United States Patent
`
`[19]
`
`Black et al.
`
`[111
`
`[45]
`
`Patent Number:
`
`4,484,217
`
`Date of Patent:
`
`Nov. 20, 1984
`
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`A method and system for providing subscription ser-
`vices, partioularly subscription television services,
`in-
`voltving transmissions from a remote_locatio_n to a sub-
`SCHDCR locattion folr which payment is reqtiliired for ac-
`cess.
`cos signa containing a cost or c arge associ-
`ated with the transmissions is transmitted from the re-
`mote location, and a credit preferably is stored at the
`subscriber location. The magnitude of the charge con-
`tained in the cost signal is compared with the magnitude
`of the stored credit, although it need not be if cost is
`a
`lat d as in
`discl sed
`bodim t,
`d
`—
`'3; th: Su.,sc,§,:: to m: ,,a:;"mtssion:"ass:';iaf:d
`with the Cost Signal is enabled in response to the relative
`magnitudes of the charge and the stored credit. The
`magnitude of stored Credit is modified by the magnitude
`of the charge if the subscriber chooses to access to the
`;::‘.;s:‘.‘::.:*:":.';i..;’;:i:'.::':E;‘=:;.*:~3.:.‘:::;:::'.:::‘;:“°°.,,..5;
`transmitted from the remote location and the stored
`Credit at ‘the location of the indiyidual Subscriber is
`modified in response to the transmitted credit data. An
`indicator on the subscriber's decoder is automatically
`energized at the end of a billing period to inform the
`subscriber that payment is due. Upon receipt by the
`station operator of the payment and crediting of the
`-
`»
`-
`-
`-
`payment to the subscriber, the indicator is automatically
`extinguished. The disclosed impulse purchase capability
`is particularly useful in a pay television system involv-
`ing transmission for which payment for access is pre-
`arranged at a fixed level and transmissions for which
`payment for access is not pre-arranged at a fixed level.
`
`47 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures
`
`54] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOTE
`REPORTING, PARTICULARLY FOR PAY
`TELEVISION BILLING
`
`[75]
`
`lnventorsz Robe" s_ mock’ Manna Del Ray;
`John M. Lu”, Fullerton, both of
`Calif.
`
`l73l
`
`-A-551811635
`
`Teleasea 1110-» 1-05 Angelesy Calif
`
`‘
`Izu Appl‘ No" 377380
`[22] Filed;
`May 11, 1932
`[51]
`Int. Cl.3 ............................................... H04N 7/18
`[52] U.S. C1. ...................................... .. 353/84; 358/36;
`‘
`353/1149 455/25 455/4
`[58] Fleld of Search ................. .. 358/84, 86, 114, 115,
`358/117; 455/2, 4
`
`wed
`U-S- PATENT DOCUMENTS
`2,769,023 10/1956 Loew .................................. 358/115
`3,071,642
`1/1963 Mouritjoy
`358/115
`3,833,757
`9/1974 Kirk . . .. .. .... .
`. . . . .. 455/2
`3.934.079
`1/1976 Bamhart -
`.- 455/2
`4v"’3»254 7/1979 BT°°k
`- 353/84
`4'225'384 9/1980 Bl°°k "
`353/34
`4 325 078 4/1932 Seaton
`358/115
`4‘398'2l6
`8/1983 Field
`358/144
`""""""""""""""""""
`’
`’
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`53885
`6/1982 European Pm On.‘
`
`
`
`353/H5
`
`I561
`
`Primary Exami‘ner—1-Ioward W. Britton
`Attorney. Agent. or Fi'rm—Bums, Doane, Swecker &
`Mathis
`
`90
`
`
`SELECTED
`CATEGORY
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`PMC Exhibit 213
`
`Apple v. PM
`|PR2016-0075
`
`Page 1
`
`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 1
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`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 2
`
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 20, 1984
`
`Sheet 2 of 6
`
`4,484,217
`
`ADDRESS
`
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`|PR2016-0075
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`
`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 3
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 20, 1984
`
`Sheet 3 of6
`
`4,484,217
`
`F|G.3
`
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`PMC Exhibit 213
`
`Apple v. PM
`|PR2016-0075
`
`Page
`
`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 4
`
`

`
`U.S. ‘Patent
`
`Nov. 20, 1984
`
`Sheet 4 of 6
`
`4,484,217
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`Apple v. PM
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`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
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`Page 5
`
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`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 7
`
`
`

`
`1
`
`4,484,217
`
`METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOTE
`REPORTING, PARTICULARLY FOR PAY
`TELEVISION BILLING
`
`2
`View billing capability within a tiered or flat fee system
`or to operate entirely on a per view billing basis.
`In one subscription television system now in opera-
`tion, tiering and/or per program billing can be provided
`through the use of the techniques described in the
`above-referenced patents. While the combination em-
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`bodied in this commercial system may provide the ad-
`1 Field of the Invention
`vantages of both fiering and per program billing’ there
`The resent invention relates to a method and system
`is a requirement that the subscriber periodically trans-
`for renfote him“ and/or other re om“ for services
`such as
`a
`televiion or the like mad afiicularly to a 10 mit billing information to the central billing location
`methodrglzi 3 Stem for mvidit; mihase Ca aijim
`(e.g., by telephone) so that a bill can be formulated on
`for
`a
`televiiion Servkis on ag 1;: aid tiers‘; bass;
`the basis of that information. Alternatively, the sub-
`and/poryon an im ulse urchase basis p
`’
`scriber must pay well in advance so that proper decod-
`2 State of thepPriorpArt
`'
`ing information can be transmitted to the subscriber,
`Services such as broadcast and cable pay television 15 e'g' ovemhe-air or by man’ cable or telephone’ in ad’
`require the collection of payment for the services pro-
`Vance of the scheduled program airing‘
`vided, and various techniques have been devised for
`OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE
`charging subscribers and assuring collection for the
`‘
`INVENTION
`to
`or
`.A
`vide a novel method and system for remote reporting,
`ro mm or “ er View” bm_
`aid to more com ‘ex er
`particularly as it relates to billing for services on an
`P
`‘
`h
`ph t h
`.
`h .
`3
`3’ dp
`impulse basis so that a service such as pay television can
`1635 la; mgues4a1“63 g‘;48. en: 3“; has t Sa 5?] °:'“ "3
`be received by a subscriber to the service without pre-
`I ‘h;l Rat'Ma‘r)fin’
`lssue
`to
`0 en '
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`f
`th
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`Sgllcitgeor anangmgma van“ to pay any Se ee or
`e
`More recent attention has been focused on tiermg
`One object of the present invention is to provide a
`melhods of subscriber billing‘ 1" ,3 tiered System’ ‘f‘,S“b'
`novel method and apparatus permitting subscribers to
`s°"b°r_Pays ‘' _at rate f°r °,a‘fh_t_’e" or category _° Pm‘
`view certain programs on a flat fee or tiered basis and
`ifatfglégém‘i1est'l_r:d'0':2:te°g1'c)3l_'il’e‘l‘_ts3’p‘ri 1: Sugggzgzrtlilo
`3
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`subscriber is charged a flat fee for that eligibility regard—
`€01. es1;)Ie:(,)fg;‘:a:,r;So(g)i.1a:npei(r1§,:,;Ci,§2:30Haiti-:,lm;l:on iennE:,._
`ii :3 2:; :::“‘?ie(\:e3ew Pmgmms wlthm the Wear"
`mulating bills and without the need for transmitting any
`Tghus for example the subscribers may prearrange to
`Specific; blnmygl
`lnfgrma-‘Eon’ other min! periodic pay-
`’
`!
`.
`merits,
`rorn t e su scri er to a centra ocation.
`Pay °“° flat fee t° watch 3 cemm‘ wiegory of Programs 35
`It is a further object of the present invention to pro-
`such as sports, another flat fee to watch another cate-
`vide a novel pay television method and system in which
`gory of programs, and so on. One subscriber might thus
`the accounting for services selected by a subscriber is
`agree to pay the sum of three flat fees to be eligible to
`accomplished primarily at the subscriber location.
`It is another object of the present invention to pro-
`view all programs within three categories or “tiers”
`(e.g., a $35.00 total for a combination of one $10.00
`vide a novel pay television system and method which
`category or tier, one $20.00 category or tier and one
`requires no bills to be transmitted to subscribers in order
`to ensure collection for services used by the subscriber.
`$5.00 category or tier) while another subscriber might
`select and beeligible to view only one category or tier.
`It is yet a further object of the present invention to
`Control of tiering in the above manner is typically
`provide a novel pay television system and method in
`which subscribers can decide on impulse to purchase a
`provided by identifying programs as falling into one or 45
`more of a plurality of categories or tiers on the basis of
`program for viewing despite not having pre—notit'ied the
`subscription television operator.
`codes transmitted with the program material and allow-
`ing only the viewing of the correct category or catego-
`It is yet another object of the present invention to
`ries of programs at the subscriber location such as is
`provide a novel method and system for alerting a sub-
`shown in Block and Martin U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,884.
`scriber to a subscription service that payment is due and
`then further indicating when payment has been re-
`Moreover, within each tier, programs may be further
`ceived.
`categorized on the basis of program content as in U.S.
`Pat. No. 4,225,884.
`These and other objects and advantages are provided
`in accordance with the present invention in a system for
`A tiered pay television billing system has the advan-
`providing impulse purchase services involving trans-
`tage of simplicity over most per program (per view)
`missions from a remote location to a subscriber location
`systems in that there is no need to store information
`through the transmission of a cost signal containing a
`regarding programs billed and to send this information
`charge associated with the transmission. A credit pref-
`to a central billing location. However, there is occasion-
`erably is stored at the subscriber location and the charge
`ally a need in a tiered or flat fee system to permit a
`contained in the cost signal is compared with the stored
`subscriber to view a program not within the tier or tiers
`credit. The relative magnitudes of the charge and stored
`to which he has subscribed. For example, special events
`credit are compared and the subscriber is enabled to
`such as fights, plays, certain movies, etc. may not be
`access the transmissions in response to this comparison.
`included in the tiered program material or may be in a
`If the subscriber chooses to access the transmissions, the
`tier not subscribed to by a large groups of subscribers.
`cost associated with the transmissions modifies the mag-
`Also, the suppliers of program material may require
`nitude of the stored credit, e.g. the cost is deducted
`payment from the subscription television operator for
`from the credit, thereby producing a new value of the
`each subscriber actually viewing the program. It thus
`stored credit. The stored credit may also be modified by
`may be desirable and perhaps necessary to include per
`
`5
`
`20
`
`25
`
`40
`
`50
`
`55
`
`65
`
`PMC Exhibit 213
`
`Apple v. PM
`|PR2016-0075
`
`Page
`
`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 8
`
`

`
`4,484,217
`
`3
`transmitting credit values from the remote location to
`the subscriber location.
`Alternatively, the charge associated with each im-
`pulse purchase service chosen by the subscriber during
`a billing period is accumulated and stored. When the
`subscriber’s payment is received by the service opera-
`tor, a credit in the amount of the payment for the im-
`pulse purchases is transmitted to the subscriber location
`and compared with the total accumulated cost for im-
`pulse purchases during the billing period. A favorable
`comparison results in the continued ability of the sub-
`scriber to access impulse purchase services.
`In a pay television system according to the present
`invention, access to subscription or “pay per view"
`programming is provided through the provision of an
`impulse purchase capability which allows a subscriber
`to purchase a certain amount of subscription program-
`ming outside the subscriber's normal prearranged pro-
`gramming at any time during which special information
`pertaining to that programming is being transmitted.
`More specifically in accordance with a preferred em-
`bodiment of the invention, a money credit of some pre-
`determined amount
`is entered in storage in the pay
`television decoder of a subscriber wishing to have im-
`pulse purchase capability. The credit initially may rep-
`resent an amount actually prepayed by the subscriber or
`an advance credit provided by the pay television opera-
`tor against future use by the subscriber.
`Each scrambled program capable of impulse pur-
`chase is transmitted with data including the cost of the
`program in a part of the television signal which does not
`convey program information (e.g., the vertical or hori-
`zontal interval or an unused portion of the audio fre-
`quency band). A unique code may also accompany the
`transmitted cost signal for program identification pur-
`poses. If the subscriber's decoder recognizes the pro-
`gram as an impulse purchase program, certain informa-
`tion such as the cost of the program is displayed. To
`View the program, the subscriber enters into the de-
`coder an appropriate request, and the decoder automati-
`cally compares the program cost with the available
`credit, e.g., by temporary storage of the cost informa-
`tion and substraction from the existing credit. If the cost
`does not exceed the credit and the subscriber otherwise
`is eligible for impulse purchase, the program can be
`unscrambled and the cost is deducted from the credit or
`otherwise used to obtain a new credit total. Also, the
`unique program code, if transmitted with the cost infor-
`mation, is stored for subsequent retrieval as an encoded
`“use code" so that the subscription TV operator can be
`provided with a record of the impulse purchase pro-
`grams viewed.
`At the end of a billing period (e.g., monthly), an
`indicator such as a light on the subscriber’s decoder is
`energized, indicating that it is time for the subscriber to
`pay his monthly charges. The light may be energized by
`transmitting as signal to the decoder but is preferably
`energized by a timer in the decoder which can be set to
`time out in a desired period from the central station.
`When the light is energized by the timer or otherwise,
`the monthly charge and use code are calculated and
`stored. The subscriber enters an appropriate request and
`a charge for the billing period is displayed. The dis-
`played charge may include various service charges
`including any impulse purchase charges, e.g., in a pay
`television system, the tier charge for the period and/or
`the charge necessary to bring the credit for impulse
`purchases back to some predetermined level such as the
`
`5
`
`10
`
`I5
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`65
`
`4
`initial credit prior to the purchase of any impulse pur-
`chase programs. Also displayed in accordance with the
`preferred embodiment is the use code which identifies
`all impulse purchase programs viewed over the billing
`period or at least those impulse purchase programs for
`which reporting is desired.
`When the subscriber mails or otherwise transmits a
`payment to the pay television operator, the payment is
`credited first to the tier charge or charges for the period
`and then the balance to impulse purchases. The sub-
`scriber's decoder is addressed and the amount of the
`impulse purchase payment
`is transmitted to the de-
`coder. This payment amount is entered into the decoder
`memory as a credit to be added to any credit balance
`then in the decoder. Of course, if the impulse purchase
`payment amount is less than the actual amount due for
`impulse purchases during the billing period, the credit
`balance will not be advanced to the initial level. More-
`over, if the subscriber has viewed impulse purchase
`programs between the time the payment is made and the
`time it is credited, the credit balance may be lower than
`the initial level. Depending upon the amount of credit
`received, the light on the subscriber’s decoder may be
`extinguished or caused to flash, or another light labeled
`“billing error" or the like may be energized, in order to
`alert the subscriber that the payment was received and
`it was either adequate or inadequate. Other steps such as
`disabling access to future services may be taken if the
`credit is inadequate.
`In the foregoing manner, the subscriber may pur-
`chase programs on an impulse basis at least to a desired
`level of purchase without a need to interact with the
`system operator. The system operator may limit the
`potential for non-payment by preventing the subscriber
`from viewing any impulse purchase programs if the cost
`of the program is greater than the existing credit bal-
`ance. In fact, if the amount of the credit is collected in
`advance, the potential loss of revenues for non-payment
`for impulse purchases may be eliminated.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The present invention and the foregoing objects and
`advantages thereof will become more fully appreciated
`by one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains
`from the following detailed description when read in
`conjunction with the drawings in which:
`FIG. I is a functional block diagram of a subscription
`television system operable in accordance with the pres-
`ent invention;
`FIGS. 2-3 are logic flow diagrams illustrating the
`operation of the system of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating in
`greater detail the functional operation of one embodi-
`ment of the impulse purchase provisions of the present
`invention;
`FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating the
`functional operation of an alternate embodiment of an
`impulse purchase feature which may be included in the
`system of FIGS. 1-5; and
`FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating the
`functional operation of a detailed embodiment of the
`credit and use code features of the present invention.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`FIG. 1 functionally illustrates one embodiment of an
`over-the-air pay or subscription television (STV) sys-
`tem in which an impulse purchase capability (IPC)
`according to the present
`invention may be imple-
`
`PMC Exhibit 213
`
`Apple v. PM
`|PR2016-0075
`
`Page
`
`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 9
`
`

`
`4,484,217
`
`10
`
`15
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`45
`
`5
`mented. The term STV ordinarily refers to the broad-
`cast form of pay TV and, while this form of pay TV is
`illustrated, it should be understood that the principles
`discussed hereinafter may be used in a variety of pay
`TV and other applications as is mentioned hereinafter
`(e.g. cable, MDS-multipoint distribution systems, and
`DBS-direct broadcast satellite).
`The illustrated system generally includes an encoder
`provided at a transmission station generally indicated at
`10 and a decoder provided at each subscriber location
`as is generally indicated at 12. The encoder and decoder
`of FIG. 1 are provided in a subscription television sys-
`tem in which normal programming (e.g., "unscram-
`bled”, non-pay, commercial programming) and scram-
`bled STV programming are transmitted and received
`over respective transmiting and receiving antennas TA
`and RA or over a cable or other transmission medium.
`In a multiple audio system such as is disclosed in U.S.
`patent application Ser. No. 188,738 of Robert W. Field
`et al, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,216, a third mode of 20
`operation with unscrambled video and multiple, select-
`able audios may be provided.
`Normal unscrambled programming passes either
`through or around the encoder and decoder unaffected,
`except for a possible channel conversion in the decoder
`as will be explained. Ordinarily, the impulse purchase
`capability of the present invention will not be used in
`the normal television (TV) mode of operation. In the
`encoded or “scrambled” mode of operation or in multi-
`ple audio mode (hereinafter collectively referred to
`subscription or STV mode of operation), the impulse
`purchase capability permits a subscriber to view sub-
`scription programming or select audio channels for
`which payment is not predetermined in some ordinary
`manner such as flat rate or tiering as will be explained
`more fully.
`For example, in the illustrated subscription system,
`each subscriber may pay a flat monthly fee that entitles
`that subscriber to watch any and all of the STV pro-
`grams or services within one or more “tiers” or catego-
`ries of programs. For one flat monthly fee, the sub-
`scriber may be eligible to watch a “sports tier” and for
`another fee the subscriber may be eligible to watch a
`“movie tier". Control over subscriber eligibility may be
`accomplished by suitable tier or group (category) iden-
`tifying signals transmitted with the STV program sig-
`nals as set forth more fully hereinafter and as explained
`in detail in previously referenced Block and Martin U.S.
`Pat. No. 4,225,884.
`On occasion during a month, a special STV program
`or service outside the particular subscriber's tiers or
`outside all tiers may be included in the STV transmis-
`sions as an impulse purchase program available for a fee
`in addition to the subscriber's normal monthly fee. The
`present invention as illustrated and described in connec-
`tion with the system of FIG. 1 makes it possible for
`subscribers to choose to view such programs on an
`impulse basis rather than on a prearranged basis.
`It will become apparent that the present invention,
`while described in connection with impulse purchase
`for STV programs, also may be used to provide impulse
`purchase capabilities for other forms of pay television as
`well as for other services. For example, information
`services and the like that a subscriber might not wish to
`pay for on a flat fee or tiered basis may be provided on
`an impulse purchase basis. Stock market reports in the
`form of teletext data, special audio channel services,
`including radio services, etc., may be accessed periodi-
`
`6
`cally and the subscriber may pay only on the basis of
`each use of that service. Alternatively, all pay TV pro-
`grams or other pay TV services may be provided on an
`impulse purchase basis without tiering or flat rate billing
`to provide an entirely pay per view service.
`Referring to FIG. 1, TV signals from suitable video
`and audio sources 14 and 16 are supplied to respective
`video and audio encoders 18 and 20. Encoding of the
`video and audio signals by the respective video and
`audio encoders is controlled by video and audio encode
`control circuits 22 and 24. as described in the previously
`referenced patents or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,216 of R0-
`bert W. Field et al. (see PCT International Publication
`No. W-082/01109 published Apr. 1, 1982).
`A data generator 26 conventionally generates coded
`data (e.g., digital codes), for transmission with the TV
`signal, although such data may be transmitted sepa-
`rately from the TV signal. The data may include de-
`coder addresses, program costs, use codes, credit data,
`tier codes, program I.D. codes, category codes and the
`like as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. In
`the illustrated embodiment, the data are conventionally
`combined with the video signal by a suitable combiner
`28 and are transmitted with the video signal in a nonpro-
`gram portion thereof, e.g., the vertical interval. In this
`regard, a suitable sync signal such as the vertical sync
`signal may be used to synchronize the generation of the
`dta with the video signal to ensure proper insertion of
`the data in the video signal. Of course, the data may be
`transmitted in the audio channel, particularly in a multi-
`ple audio system of the type disclosed in the above-
`referenced Field et al. US. Pat. No. 4,398,216.
`With continued reference to FIG. 1, the video and
`audio signals with the desired data inserted are supplied
`to conventional AM and FM exciters and transmitters
`30 for transmission to the decoders at each subscriber
`location 12. In a broadcast system, the signals broadcast
`via antenna TA are received via receiving antenna RA
`and are applied to a suitable conventional electronic
`tuner 32 which selects a desired TV signal (i.e., a de-
`sired channel). The tuner 32 “down-converts" the se-
`lected signal to a standard intermediate frequency (I.F.)
`in a conventional manner. The IF. version of the TV
`signal selected by the tuner 32 is applied to a conven-
`tional demodulator 34 which converts the I.F. signal to
`a baseband signal.
`The baseband signal from the demodulator 34 is ap-
`plied to a conventional demodulator 36 for detection of
`the audio portion of the TV signal, a data detector and
`formatter 38 and to a video decoder 40 described in
`greater detail hereinafter. The baseband audio signal
`from the demodulator 36 is applied to an audio decoder
`42. The video and audio signals from the respective
`decoders 40 and 42 are applied to a conventional
`remodulator 44 and may also be provided at output
`terminals 46 and 48. The remodulator output signal RF
`is supplied to the antenna terminals TVA of a TV set.
`A keyboard and display unit 50 is connected through
`a suitable interface 52 to a conventional microprocessor
`and memory unit 54 as illustrated. The output signals
`from the data detector and formatter 38 are provided to
`the microprocessor and memory 54, and control signals
`from the microprocessor are supplied through the inter-
`face 52 to the tuner 32 and to the demodulator 34, and
`through a suitable interface 56 to the video and audio
`decoders 40 and 42.
`In operation the encoder 10 does not alter the audio
`and video program signal in normal TV mode. Thus,
`
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`PMC Exhibit 213
`
`Apple v. PM
`IPR2016-0075
`
`Page 1
`
`PMC Exhibit 2137
`Apple v. PMC
`IPR2016-00753
`Page 10
`
`

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`4,484,217
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`7
`during the transmission of non-STV programming, the
`signals from the audio and video sources 16, 14 may be
`routed around the encoders 20, 18 and applied directly
`to the exciters and transmitters 30. Alternatively, the
`audio and video signals may pass through the encoders
`but the respective controls may be set to pass the signals
`through the encoders unaffected. The normal TV signal
`can be received and utilized by both STV subscribers
`and nonsubscribers.
`
`the video and/or audio signals are
`In STV mode,
`encoded (scrambled) by the encoders 18 and 20. Appro-
`priate data signals are added to the encoded program
`signal and the composite signal is transmitted. Subscrib-
`ers having a decoder with the proper decoding (un-
`scrambling) and tier data can unscramble the received
`TV signal and supply the unscrambled signal to their
`TV sets for viewing and listening. Among the incoming
`data placed on the TV signal at appropriate times are, in
`addition to or as part of the data required for decoding.
`signals providing addressing capabilities for individual
`decoders,
`tiering and/or program content category
`signals, cost information signals relating to program
`charges for individual programs, program identification
`signals and credit information signals providing pay-
`ment credits to individual decoders. As will be seen
`hereinafter, at least the cost, credit, program identifica-
`tion or use code and address data provide unique im-
`pulse purchase capability.
`In the operation of the decoder, the subscriber tunes
`the tuner 32 to a desired TV channel by selecting the
`channel number on the keyboard 50 operating through
`the interface 52 and microprocessor 54 as is described
`more fully hereinafter. The selected signal is conven-
`tionally mixed with a local oscillator signal to obtain the
`desired l.F. signal, and this signal is demodulated by the
`demodulator 34 to obtain the TV program signal (video
`and audio) at video baseband.
`In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the
`present system, the demodulator 34 employs a conven-
`tional, gated automatic gain control (AGC) circuit
`which is gated on the TV signal color burst. For effec-
`tive AGC, the AGC circuitis provided with informa-
`tion from the microprocessor as to the position of the
`color burst and the magnitude of the reference level to
`which the color burst level is to be gain controlled.
`It will be appreciated that the position of the color
`burst in the TV video will ordinarily remain relatively
`fixed irrespective of the type of video scrambling used
`in the system. The position of the color burst may there-
`fore be conventionally determined in relation to video
`sync signals in any suitable manner. Appropriate sync
`information for this purpose may be conventionally
`detected and supplied to the microprocessor and mem-
`ory 34 from the baseband TV signal by way of the data
`detector and formatter 38.
`The reference level for AGC may vary, however,
`depending on the type of scrambling used. For example,
`if some form of video inversion is used for scrambling,
`the AGC reference level will differ for inverted and
`non-inverted video if the scrambling method alters the
`normal level of the color burst. Thus, a noninverted
`video signal (e.g., either a portion of a scrambled signal
`or a nonsubscription, unscrambled video signal) re-
`quires one AGC reference level and an inverted video
`signal requires another level.
`Accordingly,
`the microprocessor 54 controls the
`position of the AGC gate so it occurs at the same loca-
`tion in the video during each AGC sample while the
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`is set by the
`magnitude of the AGC reference level
`microprocessor according to the mode of operation of
`the system and the nature of the incoming TV signal. In
`this way, the demodulator 34 can be adapted for various
`scrambling schemes merely by predeterming the re-
`quired AGC reference levels for different decoder
`modes of operation, e.g., providing one AGC level for
`normal, non-inverted operation and another level for
`inverted operation. The baseband signal from the de-
`modulator 34 includes a video portion and an audio
`portion within defined bands of the overall TV band
`width. This baseband signal
`is supplied to the video
`decoder where the video portion is unscrambled under
`the control ofthe microprocessor if the incoming signal
`is scrambled, the decoder is operating in the STV mode,
`and other criteria are met as described hereinafter. A
`normal video signal passes unchanged through the
`video decoder with the decoder in the normal mode of
`operation.
`The baseband signal is also supplied to the demodula-
`tor 36 to produce a baseband audio signal for applica-
`tion to the audio decoder 42. The demodulator 36 does
`this conventionally as in any TV receiver using inter-
`carrier detection, or in any other suitable manner. The
`audio decoder 42, like the video decoder 40, unscram-
`bles the audio signal, if necessary, under the control of
`the microprocessor 54. One example of a suitable audio
`scrambling and decoding scheme which may be used is
`described and claimed in the previously referenced
`Field et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,216.
`The unscrambled audio and video signals are applied
`to the remodulator 44 to produce an appropriate RF
`signal for application to a conventional TV receiver.
`For example,
`the modulator 44 may produce an RF
`signal in the TV channel 3 band so that all signals pass-
`ing through the decoder can be viewed on this one TV
`channel.
`In addition,
`the baseband audio and video
`signals are provided at output terminals 46 and 48 so
`they are available for other purposes such as informa-
`tion (data) transmission, teletext, etc.
`In accordance with the present invention, enabling of
`the video and audio decoders in STV mode is con-
`trolled on the basis of a number of criteria. In an ad-
`dressable system with category and tier controls as in
`the disclosed embodiment, the decoder 12 must be set to
`the proper category and, for other than an impulse
`purchase program or ser