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:
Sep. 07, 1993
Filed:
Jun. 10, 1992
Himanshu Parikh, Lawrenceville, GA (US);
Vibhu Rustagi, Duluth, GA (US);
Paul Borsetti, Jr, Duluth, GA (US);
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., Norcross, GA (US);
Abstract
A diagnostic method and apparatus for a cable television interdiction system is provided. One or more diagnostic modes each corresponding to a particular problem or state associated with the interdiction unit may be entered into by the interdiction unit. If a diagnostic mode is detected, the television signal provided to a television signal receiving apparatus, e.g., a television set, is disabled for a specified length of time. Thereafter, depending upon the diagnostic mode detected, either the television signal provided to the receiving apparatus and/or a light-emitting device, e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED), is pulsed a specified number of times corresponding to the detected diagnostic mode. The cycle of disabling the television signal provided to the receiving apparatus and pulsing either or both the television signal provided to the receiving apparatus and/or the LED is repeated until a transaction is received from the headend cancelling the diagnostic mode. Thus, the pulsing of the television signal provided to the receiving apparatus alerts the user of the receiving apparatus that a problem has occurred to the interdiction unit, and this information may be provided by the user to the cable television operator. Likewise, the pulsing LED coupled to the interdiction unit may alert a technician working on the interdiction unit as to the cause of the problem. In a preferred embodiment, the LED may be located on a tamper override module (TOM) inserted into the interdiction unit by a technician in order to service the interdiction unit.