Abstract: A connection interface allows individuals (such as guests at a lodging facility) to use portable personal electronic devices (such as laptop computers, digital audio players, and digital audio/video players) in conjunction with a television. The connection interface device includes inputs to receive signals from various portable devices, and includes selection keys by which a guest can select a particular type of input to the television. The connection interface senses presence of video and audio signals on its inputs, and the state of the selection keys, and provides data over an in-room network with a television interface terminal. The connection interface device also routes the signals received at its inputs to corresponding inputs of the television.

Abstract: A lodging entertainment system provides a variety of products and services, including free television, pay-per-view movies, video games, guest services, and guest-selected recording of television programs for time-shifted viewing. Through the use of an interactive program guide, the guest may select programs being aired during the guest's stay at the hotel for later viewing, or may elect to record a television program while watching the same or another program.

Abstract: A lodging entertainment system provides a variety of products and services, including free television, pay-per-view movies, video games, guest services, and guest-selected recording of television programs for time-shifted viewing. Through the use of an interactive program guide, the guest may select programs being aired during the guest's stay at the hotel for later viewing, or may elect to record a television program while watching the same or another program.

Abstract: A method and system for providing direct access to content available on an entertainment system. The entertainment system includes a head end and a plurality of user terminals connected by a distribution system. In operation of the entertainment system, a display promoting content available for direct access by a user is provided at a user terminal. A selection input made by the user on an input device is received at the user terminal. The content being promoted when the selection input was made by the user is then provided from the head end to the user terminal.

Abstract: An entertainment system for a lodging establishment such as a hotel includes a head end which provides television programming, movies, video games, Internet access and guest services to televisions within individual guest rooms. The guest services is provided by the head end include video checkout, though which the guest may review a folio of charges to the guest's room and approve those charges for payment on the guest's credit card. A receipt for the approved charges is sent by e-mail to an e-mail address provided by the guest during the check-in process, or during video checkout.

Abstract: A lodging entertainment system has a head end connected via a distribution system to a plurality of guest terminals. The head end includes a satellite dish and a plurality of integrated receiver decoders connected to the satellite dish for decoding programming received from the satellite dish. The lodging entertainment system includes a method for providing an interactive session between a guest terminal and a selected one of the integrated receiver decoders. In implementing this method, the system receives buy data indicative of a guest's purchase of programming available via the satellite dish. The system then allocates a selected one of the integrated receiver decoders for exclusive use by the guest terminal. The system then provides the guest terminal with access to and control of the selected integrated receiver decoder.

Abstract: A lodging entertainment system provides a variety of products and services, including free television, pay-per-view movies, video games, guest services, and guest-selected recording of television programs for time-shifted viewing. Through the use of an interactive program guide, the guest may select programs being aired during the guest's stay at the hotel for later viewing, or may elect to record a television program while watching the same or another program. A property management system tracks charges associated with the use of the lodging entertainment system by the guest.

Abstract: A method for operating a local area network having a server and a plurality of computers. The server includes an Internet gateway for directing messages to and from the Internet. Each computer in the network has a unique IP address and a unique network adapter address associated with that computer. Each computer determines the network adapter address associated with a target IP address by broadcasting an address resolution protocol (ARP) message on the local area network. The server stores information identifying IP addresses in a foreign class corresponding to computers not configured for connection to the local area network. The server responds to each ARP having a target IP address in the foreign class by returning the network adapter address of the server in the response message and assigning an IP address associated with the local area network to the IP address of the computer sending the ARP.

Abstract: An information/entertainment system having a number of interactive input and output devices is provided. Each interactive input device is electrically connected to a selected output device using a host that communicates with a router apparatus. The router apparatus includes a plurality of emulation assemblies. Each emulation assembly is configured to communicate input information to a particular interactive output device. Input information from a particular interactive input device is received and properly handled by a pre-configured emulation assembly which is electrically connected to the interactive output device associated with that particular interactive input device. This emulation assembly formats the information/data that it receives so that it is acceptable to the interactive output device to which it is connected. The host obtains input information using a slot/subslot arrangement associated with interactive interrogations or polling.

Abstract: A system for providing uninterrupted communication over a network link includes a multi-port switch that is connected to a first network portion and a second network portion that are communicating with one another. The multi-port switch is also connected to a separate server unit, such as a firewall computer. The switch is configured to direct communication signals flowing between the first network portion and the second network portion through the separate server unit for processing during normal operation. When the separate server unit fails, however, the switch is reconfigured so that communications bypass the separate server unit. In a preferred embodiment, a Ethernet switch having virtual local area network (VLAN) capability is used.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method related to controlling communication of a TCP packet from a user machine is disclosed. During a browser request from the user machine, the TCP packet is sent via the intranet to a forced proxy server. The TCP packet having a number of fields including a first field related to a first destination IP address. The TCP packet and its first destination IP address is received by the forced proxy server and analyzed. If the first destination IP address is not from a “sandboxed” domain, the first destination IP address is changed to a predetermined second destination IP address to effectively reroute the TCP packet to another IP address on the Internet. The rerouted IP address provides content to the user machine in which at least a majority of the content is different from that expected to be obtained by the user machine.

Abstract: A hotel room entertainment system enables video games to be played in each room of a hotel without providing a video game generator in each room. The entertainment system includes at a head end system portion in which the video game audio and video signals are generated and a plurality of guest terminals. Game interrogations are provided to each guest terminal in an active game-playing mode, each game interrogation having a plurality of response positions for guest terminal responses to the interrogation. The game interrogations are interleaved with a series of system interrogations generated at the head end system, enabling the entertainment system to provide video game signals along with other entertainment and services to the guest terminals using a single distribution system.

Abstract: An audio/video distribution system for a multiple dwelling unit such as an apartment building provides programming which is selectable by a subscriber through the interactive use of on-screen menus. Programming and services are supplied from a headend over a distribution network to individual apartments. The distribution network includes an interdiction field unit associated with each of a group of apartments. The interdiction field unit normally interdicts those channels capable of carrying video on demand movies, interactive video games, and interactive services. When a subscriber wishes to order a movie, video game, or other service through interactive on-screen menus provided from the headend to the apartment, the headend instructs the interdiction field unit associated with the subscriber's apartment to de-interdict a channel. Selections made through a remote control to a subscriber terminal in the apartment are supplied to the headend over the distribution system.

Abstract: A hotel room entertainment system enables video games to be played in each room of a hotel without providing a video game generator in each room. The entertainment system includes at a head end system portion in which the video game audio and video signals are generated and a plurality of guest terminals. Game interrogations are provided to each guest terminal in an active game-playing mode, each game interrogation having a plurality of response positions for guest terminal responses to the interrogation. The game interrogations are interleaved with a series of system interrogations generated at the head end system, enabling the entertainment system to provide video game signals along with other entertainment and services to the guest terminals using a single distribution system.

Abstract: A hotel room entertainment system enables video games to be played in each room of a hotel without providing a video game generator in each room. The entertainment system includes at a head end system portion in which the video game audio and video signals are generated and a plurality of guest terminals. Game interrogations are provided to each guest terminal in an active game-playing mode, each game interrogation having a plurality of response positions for guest terminal responses to the interrogation. The game interrogations are interleaved with a series of system interrogations generated at the head end system, enabling the entertainment system to provide video game signals along with other entertainment and services to the guest terminals using a single distribution system.

Abstract: A low battery detection system for detecting the battery voltage level in a remote control unit of a hotel entertainment system comprises a detection circuit imbedded within the remote control unit. Information regarding the battery voltage status is transmitted to a guest television terminal along with the infrared signal which turns the television on or off. A central computer polls each guest television terminal associated with an individual guest room to determine whether the battery in the remote control unit needs to be replaced. A system for generating a list of remote control units identified by guest room, which needs fresh batteries is also provided. In this manner, hotel personnel can detect and replace batteries in remote control units which are prone to impending battery failure without guest complaints. Further, the parameters which determine whether a battery needs to be replaced can be altered by the user of the system.

Abstract: The present invention is an electronic room address tag which associates an address with a remote location in a video distribution system. The video distribution system includes a central distribution point, a plurality of remote locations having at least one video control terminal located at each remote location, and a communication link for carrying signals between the central distribution point and the video control terminals at each remote location. The electronic room address tag is connected to the communication link and located at each remote location separate from the video terminal. The address is stored in the video control terminal and is accessible from the central distribution point through the communication link for tracking guest video selection and video control terminal use.