O
`Unlted States Patent
`[19]
`[11] Patent Number:
`4,965,825
`
`Harvey et al.
`[45] Date of Patent:
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`[54] SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND
`METHODS
`
`4,704,725 11/1987 Harvey et a1. .......................... 380/9
`
`4,706,282 11/1987 Knowd ......
`380/49
`
`[75]
`
`Inventors:
`
`John C. Harvey; James W. Cuddihy,
`both of New York, NY.
`
`Primary Examiner“$31V3t01'e Cangialosi
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Thomas J. Scott, Jr.
`
`[73] Assignee:
`
`The Personalized Mass Media
`Corporation, New York, N-Y-
`
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`A unified system of programming communication for
`
`[63]
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`Continuation-impart ofSer. No. 829,531, Feb. 14, 1986,
`Pat. No. 4,704,725, which isacontinuation of Ser. No.
`317,510, Nov. 3, 1931, pat No. 4,694,490.
`
`Egg
`
`"""""""""""" HML 9/ogggg6§815/1201
`{31: €le
`' """"""""""""""""""""""
`3
`;
`'
`'
`380/49? 364/521
`.
`[58] Field of Search ................... 380/9, 10, 20, 48, 49;
`455/4” 32‘34’ 37’ 70; 358/142! 143’ 146’ 147’
`183’ 86; 364/521
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`m m
`[22] Filed!
`Sep. 11, 1937
`neously at each station of a plurality of subscriber sta-
`tions. The system includes a transmission station which
`is a central control system of a system of receiver station
`9°‘FRUte’S ”won“ by the Slam“ transml§5‘°“: Bath
`Indmclual COIIIPIItffi_SYSt€HI
`.15 self-Structumflg “1 t at
`any given transmissmn statlon can transmit control
`information causing selected apparatus at selected re-
`ceiver stations to combine the computers at those sta-
`tions based on the transmission of the station, thereby
`causing the individual computers to come under control
`Of station. The unified system also includes apparatus
`for combining the user specific information generated at
`subscriber station into broadcast programming, so that
`broadcast programming is displayed at every station
`with user specific information displayed in the broad-
`cast programming. The unified system includes appara-
`tus for restricting the combined programming so that it
`is available only at selected stations tuned to a given
`transmission station’s transmission. The unified s stem
`includes apparatus for documenting the use of theycon-
`trol signals and/or programming at said selected sta-
`tions and for monitoring the availability and use, of
`Programming-
`
`U‘S' PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`380/23
`3,845,391 10/1974 Crosby ......................
`- 353/23
`3,891,792 6/ 1975 Kimura ------
`
`5/1977 Haselwood 6” 31-
`- 358/84
`4,025,351
`4’138’726 2/1979 Gi’ault 6‘ al-
`358/103
`
`
`fi’ggg’ggi 313:; Swim“ et 31'
`3:33;
`
`4’323’922 4/1982 113035;}
`330/20
`
`6/1982 Bourassin et a1.
`.' 358/83
`4:337:430
`
`. 358/86
`4,381,522
`4/1983 Lambert
`.......................... 380/9
`4,694,490
`9/1987 Harvey et al.
`
`25 Claims, 21 Drawing Sheets
`
`WEI-CHANNEL CABLE SYSTEM
`
`
`
`W emu-1 CONTROL INSIRUCHONS
`
`rIl
`
`
`
`___::‘_—I:g.
`11-
`.1_LL_____L_:::::
`IlIlI I1I lL__.._
`
`3
`
`9%
`Ԥ11
`262
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 1
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 1
`
`

`

`US. Patent
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 2
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 2
`
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 2 of 22
`
`4,965,825
`
`
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 3
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 3
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 4
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`
`

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`US. Patent
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 5
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 5
`
`

`

`US. Patent
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 6
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 6'of 22
`
`4,965,825
`
`SELECTED
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 7
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 7
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990 '
`
`Sheet 7 of 22
`
`4,965,825
`
`INFORMATION
`METER-MONITOR
`EXECUTION
`SEGMENT
`SEGMENT
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 8
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 8
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 8 of 22
`
`4,965,825
`
`PADDING ens
`COMMAND
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 9
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 9
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 9 of 22
`
`4,965,825
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 10
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 10
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 10 of 22
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`4,965,825
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 11
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`

`

`US. Patent
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`Oct. 23, 1990
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 12
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 13
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 13
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 13 of 22
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`4,965,825
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 14
`
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 14 of 22
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`4,965,825
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 15
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`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
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`4,965,825
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 16
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 16
`
`
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 16 of 22
`
`4,965,825
`
`MULTI- CHANNEL CABLE TRANSMISSION
`
`20I
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`
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`CONVERTER
`BOX
`
`
`ONE TV
`CHANNEL 202
`
`SIGNAL
`PROCESSOR
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`
`TV SIGNAL
`DECODER - 203
`(FIG 2A)
`
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`206
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`FURNACE
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`MEANS
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`PROGRAMMING
`—- — —' — CONTROL INFORMATION
`
`FIG.7A
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 17
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 17
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 17 of 22
`
`4,965,825
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 18
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 18
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`
`
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 13 of 22’
`
`4,965,825
`
`MULTI CHANNEL CABLE TRANSMISSION
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`
`
`201
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`218
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`FIG. 7C
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 19
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 19
`
`

`

`US. Patent
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 20
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 20
`
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 20 of 22
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 21
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 22
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 22
`
`
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Oct. 23, 1990
`
`Sheet 22 of 22
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`4,965,825 ’
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 23
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`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 23
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`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`1
`
`4,965,825
`
`SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND
`METHODS
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`5
`
`This is a continuation-in—part of a patent application
`Ser. No. 829,531 filed Feb. 14, 1986 now U.S. Pat. No.
`4,704,725 which in turn was a continuation of a patent
`application Ser. No. 317,510 filed Nov. 3, 1981 now 1°
`US. Pat. No. 4,694,490.
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`The invention relates to an integrated system of pro-
`gramming communication and involves the fields of
`computer processing, computer communications, tele-
`vision, radio, and other electronic communications; the
`fields of automating the handling, recording, and re-
`transmitting of television, radio, computer, and other
`electronically transmitted programming; and the fields
`of regulating, metering, and monitoring the availability,
`use, and usage of such programming.
`For years, television has been recognized as a most
`powerful medium for communicating ideas. And televi-
`sion is so-called “user friendly”; that is, despite techni-
`cal complexity, television is easy for subscribers to use.
`Radio and electronic print services such as stock
`brokers’ so-called “tickers” and “broad tapes” are also
`powerful, user friendly mass media. (Hereinafter, the
`electronic print mass medium is called, “broadcast
`print”)
`But television, radio, and broadcast print are only
`mass media. Program content is the same for every
`viewer. Occasionally one viewer may see, hear, or read
`information of specific relevance to him (as happens
`when a guest on a television talk show turns to the
`camera and says, “Hi, Mom"), but such electronic
`media have no capacity for conveying user specific
`information simultaneously to each user.
`For years, computers have been recognized as having
`unsurpassed capacity for processing and displaying user
`specific information.
`But computer processing is not a mass medium. Com-
`puters operate under the control of computer programs
`that are inputted by specific users for specific purposes,
`not programs that are broadcast to and executed simul-
`taneously at the stations of mass user audiences. And
`computer processing is far less user friendly than, for
`example, television.
`Today great potential exists for combining the capac-
`ity of broadcast communications media to convey ideas
`with the capacity of computers to process and output
`user specific information. One such combination would
`provide a new radio-based or broadcast print medium
`with the capacity for conveying general information to
`large audiences—cg, “Stock prices rose today in
`heavy trading,”—with information of specific rele-
`vance to each particular user in the audience—e.g., “but
`the value of your stock portfolio went down.”-
`(Hereinafter, the new media that result from such com-
`binations are called “combined” media.)
`Unlocking this potential
`is desirable because these
`new media will add substantial richness and variety to
`the communication of ideas, information and entertain-
`ment. Understanding complex subjects and making
`informed decisions will become easier.
`- To unlock this potential fully requires means and
`methods for combining and controlling receiver sys-
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`2
`tems that are now separate—television and computers,
`radio and computers, broadcast print and computers,
`television and computers and broadcast print, etc.
`But it requires much more.
`To unlock this potential fully requires a system with
`efficient capacity for satisfying the demands of subscrib-
`ers who have little receiver apparatus and simple infor-
`mation demands as well as subscribers who have exten-
`sive apparatus and complex demands. It requires capac-
`ity for transmitting and organizing vastly more informa-
`tion and programming than any one-channel transmis-
`sion system can possibly convey at one time. It requires
`capacity for controlling intermediate transmission sta-
`tions that receive information and programming from
`many sources and for organizing the information and
`programming and retransmitting the information and
`programming so as to make the use of the information
`and programming at ultimate receiver stations as eff-
`cient as possible.
`To unlock this potential also requires efficient capac-
`ity for providing reliable audit information to (l) adver-
`tisers and others who pay for the transmission and per-
`formance of programming and (2) copyright holders,
`pay service operators, and others such as talent who
`demand, instead, to be paid. This requires capacity for
`identifying and recording (1) what television, radio,
`data, and other programming and what instruction sig-
`nals are transmitted at each transmission station and (2)
`what is received at each receiver station as well as (3)
`what received programming is combined or otherwise
`used at each receiver station and (4) how it is received,
`combined, and/or otherwise used.
`Moreover,
`this system must have the capacity to
`ensure that programming supplied for pay or for other
`conditional use is used only in accordance with those
`conditions. For example, subscriber station apparatus
`must display the commercials that are transmitted in
`transmissions that advertisers pay for. The system must
`have capacity for decrypting, in many varying ways,
`programming' and instruction signals that are encrypted
`and for identifying those who pirate programming and
`inhibiting piracy.
`It is the object of this invention to unlock this great
`potential in the fullest measure by means of an inte-
`grated system of programming communication that
`joins together all these capacities most efficiently.
`Computer systems generate user specific information,
`but in any given computer system, any given set of
`program instructions that causes and controls the gener-
`ation of user specific information is inputted to only one
`computer at a time.
`Computer communications systems do transmit data
`point-to-multipoint. The Dataspeed Corporation divi-
`sion of Lotus Development Corporation of Cambridge,
`Mass. transmits real-time financial data over radio fre-
`quencies to microcomputers equipped with devices
`called “modios” that combine the features of radio re-
`ceivers, modems, and decryptors. The Equatorial Com-
`munications Company of Mountain View, Calif. trans-
`mits to similarly equipped receiver systems by satellite.
`At each receiver station, apparatus receive the particu-
`lar transmission and convert its data content into unen-
`crypted digital signals that computers can process.
`Each subscriber programs his subscriber station appara-
`tus to select particular data of interest.
`This prior art is limited. It only transmits data; it does
`not control data processing. No system is prepro-
`
`‘
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 24
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 24
`
`

`

`4,965,825
`
`3
`grammed to simultaneously control a plurality of cen-
`tral processor units, operating systems, and pluralities of
`computer peripheral units. None has capacity to cause
`simultaneous generation of user specific information at a
`plurality of receiver stations. None has any capacity to
`cause subscriber station computers to process received
`data, let alone in ways that are not inputted by the sub-
`scribers. None has any capacity to explain automatically
`why any given information might be of particular inter-
`est to any subscriber or why any subscriber might wish
`to select information that is not selected or how any
`subscriber might wish to change the way selected infor-
`mation is processed.
`As regards broadcast media, systems in the prior art
`have capacity for receiving and displaying multiple
`images on television receivers simultaneously. One such
`system for superimposing printed characters transmit—
`ted incrementally during the vertical blanking interval
`of the television scanning format is described in U.S.
`Pat. No. 3,891,792 to Kimura, U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,854 to
`Baer describes a second system for continuously dis-
`playing readable alphanumeric captions that are trans-
`mitted as digital data superimposed On a normal FM
`sound signal and that relate in program content to the
`conventional television information upon which they
`are displayed. These systems permit a viewer to view a
`primary program and a secondary program.
`This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to
`overlay any information other than information trans-
`mitted to all receiver stations simultaneously. It has no
`capacity to overlay any such information except in the
`order in which it is received. It has no capacity to cause
`receiver station computers to generate any information
`whatsoever, let alone user specific information. It has
`no capacity to cause overlays to commence or cease
`appearing at receiver stations, let alone commence and
`cease appearing periodically.
`As regards the automation of intermediate transmis-
`sion stations, various so-called “cueing” systems in the
`prior art operate in conjunction with network broadcast
`transmissions to automate the so-called “cut-in” at local
`television and radio stations of locally originated pro-
`gramming such as so-called “local spot” advertise-
`merits.
`Also in the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,522 tp Lam-
`bert describes a cable television system controlled by a
`minicomputer that responds to signals transmitted from
`viewers by telephone. In response to viewers’ input
`preferences, the computer generates a schedule which
`determines what prerecorded, so-called local origina-
`tion programs will be transmitted, when, and over what
`channels. The computer generates a video image of this
`schedule which it transmits over one cable channel to
`viewers which permits them to see when they can view
`the programs they request and over what channels.
`Then, in accordance with the schedule, it actuates pre-
`loaded video tape, disc or film players and transmits the
`programming transmissions from these players to the
`designated cable channels by means of a controlled
`video switch.
`This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to
`schedule automatically or transmit any programming
`other than that loaded immediately at the play heads of
`the controlled video players. It has no capacity to load
`the video players or identify what programming is
`loaded on the players or verify that scheduled programs
`are played correctly. It has no capacity to cause the
`video players to record programming from any source.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`3O
`
`35
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`4
`It has no capacity to receive programming transmis-
`sions or process received transmissions in any way. It
`has no capacity to operate under the control of instruc
`tions transmitted by broadcasters. It has no capacity to
`insert signals that convey information to or control, in
`any way, the automatic operation of ultimate receiver
`station apparatus other than television receivers.
`As regards the automation of ultimate receiver sta-
`tions, in the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,480 to Bouras-
`sin et al. describes a dynamic interconnection system for
`connecting at least one television receiver to a plurality
`of television peripheral units. By means of a single re-
`mote keyboard, a viewer can automatically connect and
`disconnect any of the peripheral units without the need
`manually to switch systems or fasten and unfasten ca-
`bling each time. In addition, using a so-called “image-
`Within—image” capacity, the viewer can superimpose a
`secondary image from a second peripheral unit upon the
`primary image on the television display. In this fashion,
`two peripheral units can be viewed simultaneously on
`one television receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,925 to
`Freeman et al. describes a multi-channel programming
`transmission system wherein subscribers may select
`manually among related programming alternatives
`transmitted simultaneously on separate channels.
`This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for
`interconnecting or operating a system at any time other
`than the time when the order to do so is entered manu-
`ally at the system or remote keyboard. It has no capac—
`ity for acting on instructions transmitted by broadcast-
`ers to interconnect, actuate or tune systems peripheral
`to a television receiver or to actuate a television re-
`ceiver or automatically change channels received by a
`receiver. It has no capacity for coordinating the pro-
`gramming content transmitted by any given peripheral
`system with any other programming transmitted to a
`television receiver. It has no capacity for controlling
`two separate systems such as, for example, an automatic
`radio and television stereo simulcast. It has no capacity
`for selectively connecting radio receivers to radio pe-
`ripherals such as computers or printers or speakers or
`for connecting computers to computer peripherals (ex-
`cept perhaps a television set). It has no capacity for
`controlling the operation of decryptors or selectively
`inputting transmissions to decryptors or outputting
`transmissions from decryptors to other apparatus. It has
`no capacity for monitoring and maintaining records
`regarding what programming is selected or played on
`any apparatus or what apparatus is connected or how
`connected apparatus operate.
`The prior art includes a variety of systems for moni—
`toring programming and generating so-called “ratings."
`One system that monitors by means of embedded digital
`signals is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,851 to Hasel—
`wood, et al. Another that monitors by means of audio
`codes that are only “substantially inaudible” is de-
`scribed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,391 to Crosby. A third
`that automatically monitors a plurality of channels by
`switching sequentially among them and that includes
`capacity to monitor audio and visual quality is de-
`scribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,804 to Greenberg.
`This prior art, too, is limited. It has capacity to moni-
`tor only single broadcast stations, channels or, units and
`lacks capacity to monitor more than one channel at a
`time or to monitor the combining of media. At any
`given monitor station, it has had capacity to monitor
`either what is transmitted over one or more channels or
`what is received on one or more receivers but not both.
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 25
`
`Unified Patents Inc. Ex. 1002, pg. 25
`
`

`

`.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`35
`
`40
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`4,965,825
`
`5
`It has assumed monitored signals of particular format in
`particular transmission locations and has lacked capac-
`ity to vary formats or locations or to distinguish and act
`on the absence of signals or to interpret and process in
`any fashion signals that appear in monitored locations
`that are not monitored signals. It has lacked capacity to
`identify encrypted signals then decrypt them. It has
`lacked capacity to record and also transfer information
`to a remote geographic location simultaneously.
`As regards recorder/player systems, many means and
`methods exist in the prior art for recording television or
`audio programming and/or data on magnetic, optical or
`other recording media and for retransmitting prere-
`corded programming. Video tape recorders have ca-
`pacity for automatic delayed recording of television
`transmissions on the basis of instructions input manually
`by viewers. So-called “interactive video” systems have
`capacity for locating prerecorded television program-
`ming on a given disc and transmitting it to television
`receivers and locating prerecorded digital data on the
`same disc and transmitting them to computers.
`This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for
`automatically embedding signals in and/or removing
`embedded signals from a television transmission then
`recording the transmission. It has no capacity for con-
`trolling the connection or actuation or tuning of exter-
`nal apparatus. It has no capacity for retransmitting pre-
`recorded programming and controlling the decryption
`of said programming, let alone doing so on the basis of 30
`signals that are embedded in said programming that
`contain keys for the decryption of said programming. It
`has no capacity for operating on the basis of control
`signals transmitted to recorder/players at a plurality of
`subscriber stations, let alone operating on the basis of
`such signals to record user specific information at each
`subscriber station.
`As regards decoders and decryptors, many different
`systems exist, at present, that enable programming sup-
`pliers to restrict the use of transmitted programming to
`only duly authorized subscribers. The prior art includes
`so-called “addressable” systems that have capacity for
`controlling specific individual subscriber station appa-
`ratus by means of control instructions transmitted in
`broadcasts. Such systems enable broadcasters to turn off
`subscriber station decoder/decryptor apparatus of sub-
`scribers who do not pay their bills and turn them back
`on when the bills are paid.
`This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for
`decrypting combined media programming. It has no
`capacity for identifying then selectively decrypting
`control
`instructions embedded in unencrypted pro-
`gramming transmissions. It has no capacity for identify-
`ing programming transmissions or control instructions
`selectively and transferring them to a decryptor for
`decryption. It has no capacity for transferring the out-
`put of a decryptor selectively to one of a plurality of
`output apparatus. It has no capacity for automatically
`identifying decryption keys and inputting them to a
`decryptor to serve as the key for any step of decryption.
`It has no capacity for identifying and recording the
`identity of what is input to or output from a decryptor.
`It has no capacity for decrypting a transmission then
`embedding a signal in the transmission—let alone for
`simultaneously embedding user specific signals at a
`plurality of subscriber stations. It has no capacity for
`distinguishing the absence of an expected signal or con-
`trolling any operation when such absence occurs.
`
`6
`Further significant limitations arise out of the failure
`to reconcile aspects of these individual areas of ar-
`t—monitoring programming, automating ultimate re-
`ceiver stations, decrypting programming, generating
`the programming itself, etc—into an integrated system.
`These limitations are both technical and commercial.
`For example, the commercial objective of the afore-
`mentioned monitoring systems of Crosby, Haselwood
`et. al., and Greenberg is to provide independent audits
`to advertisers and others who pay for programming
`transmissions. All require embedding signals in pro-
`gramming that are used only to identify programming.
`Greenberg, for example, requires that a digital signal be
`transmitted at a particular place on a select line of each
`frame of a television program. But television has only so
`much capacity for transmitting signals outside the visi-
`ble image; it is inefficient for such signals to serve only
`one function; and broadcasters can foresee alternate
`potential for this capacity that may be more profitable
`to them. Furthermore, advertisers recognize that if the
`systems of Crosby, Haselwood and Greenberg distin-
`guish TV advertisements by means of s