Patent ID: 6792616
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
In a cable television system having a headend and a settop, a method of activating a service provided by the headend to the settop, wherein the service is one service of a plurality of services provided by the headend to the settop, and wherein the method is implemented in the settop, the method comprising the steps of:receiving from the headend a plurality of tables, wherein a first table of the plurality of tables includes multiple sets of service attributes, wherein each set of service attributes is associated with a particular service, wherein a second table includes a plurality of blocks of data, each block of data associating a service identifier with a valid channel number, wherein each block of data includes an attribute specifying the valid channel number is reachable by incrementing or decrementing channel numbers; storing the plurality of tables in a memory of the settop; receiving at the settop a signal associated with a specific service of the plurality of services provided by the headend, wherein the specific service has a set of service attributes associated therewith; retrieving the set of service attributes associated with the specific service, wherein the step of retrieving includes the act of reading the set of service attributes associated with the specific service from the first table; and launching the specific service responsive to the set of service attributes associated with the specific service including a launch attribute permitting non-subscriber launch.