Patent ID: 6796555
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
Apparatus for use at a prescribed local location to control the provision of video channels from a remote source at a remote location from the prescribed local location to a plurality of television sets at the prescribed local location, the apparatus comprising:a plurality of receivers associated with at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets for receiving control messages associated with said at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets, said plurality of receivers including a prescribed number of receivers equal to a prescribed number of video program units in a plurality of video program units, and wherein said control messages each includes at least a first field for containing an identity related to an associated one of said prescribed number of television sets and a second field for containing a selected channel number; a generator supplied with said received control messages for generating video channel selection messages; a transmitter for transmitting said video channel selection messages toward said source for controlling said remote source to supply video programs on a one-to-one basis corresponding to said video channel selection messages; said plurality of video program units, each for receiving video channels transmitted from said remote source in response to said transmitted video channel selection messages and for supplying as an output a video channel carrying video program signals on said selected channel, each of said video program units including a storage unit for storing a selected channel number identifying a particular video program unit with a selected channel number; a combiner for combining said received video channel from each of said plurality of video program units, a resulting combined video channel signal to be supplied as an output to said plurality of television sets; and a processor for assigning said video program units to selected channel numbers on a one-to-one basis, wherein said processor stores the current video channel to which associated television sets are tuned to and upon any of said associated television sets being powered ON said processor assigns a program channel unit to it to supply the last stored channel to which said associated television set was tuned to prior to it being powered OFF, wherein a set-top terminal is not required to control video channel selection and/or transmission.