Terminal authorization method - Patent Review 5001554

Claims

We claim:

1. Terminal apparatus for use in a cable television system which provides a plurality of channels capable of being tuned for display at a television receiver, said apparatus comprising:

communication means for interactively communicating with a system manager of the cable television system;

memory means for storing data for composing a plurality of predetermined character screens and for storing video conferencing data, the data for composing the plurality of predetermined character screens comprising character screen commands, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

character generator means for generating character screens from the stored character screen composition data at said television receiver;

deauthorization means responsive to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of said plurality of channels; and

control means for controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at said television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

2. Terminal apparatus for use in a cable television system which provides a plurality of channels capable of being tuned for display at a television receiver, said apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing data for composing a plurality of predetermined character screens and for storing deauthorization data, the data for composing the plurality of predetermined character screens comprising character screen commands;

character generator means for generating character screens from the stored character screen composition data at said television receiver;

deauthorization means responsive to the deauthorization data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of said plurality of channels; and

control means for controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at said television receiver the deauthorization of a channel by said deauthorization means.

3. The terminal apparatus of claim 2 wherein the control means is a microprocessor.

4. The terminal apparatus of claim 3 wherein the memory means is a random access memory.

5. The terminal apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

said memory means for further storing preview data, the preview data allowing a premium channel to be viewed for a predetermined period of time without incurring a charge;

preview means responsive to the stored preview data for previewing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver information in accordance with the preview of a premium channel by said preview means.

6. The terminal apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

said memory means for further storing prebuy data, the prebuy data related to a user credit status;

prebuy means responsive to the prebuy data in the memory means for deauthorizing the viewing of premium programs; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the user credit status in accordance with the deauthorization of the viewing of premium programs by said prebuy means.

7. The terminal apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

said memory means for further storing prebuy data, the prebuy data related to a user credit status;

prebuy means responsive to the prebuy data in the memory means for deauthorization the viewing of premium programs;

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the user credit status in accordance with the deauthorization of the viewing of premium programs by said prebuy means.

8. The terminal apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

said memory means for further storing video conferencing data, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

said deauthorization means for further responding to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

9. The terminal apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

said memory means for further storing video conferencing data, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

said deauthorization means for further responding to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

10. Terminal apparatus for use in a cable television system which provides a plurality of channels capable of being tuned for display at a television receiver, said apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing data for composing a plurality of predetermined character screens and for storing preview data, the data for composing the plurality of predetermined character screens comprising character screen commands, the preview data allowing a premium channel to be viewed for a predetermined period of time without incurring a charge;

character generator means for generating character screens from the stored character screen composition data at said television receiver;

preview means responsive to the stored preview data for previewing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

control means for controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at said television receiver information in accordance with the preview of a premium channel by said preview means.

11. The terminal apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

said memory means for further storing prebuy data, the prebuy data related to a user credit status;

prebuy means responsive to the prebuy data in the memory means for deauthorizing the viewing of premium programs; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the user credit status in accordance with the deauthorization of the viewing of premium programs by said prebuy means.

12. The terminal apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

said memory means for further storing video conferencing data, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

said deauthorization means for further responding to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

13. Terminal apparatus for use in a cable television system which provides a plurality of channels capable of being tuned for display at a television receiver, said apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing data for composing a plurality of predetermined character screens and for storing prebuy data, the data for composing the plurality of predetermined character screens comprising character screen commands, the prebuy data related to a user credit status;

character generator means for generating character screens from the stored character screen composition data at said television receiver;

prebuy means responsive to the prebuy data in the memory means for deauthorizing the viewing of premium programs; and

control means for controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the user credit status in accordance with the deauthorization of the viewing of premium programs by said prebuy means.

14. The terminal apparatus of claim 13 wherein:

said memory means for further storing video conferencing data, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

said deauthorization means for further responding to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

15. Terminal apparatus for use in a cable television system which provides a plurality of channels capable of being tuned for display at a television receiver, said apparatus comprising:

memory means for storing data for composing a plurality of predetermined character screens and for storing video conferencing data, the data for composing the plurality of predetermined character screens comprising character screen commands, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

character generator means for generating character screens from the stored character screen composition data at said television receiver;

deauthorization means responsive to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of said plurality of channels; and

control means for controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at said television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

16. Terminal apparatus for use in an interactive cable television system which provides a plurality of channels capable of being tuned for display at a television receiver, said apparatus comprising:

communication means for interactively communicating with a system manager of the cable television system;

memory means for storing data for composing a plurality of predetermined character screens and for storing deauthorization data, the data for composing the plurality of predetermined character screens comprising character screen commands;

character generator means for generating character screens from the stored character screen composition data at said television receiver;

deauthorization means responsive to the deauthorization data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of said plurality of channels; and

control means for controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at said television receiver the deauthorization of a channel by said deauthorization means.

17. The terminal apparatus of claim 16 wherein the control means is a microprocessor.

18. The terminal apparatus of claim 16 wherein the memory means is a random access memory.

19. The terminal apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

said memory means for further storing preview data, the preview data allowing a premium channel to be viewed for a predetermined period of time without incurring a charge;

preview means responsive to the preview data in the memory means for previewing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver information in accordance with the preview of a premium channel by said preview means.

20. The terminal apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

said memory means for further storing prebuy data, the prebuy data related to a user credit status;

prebuy means responsive to the prebuy data in the memory means for deauthorizing the viewing of premium programs; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means for composing at least one predetermined character screen for display at the television receiver the user credit status in accordance with the deauthorization of the viewing of premium programs by said prebuy means.

21. The terminal apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

said memory means for further storing prebuy data, the prebuy data related to a user credit status;

prebuy means responsive to the prebuy data in the memory means for deauthorizing the viewing of premium programs; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the user credit status in accordance with the deauthorization of the viewing of premium programs by said prebuy means.

22. The terminal apparatus of claim 16 wherein:

said memory means for further storing video conferencing data, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

said deauthorization means for further responding to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

23. The terminal apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

said memory means for further storing video conferencing data, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

said deauthorization means for further responding to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

24. The terminal apparatus of claim 21 wherein:

said memory means for further storing video conferencing data, the video conferencing data for deauthorizing the viewing of at least one video conference channel;

said deauthorization means for further responding to the video conferencing data in the memory means for deauthorizing selected ones of the plurality of channels; and

said control means for further controlling said memory means and said character generator means and for composing at least one predetermined character screen for displaying at the television receiver the deauthorization of the viewing of a video conference channel by said deauthorization means.

25. Terminal apparatus for use in a cable television system which provides a plurality of channels capable of being tuned for display at a television receiver, said apparatus comprising: