초록 ▼

A cable television system and method in which each subscriber\s converter is located outside the subscriber\s premises in an external control unit (“ECU”) which also includes several other subscribers\converters. The ECU includes common signal processing circuitry for controlling all the converters

A cable television system and method in which each subscriber\s converter is located outside the subscriber\s premises in an external control unit (“ECU”) which also includes several other subscribers\converters. The ECU includes common signal processing circuitry for controlling all the converters in the ECU. In addition to television signals, the cable network transmits control and data signals in both directions between the ECU and the head end of the system and between the ECU and each subscriber. Each subscriber supplies a portion of the power required by the associated ECU. Multiple television channels can be supplied to each subscriber via a single drop cable connecting the subscriber to the ECU.

대표청구항 ▼

A cable television system for providing selected television signals to a plurality of remotely located subscriber premises, having a head end for producing a television signal and a cable network for conducting the television signal from the head end to a plurality of remote locations, each of which

A cable television system for providing selected television signals to a plurality of remotely located subscriber premises, having a head end for producing a television signal and a cable network for conducting the television signal from the head end to a plurality of remote locations, each of which is adjacent but external to a respective subset of the subscriber premises, comprising: external control unit means at each of the remote locations for receiving the television signal from the cable network; a plurality of drop cables connected to each external control unit means, each drop cable conducting a selected portion of the television signal from the external control unit means to a respective one of the subscriber premises associated with that external control unit means; subscriber device means connected to each drop cable at the subscriber premises for applying to the drop cable a first control signal indicative of data to be transmitted to the external control unit means, at least one of said subscriber device means being a subscriber processing unit means for allowing the subscriber to apply to the drop cable a first control signal including channel data indicative of the portion of the television signal which that subscriber wishes to select; processing means associated with each external control unit means for processinq the first control signals applied to all the drop cables associated with that external control unit means, for determining independently of the head end whether or not the portion of the television signal indicated by the channel data is authorized for viewing, and for causing that external control unit means to apply to each associated drop cable the portion of the television signal indicated by the first control signal channel data received via the drop cable if that portion is authorized, the processing means including common signal processing circuitry which at least partially processes the information represented by the first control signals applied to all of the drop cables associated with that external control unit means, and further including a microprocessor, alterable memory means for storing data representing which of the subscribers associated with the external control unit means is authorized to receive each particular portion of the television signal, and communication means for allowing the head end to modify the authorization data stored by the memory means;, means associated with each external control unit means for applying to each drop cable a second control signal including data to be transmitted to the associated subscriber premises, at least a portion of which differs from the data included in the first control signal; and means associated with each subscriber device means to receive and store the data included in the second control signal.