초록 ▼

A system in a subscriber television network for enabling descrambling of a received scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and/or an impulse-purchase basis. A received mask signal uniquely related to the scrambled signal is compared with a received authorization signal indicating whether the subscriber

A system in a subscriber television network for enabling descrambling of a received scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and/or an impulse-purchase basis. A received mask signal uniquely related to the scrambled signal is compared with a received authorization signal indicating whether the subscriber is authorized to receive the scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and a prepaid signal for enabling descrambling is provided when the compared signals match. A not-prepaid signal is provided when they do not match. A received cost signal indicating the charge for descrambling the scrambled signal and a received credit signal indicating only the subscriber\s accumulated credit are processed with reference to a stored record of the subscriber\s prior accumulated charges to determine whether the subscriber has sufficient available credit to pay for descrambling of the scrambled signal. If a program is not prepaid and if sufficient credit is available, the subscriber is given the option of causing the signal to be descrambled on an impulse-purchase basis. To prevent a subscriber from obtaining descrambling through such deceit as changing the mask, authorization, cost and/or credit signals, these signals are processed with key signals which are used in scrambling and descrambling the television signal such that descrambling is prevented if any of the mask authorization, cost and/or credit signals is changed.

대표청구항 ▼

In a subscriber communication network a system for verifying charge information furnished to a broadcast company by a given subscriber and purported by the subscriber as having been displayed at the subscriber terminal, comprising means at the subscriber terminal for providing a debit signal indicat

In a subscriber communication network a system for verifying charge information furnished to a broadcast company by a given subscriber and purported by the subscriber as having been displayed at the subscriber terminal, comprising means at the subscriber terminal for providing a debit signal indicating the charges attributed to the subscriber terminal; means at the subscriber terminal for processing the debit signal to provide an authentication signal; means at the subscriber terminal responsive to the debit signal for providing to the given subscriber a display of information indicating the charges; and means at the subscriber terminal responsive to the authentication signal for providing to the given subscriber a display of information representative of the authentication signal; and means at the broadcast company for entering information furnished by the given subscriber that purportedly is the displayed charges information and the authentication information and for converting the same into a received debit signal and a received authentication signal respectively; and means for processing the received debit signal with the received authentication signal to determine whether the information furnished by the given subscriber was authentic.