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`4 9 3 3 l 9 9 7 4
`O Umted States Patent [19]
`Cogswell et al.
`
`[11]
`[45]
`
`4,331,974
`May 25, 1982
`
`[54] CABLE TELEVISION WITH CONTROLLED
`SIGNAL SUBSTITUTION
`,
`[75] Inventors: Ned W- Cogswell, Salisbury, Md;
`Gerald J. Eskin, Iowa City, Iowa; W.
`Andrew Wright, Jr., Bethlehem, Pa.
`[73] Assignee: Iri, Inc., Chicago, Ill.
`[21] Appl. No.: 199,256
`_
`l
`06- 21, 1980
`[22] Fllede
`[51] Int. Cl.3 ............................................. .. H04N 7/10
`
`[52] U.S. Cl. ...................................... .. 358/86; 358/84;
`358/194-1; 455/2; 455/4; 455/ 5
`[53] Field of Search ..................... .. 358/86, 84, 9, 181,
`358/191.1, 85, 194-1; 455/2, 3, 4, 5, 133, 140,
`151
`
`3,997,713 12/1976 Ricketts et all -
`4,035,838 7/1977 Bassani et a1. .
`4,039,954 8/1977 den Toonder .
`4,081,832 3/1978 Sherman ............................. .. 358/84
`4,107,734 8/ 1978 Percy et a1. ......................... .. 358/84
`4,107,735 8/1978 Frohbach ............................ .. 358/84
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`87439 2/ 1977 Australia ............................. .. 358/84
`1913872 of 1970 Fed. Rep. of Germany .
`1918837 of 1970 Fed. Rep. of Germany .
`2111590 °f 1972 Fe‘? Rep: °f Germany -
`238338 of 1925 Unlted Kingdom .
`579872 “1946 United Kingdom .
`741541 611955 United Kingdom .
`811224, of 1959 United Kingdom _
`1066931 4/1967 United Kingdom ................ .. 358/84
`1184830 of 1970 United Kingdom .
`
`-
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`1,746,690 2/1930 Washington et al. ............. .. 455/140
`2,055,164 9/1936 Wichman et a].
`455/133
`2,117,638 5/1938 Walter . . . . . . . . . . . . .
`. . . .. 455/ 133
`2,202,432 5/1940 Santucci ............................ .. 361/182
`2,330,241 9/1943 Roberts ......................... .. 455/140 X
`2,429,607 10/1947 Capen ........ ..
`. 455/ 152 X
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`Benson et al'., “A Telecontrolled Tunable Receiver
`Installation,” AtW-A‘ Technical Review, VOL 8’ NO- 2:
`1949, PP- 125-144
`Kazama et 211., “Remote TV Control,” Electronics, May
`13, 1960, pp. 79-81.
`Tsubaki et alq “Automatic Broadcasting Program Con
`no] Equipment,” NEC Research & Development, NO.
`
`
`’
`Jul '
`’ pp‘
`'
`
`..... .. . 455/140
`Abbott Ct :11. 2,495,916 1/1950 Austin ............... ..
`
`Prim/17y Examiner-Joseph A. Orsino, Jr,
`358/86
`3,366,731 l/ 1968 Wallerstein et al.
`455/4 X Assistant Examiner_EdWa1-d L‘ C0165
`3,521,168 7/1970 Kaiser et al.
`alzglingeil ---------------------- " 333/156
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fitch, Even, Tabin, Flannery
`
`.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`3,714,575 1 1973 R lk'
`
`.. . ..
`
`8‘ Welsh
`3,696,297 10/1972 Otero ................................ .. 455/151
`[57]
`ABSTRACT
`3,704,423 11/1972 Kadron et a1.
`..
`A signal substitution system for cable televlslon apphes
`3,716,654 22973 11125351615011 _
`Sub-51111119 televlslon Program slgnals In at least one Sub
`3,729,581 4/1973 Anderson .......................... .. 358/114
`stitute channel to the transmission cable along with
`3,746,780 7/1973 Stetten et a1, _
`singal substitution control signals. The signal substitu
`3,757,225 9/1973 Ulicki .
`tion control signals include a plurality of different ter
`3,789,131 1/ 1974 Harney -
`min-a1 command signals and a plurality of different ‘event
`3,790,700 2/ 1974 Callais et a1. ....................... .. 358/84
`38886130? 5/1975 Kosco ' ' ' ' - ' ' - ' '
`' ' ' " 358/114 X command slgnals, each of the terminal command signals
`2:20:
`"""""""" " 358/114 X including a respective panelist address signal for identi
`3:9l6:091 10/1975 Kirkneto
`................ .. 355/4 x
`fying a respective panfglist reFeiving Station’ and each of
`3,934,079 V1976 Bamhart _
`the event command signals includlng a normal channel
`3,935,534 1/1976 Lewis et a1_ ,
`identi?iatlgn srgrgal‘for idelntltylng a normalchanntfl
`3,975,535 3/1976 Kirk et a1, _
`into w 10 a su stltute te evlsion program is to e
`3,993,955 11/ 1976 Belcher et a1. .
`switched. A controller at each panelist receiving station
`
`Page 1
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`4,331,974
`Page 2
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`responds to the signal substitution control signals by
`selectively switching a substitute television program
`into a normal channel. The controller includes a genera
`tor of a local panelist address signal and a substitute
`channel selector for producing a substitute channel
`select signal corresponding to a substitute channel. A
`?rst comparator compares the received panelist address
`signal of each terminal command signal with the local
`panelist address signal and produces a ?rst match signal
`when the signals match. A second comparator com
`pares the received normal channel identi?cation signal
`
`with a channel select signal selected by the viewer and
`produces a second match signal when the signals match.
`In response to the ?rst and second match signals a sub
`stitute channel is substituted for the channel selected by
`the viewer for a period determined by the signal substi
`tution control signals.
`
`16 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures
`
`Page 2
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent May 25, 1982
`
`Sheet 1 of 6
`
`4,331,974
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`
`U.S. Patent May 25, 1982
`
`Sheet 2 of 6
`
`4,331,974
`
`DEMOULATORS
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`

`
`US. Patent May 25, 1982
`
`Sheet 4 of6
`
`4,331,974
`
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`U.S. Patent May 25, 1932
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`Sheet 5 of6
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`

`
`U.S. Patent May 25, 1982
`
`Sheet 6 of 6
`
`4,331,974
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`1
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`4,331,974
`
`CABLE TELEVISION WITH CONTROLLED
`SIGNAL SUBSTITUTION
`
`This invention relates to cable television with con
`trolled signal substitution and more particularly to cable
`television with means for providing selected individual
`panelists’ households with substitute messages, espe
`cially in connection with market research.
`Conventional market research has involved subject
`ing selected groups of consumers to particular promo
`tional material and observing their responses. There
`have, however, been difficulties peculiar to the expos
`ing of the selected group to particular promotional
`material as well as problems peculiar to measuring their
`responses. A particular problem is that the method of
`exposure of the selected group to the promotional mate
`rial may skew the results; that is, the testing itself may
`in?uence the results independently of the material being
`tested.
`The present invention is directed to a cable television
`system whereby selected substitute programs are selec
`tively directed to selected panelist’ households in lieu of
`normal material in such a manner that the panelists
`cannot know that they are not receiving the normal
`material. The invention ?nds particular applicability in
`connection with the scanning of panelist response to
`determine the reactions of respective panelists to the
`messages they receive.
`In respect to television advertising, one approach to
`market research has been to use cable television with a
`split cable as illustrated by US. Pat. No. 3,366,731,
`issued Jan. 30, 1968 to Edward Wallerstein for Televi
`sion Distribution System Permitting Program Substitu
`tion for Selected Viewers. In such a split cable system
`two cables originating from a single transmitting source
`go out in different directions. One advertisement is
`inserted on one cable and another advertisement on
`another cable. A problem that has developed with this
`is that the split of the cable produces control and test
`groups that are not properly matched for market test
`ing. That is, the two cables are directed to different
`neighborhoods at the whim of the cable television com
`pany, whereas the needs of market research are particu
`lar. It has been known to provide two cables side by
`side, so that both cables serve the same neighborhoods
`and are, therefore, likely provide a better match of
`control groups to test groups. However, even here
`there is a problem that once the cables are laid, the
`cables themselves select the groups; that is the televi
`sion viewers are either on cable A or on cable B and do
`not admit of special selection to meet the needs of a
`particular market test. Further, it is not possible to make
`a test requiring subgroups of individuals on one or the
`other of the two cables.
`Another television market research system is shown
`in US. Pat. No. 3,639,686, issued Feb. 1, 1972 to Harold
`R. Walker and Ira Kamen for Television Receiver Cut
`In Device. In one embodiment of this system an auxil
`iary television signal is broadcast throughout a broad
`cast area with a particular control signal identifying the
`class of viewers that is to be reached by the auxiliary
`television signal. The television receivers have special
`decoders for switching to the special signal under cer
`tain conditions when the receiver receives a particular
`address signal identifying the respective receivers as in
`the class to which the signals are to be transmitted. This
`system also suffers from the limitation that the classes
`
`2
`are determined by the programming of the various re
`ceiver decoders and cannot thereafter be selected or
`subdivided at the will of the market research people.
`In accordance with the present invention, the mem
`bers of the control and test groups are individually
`determined; that is, a targetable television system is
`provided wherein panelists can be selected individually
`to receive particular television messages. The term
`“panelist” is used herein to identify members of the class
`of television viewers having the specially adapted con
`trol units at their receiving stations to permit selection
`of particular respective receivers for receiving substi
`tute messages in lieu of normal television messages.
`However, not every television set coupled to the system
`need be able to receive the special messages. That is, not
`all of the television system need be targetable. It is only
`necessary to have representative participants for panel
`ist response scanning suf?cient to provide resulting data
`that yield statistically signi?cant results. In general the
`panelists will be selected in accordance with appropri~
`ate market research practice. Further, the term “panel
`ist” is used to represent the collection of individuals
`residing in a participating household.
`The term “norma ” is used herein to signify the mes
`sages, signals or programs provided by the operation of
`the television system in the absence of the substitution
`provided by the present invention. It thus may encom
`pass all messages, signals or programs as may be pro
`vided in the normal course of television programming,
`including special messages, signals or programs trans
`mitted and received over the usual channels to which
`the receivers are ordinarily tunable. The term “pro
`gram” encompasses commercials and other special mes
`sages.
`The targetable television system utilized in the pres
`ent invention comprises a cable television system hav
`ing a head end station and a plurality of panelist receiv
`ing stations. At the head end station is a transmitter for
`transmitting normal television program signals in nor
`mal television transmission channels over a transmission
`cable to the panelist receiving stations. At each of the
`panelist receiving stations there is a television set and a
`panelist channel selector by which a viewer may select
`a regular channel for the viewing of a normal television
`program. There is also a cable television frequency
`converter for receiving television program signals from
`the transmission cable and, in‘ response to a channel .
`control signal as supplied by the channel selector, selec
`tively converting the received signals in the selected
`channel to converted television signals suitable for op
`erating the television set.
`The present invention comprises a signal substitution
`I system for inserting substitute programs in the pro
`grams being received by selected panelists. The substi
`tute programs may be special advertising messages sent
`as part of a market research study. In accordance with
`the present invention, the head end station also includes
`means for applying substitute television program signals
`in at least one substitute channel to the transmission
`cable and for applying substitution control signals to the
`transmission cable. Such substitution control signals
`include a plurality of panelist‘address signals for identi
`fying respective receiving stations and a normal channel
`into which a substitute program is to be switched.
`At each panelist receiving station there are control
`means responsive to the signal substitution signals for
`selectively switching a substitute television program
`into a normal channel being viewed. The control means
`
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`4,331,974
`3
`includes a generator of a local panelist address signal
`corresponding to the respective panelist receiving sta
`tion and a substitute channel selector for producing
`substitute channel selector control signals correspond
`ing to at least one substitute transmission channel over
`which the substitute television program signals are sent.
`A ?rst comparator compares each of the received pan
`elist address signals with the respective local panelist
`address signal and produces a ?rst match signal when
`the compared signals match. A second comparator
`compares the received normal channel identi?cation
`signal with the channel select signal selected by the
`viewer and produces a second match signal when the
`compared signals match. A switching circuit responds
`to the ?rst and second match signals to effect the
`switching of a substitute channel selector control signal
`to the cable television frequency converter in lieu of the
`channel control signal selected by the viewer for a
`period determined by the signal substitution control
`signals. The selected panelist television receiver there
`upon receives the program in the corresponding substi
`tute channel in lieu of the program of the channel se
`lected by the viewer. Thus, the operators of the system
`can control the television messages being received by
`the panelists and further can target speci?c panelists for
`25
`receipt of particular messages. Those panelists having
`local panelist address signals that do not match any of
`the panelist address signals sent by the transmitter do
`not see the substitute programs. The system operates in
`such way that the viewer cannot tell whether he is
`receiving the normal program or a substitute program.
`By obtaining data regarding each of the panelists, the
`panelists can be selected more effectively. In general,
`detailed demographic data will be accumulated from
`each of the panelists, who will have volunteered. For
`each marketing test the panelists may be selected in
`such manner as to provide the best statistical informa
`tion for the market research being conducted and pro
`vide an adequate control group comparable to the test
`group being exposed to the substitute messages. The
`control and test groups may be selected in whatever
`manner is believed by the market research people to
`match the relevant criteria. For example, if tests are to
`be run on dog food, there should be groups balanced on
`number of dogs. If tests are to be run on cake mixes,
`there should be groups balanced on cake usage and
`share trends. The test groups can be selected by ?rst
`looking at the behavior history of the respective house
`holds. The data can include brand purchase data; they
`can include heaviness of product use; or they can in
`clude propensity to buy on special promotions or deals.
`Custom groups can be picked household by household
`out of a set of cooperating households (panelists). Any
`subgroups can be sent one set of advertising messages
`while the rest get a normal message. All of this substitu
`tion is in a manner invisible to the viewers on the same
`channel at exactly the same point in time. The groups
`can then be changed almost instantly to do tests for
`some other products.
`In summary, the head end station transmits a signal
`which contains the household by household addresses
`for the test group for each test under way. The transmit
`ter sends a test commercial down an unused cable fre
`quency (such as a mid-band frequency, unviewable
`except upon command from the head end station) in
`parallel with the normal television commercials. Each
`panelist receiving station is then interrogated to deter
`mine whether or not the respective individual television
`
`4
`receiver is to be turned to the test commercial. If so, for
`the duration of the commercial period the test adver
`tisement is electronically switched to the channel being
`viewed on that receiver.
`An additional feature of the preferred form of the
`invention is to provide a responder-modem at each
`panelist receiving station which sends back an elec
`tronic record of when the respective television set is on
`and to what channel it is tuned. This enables the infor
`mation to be returned to the head end station as to when
`particular substitute messages are actually being re
`ceived rather than merely transmitted, and, indeed,
`when regular messages are being received.
`As stated above, this invention ?nds particular appli
`cability in connection with panelist response scanning
`for determining the responses of respective panelists to
`the messages they receive. The invention is particularly
`useful in systems where responses are obtained without
`any conscious active responses by the panelists. One
`such system involves the use of product scanners where
`all the panelists need do is to identify themselves by
`producing identi?cation cards at the time of purchase of
`products. Otherwise they act entirely in accordance
`with their usual practices. More particularly, for gro
`cery products at least, universal product coding (UPC)
`has become common. In accordance with one use of the
`present invention, each panelist is provided with a pan
`elist identi?cation card having a scannable address iden
`ti?cation thereon corresponding to the address of his
`receiving station. The identi?cation card is presented to
`the cooperating retail stores where he shops, where the
`card is scanned by a UPC product scanner along with
`the scanning of purchased products. The work load of
`the panelist is reduced merely to presenting his identi?
`cation card. Data capture is electronic and automatic,
`both for the product and for the panelist identi?cation.
`The panelist never needs to record anything. All data
`are recorded by the UPC scanner. The information
`obtained by the scanner is transmitted to a central pro
`cessing unit for association and correlation of the data
`with the advertisements sent out to the respective panel
`ists. That is, the signals transmitted to the respective
`panelists are identi?ed as the signals sent out by the
`cable television head end, and the responses of the re
`spective panelists are noted by the scanning units and
`transmitted back to a central processing unit for associa
`tion and correlation.
`Another aspect of the invention is in targeted adver
`tising. The signal substitution system permits advertis
`ing messages to be sent selectively to those for which it
`is most likely to be effective. From the panelist pro?les,
`it can be determined what sort of products respective
`panelists might be susceptible to. Then the advertising
`spots, which are limited in number, can be used conser
`vatively by sending out different advertising messages
`in a particular time slot, with the respective messages
`going to where they will be most effective. For exam
`ple, if a realtor wishes to advertise a number of proper
`ties, he could cause the messages to correlate with the
`apparent wealth of the panelists, transmitting messages
`relating to expensive properties to the wealthier panel
`ists and messages relating to the less expensive proper
`ties to the less wealthy. Product advertisement could
`well be differentiated on the basis of age or occupation.
`By making all of the panelists reachable on an individual
`basis, the present invention will accommodate any or all
`of such product differentiation.
`
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`Another aspect of the invention is in sending special
`warning messages.
`.
`It is, therefore, a primary object of the present inven
`tion to provide a targetable cable television system with
`controlled signal substitution whereby selected panel
`ists may be individually targeted to receive substitute
`messages.
`Other objects and advantages of the present invention
`will become apparent from the following detailed de
`scription, particularly when taken in conjunction with
`the accompanying drawings, in which:
`FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a panelist
`response scanning system utilizing the present inven
`tion;
`‘
`FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a cable televi
`sion head end station according to the present invention
`as used in the panelist response scanning system shown
`in FIG. 1;
`FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of one of the
`panelist receiving stations according to the present in
`vention as used in the panelist response scanning system
`shown in FIG. 1;
`FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the receiver
`controller of the panelist receiving. station shown in
`FIG. 3;
`-
`.
`FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the terminal
`module of the receiver controller shown in FIG. 4;
`FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of one of the
`event modules of the receiver controller shown in FIG.
`4; and
`_
`FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the scanners
`and central processor of the panelist response scanning
`system shown in FIG. 1.
`As shown in FIG. 1, the panelist response scanning
`system utilizing the present invention involves the com
`bination of a targetable cable television system accord
`ing to the present invention with a plurality of scanning
`units located at respective retail stores. The targetable
`cable television used in the preferred embodiment of the
`invention as shown in FIG. 1 is a cable television system
`made up of a cable television head end station 10 and a
`plurality of panelist receiving stations 12 joined by a
`transmission cable 14. There are but three panelist sta
`tions 12 illustrated in FIG. 1; however, it is to be under
`stood that there may be any convenient number for the
`market research to be conducted. For example, 3,500
`has been found to be an acceptable number, and this will
`be the number of panelist stations taken for the sake of
`example in the following description. Scanners 16 are
`disposed in respective stores. Scanners for three stores
`are shown in FIG. 1. Howeverythis, too, is merely for
`the sake of illustration. In general, there will be as many
`stores with such scanners as there are retail outlets of a
`particular kind in a particular area. It is desirable that
`the area near the panelist receiving stations 12 be blan
`keted with participating stores in order to assure statisti
`cal accuracy for the market testing. On one side the
`scanners 16 and the cable television system are coupled
`by a central processor 18, and on the other side they are
`coupled by respective panelist identi?cation cards 20,
`the panelist identi?cation cards 20 corresponding to
`respective panelist receiving stations 12.
`In general, the panelist response scanning system is
`controlled from the central processor 18. A market
`researcher provides the central processor with suitable
`65
`demographic information concerning the panelists. ,
`When market research tests are to be performed on a
`particular product, suitable advertising messages are
`
`6
`prepared and furnished to the cable television head end
`station 10. The market researcher determines when
`these particular messages are to be sent and the channels
`suitable, for substitution of the messages. This, of course,
`will be arranged with the sponsors who will have ac
`quired the advertising spots in which the messages are
`to be substituted. The market researcher will indicate to
`the central processor 18 the bases for the selections of
`the test groups for the respective tests. As stated above,
`there may, for example, be 3,500 panelists for which
`demographic information is available. The panelists will
`be volunteers who have agreed to supply information
`concerning themselves, to have the special panelist
`receiving stations installed in their homes, and to pres
`ent their identi?cation cards when shopping. From the
`information stored therein, including information pro
`vided from panelist interviews and sales information
`acquired from prior operation of the panelist scanning
`system, the central processor 18 will then determine a
`test group from the panelists, balancing the test group
`with a matched control group that will receive the
`normal messages. The central processor 18 will then
`forward panelist address targeting instructions for each
`test to the cable television head end station 10. These
`instructions will include the tests to be run and the test
`groups of panelists to be sent substitute programs for the
`respective tests.
`The cable television head end station 10 will receive
`signals from distant television stations. It will modify
`the received television signals for application to the
`cable 14 and will apply normal television signals to the
`cable 14. There may, for example, be 12 channels for
`normal television. For the sake of the tuning ofv the
`panelist receiving stations, these may correspond to
`VHF channels 2 to 13. These do not necessarily corre
`spond numerically to the channels of the distant sta
`tions. Further, some of the cable channels may contain
`the same television program signals, as, for example,
`when two of the distant stations are on the same televi
`sion network.
`.
`At an appropriate time prior to the time that the test
`commercial is to be transmitted, the head end station 10
`will transmit signal substitution control signals to all of ;
`the receiving stations on the cable, including all of the
`panelist receiving stations 12. At an appropriate time,
`the head end station 10 sends out one or more substitute
`program signals, and signals indicating the channel into
`which a signal is to be substituted and the initiation and
`termination of the substitution.
`Each of the respective panelist receiving stations 12
`will respond to its own address signal and the other
`control signals by switching substitute program signals
`into a particular channel as and when directed. When
`directed, the respective panelist receiving stations 12
`will transmit back to the cable television head end sta
`tion 10 return data signals indicating the status of the
`respective sets.
`Each of the panelists has his own panelist identifica
`tion card 20 corresponding to his panelist receiving
`station 12. In making purchases at the stores in the area,
`he presents his card 20 at the checkout counters. Each
`checkout counter has a scanning unit for scanning uni
`versal product codes on various products. The respec
`tive identi?cation cards 20 are preferably similarly
`marked with such a code in order that they may be read
`by the scanning units along with the purchased prod
`ucts. The information from the scanning units is then
`transmitted to the central processor 18 for association
`
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`4,331,974
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`8
`and correlation with the advertising messages being
`substitute commercial transmission and control facility
`tested. The readout on set status is retransmitted by the
`for back to back independent commercial substitutions.
`cable television head end station 10 to the central pro‘
`Assuming l second turn around time were acceptable,
`cessor 18 in order that the information at the central
`control messages would have to be sent at a minimum
`processor may include not merely what has been trans
`rate of 14,000 commands per second or an information
`mitted by the head end station 10 but what has actually
`rate of 168,000 baud (for 3,500 panelists and 12 chan
`been appearing on the respective television receivers at
`nels). Such a rate is suf?ciently high as to incur a notice
`the panelist receiving stations 12. The central processor
`able cost, and is therefore undesirable.
`18 may also provide control information to the respec
`An even more severe transmission rate requirement
`tive scanners 16 as, for example, in the matter of pricing.
`arises from the object of undetectable commercial sub
`Turning now to the system of the present invention in
`stitution. In order to switch video programs invisibly,
`greater detail, a preferred embodiment of the cable
`the substitution must be made during the vertical blank
`television head end station 10 is illustrated in FIG. 2.
`ing intervals between the visible picture ?elds. This
`Three normal channels are illustrated in FIG. 2; how
`amounts to a time period of approximately 1 millisecond
`ever, it is to be understood that there may be as many
`for standard NTSC (National Television Standards
`channels as desirable for the cable television system, for
`Committee) video format. If one attempted to send
`example, 12. The signals from respective television
`individual control messages to each of the panelists
`stations are demodulated to a base band frequency by
`during such a short interval, the control messages
`respective demodulators 24. The respective signals are
`would have to be sent at a minimum rate of 3.5 million
`then remodulated by modulators 26 to frequencies ap
`commands per second or an information rate of over 42