Modem with automatic callback provisions
US6064724A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 22, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 16, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 22, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/6187
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A modem is included in a television receiver for transferring data, such as "pay per view" billing information, to a modem in a billing station during periodic callback operations. The television receiver modem monitors the telephone line for predetermined conditions, such as the presence of high frequency energy or a drop in the telephone line loop current, indicative of telephone use. The television receiver modem will ordinarily inhibit or terminate a callback in order to avoid interfering with normal telephone calls when the predetermined conditions are detected. However, the detection of the predetermined conditions may be caused by telephone network problems and not by normal telephone usage. Accordingly, the modem is controlled to ignore the detection of the conditions after a predetermined number of unsuccessful callbacks due to the detection of the conditions until a successful callback is achieved.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.