Back to results
US 8,799,963 B2Granted
Receiver unit changing between a high definition mode and standard mode and method therefor
AssigneeThe DIRECTV Group, Inc.
InventorsRonald J. Hubach, Ivonne Y. Chen, Natalya Klimochkin, Sewon Oh, Tam T. Leminh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of switching services in a receiver unit includes a verifier module in the receiver unit receiving a service signal and middleware within the receiving unit receiving an evaluate signal and enabling the verifier to determine a service change from the service signal. The middleware changing a service flag for the service when a service change is determined at the verifier.
Claims23
A method of operating a receiving unit comprising:
- receiving a service signal at the receiving unit that originates from a billing system located externally from the receiving unit, said service signal comprising a receiver or user identifier;
- receiving an evaluate signal at the receiving unit from a headend, said evaluate signal comprising a content ID corresponding to a resolution upgrade or resolution downgrade;
- in response to receiving the evaluate signal, initiating, at the receiving unit, a determination of whether the service signal indicates a service change authorizing a first resolution or a second resolution different from the first resolution;
- when the service signal indicates the service change, changing a service flag within the receiving unit to indicate the first resolution or the second resolution;
- and
- changing an output of the receiving unit to the first resolution or the second resolution in response to changing the service flag.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving a service signal at the receiving unit that originates from a billing system located externally from the receiving unit, said service signal comprising a receiver or user identifier;
- receiving an evaluate signal at the receiving unit from a headend, said evaluate signal comprising a content ID corresponding to a resolution upgrade or resolution downgrade;
- changing a flag setting to indicate a first resolution or a second resolution different from the first resolution in response to both the evaluate signal and the service signal;
- wherein said service signal indicates a service change authorizing the first resolution or the second resolution;
- receiving a second resolution signal at a receiving unit;
- determining whether the flag setting is set within a memory of the receiving unit corresponding to a second resolution flag setting or a first resolution flag setting;
- when the flag setting corresponds to the first resolution flag setting, reducing a resolution of the second resolution signal to a first resolution signal within the receiving unit;
- and
- thereafter, generating the first resolution signal output from the receiving unit corresponding to the first resolution signal.
6 more elements
A system comprising:
- a receiver unit comprising,
- a verifier receiving a service signal that originates from a billing system located externally from the receiving unit, said service signal comprising a receiver or user identifier;
- and
- middleware receiving an evaluate signal generated externally from the receiving unit at a head end and said evaluate signal comprising a content ID corresponding to a resolution upgrade or resolution downgrade and said evaluate signal enabling the verifier to determine a service change authorizing a first resolution or a second resolution different from the first resolution from the service signal, said middleware changing a service flag to indicate the first resolution or the second resolution for the service when the service change is determined at the verifier;
- changing an output of the receiving unit to the first resolution or second resolution in response to changing the service flag.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.