Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Safety and protection of systems and devices – Feeder protection in distribution networks
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-11
2001-02-27
Jackson, Stephen W. (Department: 2836)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Safety and protection of systems and devices
Feeder protection in distribution networks
C361S001000, C361S115000, C361S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195242
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to providing a method and system to deliver a utility service line from its public distribution point to a customer in a more secure fashion, and more particularly, to deter theft of service by protecting vulnerable portions of a utility service line between a public distribution unit and a customer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The National Cable Television Association estimates cable theft costs the cable television (“CATV”) industry $4.7 billion dollars per year. The easiest and most prevalent methods for stealing cable service are the removal of filters attached at the customers cable box or splicing the service line upstream from the filters and running a new line from that splice.
Traditionally, CATV lines piggy-back on telephone or power line poles in residential neighborhoods. Distribution boxes are placed at intervals along the CATV line. Service lines proceed from each distribution box to a plurality of customers. Traditionally, each service line is strung by itself or along a supporting stran wire to a connection point at a customer's residence. The service line is then run from the connection point to what is commonly referred to as a cable box mounted inside or on the exterior of the customer's residence. The service line connects at the cable box to the grid inside the customer's residence that distributes the CATV signal to individual outlets throughout the residence.
A service line carries the signals for all channels offered by a CATV provider as it leaves the distribution box. However, most customers only contract to receive a portion of the available channels. The most common way to customize the signal received by a customer is to connect the service line to one or more channel filters within the cable box. Each channel filter removes a range of channels from the signal carried by the service line. Accordingly, when the service line feeds into the customer's residential grid, it only carries that portion of the signal subscribed to by the customer.
The channel filter system allows flexibility in providing custom service to subscribers. Furthermore, cable linemen can easily change a customer's service by adding or removing filters from a cable box. However, the channel filter system is susceptible to cable theft.
Many times before the cable lineman leaves a neighborhood after installing CATV service, cable thieves are soliciting the new CATV customers to break into their cable boxes and remove the filters, thus providing services the customers have not contracted to receive. Not only does the cable company lose revenue based on non-payment of channel fees, but in most instances, the filters are discarded by the cable thieves. A single filter can cost up to $25.00, and therefore the loss of filters can quickly become a major expense.
Many tamper proof cable boxes have been developed to deter this easy method of cable theft. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,893 to Mangone, Jr. (Enclosure for Cable Connections) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,140 to Adams, et al. (Security Box for Cable TV Connections). However, the cable thief simply refocuses his attention on the unprotected portions of the service line that can be easily reached.
If the cable box provides too great a challenge, the cable thief can splice the service line at any reachable point between the distribution box and the cable box, connect a new line to the upstream end of the service line, and run the new line to a customer's residential grid, thus bypassing the cable box filters. Exotic electronics have been devised to prevent the effectiveness of such splicing, or to scramble signals carried by the service line. Some of these systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,132 to Doles, et al. (Cable TV Security Means) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,865 to Barary (Cable TV Channel Security System Having Remotely Addressable Traps). However, these methods generally involve the CATV provider purchasing and deploying expensive equipment to upgrade its systems.
Accordingly, what is needed is an inexpensive method and system for providing extra security for both new service installations and existing CATV installation that deters cable theft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a method for deterring theft of a utility service that is delivered by a service line. Critical areas of the service line susceptible to theft are identified. For each critical area, a protective means is selected to address the specific characteristics making the area vulnerable to tampering. Thereafter, the specific protective means are applied to the service line to increase the difficulty of stealing the service, thus deterring such theft.
The invention also contemplates a system to deter theft of a utility. The system includes a local distribution unit, a customer security unit, a service line leading from the local distribution unit to a structure where the service line proceeds along at least a portion of the structure to the customer security unit. The customer security unit is mounted on the structure. The local distribution unit and customer security box deter unauthorized tampering of items substantially enclosed within the unit and box. The portion of the service line proceeding along the structure runs substantially within a first sheath adapted to deter unauthorized tampering of items substantially enclosed within. The service line proceeding between the local distribution unit and the structure runs substantially within a second sheath adapted to deter unauthorized tampering of items substantially enclosed within.
One industry that can utilize the invention is the cable television industry. For a CATV implementation, the local distribution unit includes a tap, the service line is co-axial cable and the customer security unit is a cable box. The filters traditionally found in a cable box are removed and placed in series on the cable within the first sheath.
Importantly, the components of the system beyond those items normally used for CATV service installation are common, inexpensive items.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to deter utility theft at the place where service is provided.
Another object of the invention is to prevent CATV service theft by increasing the security of a customer's CATV service installation.
Another object of the invention is to prevent CATV service theft using mechanical security means instead of electronic security means.
Another object of the invention is to use common, inexpensive items to increase the security of a CATV service installation.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a security system which can be applied to new CATV service installations as well as pre-existing CATV service installations.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1736097 (1929-11-01), Shickluna
patent: 3328510 (1967-06-01), White
patent: 4243834 (1981-01-01), Logioco
patent: 4676569 (1987-06-01), Lambert et al.
patent: 4785140 (1988-11-01), Adams et al.
patent: 5400212 (1995-03-01), Hanson
patent: 5497893 (1996-03-01), Mangone, Jr.
Jackson Stephen W.
Morris Manning & Martin LLP
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