Patents Assigned to Bruce Merrill
  • Patent number: 4434436
    Abstract: An obfuscation device for use in cable television systems includes a memory for storing a plurality of channel status bits. The state of each channel status bit corresponds to the authorization or non-authorization of a particular channel. The obfuscation device includes a circuit for selecting a number representing a frequency and a circuit for generating an obfuscation signal that randomly varies about the selected frequency. The obfuscation device uses the selected number to address a location of the memory to fetch the channel status bits corresponding to the respective residences for the channel in which the selected obfuscation frequency lies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1984
    Assignee: Bruce Merrill
    Inventors: Gayheart C. Kleykamp, Sam Goldwater, Charles L. Salsbery