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Title: Remote unit for a two-way cable communications system
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A remote unit for a two-way cable communications system including a master station for transmitting television program and interrogation signals and for receiving reply signals, which comprises; receiver means for receiving television program and interrogation signals transmitted by said master station; transmitter means for transmitting reply signals back to the master station; television receiver means coupled to said receiver means for reproducing television programs corresponding to received television signals; channel selector means for selecting the television channel to be viewed and for providing viewer response information; encoder means coupled to said channel selector means for encoding the selected channel and viewer response information into digital signal representations; switch means having first, second and third operative conditions; storage means coupled to said encoder means for storing said channel selector information when said switch means is in said first and second operative conditions; gate means coupled to said encoder means and enabled when said switch means is in first and second conditions; tuning means coupled to said television receiver for selecting a program channel; converter means for applying the output of said storage means to said tuning means for controlling said tuning means; means for operating said gate means when said switch means is in said third condition; and decoder means coupled to said gate means and said storage means and responsive to a selected interrogation signal for applying the output of said gate means and said storage means to said transmitter means. 2. A remote unit according to claim 1 including means for providing a visual indication of each operative condition of said switch means. 3. A remote unit according to claim 1 wherein said means for operating said gate means includes resettable latching means coupling said switch means to said gate means and means responsive to a signal from said master station for resetting said latch means. 4. A remote unit according to claim 2 wherein said latching means and said encoder means are coupled to said gate means and said storage means, respectively, through a common multiconductor cable. 5. A remote unit according to claim 4 wherein said storage means includes a plurality of binary inputs coupled to said encoder means, clocking means for enabling said storage means and means coupling said clocking means to said storage means when said switch means is in said first condition. 6. An apparatus for controlling a remote transceiver in a two-way cable television system, wherein the remote transceiver includes a transmitter, tuning means for connecting to a television receiver, and decoder means responsive to logic encoded information for applying said information to said transmitter, which comprises: channel selector means having a plurality of selectively operable contact means coupled to a plurality of output lines for providing channel select information; a storage register having a plurality of inputs coupled to said output lines; clock means for enabling said storage register; first gate means for selectively coupling said clock means to said storage register; converter means coupling said register to the tuning means to control the tuning means in accordance with the stored information; multiple position control switch means having first, second and third operative conditions; means coupling said first gate means to said control switch means for enabling said first gate means when said control switch means is in said first condition to store said channel select information; a plurality of second gate means, coupled to corresponding ones of said output lines and being selectively enabled by the information thereon; latching means coupling said control switch means to all of said second gate means for operating the enabled ones of said second gate means when said control switch means is in said third condition; and means coupling the outputs of said gate means and said storage register to the decoder means. 7. An apparatus according to claim 6 and including means coupled to said control switch means for providing a visual indication of each condition of said control switch means. 8. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said latching means is coupled to said second gate means and said output lines are coupled to said storage register through a multi-conductor cable. 9. An apparatus according to claim 6 and including means for precluding said channel selector means from affecting the information stored in said storage register when said control switch means is in said second and third conditions. 10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said control switch means includes means for sequentially positioning said switch means into its first, second and third conditions, said first condition defining a channel select mode to select a television program for viewing, said second condition defining a viewer response select mode and said third condition defining a response entry mode of controlling said remote transceiver. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said channel selector means provides both channel select and response select information. 12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said channel selector is a shaft encoder for selectively operating said contact means. Other info: Inventors: Belcher, Brian E. (Dallas, TX, US) Campbell, John G. (Irving, TX, US) Application Number: 571576 Filing Date: 1975-04-25 Publication_date: 1976-10-19 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 725/14 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Other References: I.E.E.E. Spectrum Applications Report on "Two-Way Applications for Cable Television Systems in the '70s", by Jurgen, pp. 39-54, 11/1971. | |