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:
May. 02, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 21, 1996
Ted Richard Michaud, Medford, NJ (US);
General Instrument Corporation, Horsham, PA (US);
Abstract
A system for delivering selective VCR control codes to programmable settop terminals over a CATV communication system includes a headend for storing and transmitting VCR control code information to the settop terminals and a plurality of settop terminals for receiving the control codes. The CATV communication system delivers the VCR control codes to individual subscribers within the vertical blanking interval of one of the broadcast channels or over a control data channel. A set-up procedure is required for each VCR to determine the appropriate set of VCR control codes. Upon determining the specific type of VCR the subscriber has, the VCR control codes transmitted through the CATV system are stored in the settop terminal in non-volatile memory. Since the settop terminal only stores the VCR control codes for a single type of VCR, memory requirements are minimized.