US Patent No: 5,319,454

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

CATV system enabling access to premium (pay per view) program events by bar code data entry

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ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

Importance

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Abstract

In order to enable viewing of single events without requiring a CATV subscriber to order the event in advance, documents are distributed to subscribers containing cognizable (advertising) data concerning the event and a bar code symbol corresponding thereto. Each subscriber is provided with a transaction terminal enabling the entry of bar code data at any time and whenever the subscriber has the impulse to do so (impulse pay per view). The event codes are transmitted interactively from the transaction terminal to the equipment (a subscriber control unit) located off the subscribers' premises which normally interdicts the premium channels and thence to the head end of the CATV distribution system over the cables of the system. Data coming from the head end back to the subscriber control unit indicates that events are in progress (event number and premium channel data). When the event is in progress, the interdiction of the premium channel is inhibited so as to clear the channel to the subscribers' premises and permit the viewing of the premium program for the duration thereof. When a signal that the program is over, such as a new event code for the same channel is transmitted from the head end, information that the event has been viewed by the subscriber is stored together with the subscribers' address. This data is then transmitted to the head end for billing purposes.

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First Claim

Related Publications

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, INC.LAWRENCEVILLE, GA633

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Schutte, Mark E Sugarhill, GA 18 699

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
MOONBEAM L.L.C. (2)
4,912,760 Off-premises cable television channel interdiction method and apparatus 59 1988
4,963,966 CATV distribution system, especially adapted for off-premises premium channel interdiction 57 1989
 
SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, INC. (2)
5,003,384 Set-top interface transactions in an impulse pay per view television system 189 1988
4,926,444 Data transmission method and apparatus by period shift keying (TSK) 26 1988
 
ZENITH ELECTRONICS CORPORATION (2)
4,755,872 Impulse pay per view system and method 78 1985
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NUMA CORPORATION (1)
4,578,571 Portable bar code scanning device and method 106 1983
 
SONY CORPORATION (1)
4,475,153 Method and apparatus for automatic control of electronic equipment 112 1981

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
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Other [Check patent profile for assignment information] (1)
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