Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Off-premises cable television pay per view apparatus is coupled between first and second diplexers of off-premises subscriber service providing equipment. The diplexers separate the transmission path between a headend and a subscriber into downstream or forward and upstream or reverse transmission paths. A radio frequency transmitter is coupled between a controller and the upstream diplexer which may actuate a selected one of a plurality of data channels in the notoriously noisy subsplit 5-30 megahertz transmission spectrum for reporting billable events. On-premises equipment is minimized to comprise only a unidirectional data transmitter. The data transmission is sent repetitively over a predetermined period of time before the data transmitter, comprising a microprocessor, turns itself off to conserve power. Thus, data transmitted from the subscriber in a first format is received at off-premises equipment, service is authorized there if appropriate, and then data is transmitted over a data channel selected so as to avoid noisy portions of the spectrum in a second format to a headend.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim