Patent · US Expired

Interactive home information system

US5412720A · kind A · utility

506Cited by
68References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 1, 1992
Grant dateMay 2, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 1, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N2007/1739
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An interactive cable television system having a plurality of feeder servers, a plurality of home interface controllers and a feeder port. Home interface controllers are each equipped with a radio frequency input and a data communications link with a receiver and transmitter in the feeder port. A node control in communication with the feeder port determines whether a home interface controller is active and then assigns a feeder server to it. The feeder server provides one of a plurality of information signals from a headend depending on a selection input. Digitally compressed video signals are provided at the headend. The digitally compressed video signals can be provided by a modulator means at a carrier frequency greater than the upper frequency limit for carrying analog television signals with acceptable quality on the cable system. The cable television system may make use of a scrambler that maintains the chrome subcarrier on a sync-stripped output signal at all times including the period of vertical retrace. The sync-stripped output signal is modulated at a first carrier frequency and the sync-signal is modulated at a second carrier frequency. A corresponding decoder is provide…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.