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An improved method and apparatus for identifying and verifying the proper airing of television broadcast programs is disclosed wherein from the television broadcast, it can be assured that the programs were televised and received properly and aired at the scheduled time. The invention disclosed util

An improved method and apparatus for identifying and verifying the proper airing of television broadcast programs is disclosed wherein from the television broadcast, it can be assured that the programs were televised and received properly and aired at the scheduled time. The invention disclosed utilizes prerecorded or live video programs in which imprinted on a preselected scanning line is a digital encoded identifying number. These video programs with digital encoding are then distributed to network and/or local broadcast stations to be televised with this identification. A plurality of selected aired television channels are then automatically simultaneously monitored at a typical reception site whereby the encoded broadcast is appraised as to the quality of its audio and video, identified and timed, and which information is then stored for a later comparison to that which was actually intended to be aired.

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1. A method for automatically identifying and verifying the proper airing of a television program comprising: (a) placing an identification code on a select line of each frame of a television program; (b) forming and storing a reference signal in a first memory said reference signal containing v

1. A method for automatically identifying and verifying the proper airing of a television program comprising: (a) placing an identification code on a select line of each frame of a television program; (b) forming and storing a reference signal in a first memory said reference signal containing verified airings information referenced to the identification code on said coded program to be bought airings, (c) transmitting, as a composite signal, said coded program from one or more sending stations over one or more channels in a receiving area; (d) receiving each said composite signal of said channels; (e) scanning automatically one or more of said channels to detect the presence of said identification code and a proper audio and video portion of each received composite signal; (f) separating the detected identification code from each said received composite signal; (g) generating an electrical time signal; (h) generating a channel identifying signal; (i) forming a separate verification signal for each separated identification code by combining said separated identification code, said time signal and said channel identification signal; (j) storing each said verification signal in a second memory as said verified airings, and (k) playing out of said first and second memories the information stored therein to compare and match said verified airings with the bought airings and making therefrom a list of the number of verified airings that were bought airings and the number of bought airings for which there is no verified airing. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said identification code comprises a digital signal. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said digital signal is a one or more bit identification code. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said digital signal is a 7 bit identification code. 5. The method of claim 2 wherein said digital signal is encoded on line 20 of fields 1 and 2. 6. The method of claim 1 including steps of sensing an electrical characteristic of each said received composite signal to determine the quality of the video portion of each said received composite signal and generating an electrical signal to be stored in the second memory indicating the video quality of each said received composite signal. 7. The method of claim 5 including steps of sensing an electrical characteristic of said received composite signal to determine the quality of the audio portion of each said received composite signal and generating an electrical signal to be stored in the second memory indicating the audio quality of each said received composite signal. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said time signal indicates the day, time of day, and the length of time at which said identification code was received. 9. The method of claim 1 including a step of forming a plurality of copies of said television program having said video portion and said identification code stored thereon. 10. The method of claim 1 including a step of periodically scanning each channel for a predetermined interval of time. 11. The method of claim 9 wherein each of said channels is repetitively scanned for an interval of one or more frames. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of scanned channels is more than one. 13. In a system wherein composite electrical signals having a video information component and a scanning control component are transmitted within a reception area by one or more stations over different communication channels to a plurality of remote receiving stations within a reception area, apparatus for verifying the transmission of the video information component between the sending and receiving stations, comprising: (a) means for forming composite electrical signals having said video information component, a periodically recurring identification component, and a periodically recurring scanning control component, said identification component encoded to identify the informational content of said video component; (b) means for forming and storing a reference signal, said reference signal including said identification component; (c) means for transmitting said composite signals from one or more of said sending stations over one or more of said channels to receiving stations located in said receiving area; (d) a plurality of signal receiving means for receiving the composite signals of different channels; (e) means for scanning said plurality of signal receiving means at a receiving station for detecting reception of said composite signal on one or more of said channels; (f) means for separating the identification component from each detected composite signal; (g) means for generating an electrical time signal; (h) means for generating a channel identifying signal; (i) means for forming a separate composite verification signal for each separated identification component by combining said separated identification component, said time signal and said channel identification signal; (j) means for storing each said verification signal; (k) means for comparing each said stored verification signal and said reference signal; and (l) means for providing an indication upon correspondence between said verification and reference signal thereby verifying the transmission of said video information component from said sending station to said receiving station. 14. A method for automatically identifying and verifying the proper airing of a television program comprising: (a) placing an identification code on a select line of each frame of a television program; (b) transmitting, as a composite signal, said coded program from one or more sending stations over one or more channels in a receiving area; (c) receiving each said composite signal of said channels; (d) scanning automatically over one or more of said channels to detect the presence of said identification code; (e) separating the detected identification code from each received composite signal; (f) forming a separate verification signal for each separated identification code; and (g) comparing each said verification signal with a predetermined reference signal to identify and verify said airing. 15. A method for automatically identifying and verifying the proper airing of a television program comprising: (a) placing an identification code on a select line of each frame of a television program; (b) forming and storing a reference signal in a first memory which signal contains verified airings information referenced to the identification code on said coded program to be bought airings; (c) transmitting, as a composite signal, said coded program from one or more sending stations over one or more channels in a receiving area; (d) receiving each composite signal of said channels; (e) scanning automatically one or more of said channels to detect the presence of said identification code; (f) separating the detected identification code from each received composite signal; (g) generating an electrical time signal; (h) forming a separate verification signal for each separated identification code by combining said separated identification code and said time signal; (i) storing each said verification signal in a second memory as said verified airings; and (j) playing out of said first and second memories the information stored therein to compare and match said verified airings with the bought airings. 16. The method according to claim 15, further including the step of generating a list of the number of verified airings that were bought airings and the number of bought airings for which there is no verified airing. 17. A method for automatically identifying and verifying the proper airing of a television program comprising: (a) placing an identification code on a select line of each frame of a television program; (b) forming and storing a reference signal on a first memory which signal contains verified airings information referenced to the identification code on said coded program to be bought airings; (c) transmitting, as a composite signal, said coded program from one or more sending stations over one or more channels in a receiving area; (d) receiving each composite signal of said channels; (e) scanning automatically one or more of said channels to detect the presence of said identification code; (f) separating the detected identification code from each received composite signal; (g) generating an electrical time signal; (h) generating a channel identifying signal; (i) forming a separate verification signal for each separated identification code by combining said separated identification code, said time signal, and said channel identification signal; (j) storing each said verification signal in a second memory as said verified airings; and (k) playing out of said first and second memories the information stored therein to compare and match said verified airings with the bought airings. 18. In a system wherein composite electrical signals having a video information component and a scanning control component are transmitted within a reception area by one or more stations over different communication channels to a plurality of remote receiving stations within a reception area, apparatus for verifying the transmission of the video information component between the sending and receiving stations, comprising: (a) means for forming composite electrical signals having said video information component, a periodically recurring identification component, and a periodically recurring scanning control component, said identification component encoded to identify the informational content of said video component; (b) means for forming and storing a reference signal, said reference signal including said identification component; (c) means for transmitting said composite signals from one or more of said sending stations over one or more of said channels to receiving stations located in said receiving area; (d) a plurality of signal receiving means for receiving the composite signals of different channels; (e) means for scanning said plurality of signal receiving means at a receiving station for detecting reception of said composite signal on one or more of said channels; (f) means for separating the identification component from each detected composite signal; (g) means for generating an electrical time signal; (h) means for forming a separate composite verification signal for each separated identification component by combining said separated identification component and said time signal; (i) means for storing each said verification signal; (j) means for comparing each said stored verification signal and said reference signal; and (k) means for providing an indication upon the correspondence between said verification and reference signal thereby verifying the transmission of said video information component from said sending station to said receiving station.