Patent ID: 6918135

Claim:
A headend for transmitting downstream a CATV signal having a plurality of program channels and for facilitating bidirectional data communications with CATV settop terminals which receive said program channels over a CATV network; said headend comprising: a processing means associated with each of the program channels for selectively inserting communication data into the associated program channel for downstream transmission; and means for bidirectional communication with settop terminals of upstream and associated downstream communication data including: means for receiving upstream communication data from said settop terminals including settop terminal identification information and current settop terminal channel selection information; and a data router, responsive to said current settop terminal channel selection information, for directing downstream communication data associated with the upstream communication data from an identified settop terminal to the processing means associated with the channel corresponding to the current settop terminal channel selection information of the identified settop terminal, whereby a user continues to receive the same downstream communication data through the new program channel that the user has selected.