The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 20, 1988
Filed:
Aug. 19, 1986
Alex M Cook, Jr, Lilburn, GA (US);
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus is disclosed for programming a CATV channel authorization unit. In a cable television (CATV) system, a CATV transmitter provides a plurality of CATV system channels to a channel authorization unit which in turn supplies only selected ones of the system channels to a user. The CATV authorization unit determines which selected channels the user will receive by receiving channel authorization data from a CATV system programmer. The channel authorization data is received via an infrared data communication link such that programming can be done without physical disassembly of the CATV channel authorization unit and without the system programmer being physically present within the users household. In a further embodiment, the CATV channel authorization unit is also responsive to a user transmitter for determining which of the selected channels the user is presently viewing.