초록 ▼

A system for controlling a cable television network includes a headend, a plurality of addressable external control units having subscriber converters located off the subscribers\premises, and one or more subscriber devices located on the subscriber premises for communicating with associated externa

A system for controlling a cable television network includes a headend, a plurality of addressable external control units having subscriber converters located off the subscribers\premises, and one or more subscriber devices located on the subscriber premises for communicating with associated external control units. The headend can selectively and rapidly poll the external control units for information on a general or on a priority basis. Information is transmitted to the headend from the external control units on any of a plurality of reverse communication channels under control of the head end. External control units use a two-part polling scheme to poll a plurality of associated drop cables, and individual subscriber devices attached to the drop cables. The polling rapidly identifies subscriber devices desiring to communicate with the external control unit.

대표청구항 ▼

A two-way cable television system for transmitting television signals and other signals via a cable network from a head end to addressable devices at a plurality of remote locations, comprising: means associated with the head end for transmitting polling signals to the devices; means associated with

A two-way cable television system for transmitting television signals and other signals via a cable network from a head end to addressable devices at a plurality of remote locations, comprising: means associated with the head end for transmitting polling signals to the devices; means associated with each device for storing information and for assigning a level of importance to the stored information; means associated with the head end for transmitting to the devices priority information control signals including data indicative of a priority threshold level of importance at which the devices should transmit information to the head end; means associated with each device for receiving the priority information control signals and for comparing the level of importance of the information stored in the associated device with the priority threshold level of importance indicated by the priority information control signals; and means associated with each device responsive to said receiving and comparing means and to any received polling signal for transmitting to the head end a response signal if the level of importance of the stored information bears a predetermined relationship to the priority threshold level of importance indicated by the priority information control signals.