Interactive video distribution systems – Billing in video distribution system – Payment method or scheme
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-07-24
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Billing in video distribution system
Payment method or scheme
C725S011000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266812
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a management system for use in a cable TV system, and more particularly to an addressable CATV end-user payment collection management system, which provides the function of interception prohibition, addressed encryption, and automatic statistics collecting and accounting.
Cable TV has been well developed in advanced and developing countries. Most families in advanced and developing countries subscribe cable TV programs. End-user payment collection management is an important work to cable TV stations. Cable TV stations may use addressed encryption means and well-protected distributors to control signal transmission to individual end-users. However, address encryption means and interception prohibition means are quite expensive. Further, a cable TV station hires a big number of engineers and workers to handle delayed payment and nonpayment affairs. If an end-user didn't pay for the payment fell due a certain length of time after due date, the cable TV station may have to send an engineer to cut the line. When an overdue payment is paid, the cable TV station must send an engineer to resume the line. Because payment collection management is handled by labor, the labor cost is high. Therefore, there is a high demand for a cable TV end-user payment collection management system, which is inexpensive, and can automatically manage end-user payment collection, prevent an interception, and encrypt the channels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. The addressable CATV end-user payment collection management system adopts the advanced bi-directional broadband network architecture. The system comprises a payment collection computer data bank, a RS-232 cable modem which connects the payment collection computer data bank to a CATV broadcasting system, a plurality of programmable control signal distributors, and a voice payment urging and end-user encryption channel setting system. The payment collection computer data bank is provided for storing and processing data of the end-users, and producing a control signal to the cable modem subject to the payment data of the end-users. The cable modem is connected between the cable TV broadcasting system and the payment collection computer data bank for sending the control signal from the payment collection computer data bank to the cable TV broadcasting system for mixing with the video signal for synchronous output. The signal distributors are respectively connected to the video signal main cable of the cable TV broadcasting system for distributing the video signal to the end-users, each comprising a programmable central processing unit for receiving the control signal from the payment collection computer data bank through the cable modem for closing/opening the line at each individual end-user.
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Casey, Esq Donald C.
Faile Andrew
NFOCOM Technology Co., Ltd.
Tran Hai V.
LandOfFree
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