Abstract: Several cable headend configurations that utilize digital technology are disclosed. The present invention provides greater capability and flexibility than existing cable headends. Specifically, a modular design for a cable headend and a combiner component for cable headends are disclosed. The invention is particularly useful in cable television program delivery systems transponding large numbers of digitally compressed program signals. The combiner disclosed allows cherry-picking of programs from transponded signals.

Abstract: A system for providing security on an interactive television system. Two sets of interactive data, with time stamps, are separately sent to a remote location. At the remote location, the time stamps are checked against a remote clock, a time difference being noted for both sets of data. The two time differences are compared to determine if one set of data has been delayed as compared to the other. Non-delayed data can be used to update a game score for an interactive game. After the game is completed, the remote clock is compared to a central clock. the difference between the two clocks are compared to the time difference for non-delayed data to determine whether the entire aggregate of interactive data was delayed.

Abstract: An interactive television system where interactive information is inserted in the vertical blanking interval of a standard television signal or some other appropriate medium. The signal is received and decoded by a settop device which sends the decoder signal, via an infrared signal, to a handheld device. The system includes an interactive program authoring system, and programmer tables in the memory of the handheld device which store data for the various interactive events. This system allows a viewer to enter and exit events at any time without having to wait for information to be downloaded and without losing scores. Furthermore, this system allows many interactive programs to run concurrently over extended periods of time while maintaining cumulative scores in the handheld for each interactive program or series of programs.

Abstract: The present invention provides greater capability and flexibility than existing cable headends. Specifically, the invention comprises a modular design for a cable headend and a combiner component for cable headend. The invention is particularly useful in cable television program delivery systems transponding large numbers of digitally compressed program signals. The combiner allows cherry-picking of programs from transponded signals.

Abstract: An interactive television system where interactive information is inserted in the vertical blanking interval of a standard television signal or some other appropriate medium. The signal is received and decoded by a settop device which sends the decoder signal, via an infrared signal, to a handheld device. The system includes an interactive program authoring system, and programmer tables in the memory of the handheld device which store data for the various interactive events. This system allows a viewer to enter and exit events at any time without having to wait for information to be downloaded and without losing scores. Furthermore, this system allows many interactive programs to run concurrently over extended periods of time while maintaining cumulative scores in the handheld for each interactive program or series of programs.

Abstract: An interactive television system where interactive information is inserted in the vertical blanking interval of a standard television signal. The signal is received and decoded by a settop decoder which sends the decoded signal via an infrared signal to a handheld device. The viewer using the handheld device can interact with a game, sports, or educational event or other presentation on the television. The system includes a proprietary high level command language and programmer (PIU) tables which are maintained in the memory of the handheld device. The PIU tables store the transactions of the various events presented on the television. The transactions are sent from the insertion system to the decoder throughout the broadcast of the television program.

Abstract: A system for providing security on an interactive television system. Two sets of interactive data, with time stamps, are separately sent to a remote location. At the remote location, the time stamps are checked against a remote clock, a time difference being noted for both sets of data. The two time differences are compared to determine if one set of data has been delayed as compared to the other. Non-delayed data can be used to update a game score for an interactive game. After the game is completed, the remote clock is compared to a central clock. The difference between the two clocks are compared to the time difference for non-delayed data to determine whether the entire aggregate of interactive data was delayed.

Abstract: An interactive television system where interactive information is inserted in the vertical blanking interval of a standard television signal. The signal is received and decoded by a stetop decoder which sends the decoded signal via an infrared signal to a handheld device. The viewer using the handheld device can interact with a game, sports, or education event or other presentation on the television. The system includes a proprietary high level command language and programmer (PIU) tables which are maintained in the memory of the handheld device. The PIU tables store the transactions of the various events presented on the television. The transactions are sent from the insertion system to the decoder throughout the broadcast of the television program.

Abstract: An electronic engine control system comprises a central microprocessor integrated circuit, a program memory integrated circuit, and a programmable read only memory integrated circuit. The central microprocessor integrated circuit carries out calculations used in controlling an event associated with the engine according to a basic program contained in the program memory integrated circuit. The programmable read only memory integrated circuit is programmed to tailor the basic program contained in the program memory integrated circuit for the particular engine with which the electronic control system is utilized.

Abstract: An electronic engine control system comprises a central microprocessor integrated circuit, a program memory integrated circuit, and a programmable read only memory integrated circuit. The central microprocessor integrated circuit carries out calculations used in controlling an event associated with the engine according to a basic program contained in the program memory integrated circuit. The programmable read only memory integrated circuit is programmed to tailor the basic program contained in the program memory integrated circuit for the particular engine with which the electronic control system is utilized.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit parameter of a sensor varies in accordance with an input useful in controlling an event associated with operation of an engine, for example, spark timing. The sensor is connected in an input sensing circuit characterized by a first order differential equation exhibiting an exponential transient whose time constant is representative of the circuit parameter, and hence of the input being sensed. A step function input is applied to the sensing circuit to cause the occurrence of an exponential transient, and concurrently a digital counter circuit begins counting clock pulses. The transient is compared against a predetermined reference, and when a predetermined relationship between the reference and the transient is attained, the counter circuit ceases counting pulses. The accumulated count is in the form of a binary word which may be used directly by a digital microprocessor in calculations for controlling the event.