Importance

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Abstract

A system (10) interfaces a cable televisions decoder (12) to a VCR (14) incorporating a television scheduling system. The cable signal is supplied to the cable decoder (12) on cable (16) and the decoded output of the decoder (12) is supplied to the VCR (14) through cable (18) on a fixed channel. The VCR (14) receives commands from its remote controller (20). A cable decoder remote control emulator (22) is connected at (23) between the VCR (14) and the cable decoder (12). All channel selection codes supplied to the VCR (14) by its remote controller (20) are converted by the remote control emulator (22) to command codes recognized by the cable decoder (12). The remote control emulator (22) also suppresses execution of the channel selection codes supplied to the VCR (14), in order to keep the VCR (14) tuned to the fixed channel on which the decoded cable signal is supplied. The remote control emulator (22 ) drives an infrared emitter, which is positioned in front of an infrared input on the cable decoder (12). Thus, the remote control emulator (22) replaces the conventional cable decoder remote controller. The user communicates with the system using the VCR remote controller (20). For the user, the system (10) appears to function in the same manner as would the VCR (14) connected to the TV (19) with no cable decoder (12) present.

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First Claim