, via a satellite channel independent from the channel used for communicating program signals, a binary message which contains address and program schedule information for each of the local cable systems. Data processing equipment at the head-end of each cable system stores command information for effecting future switching of its scrambling equipment to accomplish timely delivery to its subscribers of its offered schedule of programs. Telephone equipment at the originating source capable of receiving toll-free telephone calls and providing ANI information for the caller, allows a subscriber of any of the local cable systems to order a selected program by direct dialing the toll-free number within a prescribed time period relative to the start time of the selected program. The data processing equipment at the source is programmed to determine which local cable system serves the caller and to communicate a binary message containing information signifying that an identified one of its subscribers has ordered the selected program.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim