Thomas E Terry

US Patent:

50162721, May 14, 1991

Filed:

Jun 16, 1989

Appl. No.:

7/367086

Inventors:

James R. Stubbs - Camp Hill PA
Thomas R. Terry - Hummelstown PA

International Classification:

H04N 7167

US Classification:

380 5

Abstract:

A home video system comprising a headend system, a transmission channel, a trap, a converter, descrambling equipment, receiving equipment, and requesting equipment. The headend equipment includes program equipment, interface equipment, protection equipment, scrambling equipment, and processor equipment. A transmission channel has a large capacity for a broadcast signal. The broadcast signal includes a plurality of standard signals occupying a first set of channels and a plurality of special signals occupying a second set of channels. The program equipment originates the braodcast signal. The interface equipment is coupled between the program equipment and the transmission channel, and interfaces the broadcast signal from the program equipment with the transmission channel. The protection equipment prevents recording of a first set of special signals. The scrambling equipment scrambles a second set of special signals.