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Claims  |
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I claim:
1. In a system including an originating source for providing program
signals according to a pre-arranged schedule to the head-end equipment of
one or more local cable television systems each having one or more
subscribers, apparatus for automatically controlling from the originating
source scrambling equipment at the head-end of each of said one or more
local cable television systems for scheduling delivery to respective
subscribers of the programs provided by said originating source, said
apparatus comprising:
first data processing means at said originating source including first
memory means for storing for each said one or more local cable television
systems: address information, information as to which of the programs
offered by the originating source it wishes to receive and the times or
times at which it wishes to present each program to its one or more
subscribers, and information regarding the technical specifications of its
addressable head-end equipment, wherein said first data processing means
is programmed to periodically and automatically assemble and communicate
to the head-ends of all of said local cable television systems a binary
message which contains address information and desired program schedule
information for each of said local cable television systems; and
second data processing means at the head-end of each said one or more local
cable television systems including second memory means for storing command
information for effecting future switching of its scrambling equipment to
accomplish delivery of its offered schedule of programs to its subscribers
and programmed to accept only that portion of said message that is
addressed to it and to update said stored command information.
2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the address information stored
in said first memory means for each local cable television system
comprises area code and telephone exchange information for the site of its
head-end equipment.
3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said first data processing
means communicates said assembled message to said local cable television
systems by means of a telecommunications channel which is independent of
the channel by which program signals are communicated.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said telecommunications channel
includes a satellite.
5. Apparatus as defined by claim 2, wherein said apparatus includes means
at the originating source for receiving toll-free telephone calls and
providing to said first data processing means Automatic Number
Identification (ANI) information concerning a caller, and wherein said
first data processing means is programmed to compare received ANI
information with said stored area code and telephone exchange information
for determining which of said local television systems serves said caller
and, provided the telephone call is received within a prescribed time
period relative to the scheduled start time of an offered program,
automatically assembles and communicates to the head-end of the local
cable television system determined to serve the caller a message which
contains ANI information signifying that an identified one of its
subscribers has ordered a particular program.
6. Apparatus as defined by claim 5, wherein said second data processing
means is programmed to determine whether a received message is addressed
to it and, if so, to determine whether ANI information contained therein
matches telephone number information identifying one of its subscribers
and, if so, to provide subscriber identification information for automated
billing of an ordered program to the caller's account.
7. A system for providing automated ordering of television programs by a
subscriber of a local cable television system by direct toll-free
telephone dialing an originating source which provides television programs
according to a predetermined schedule to a network of cable television
systems including said subscriber's local cable television system for
delivery, in turn, to respective subscribers according to a predetermined
local schedule with each program identified by the time of day at which it
is scheduled to start, said originating source including means for
receiving toll-free telephone calls and providing Automatic Number
Identification (ANI) information for callers, said system comprising:
data processing means at said originating source interconnected with said
means for receiving telephone calls to receive ANI information regarding a
caller and wherein the data processing means is programmed to compare area
code and telephone exchange information contained in said ANI information
with stored area code and telephone exchange information identifying the
site of each said one or more local cable television systems for
determining which of said local cable television systems serves the caller
and, provided the telephone call is received within a prescribed time
period relative to the scheduled start of an offered program, to
automatically assemble and communicate to the local cable television
system determined to serve the caller a message signal containing
information signifying that an identified one of its subscribers has
ordered a particular program.
8. The system as defined by claim 7, wherein said data processing means
communicates said assembled message to the local cable television systems
by means of a telecommunications channel that is independent from the
channel by which television programs are delivered.
9. The system as defined by claim 8, wherein said telecommunications
channel includes a satellite.
10. A method for providing automated customer ordering of products by
direct toll-free telephone dialing a source which provides products to one
or more distributors for distribution, in turn, to respective customers,
which source includes telephone equipment for receiving toll-free calls
and providing Automatic Number Identification (ANI) information for
identifying a caller, comprising the steps of:
identifying said products each by the time of day at which it can be
ordered,
providing data processing means at said source and programming the data
processing means to compare ANI information contained in a received
toll-free telephone call with area code and telephone exchange information
stored in said data processing means which provides address information
for each said one or more distributors for determining which of said
regional distributors serves the caller and, provided the telephone call
is received within a prescribed time period relative to the time of day at
which one of said products can be ordered, to automatically assemble and
communicate to the distributor determined to serve the caller a message
signal containing information signifying that an identified one of its
customers has ordered a particular product.
11. The method as defined by claim 10, wherein the data processing means
communicates the assembled message to the distributor by means of a
satellite telecommunications channel.
12. The method as defined by claim 10, wherein the products comprise a
plurality of television programs to be provided according to a
predetermined schedule of start times for each, wherein each of said
distributors is a local cable television system which distributes to
respective subscribers one or more of said television programs according
to its schedule of start times, and wherein the customer is a subscriber
of one of said local cable television systems.
13. In a system including an originating source for providing multiple
television programs according to a predetermined schedule of start times
for each to scrambling equipment at the head-end of one or more local
cable television systems each having at least one subscriber wherein said
originating source includes data processing means having memory means for
storing for each said local cable television system address information,
pre-arranged information regarding which of the programs to be provided it
wishes to receive and the time or times of day it wishes to present each
program to its subscribers, and information which identifies its
addressable head-end equipment and being programmed automatically to
periodically communicate to said local cable television systems a binary
message which contains address information and program schedule
information for each of said local cable television systems based on said
pre-arranged information, apparatus for use at the head-end of each of
said local cable television system comprising:
data processing means including means for storing command information
necessary to effect future switching of its scrambling equipment to
accomplish timely delivery to its subscribers of its offered schedule of
programs and programmed to accept that portion of said message that is
addressed to it and to update said stored command information.
14. Apparatus as defined by claim 13, wherein said data processing means is
timed by real-time clock means synchronized with clock means at said
originating source, and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for
converting tag information contained in a serial data stream from said
data processing means to a multi-bit parallel interface with said
scrambling equipment for establishing tag levels.
15. Apparatus as defined by claim 13, wherein said apparatus further
comprises keyboard means interconnected with said data processing means
for enabling local switching of tag levels and local monitoring of said
data processing means.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said apparatus further
comprises means controllable by said converting means for coupling a local
source of program signals, instead of program signals from said
originating source, to said scrambling equipment.
17. A system for providing automated ordering of television programs
offered and distributed by a program originating source by a subscriber of
a local cable television system by direct toll-free dialing said
originating source, comprising:
an originating source which provides television programs according to a
pre-arranged schedule to a network of one or more local cable television
systems including said subscriber's local cable television system;
first data processing means at said originating source including first
memory means for storing for each said one or more local cable television
systems the following information: area code and telephone exchange, which
of the programs offered by the originating source it wishes to receive and
the time or times at which it wishes to present each to one or more
subscriber, and the technical specifications of its addressable head-end
scrambling equipment, and wherein said first data processing means is
programmed to automatically periodically assemble and communicate to the
head-ends of all local cable television systems of said network a binary
message which contains area code and telephone exchange information and
desired program schedule information for each local cable television
system;
second data processing means at the head-end of each local cable television
system of said network including second memory means for storing command
information for effecting future switching of its scrambling equipment to
achieve delivery to its subscribers of its offered schedule of programs,
wherein each second data processing means is programmed to accept only
that portion of said binary message that is addressed to it for updating
said stored command information; and
means at said originating source for receiving toll-free telephone calls
and providing to said first data processing means Automatic Number
Identification (ANI) information concerning a caller for comparison with
the area code and telephone exchange information stored in said first
memory to determine which local cable television system of said network
serves said caller and, if the telephone call is received within a
prescribed time period relative to the scheduled start time of an offered
program, to automatically assembly and communicate to the head-end of the
local cable television determined to serve the caller a message which
contains ANI information signifying that one of its subscribers has
ordered a particular program.
18. Apparatus as defined by claim 17, wherein said periodically assembled
messages are communicated by satellite to said local cable television
systems on a telecommunications channel which is independent of the
channel on which said originating source distributes program signals.
19. Apparatus as defined by claim 17, wherein the second data processing
means at the head-end of each local cable television system of said
network is programmed to determine whether a received message is addressed
to it and, if so, to determine whether ANI information contained therein
matches telephone number information stored in said second memory means
which identifies one of its subscribers and, if so, to provide subscriber
identification information for automated billing of an ordered program to
the caller's account.
20. A method for providing automated subscriber ordering of pay-per-view
television programs by direct toll-free dialing an originating source
which provides according to a pre-arranged schedule of start times a
plurality of offered pay-per-view television programs to one or more local
cable television systems for distribution, in turn, to respective
subscribers, which originating source includes equipment for receiving
toll-free telephone calls and for providing Automatic Number
Identification (ANI) information for identifying a calling subscriber,
comprising the steps of:
identifying each of said programs by its scheduled start time,
receiving at said originating source a toll-free telephone call from a
subscriber of one of said local cable television systems and noting the
time of day the call is received,
comparing ANI information contained in the received subscriber call with
stored area code and telephone exchange information for each of said local
cable television systems for determining which cable television system
serves the calling subscriber, and if the subscriber's call is received
within a prescribed time period relative to the start time of an offered
pay-per-view program, assembling and communicating to the local cable
television system determined to serve the calling subscriber information
signifying that one of its subscribers has ordered a particular program. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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A microfiche appendix consisting of two pages is referred to herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the distribution of television
programming from an originating facility to one or more remote locations,
and, more particularly, to a control system for automatically and remotely
controlling head-end equipment at each of one or more local cable
television systems.
The use of satellites for the distribution of television signals has made
possible the delivery of a wide variety of news, entertainment,
educational and sports programming to cable system subscribers. Examples
of one type of provider of subscription programming are Home Box Office
(HBO) and Showtime, the offerings of which a cable subscriber can purchase
on a month-to-month basis. For delivery of such programming it is
necessary to uniquely identify each channel (e.g., HBO) so as to be able
to instruct the converter box in the subscriber's home which channel or
channels it is authorized to descramble and which are not authorized. This
is rather easily achieved by the cable operator assigning a unique tag to
each of the channels it is offering and transmitting the tag data, along
with other data, to the subscriber's converter box to precondition the box
to descramble the ordered program signal when it arrives, usually at a
specified time of the day established by the program originator.
Following the launch in November, 1985 of regularly-scheduled satellite
Pay-Per-View (PPV) service, whereby a cable subscriber instead of
subscribing to a particular entertainment channel on a monthly basis can
with a telephone call order a single program event, such as a movie, and
be charged only for what was ordered, cable systems operators discovered
that their in-place hardware presented obstacles to full participation in
this potentially profitable service. Specifically, the addressable
hardware at the head-end of the cable system did not allow the showing of
multiple events in a 24-hour period because most billing systems then in
use depended on tag or address data for program identification in order
properly to bill the customer. As noted above, tag levels were initially
designed to work with monthly pay services.
Since a program originator or provider may offer ten showings a day of as
many as four different movies, it is essential that any cable operator
offering PPV be able to bill each of its subscribers for each and every
showing of a movie or event ordered and watched by the subscriber. At
first blush it would appear that this could be accomplished simply by
changing the tag before each event, but the implementation turned out to
be more difficult than would at first appear. Some cable system operators
positioned an employee in the head-end facility to manually change their
tags for each event. Not only was it costly to keep employees at the
facility, day and night, to manually switch the tag levels, it severely
limited the number of PPV movies that could be distributed per day, which,
of course, limited the income of both the program originator and cable
system operators.
A solution for those cable operators wishing to redistribute PPV
programming distributed by a program originator, described in an article
entitled "Satellite Delivered Tag Change System", by Andrew Ferraro, the
applicant herein, published in 1987 NCTA Technical Papers, provided a
control system for accomplishing the necessary switching at the cable
operator's facility which was completely transparent to the cable
operation. Message information in the form of a serial data stream encoded
in accordance with the requirements of each of a multiplicity of local
cable system operators is automatically generated under computer control
at the originating facility and delivered by satellite to a network of
cable system operators. Prior to the start of a particular Pay-Per-View
event or program, the encoder equipment transmits a first message which
preconditions addressable equipment at the cable system head-end to cause
it to respond to a particular tag level upon later receipt of an
authorization signal. The unique tag assigned to a particular program or
event by an individual cable operator is stored in the originator's
encoding equipment and, prior to the start of transmission of that
particular scheduled program, the encoding equipment individually
addresses the head-end equipment at each local cable site and downloads
each cable operator's unique tag for that particular program. That is to
say, the head-end equipment of all of the local cable systems is
conditioned to receive the next tag value, but a tag change is not
actually initiated until a subsequent message signal authorizing the
change is received. The authorization signal is transmitted to the
head-end of all of the cable sites simultaneously with the initiation of
the program or event, thereby instructing each previously preconditioned
cable head-end to insert the previously downloaded and stored tag into the
composite video signal that is transmitted over its cable system. During
the period between receipt of the preconditioning signal and the scheduled
start time for the particular program, the head-end equipment of each
system automatically distributes the tag to its individual subscribers who
have ordered the program to establish descrambling authorization for those
subscribers.
In this earlier system, a Commodore 64 computer installed in each cable
head-end accepted the serial data stream message information and converted
it to a parallel output for effecting switching operations. It was
inexpensive and reliable, had the required non-volatile memory and its
game cartridge port enabled a programmable ROM to be programmed with all
the needed information and look-up charts.
Although this system allowed a cable operator to enter the PPV business
from an operational point of view without extensive hardware upgrades and
without additional manpower, because the timing of the preconditioning and
authorization messages was geared to the beginning of a movie or other
program event, the uneven lengths of movies frequently resulted in breaks
between successive movies. This otherwise wasted break time could
advantageously be used by individual cable operators to transmit short
messages to its subscribers, including "teasers" such as a short segment
of the movie to follow and instructions as to how the subscriber can order
the program. Further, this earlier system cannot accommodate timely
switching into the program distribution network of important news events,
for example, carried by a satellite transponder different from the one
used by the program originator.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an
improved control system for a satellite delivered Pay-Per-View television
system which is more flexible and versatile than previously available
systems for switching equipment in the head-end of each cable system of a
network of such systems.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system for enabling an
individual cable subscriber of any cable system on a network to order from
a published schedule a desired PPV program by simply placing a timely
telephone call, without voice contact, to the facilities of the program
originator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the control system according to the invention provides the
originator of PPV programming to a network of local cable television
systems with two major functions: automatic controlled switching of a
variety of scrambling equipment, and automatic delivery of individual
subscribers' ordering information to the billing equipment of the cable
operator that serves the subscriber. These functions are performed by a
microprocessor controlled device installed in the head-end of a cable
television system in response to control signals automatically generated
at the program originator's site and delivered via satellite to the cable
head-end. These functions are all controlled automatically and remotely
from the program originator's facilities. Local controls are provided in
the cable system head-end to permit monitoring of the operation the
microprocessor controlled device and the initiation and performance of
diagnostic functions.
The equipment at the program originator's facility includes a computer
system, preferably a multi-tasking multi-user computer, for assembling and
transmitting to the network of cable TV operators two different types of
messages, one for controlling switching of scrambling equipment at the
local cable sites and another for delivering subscriber ordering
information to the local cable systems.
Information supplied by individual cable operators, such as which of the
programs offered by the originator he wishes to carry; the times at which
he wants to carry them; whether or not he wishes to utilize break times
between successive programs and, if so, how; and technical specifications
of his scrambling equipment, including identification of the manufacturer,
is stored in computer memory. Periodically, typically hourly, the computer
assembles and sends a stream of data to each cable head-end on the network
which, essentially, preloads local data processing equipment with the next
sixteen commands that its scrambling equipment will have to respond to.
Each local cable TV company provides its subscribers with a listing of the
PPV programs it will be offering during a given period including the local
time at which each will be presented, and informs it subscribers that a
desired program can be ordered by dialing one of several toll-free 800
numbers within a specified "window" period straddling the start time of
the desired program. For example, in order to watch a movie scheduled to
start at 8:00 P.M. the subscriber would be instructed, either by printed
instructions in a program listing or by instructions presented on the TV
screen, to call one of the 800 numbers within a period commencing 15
minutes before the start of the movie and ending, say, 30 minutes into the
movie a (i.e., "window" of forty-five minutes starting at 7:45 P.M.) and
warned that unless the call is made within this period nothing will have
been ordered.
The call is routed through the telephone network to the originator's
facility where it is processed via Automatic Number Identification (ANI)
equipment supplied by AT&T and compared with stored address information in
the form of the area code and telephone exchange of each cable operator;
that is to say, the first six digits of the cable operators telephone
number. In response to calls received within the "window" period, the
computer system determines from the caller's area code and exchange the
identity of the cable system that serves the caller and then automatically
assembles and communicates a binary message which includes address
information which uniquely identifies the cable operator, a code
indicating that the message contains an ANI message, and the calling
subscriber's telephone number. Only the identified cable system receives
the message, which is decoded by the local data processing equipment and
routed to the cable operator's billing equipment which automatically
charges the ordered program to the subscriber's account and also alerts
local equipment to send an authorizing signal to the subscriber's
converter box. Although it takes only about seven seconds from placement
of the subscriber's call for the system to send an authorizing signal to
his converter box, if a subscriber should call during the period when
switching command data is being communicated, the ordering message is
automatically delayed until the command message is completed.
The system thus permits end users, the individual subscribers of a network
of local cable systems, to order a particular program by dialing a
toll-free telephone number during a specified time period reckoned from
the start time of the desired program. There is no voice communication
between the subscriber and the program originator; the subscriber simply
dials the 800 number and hangs up, and the system automatically handles
the rest of the transaction. In essence, the ordered product is a
particular television program which the customer--and the
system--identifies by the time of day that it is ordered. Because of the
short period required for handling each call the program originator can
service a large number of subscribers, in turn serviced by a large number
of CATV operators, which may be widely scattered, with only a few
toll-free lines; the assignee of the present patent application, Reiss
Media Enterprises, currently services in excess one million individual
subscribers of sixty-five different cable television system operators with
four toll-free lines.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention, and a better
understanding of its construction and operation, will be had from the
following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a system for the satellite delivery
of television programming embodying a control system in accordance with
the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the details of the encoder used at
the originating facility in the FIG. 1 system.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the details of the decoder/switching
device used in the receive end of the FIG. 1 system.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the details of a suitable protocol
converter for use with the decoder/switcher device illustrated in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a television programming delivery system the originating
facility 10 of which includes an encoder 12 and one or more video sources
14 and is linked to the head-end of each of one or more cable television
systems 20, which may be widely scattered, each including a decoder 22.
The communications link 20 for transmitting video program signals and
control data from the originating facility 10 to each of the cable system
head-ends is realized through the use of a satellite communications link
30.
The primary video signals to be transmitted to the network of local cable
television systems, derived from one or more video sources 14, such as a
VCR, are scrambled in a suitable scrambling device 16, such as the
commercially available Video Cipher I, and scheduled by the encoder 12 to
cause each of a plurality of programs offered during a given 24-hour
period to start at a predetermined time, typically, every two hours on the
hour. The program originator furnishes the schedule to each cable operator
on the network with start times given in the local time of the originating
facility, and each local operator, who may be separated from the
originating facility by none, one or more time zones, in turn makes
available to its subscribers, usually in local time, the schedule of
programs he will be offering. The primary video signal is descrambled at
the cable head-end using a suitable descrambler 24, which may be the
commercially available Video Cipher II, and then applied, along with local
video inputs if desired, to a scrambler 26, also conventional and
commercially available, to produce a scrambled video output signal for
distribution by the local cable system.
The encoder 12, which preferably utilizes a multi-user multi-tasking
computer system and necessary peripherals, including a disk memory 18,
generates control data to be transmitted to the cable systems. On an
hourly basis, encoder 12 automatically assembles and sends over the
satellite link 30 to each of the cable systems in the network a stream of
data which essentially preloads each decoder 22 with the next sixteen
switching commands that it is going to have to make. As a separate task,
the encoder 12, in response to a telephone call from an individual
subscriber of any of the cable systems in the network to a designated 800
number at the originators facility, and after processing of the calling
pulse data in telephone equipment 9 provided by AT&T and buffering by a
suitable protocol converter 8 assembles and sends a message consisting of
the address of the calling subscriber's cable system, a function code
which indicates that the message contains ANI information, and part of the
calling subscriber's telephone number, all constituting an order message.
When this message is received by the addressed cable system, it is decoded
and routed to the cable operator's billing equipment 28, via a suitable
protocol converter 29, if required, which automatically bills the ordered
program to the calling subscriber's account.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the encoder 12 at the originating facility may be
implemented by using the commercially available Intel 80286 microprocessor
and appropriate input/output interfaces, disc memory 18, a terminal 42
having a keyboard 42a and display 42b, a printer 44 and, if desired, a
modem 46 through which the microprocessor may be accessed by local
telephone, as by designated personnel of the originating facility. The
preferred operating system for the described computer system is
"Concurrent DOS" by Digital Research, Inc. and disc memory 18 is
preferably an 80 megabyte disc drive. A separate microprocessor system 48
based on the Z80 with its own memory and completely isolated from the
microprocessor is mounted on a separate card and handles the incoming data
stream from the telephone equipment 9. A microfiche of the printout of the
program for microprocessor 40 and the Z80 microprocessor 48 is attached
hereto and marked "Appendix I".
Based on information supplied by each cable operator concerning the type
and manufacturer of its addressable headend equipment, including the
switching protocol of its scrambling equipment, a first database is
developed and stored in disk memory 18 in the form of a lookup table which
has an entry for each cable system identifying the site of the system and
a number of presets which uniquely describe the tier or tag levels of the
equipment at that site. Generally, the scrambling equipment at the cable
system head-end responds to tag levels each uniquely identified by a
digital code; depending on the particular equipment used by a given cable
operator, which may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, it may have
a minimum of thirty-two and a maximum of 256 different tag levels.
The first database also stores information, initially provided by the
individual cable operators, concerning which of the programs being offered
he wishes to carry, the times at which he wants them to be carried on his
cable system, and whether he wishes to offer local programming during
breaks between successive programs offerings and, if so, the equipment he
intends to use to provide it. Unless the cable operator requests schedule
changes, the stored information is carried over from month to month; the
ending times of the movies being offered, which may change from time to
time and therefore alter the length of break periods, are stored in
another lookup table. The memory also stores trunk records consisting of
three digits for identif | | |
