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:
Nov. 03, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 26, 1996
John Waterhouse, Orchard Park, NY (US);
Garvy Mayo, Buffalo, NY (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling a plurality of television sets in a cable distribution network, wherein each of the plurality of television sets contains an internal mechanism for controlling channel access to the television set, comprising a plurality of television addressable units, where each of the units controls a single television set, and each of the television addressable units has a demodulator and a microprocessor and associated memory operatively arranged to control the internal mechanism of said television set; a radio frequency transmitter operatively arranged to transmit a modulated radio frequency signal across the cable distribution network; and, a central processing unit operatively arranged to communicate with the plurality of television addressable units by generating control codes which are carried throughout the cable distribution network by the modulated radio frequency signal, wherein the control codes contain addressability information which enables the television addressable units to control the internal mechanisms of the television sets, and wherein the demodulator is operatively arranged to demodulate the modulated radio frequency signal, wherein all communications within the apparatus travel from the central processing unit to the plurality of television addressable units in one direction only.