Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates generally to distribution of audio/video
signals,
and more specifically, to a system, method and controller for distribution of
audio/video signals on a pay-for-use basis in a controlled environment.
Background of the Invention
Pay-per-view is a method of distributing video signals that allows users to
select specific programs such as movies or sporting events and to pay only for
these
selections. This is in contrast to standard video distribution systems which
make
access to a broad range of programming available to users for a flat fee.
Institutional environments such as hotels and hospitals have implemented
pay-per-view systems, but the existing systems are generally expensive,
complex, or
require manual interaction. Such systems are inconvenient in hotels and
hospitals,
and are completely impractical to implement in small environments such as
motels.
Generally, institutions distribute television or video signals on a local
cable
network which allows equal access by all users. In order to provide pay-per-
view
signals over an otherwise open network, the pay-per-view signals should be
secured
in some manner to prevent users from viewing them without paying. Two such
methods are to encode the pay-per-view signals, or to block the video signals
at the
unauthorized user's room.
One such system employs filters in each user's room which block the pay-
per-view video signals on the local cable network from being received by the
user's
television. The user may call the hotel office to schedule a pay-per-view
selection
and in response, a special carrier frequency is returned to the user's room
via the
telephone line. This special carrier frequency is picked up by a
telephone/television
interface in the user's room which unblocks the filtering of the video signal
on the
selected channel.
This method requires either manual control at the hotel office, or a
sophisticated computer to control and generate the carrier signals. Manual
control is
costly in that it requires a specially trained employee to spend time
responding to the
request and programming the equipment. Manual control is also prone to error
and
requires twenty-four hour attendance in order to offer the video service
continuously.
Clearly, this is not practical in the environment of a small motel. Having a
local
computer to implement such a system automatically would also be too costly for
a
small motel.
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Another solution is to scramble the pay-per-view video signals at the front
office and distribute the scrambled signal over the local cable network. The
user
contacts the front desk by telephone and a de-scrambling code and user address
is
returned either over the telephone line or via the local cable network itself.
In either
case, a sophisticated encoding and control system is required at the hotel
office and
sophisticated decoding and control equipment is required in each user's room.
As a
result, these systems are expensive and require trained operators.
The solutions described above can only be implemented in limited
environments. They do not, for example, have the functionality to be
implemented in
bus stations, airports or bars, in which the customer is not identifiable and
does not
have a running account. Bus stations, airports or bars are still controlled
environments in that the operator may install whatever equipment he requires
to
offer services, and to control access to these services. It is desirable to
offer pay-
per-view services in such controlled environments.
These solutions are also generally restricted in the services that they can
provide. Pay-per-view systems are typically restricted to the provision of a
limited
number of finite products determined by the provider, such as specific movies
and
programs. There is a market demand to provide greater flexibility, including
television channels for a certain number of hours, having access to direct-to-
home
satellite and Internet-over-TV services. Such services are generally described
as
pay-for-use.
There is therefore a need for system and controller for distribution of video
signals on a pay-for-use basis in a controlled environment, which is
inexpensive to
implement and easy to operate.
Summary of the Invention
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a system, method and
controller for distribution of audio/video signals on a pay-for-use basis, in
a controlled
environment.
One aspect of the invention is broadly defined as a system for distributing
video signals comprising: at least one customer location having: a telephone
line/television control interface; and a television interconnected with the
telephone
line/television control interface; a local source of video signals; a global
authorization
computer; a local video signal distribution network interconnecting the local
source of
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video signals with the television; a telecommunications network for
interconnecting
the global authorization computer with the telephone line/television control
interface;
the global authorization computer including means for issuing an authorization
packet to the telephone line/television control interface via the
telecommunications
network; and the telephone line/television control interface including: means
for
receiving a request to tune the television to a selected channel; means for
receiving
authorization to tune the television to a pay-for-use channel from the global
authorization computer via the telephone network; and controlling means
responsive
to the selected channel being the pay-for-use channel and the authorization to
tune
the television to the pay-for-use channel being received, by allowing the
television to
be tuned to the pay-for-use channel otherwise denying the selected channel.
Another aspect of the invention is defined as a telephone line/television
control interface comprising: means for receiving a request to tune a
television to a
selected channel; means for receiving authorization to tune the television to
a pay
for-use channel from a global authorization computer via a telephone line; and
controlling means responsive to the selected channel being the pay-for-use
channel
and the authorization to tune the television to the pay-for-use channel being
received, by allowing the television to be tuned to the pay-for-use channel
otherwise
denying the selected channel.
Another aspect of the invention is defined as a global authorization computer
comprising means for issuing an authorization packet in dual-tone multi-
frequency
format containing authorized user room identification, authorized channel and
authorized period of time.
In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of
distributing
video signals in an environment with at least one customer location having a
telephone line/television control interface and a television interconnected
with the
telephone line/television control interface, a local source of video signals,
a global
authorization computer, a local video signal distribution network for
interconnecting
the local source of video signals with the television, and a
telecommunications
network for interconnecting the global authorization computer with the
telephone
line/television control interface, the method comprising the steps of: the
global
authorization computer issuing an authorization packet to the telephone
line/television control interface via the telecommunications network; and the
telephone line/television control interface responding to the authorization
packet by
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allowing the television to be tuned to an authorized pay-for-use channel
otherwise
denying the television from being tuned to the pay-for-use channel.
Brief Description of the Drawings
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from
the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings
in
which:
Figure 1 presents a block diagram of the system 10 in a manner of the
invention;
Figure 2 presents a general block diagram of a telephone line/television
interface 14
in a manner of the invention;
Figure 3 presents a block diagram of a telephone line/television interface 14
in a
preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 presents a block diagram of a local source of video signals 18 in a
preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figures 5a, 5b and 5c present a flow chart of the method steps in a preferred
embodiment of the invention; and
Figures 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d and 6e present a flow chart describing the operation of
the
global authorization computer 20 in a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention
A system which addresses the objects outlined above, is presented as a
block diagram in Figure 1. This figure presents a system 10 for distributing
videos,
comprising at least one customer location 12 having: a telephone
line/television
control interface 14 and a television 16 interconnected with the telephone
line/television control interface 14. A local source of video signals 18
provides the
pay-for-use video signal that the user wishes to view. A global authorization
computer 20 is also provided to administer the system. A local video signal
distribution network 22 interconnects the local source of video signals 18
with the
television 16 in the same manner as a standard television signal distribution
network.
A telecommunications network 24 interconnects the global authorization
computer 20 with the telephone line/television control interface 14 allowing
the global
authorization computer 20 to issue authorization packets to the telephone
line/television control interface 14 via this telecommunications network 24.
The
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telephone line/television control interface 14 may be characterized as
performing
three main tasks:
1. receiving requests to tune the television 16 to channels selected by the
user;
2. receiving authorization to tune the television 16 to pay-for-use channels
from
the global authorization computer 20 via the telephone network 24; and
3. responding to a channel selected by the user being a pay-for-use channel
and the authorization to tune the television 16 to that pay-for-use channel
being received, by allowing the television 16 to be tuned to that pay-for-use
channel, otherwise denying the selected channel.
Other embodiments will be described in greater detail hereinafter, but in a
simple example of the invention, this system allows a pay-for-use video tape
to be
played on the local source of video signals 18 at the front office of a small
motel.
The video tape may be played on a predetermined schedule which may be posted
at
the front desk or in each room of the motel. The video signal will be
available to
each television 16 connected to the local video signal distribution network
22, but a
telephone line/television control interface 14 in each room will prevent the
television
16 from being tuned to the channel that the pay-for-use video tape is being
broadcast on.
Only when the global authorization computer 20 transmits the appropriate
authorization code and instructions to the telephone line/television control
interface
14 over the telecommunications network 24 will the telephone line/television
control
interface 14 allow the user to tune the television 16 to the pay-for-use
channel. The
detailed operation of the telephone line/television control interface 14 will
be outlined
hereinafter.
This system 10 removes the authorization, administration and maintenance
functions from the administrative office of the institutional environment,
executing
them instead at a central computer 20. This way, the operator of the motel
does not
have to play a direct part in any given transaction. With the invention, the
motel
operator's interaction may be limited, for example, to loading new video tapes
into
the local source of video signals 18 from time to time. Therefore, the motel
operator
does not require training, does not have to attend the equipment twenty-four
hours a
day, or spend time operating the system.
This system also is less costly than completely local systems, because the
global authorization computer 20 may operate several motel locations at the
same
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time. This reduces the overhead cost proportionately with the number of motels
that
the global authorization computer 20 services. Because communication with the
global authorization computer 20 is via the telephone network 24, the global
authorization computer 20 does not even need to be in the same geographic area
as
the motels it services.
Because the negotiation of the services is between the customer and the
global authorization computer 20, it is possible to implement the invention in
any
controlled environment, including bus stations, airports, apartment buildings,
bars,
nursing homes or cruise ships. Although the customer is not necessarily
identifiable
and does not have a running account, the global authorization computer 20
could
simply prompt the customer for a valid credit card number to be entered on the
telephone keypad, in order to debit the customer for the services.
This system is also not limited in the audio/video services that are to be
provided, allowing for pay-for-use rather than being limited to pay-per-view.
The
global authorization computer 20 may be programmed to prompt the customer to
select between many audio/video services and then to select the specifics of
those
services. This allows viewing of special television channels for a certain
number of
hours, access to direct-to-home satellite, regular satellite, Internet-over-
TV, digital
audio or other services that can be provided over the local cable network 22.
Any
such services could be mapped onto particular channels of the local cable
network
22, and access controlled by the system of the invention.
From the perspective of the customer, he will now have access to pay-for-use
services that he could not access before. While pay-per-view services had only
been available in large hotels in the past, the invention will now allow
smaller
controlled environments such as motels, bars and bus stations to provide their
customers with access to pay-for-use services. As well, because of the cost-
efficiency of the centralised control and no requirement for a sophisticated
encryption
and decryption system, these services will be offered to the customer at a low
cost.
The invention also allows the customer to have full functionality of his
television
without the inconvenience and confusion of a second remote control, as some
systems require.
The above advantages are illustrative of certain implementations of the
invention, and are not intended to be limiting. The extent to which the above
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advantages are realized for a given implementation would be clear to one
skilled in
the art.
The three major components of the system will now be described in greater
detail: the telephone line/television control interface 14, the global
authorization
computer 20, and the local source of video signals 18.
As described above, the telephone line/television control interface 14
prevents users from tuning their television sets to pay-for-use channels
without the
proper authorization. One such apparatus for performing this function is shown
as a
block diagram in Figure 2. Broadly speaking, the device comprises three
components: a means 26 for receiving requests to tune the television 16 to
channels
selected by the user, a means 28 for receiving authorization from the global
authorization computer 20 via the telephone network 24, and a controller 30.
The operation of the telephone line/television control interface 14 is best
described with respect to an example. If the user selects a non-pay-for-use
channel
using a hand-held infrared remote control 32, then the infrared
receiver/demodulator
34 within the television 16 will receive a corresponding infrared signal which
it will
demodulate into a binary bit stream representing the request to tune the
television 16
to the non-pay-for-use channel. In an unmodified television 16 this binary bit
stream
would pass directly from the infrared receiver/demodulator 34 to the tuner 36
in the
television 16, tuning it to the desired channel. In the invention, this binary
bit stream
signal is intercepted after it leaves the infrared receiver/demodulator 34 and
is
passed to the receiver 26 of the telephone line/television interface 14, which
decides
whether the television 16 should be tuned to the requested channel.
If the user has selected a non-pay-for-use channel, the controller 30
identifies
the selected channel as being non-pay-for-use and allows the channel request
to be
passed through to the tuner 36 of the television 16, which is tuned
accordingly.
If however, the user selects a channel which is pay-for-use, the controller 30
will not allow the channel request to pass to the television 16 tuner 36
unless
authorization is received. If no authorization is received, the channel
request will be
denied and discarded.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the telephone line/television
interface 14 will comprise the arrangement of Figure 3. The telephone line
receiver
28 will comprise a telephone switch, hook and latch device 38 as known in the
art, to
monitor the telephone line 24 and to receive the authorization packet from the
global
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_$_
authorization computer 20 in a dual-tone multi-frequency format. This
telephone
switch, hook and latch device 38 is connected to the same telephone line that
feeds
the room telephone 40.
The controller 30 may be implemented in a number of manners, such as a
microcontroller, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP) or application
specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), all of which are known in the art. In Figure 3, an
implementation of the invention is shown with a micro controller 42, which
operates
using digital formatted inputs and outputs. This may require that the
authorization
packet be translated from dual-tone multi-frequency to digital format using
convertor
44, and the channel selection request translated from the binary bit stream to
digital
format using convertor 46. The output of the micro controller 42 is also
translated
from digital format into a binary bit stream format that is compatible with
the input to
the television 16 tuner 36 using a third convertor 48.
Other arrangements could also be made, which would be clear to one skilled
in the art. For example, a microprocessor could be used in lieu of the micro
controller 42, but this would generally require external memory and timing
control.
Microcontrollers generally have such functionality internally, reducing their
overall
cost and printed circuit board space. Some microcontrollers or digital signal
processors may be compatible with, or programmable to accept, the input and
output
signals of the invention without converting them to a digital format
externally, so that
converters 44, 46 and 48 are not required. An ASIC, for example, may be
manufactured which performs all of these functions on a single integrated
circuit.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the authorization packet that is
received by the switch/hook/latch 38 will comprise an authorized user room
identification, authorized channel and authorized period of time.
The telephone line/television interface 14 will confirm that the user room
identification in the authorization packet matches a pre-programmed room
identification to confirm that the received authorization packet matches the
room.
This will prevent a user from charging pay-for-use to another room. The room
identification may be any arbitrary combination of numbers and letters, as the
customer does not need to know what the room identification is. This room
identification number could be stored in the telephone line/television
interface 14 in a
number of manners: the private branch exchange (PBX) of the motel may have a
useful number associate with the room, the global authorization computer 20
could
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
_g_
transmit a room code as part of an initialization routine, or the telephone
line/television interface 14 could have internal selection switches which
would be set
when the unit is installed. Implementation of such verification methods would
be
clear to one skilled in the art.
The telephone line/television interface 14 identification is referred to as a
room identification to simplify the discussion. As noted above, the
identification
stored in the telephone line/television interface 14 may be an arbitrary
number, and
where the invention is implemented in an environment such as a bus station,
airport
or bar, clearly there is no association to a physical room.
The authorized channel of the authorization packet is used to identify the pay-
for-use channel that the user has been authorized to view, and the authorized
period
of time indicates how long the user is allowed to view this authorized
channel. In the
preferred embodiment of the invention, the controller 42 will set an internal
timer and
when the authorization period expires, send a signal to the television tuner
36 to tune
the television 16 to a non-pay-for-use channel and deny any request to return
to that
pay-for-use channel. Any non-pay-for-use channel may be used as the return
channel, though it is preferred to return the television 16 to the last non-
pay-for-use
channel the television 16 was tuned to, or to a pay-for-use preview channel if
available.
The telephone line/television control interface 14 may be mounted inside the
television 16, but it is preferable to mount it outside the television 16 in a
tamper-
proof enclosure and have a plug and receptacle arrangement connecting it to
the
television set 16. The plug and receptacle arrangement allows the telephone
line/television control interface 14 to be quickly removed to be repaired or
replaced.
Generally, the telephone line and television cable connections will be made
with
tamper proof connections as is the practice in such environments.
It should also be noted that the telephone line/television control interface
14
intercepts both the channel selections from the television remote controller
32, and
any channel selections from any other source, for example, selector switches
on the
television 16 itself. As there is generally only a single input to the
television tuner 36,
all of these channel selection signals usually may be intercepted at a single
point.
In addition to handling channel selection inputs, the telephone
line/television
control interface 14 may also be operable to understand other channel control
operations such as returning to the previous channel, or incrementing or
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decrementing from the current channel. It would be clear to one skilled in the
art
how to include such features in implementing the invention.
The telephone line/television control interface 14 may be powered from the
television 16 or from an external source, but it is preferred to power it from
the
telephone network 24, which typically allows up to 1 mA at 48 VDC to be drawn.
A less desirable implementation of the telephone line/television control
interface 14 is to have an infrared receiver built into the telephone
line/television
control interface 14 which receives the infrared signals directly from the
user's
infrared remote control 32. This telephone line/television control interface
14 would
have an infrared output which is fastened over the infrared receiver on the
television
16, so that the television 16 does not receive the original infrared signal
from the
user, but only that from the telephone line/television control interface 14.
This output
transmitter would have to be fastened in a tamper-proof manner, as a user
would
have unauthorized access to all pay-for-use channels by removing it. Although
this
implementation does not require the television 16 to be modified, it would be
more
susceptible to tampering.
To simplify the description, reference thus far has only been made to a single
video player. However, it is expected that the local source of video signals
18 will
typically include a connection to a flat-rate television cable services, a
number of
video players, and possibly an interactive controller as shown in Figure 4. In
a
simple implementation, the local source of video signals 18 may only comprise
a
single video player operating on a fixed schedule, which would require the
motel
operator to load video tapes, laser discs, or other prerecorded video media,
into the
video player at certain times. However, it is well with the skill in the art
to provide a
system controller 50 which may communicate with the global authorization
computer
20 to control a number of video players 52, automatically rewinding and
playing the
video tapes by remote control. Such a system would typically comprise a modem
53, computer with appropriate control software 54, and a video machine
controller 56
allowing the computer 54 to direct execution of the controls on the video
players 52.
The signals from the video players 52 could be modulated 58 onto the
frequency of their corresponding pay-for-use channels and the various signals
combined with that of a non-pay-for-use cable distribution supplier 60,
typically the
local cable television service. Video signal combiners 62 and modulators 58
are
known in the art.
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As regular interaction is not required between the video equipment and the
motel operator, this equipment need not be installed at the front desk of the
motel. It
could be installed in a basement or closet, preferably close to the
distribution center
of the local cable network 22.
The administrative office of the motel will also generally have some means for
billing users of the system 10. In a simple implementation, this may comprise
a
facsimile receiving machine 64, connected to the telephone network 24. In this
case,
the global authorization computer 20 would dial up the telephone number of the
facsimile machine 64 and transmit billing information to the motel, which the
motel
operator would attach to the customer's invoice. Alternatively, the billing
information
could be transmitted to the system computer 54, which could either print the
invoice
out, or merge it with the motel invoicing system to give the user a combined
room
and pay-for-use invoice. These and other such implementations are well within
the
skill of the art, and variations do not limit the invention.
The third major component in the system is the global authorization computer
20. The global authorization computer 20 administers authorization of the pay-
for-
use channels by issuing authorization packets to users in dual-tone multi-
frequency
format. This authorization packet may be very simple, allowing a user to
access all
pay-for-use channels for an unlimited period of time, and not verifying the
identity of
the user. However, a more practical implementation is for the authorization
packet to
include a confirmation code, such as an authorized user room identification,
as well
as the authorized channel and authorized period of time.
Other variations would be clear to one skilled in the art, such as allowing
access to all pay-for-use channels as a group, in which case specific channels
need
not be identified in the authorization packet, or offering access to a tier of
channels in
which case several channels may be identified in the packet. Similarly, an
authorized period of time need not be specified if it is intended that the
user be given
unlimited time access for a flat rate.
The implementation of the global authorization computer 20 is most
conveniently described with respect to the method of operation of the
invention. This
operation assumes the provision of a physical system as described above,
including
in particular: at least one customer location 12 having a telephone
line/television
control interface 14 and a television 16 interconnected with the telephone
line/television control interface 14, a local source of video signals 18, a
global
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authorization computer 20, a local video signal distribution network 22 for
interconnecting the local source of video signals 18 with the television 16,
and a
telecommunications network 24 for interconnecting the global authorization
computer
20 with the telephone line/television control interface 14.
As outlined above, the simple implementation of the invention is
characterized by the global authorization computer 20 issuing an authorization
packet to the telephone line/television control interface 14 via the
telecommunication
network 24 and the telephone line/television control interface 14 responding
to the
authorization packet by allowing the television 16 to be tuned to the
authorized pay-
for-use channel. If the telephone line/television control interface 14 does
not receive
such an authorization packet, it does not allow the television 16 to be tuned
to the
pay-for-use channel.
Typically, the global authorization computer 20 would be implemented as a
computer or server system, comprising both hardware and software components.
From the description of the invention herein, fabrication of such a global
authorization computer 20 would be straightforward to one skilled in the art.
The
integration of such hardware and software components to realize the invention
could
be done in an almost unlimited number of combinations.
The detailed operation of the global authorization computer 20 will first be
described with the method of operation of the complete system 10, as outlined
in the
flow charts of Figures 5a, 5b and 5c, and then described with respect to the
Authorization, Administration and Maintenance Routines as outlined in the flow
charts of Figures 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d and 6e.
The user initiates the process at step 66 by dialling the telephone number of
the global authorization computer 20 on his room telephone 40. This telephone
number may be provided to the user along with promotional materials in a
number of
manners that would be clear to one skilled in the art. This could be as simple
as a
sales brochure in the motel room 12 or available at the front desk, or a more
elaborate video preview channel on the television 16. For example, the motel
may
provide a video preview channel simply by running a continuous broadcast of
instructions and sample clips of available video signals on one or more non-
pay-for-
use channels.
The global authorization computer 20 picks up the user's telephone call at
step 68, greets the user and prompts him to select a preferred language for
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interactive voice response communication, such as English, French or Spanish,
as
may be desired depending on the geographic area in which the invention is
implemented. The greeting and prompting may be implemented using interactive
voice response (IVR) techniques which are known in the art of
telecommunications.
The customer indicates his language preference by striking the corresponding
number key on the keypad of his room telephone 40.
At step 70, the global authorization computer 20 identifies the institution
the
user is calling from by using call identification as known in the art.
Typically, the user
will be calling from an institution with a private branch exchange, but it
could possibly
be a private line. Either way, the global authorization computer 20 associates
all the
outgoing lines with the institution, so that it knows whether to send billing
information
to an administrative office, or to debit the customer directly.
If caller identification is available, the global authorization computer 20
continues with step 72. If caller identification is not available, the global
authorization
computer 20 prompts the user to identify the telephone number he is calling
from at
step 74, and user enters his telephone number on the keypad of his room
telephone
40 at step 76.
The global authorization computer 20 will have a database record associated
with the institution that has been identified in either step 70 or 76. This
database
record may contain details for the institution regarding outgoing telephone
lines,
room numbers, services available, free channels, costs, billing arrangements
and
other information which will be described in further detail hereinafter.
At step 72, the global authorization computer 20 prompts the user to enter his
room number or a pre-assigned television number. The actual value of the
number
is arbitrary and is only required to coordinate authorization codes between
the global
authorization computer 20 and the telephone line/television control interface
14. The
user indicates his room number using the keypad of his telephone at step 78.
When the global authorization computer 20 receives the user's room number
or a pre-assigned television number, it confirms that this is a valid number
at step 80
by referring to the database record for the institution. If it is not valid,
it may prompt
the user again, by returning to step 72. It may be desirable to monitor the
number of
times that an invalid number is entered, either hanging up on the user or
locking out
the room for a period of time if tampering is suspected.
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If a valid entry is received, it may be desirable for the global authorization
computer 20 to confirm the room or television number back to the user for
verification using interactive voice response and requesting confirmation with
a
telephone keypad entry.
At step 82, the global authorization connputer 20 then prompts the user for a
pay-for-use selection, again using IVR. The global authorization computer 20
could
either recite a complete list of options to the user, or refer to
identification numbers
on associated promotional material. To implement a pay-for-use system with a
large
number of optional services and lengths of time, a fairly sophisticated
selection
hierarchy may be required. Such selection trees are quite common in the art.
The
user enters his selection at step 84 using the keypad of his telephone 40.
Once the user has made a selection, the global authorization computer 20
accesses the database record associated with the institution at step 86 in
Figure 5b
and confirms that the room 12 is allowed to view the selection. This feature
is
provided to allow customers to disable certain channels, for example adult
channels,
from being ordered by their room. The customer may make the security
restriction by
contacting the global authorization computer 20, or by having the motel office
make
the request to the global authorization computer 20 on behalf of the customer.
In the
same manner, corporate clients may wish to have the pay-for-use service
disabled
entirely, to prevent employees from charging excessive costs to their rooms.
At this point, it may also be desirable to have the global authorization
computer 20 confirm the selection back to the user.
The process now continues with step 8'.8 where the global authorization
computer 20 prepares and forwards an authorization packet back to the
telephone
line/television control interface 14. As noted above, the complexity of the
authorization packet will depend on the functionality that the system 10 is
required to
have. In the preferred embodiment, the global authorization computer 20 will
return
an authorization packet at step 88 comprising the authorized user room
identification, authorized channel and authorized pre-viewing period of time.
This
authorization packet will be in dual-tone multi-frequency format, and travel
over the
telecommunications network 24 to the telephone line/television control
interface 14 in
the user's room.
The use of a short pre-viewing period gives the system 10 the flexibility of
free sampling, and confirmation from the user that the desired product is
being
CA 02255439 1999-03-30
-15-
received correctly before invoicing the customE~r. This should reduce the
number of
arguments that the motel operator receives from customers who attempt to avoid
paying for services.
The telephone line/television control interface 14 receives the authorization
packet at step 90 and confirms that the packet has the same authorized room
identification as the telephone line/television control interface 14 has been
programmed for. As described above, this prevents a user from charging a video
selection to another room. Once this verification is made, the telephone
line/television control interface 14 will allow the user to select the pay-for-
use
channel during the authorized pre-viewing period. The operation of the
telephone
line/television control interface 14 is described in greater detail above.
The global authorization computer 20 then transmits interactive voice
response instructions to the customer advising him that the authorization
packet has
been sent, and asking him to tune his televisioin 16 to the authorized pay-for-
use
channel or channels and to confirm its correct operation by entering the
appropriate
code on his telephone 40 keypad.
If the customer indicates that the authorization has failed, the global
authorization computer 20 monitors the number of failures at step 94, and
returns
control to step 82 of Figure 5a. If a user fails ;a number of times, for
example three
times, the global authorization computer 20 may lock out the room or transfer
the
telephone call to a call centre which allows the customer to obtain person to
person
assistance.
It is not necessary for the global authorization computer 20 to transmit a
reset
command to the telephone lineltelevision control interface 14 because of the
short
pre-viewing authorization period. Once this short time period expires the
television
16 will be tuned to a non-pay-for-use channel, and further selection of pay-
for-use
channels by the user will be denied.
If the customer indicates that the authorization has been successful, the
global authorization computer 20 accesses the' institution database at step 96
to
determine whether payment should be made through the institution or directly
from
the customer.
If payment is to be made directly from 'the customer, then the global
authorization computer 20 will prompt the user at step 98 to advise a valid
credit,
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-16-
debit or smart card number and expiry date, which the global authorization
computer
20 may verify by communicating with an on-line credit service.
If this verification is not successful, the global authorization computer 20
advises the user at step 100 of Figure 5c and may either allow additional
attempts
by returning to step 98, or hang up and exit the routine at step 102. It may
be
desirable to limit the number of attempts available to the user before hanging
up or
locking out the room in order to frustrate tampering.
If the global authorization computer 20 is successful in identifying a party
to
be billed, then an authorization packet for the entire period selected by the
user is
transmitted to the user's telephone line/television control interface 14 at
step 104.
This authorization packet may be the same as the pre-view packet, except that
it
contains an authorization for the entire time period that the user has
requested.
At step 106 of Figure 5c, the global authorization computer 20 now directs
the user to hang up the telephone 40 and enjoy their pay-for-use selection.
At step 108, the global authorization computer 20 may then forward billing
information to the institution, or to the party offering credit to the user.
This follows
with an invoice to the user at step 110. In the case of a motel or similar
institution,
billing information may be transmitted by facsimile transmission or
electronically as
described above. This transmission may be made immediately, in periodic
batches,
or at a pre-determined time, such as early in the morning.
Finally, the telephone line/television control interface 14 allows the
customer
to view the pay-for-use channel until the authorized time period expires, at
which
point the television 16 is tuned to another channel. As described above, the
television 16 may be tuned to any non-pay-for-use channel.
If at any point in this method the customer does not reply within a certain
time
period, the global authorization computer 20 may hang up and the telephone
line/television control interface 14 will continue to deny requests to view
pay-for-use
channels. With the exception of the short pre-viewing period, the global
authorization computer 20 secures payment prior to transmitting authorization
to
view a pay-for-use selection.
The system may also be implemented with authorization, administration and
maintenance features available to the motel operator as presented in Figures
6a,
6b, 6c, 6d and 6e. The authorization features allow for the remote
initialization and
set up of telephone line/television control interfaces 14, the administration
features
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-17-
allow the motel operator to monitor the billing status of a given room, and
the
maintenance features allow the motel operator to test a telephone
line/television
control interface 14, create a channel map for the institution or particular
rooms, and
to implement security restrictions.
These features are accessed by the motel operator dialling the telephone
number to access the authorization, administration and maintenance features of
the
global authorization computer 20 at step 114 of Figure 6a. The global
authorization
computer 20 picks up the call at step 116, greets the institution
representative and
prompts him to identify a preferred language of communication. The motel
operator
indicates his language preference using a telephone keypad.
If necessary, the motel operator may be required to enter a service access
code which is recognized by the global authorization computer 20. As the
telephone
number of the authorization, administration and maintenance routines of the
global
authorization computer 20 is not publicly available this is generally not
necessary.
At step 118, the global authorization computer 20 identifies the institution
using caller identii:lcation as known in the art. If caller identification is
not available,
the global authorization computer 20 asks the institution personnel to enter
the
telephone number they are calling from using the telephone keypad at step 120.
At this point, the global authorization computer 20 has positively identified
the
institution that is calling by use of the calling telephone number and may use
it to
access database records corresponding to that institution. The global
authorization
computer 20 then presents a number of menu options to the motel operator using
interactive voice response at step 122, prompting the motel operator to enter
a
selection.
In this example, the functions available to the operator will be presented in
the three main groupings of authorization, administration and maintenance.
These
options may be offered to the user as selections 1, 2 and 3 as shown in Figure
6a,
while the selection of option 4, results in an exit from the routine at step
124. On an
exit selection, the global authorization computer 20 automatically hangs up.
Selection of option 1 from the main menu will allow entry into the
authorization routine in Figure 6b. In the preferred embodiment, the
authorization
routine allows for initialization and set up of the telephone line/television
control
interfaces 14, but may also allow other authorization functions to be
performed.
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-18-
At step 126 of this routine, the global authorization computer 20 advises the
operator that he must be calling from the location of the telephone
line/television
control interface 14 that he wishes to initialize or set up. The physical
extent of the
installation of the system in a new room, is for the motel operator to plug
the
telephone line/television control interface 14 into the television set 16 and
the room
telephone jack.
The global authorization computer 20 then prompts the institution operator at
step 128, to enter the room number or pre-assigned television number in the
room,
that the authorization is to performed for. The motel operator responds using
the
keypad of the telephone 40 in the room 12.
At step 130, the global authorization computer 20 accesses the institution
database using the room or television number, and determines the unique
identification and channel mapping for the telephone line/television control
interface
14. The channel mapping consists of a table that identifies pay-for-use and
non-pay-
for-use channels, if any, for the institution or room. Further details
regarding the
channel map are given in the discussion of the maintenance routine with
respect to
Figures 6d and 6e. At step 132, the global authorization computer 20 forwards
authorization for all channels in the mapping table to be accessed, and asks
the
operator to cycle through all the available channels at step 134.
The global authorization computer 20 then prompts the institution personnel
to advise whether all of the channels were accessible. If not, the global
authorization
computer 20 prompts the institution personnel at step 138 to either
reconfigure the
telephone line/television control interface 14 by returning to step 128, or to
exit the
routine at step 124.
If all of the channels were accessible, the global authorization computer 20
then transmits a packet which withdraws the authorization for the pay-for-use
channels at step 140, and prompts the operator to verify that the pay-for-use
channels are no longer accessible at step 142. If this test is successful, the
operator
is returned to the main menu at step 124. If this test is unsuccessful, the
operator is
returned to step 138.
Selection of option 2 from the main menu will allow entry into the
administration routine in Figure 6c. In the preferred embodiment, the
administration
routine allows the operator to query the billing status of either a given room
number
or the entire institution. At step 144 the global authorization computer 20
prompts
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-19-
the operator to indicate whether billing information is required for a
particular room or
for the entire institution. If a single room is indicated, then the global
authorization
computer 20 prompts the operator to identify the room at step 146.
The global authorization computer 20 then prepares the requested billing
information and forwards it to the operator either via voice, facsimile
transmission or
electronic transmission as described hereinabove. Control is then returned to
the
main menu at step 122.
Selection of option 3 from the main menu allows the motel operator to access
the maintenance routine in Figures 6d and 6e. In the preferred embodiment, the
maintenance routine allows the operator to test a telephone line/television
control
interface 14, configure the channel mapping for the institution or apply
security
limitations to a given room.
At step 150 the global authorization computer 20 prompts the motel operator
to select which of the available maintenance routines he wishes to execute.
Although only three routines are shown as examples, implementation of other
maintenance routines would be clear to one skilled in the art.
If the operator selects the test routine, control passes to step 152. The
steps
of the test routine are similar to those of the authorization routine of
Figure 6b,
except that the authorization routine programs the telephone line/television
control
interface 14 while the test routine, only performs an online test of the
telephone
line/television control interface 14 operation.
At step 152 of this routine, the global authorization computer 20 advises the
operator that he must be calling from the location of the telephone
line/television
control interface 14 that he wishes to test.
The global authorization computer 20 then prompts the institution at step 154
to enter the room number or pre-assigned television number that the operator
wishes
to test, and the global authorization computer 20 verifies that this number is
valid.
Figure 6e presents the remaining steps. At step 156, the global
authorization computer 20 accesses the institution database using the room or
television number indicated at step 154, and determines the unique
identification and
channel mapping for the given telephone line/television control interface 14.
At step
158, the global authorization computer 20 forwards authorization for all
channels in
the mapping table, and asks the operator to cycle through all the available
channels
at step 160.
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-20-
At step 162, the global authorization computer 20 then prompts the institution
personnel to advise whether all of the channels were accessible. If not, the
global
authorization computer 20 prompts the institution personnel at step 164 to
either
reconfigure the telephone line/television control interface 14 by returning to
step 126
of Figure 6b, or to leave the authorization, administration and maintenance
routine
at step 124.
If the operator confirms that all of the channels were accessible, the global
authorization computer 20 then transmits a packet which withdraws the
authorization
of the pay-for-use channels at step 166, and prompts the operator to verify
that the
pay-for-use channels are no longer accessible at step 168. If this test is
successful,
the operator is returned to the main menu at step 122. If this test is
unsuccessful,
the operator is returned to step 164, described above.
If either of the tests at step 162 or 168 fail, the operator may re-con>~igure
and
re-test the telephone line/television control interface 14. If the operator is
not able to
get the device to operate correctly, it may be removed and a new telephone
line/television control interface 14 plugged into the telephone 40 and
television 16.
The new telephone line/television control interface 14 may then be initialized
using
the authorization routine starting at step 126.
Returning again to Figure 6d, the method of channel mapping will now be
described. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, an institution has a
single
channel mapping scheme that is common to all rooms. That is, all of the rooms
in
the motel may have non-pay-for-use access to the same set of channels, and pay-
for-use access to a second set of channels. Thus, the global authorization
computer
20 is only required to have a single data record for the channel map of the
institution.
However, it would be straightforward for the global authorization computer 20
to
store more than one channel map that would apply to different rooms or sets of
rooms. This would require more memory at the global authorization computer 20,
and require more time to program, but may be desired in some cases. For
example,
a larger hotel may have more expensive rooms or business suites in which they
intend to provide access to certain pay-for-use services with the cost of the
room or
suite.
Configuration of the channel mapping maintenance routine begins at step
170 where the global authorization computer 20 prompts the operator to enter
the
television channels that are to be accessed free of charge. Entry is made
using the
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-21 -
keypad of the operator's telephone 40, or may be done electronically, using
methods
known in the art. At step 172, the global authorization computer 20 then
prompts the
operator to enter the pay-for-use television channels. Again, the operator may
indicate selections by use of the telephone 20 keypad, or electronically.
The global authorization computer 20 then confirms the selections back to the
motel operator at step 174. This confirmation may be done by voice, facsimile
transmission, or electronically. The operator is then returned to the main
menu at
step 122.
If the motel operator selects the security routine from the maintenance menu
at step 150, control is passed to step 176. As discussed above, the security
feature
allows customers to disable certain pay-for-use channels from being selected.
This
may be desired to prevent adult channels from being ordered by a room, or for
corporate clients to prevent their employees from charging excessive costs to
their
rooms.
If a customer makes such a request to the operator, the operator accesses
the security routine and is prompted at step 176 to identify the room, the
channels
involved, and whether they are to be disabled or enabled. The operator makes
these selections using the keypad of his telephone.
At step 178, the global authorization computer 20 then confirms that the
security request is acceptable and executes the disabling or enabling by
preparing a
note in the database record for that room of the institution. The global
authorization
computer 20 then confirms back to the operator that the security action has
been
executed. This confirmation may be done by voice, facsimile transmission, or
electronically.
Addition of other authorization, administration and maintenance routines
would be clear to one skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.
Depending on how the invention is implemented, the motel operator may
interact with the invention as follows:
1. invoicing customers for video services provided;
2. loading video tapes into video playback machines as directed by the global
authorization computer 20;
3. initializing or setting up telephone line/television control interfaces 14
by
dialling the global authorization computer 20 and entering the necessary
administration code and room number;
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-22-
4. performing network testing of telephone line/television control interfaces
14
by dialling the global authorization computer 20 and entering the necessary
administration code; and
5. querying the global authorization computer 20 for billing data of either a
particular room, or the entire institution.
The global authorization computer 20 will generally have complementary
functionality to perform the following:
1. authorizing specific channel access and time intervals via the dual-tone
multi-
frequency/interactive voice response authorization system;
2. providing billing information to the institution;
3. providing pre-recorded video programming to institutions, and possibly
negotiating cable or satellite contracts on behalf of their client
institutions
because of their much greater bargaining power;
4. providing promotional materials such as preview or "barker" tapes, posters
and display cards;
5. providing network testing of the telephone line/television control
interfaces 14;
6. coordinating the provision and repair of telephone line/television control
interfaces 14;
7. controlling operation of video playback machines 52 at the institution;
8. maintaining an institutional account which includes records of the
institution's
telephone number, numbers of outgoing telephone lines, room numbers,
services available, free channels, costs, billing arrangements and
identifications of telephone line/television control interfaces 14.
r Because of the centralised authorization, administration and maintenance
that the invention provides, it is straightforward and inexpensive to add
further
features. Some optional features are as follows:
1. Electronic equipment such as video games, video playback devices or
computers could be installed in the customer's room. The telephone
line/television control interface 14 could be programmed to deny selection of
the channel that the electronic equipment is outputting to the television 16
unless authorization is obtained, allowing the customer to be charged for use
of the electronic equipment.
2. For added security, the room identification number could be changed with
each communication between the global authorization computer 20 and the
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-23-
telephone line/television control interface 14, a new identification number
being stored at both locations at the end of a session. Techniques for
generating such random numbers and "one-time passwords" are well known
in the art of computer programming.
3. Because the telephone line/television control interface 14 has the
functionality to know what channel is being viewed and to calculate the
passing of time, products could be sold on the basis of actual viewing time
rather than elapsed time. This would allow, for example, a customer to
purchase four hours of viewing time of a sports channel, and to use that
viewing time over an extended period.
4. Rather than having the customer confirm proper operation at step 92 as
described herein, the global authorization computer 20 could place a
telephone call back to the customer to confirm his selection and parameters.
This would provide for greater security and reliability, but if the motel has
a
PBX system this require additional hardware so that the global authorization
computer 20 may bypass the PBX system to call the customer directly.
If this call is not answered after three attempts, the global authorization
computer 20 will direct the telephone line/television control interface 14 to
tune the television 16 to a non-pay-for-use channel.
If the system 10 was implemented with the functionality for the global
authorization computer 20 to dial the telephone line/television control
interface 14, then the authorization and maintenance routines described
above could be implemented from a central location, rather than requiring the
motel operator to be in the room with the subject telephone line/television
control interface 14.
5. Another alternative to step 92, is for the telephone line/television
control
interface 14 to generate appropriate dual-tone multi-frequency codes to
confirm receipt of the authorization packet and tuning of the television 16 to
the appropriate channel by the user. However, this implementation would
require additional hardware for the telephone line/television control
interface
14 to generate the dual-tone multi-frequency codes, functionality that is not
required in the basic implementation of the invention.
Although the detailed operation has been described with respect to method
steps, clearly the invention may be embodied by a combination of software and
CA 02255439 1998-12-07
-24-
hardware. From the description given, it is within the skill of the art to
implement the
invention in a combination of software and hardware. The embodiments as
presented herein are intended to be illustrative and not limiting.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and
described, it is clear that changes and modifications may be made to such
embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.
For
example, the remote control of the television could be performed using
ultrasonic or
radio frequency transmission rather than infrared, or without remote control
at all,
and still realize the benefits of the invention. These and other modifications
would be
clear to one skilled in the art from the teachings of the invention.
