System for distributing broadcast television services identically on a first bandwidth portion of a plurality of express trunks and interactive services over a second bandwidth portion of each express trunk on a subscriber demand basis

An interactive television information system for use on a cable television system having (i) a source of broadcast television information signals, (ii) a cable television distribution network for delivering television information signals to subscriber televisions, and (iii) a plurality of settop controllers connected to the cable television distribution network, each settop controller providing an associated subscriber television with one of the television information signals in response to an associated channel control means operable by the subscriber, said interactive television information system comprising:

• headend means for accessing any of a plurality of television information services;
• a plurality of home interface control means, each of such home interface control means associated with each settop controller and including a data transceiver operative over a data communications link;
• wherein the cable television distribution network is included in the interactive television information system and includes a plurality of express trunks, each trunk coupled to a group of the settop controllers and including a first bandwidth portion carrying broadcast television information signals such that they are substantially identical in nature and bandwidth allocation among all trunks, and a second bandwidth portion carrying television information services on a demand basis established by subscriber usage of the home interface control means associated with the group of settop controllers;
• node means, in television communication with the headend means and in television communication with the plurality of settop controllers over the cable television distribution network, and in data communication with the plurality of home interface control means over the data communications link, for selecting television information services obtained through the headend means based on data obtained over the data communications link from home interface control means and for providing selected television information services to said cable distribution network for delivery in the second bandwidth portion of the express trunk coupled to the settop controller associated with the requesting home interface control means.