Geographic black-out method for direct broadcast satellite system
US5036537A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 1987 |
| Grant date | Jul 30, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N7/1675
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Television programs are broadcast to a plurality of receiver units in various geographic areas. Each unit has a memory for storage of a designation code representative of its location and a memory for the storage of a blackout tier indication. Prior to the transmission of the program to be blacked out, each unit is separately addressed and provided with a message including a designation code for storage. Then, a globally addressed message provides all receiver units having a selected designation code with a blackout tier indication for storage. A program tier indication is transmitted along with the program to be blacked out. Each unit, upon receiving the transmitted program, compares the transmitted program tier indication and the blackout tier indication in its memory. All receiver units having a stored blackout tier indication which matches the program tier indication are simultaneously prevented from displaying the program to be blacked out.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.