Method and apparatus for communication of video, audio, teletext, and data to groups of decoders in a communication system

A method of communicating a multiplexed analog components (MAC) composite signal for use by a broadcaster to allocate a predetermined combination of services selected from a plurality of more than two different services including at least video and audio services simultaneously transmitted on a single frequency tuned channel to selectable groups of a plurality of decoders, comprising the steps of:

• assembling and transmitting said multiplexed analog components (MAC) composite signal at a transmitter location, said transmitted composite signal comprising the plurality of the more than two different services and control data, and
• receiving and separating component information signals of said composite signal at one or more decoder locations, said transmitted composts signal being of a predetermined format comprising a number of fields transmitted at a fixed frequency, each of said fields comprising a predetermined number of lines, a portion of each of said lines operating as a horizontal blanking interval, a portion of each field operating as a vertical blanking interval and remaining portions of each field comprising a video portion,
• said control data of said transmitted composite signal comprising system-wide control commands, group decoder control commands and individual decoder control command, both said system-wide control commands and said group decoder control commands transmitted during a first predetermined set of lines in said portion of each field operating as the vertical blanking interval, the individual-decoder control commands transmitted during a second predetermined set of lines in said portion of each field operating as the vertical blanking interval, said transmitting and receiving steps being modified to include the steps of:
• transmitting said individual decoder control commands in said first predetermined set of lines to assign individual decoders to one or more groups of decoders,
• storing said group assignments in a decoder memory, and
• transmitting said group decoder control commands to allocate at least one service package to selected groups of said groups of decoders,
• said decoders assigned to one or more groups of decoders and allocated to receive at least one service package regardless of whether any portion of the composite signal is encrypted with a key, each said service package comprising a predetermined combination of services selected from said plurality of more than two different services including at least video and audio services transmitted in said composite signal.

A communication system for use by a broadcaster to allocate a predetermined combination of services selected from a plurality of different services transmitted simultaneously on a single frequency tuned channel to selectable groups of a plurality of decoders, comprising:

• a transmitter located at a first location, the transmitter transmitting on the single frequency tuned channel a multiplexed analog components (MAC) composite signal;
• said composite signal comprising a plurality of three or more different services and control data;
• a plurality of decoders located at second locations, the plurality of decoders comprising a receiver for receiving the transmitted composite signal, and the plurality of decoders further comprising a separator for separating said composite signal into component information signals;
• said composite signal being of a predetermined format, said format comprising a continuing sequence of fields, each field comprising a predetermined number of lines, a portion of each of said lines operating as a horizontal blanking interval, a portion of each field operating as a vertical blanking interval and remaining portions of each field comprising video information signals;
• said control data of said composite signal comprising system-wide control commands, group decoder control commands and individual decoder control commands, said transmitter transmitting and said decoders receiving said system-wide control commands and said group decoder control commands in a first predetermined set of lines in said portion of each field operating as said vertical blanking interval and said individual decoder control commands in a second predetermined set of lines in said portion of each field operating as said vertical blanking interval, said individual decoder control commands transmitted in said first predetermined set of lines by the transmitter add received by said decoders for assigning individual decoders to one or more groups of decoders;
• said individual decoders assigned to one or more groups of decoders comprising a memory to store said group assignment, said transmitter capable of subsequently transmitting said group decoder control commands for allocating at least one service package to selected groups of said groups of decoders according to previous group assignments stored in their memories;
• said decoders assigned to one or more groups of decoders and allocated at least one service package regardless of whether any portion of the composite signal is encrypted with a key, each said service package comprising a predetermined combination of three or more different services selected from at least video service, audio services, teletext services and utility data services transmitted in said multiplexed analog components (MAC) composite signal on said single frequency tuned channel.

A method of communicating a multiplexed analog components (MAC) composite signal for use by a broadcaster to allocate a predetermined combination of services selected from a plurality of different services simultaneously transmitted on a single frequency tuned channel to selectable groups of a plurality of decoders, comprising the steps of:

• assembling and transmitting said multiplexed analog components (MAC) composite signal at a transmitter location, said transmitted composite signal comprising a plurality of three or more different services and control data;
• and
• receiving and separating component information signals of said composite signal at one or more decoder locations, said transmitted composite signal being of a predetermined format comprising a number of fields transmitted at a fixed frequency, each of said fields comprising a predetermined number of lines, a portion of each of said lines operating as a horizontal blanking interval, a portion of each field operating as a vertical blanking interval and remaining portions of each field comprising a video portion;
• said control data of said transmitted composite signal comprising system-wide control commands, group decoder control commands and individual decoder control commands, both said system-wide control commands and said group decoder control commands transmitted during a first predetermined set of lines in said portion of each field operating as the vertical blanking interval, the individual-decoder control commands transmitted during a second predetermined set of lines in said portion of each field operating as the vertical blanking interval, said transmitting and receiving steps being modified to include the steps of:
• transmitting said individual decoder control commands in said first predetermined set of lines to assign individual decoders to one or more groups of decoders
• storing said group assignments in a decoder memory;
• and transmitting said group decoder control commands to allocate at least one service package to selected groups of said groups of decoders;
• said decoders assigned to one or more groups of decoders and allocated receive at least one service package regardless of whether any portion of th composition signal is encrypted with a key, each said service package comprising a predetermined combination of three or more different services selected of from at least video services, audio services, teletext services and utility services transmitted in said multiplexed analog components (MAC) composite signal on said single frequency tuned channel.