Abstract: A method of reciprocally publishing and matching data files is disclosed. The method includes facilitating the creation of Category A and Category B data files having a respective sets of characteristics defined utilizing a common language architecture, associating enhancement objects with each data file, identifying characteristics in each data file which must be met by other data files, weighting characteristics in each data file differently from other characteristics in the same data file, enabling the selection of participation levels for each data file in marketspaces, and matching Category A data files participating in particular marketspaces to Category B data files participating in the same marketspaces using the common language architecture, the enhancement objects, the weights and the required characteristics.

Abstract: A method of reciprocally publishing and matching data files is disclosed. The method includes facilitating the creation of Category A and Category B data files having a respective sets of characteristics defined utilizing a common language architecture, associating enhancement objects with each data file, identifying characteristics in each data file which must be met by other data files, weighting characteristics in each data file differently from other characteristics in the same data file, enabling the selection of participation levels for each data file in market spaces, and matching Category A data files participating in particular market spaces to Category B data files participating in the same market spaces using the common language architecture, the enhancement objects, the weights and the required characteristics.

Abstract: A method of reciprocally publishing and matching data files is disclosed. The method includes facilitating the creation of Category A and Category B data files having a respective sets of characteristics defined utilizing a common language architecture, associating enhancement objects with each data file, identifying characteristics in each data file which must be met by other data files, weighting characteristics in each data file differently from other characteristics in the same data file, enabling the selection of participation levels for each data file in marketspaces, and matching Category A data files participating in particular marketspaces to Category B data files participating in the same marketspaces using the common language architecture, the enhancement objects, the weights and the required characteristics.

Abstract: A method of reciprocally publishing and matching data files is disclosed. The method includes facilitating the creation of Category A and Category B data files having a respective sets of characteristics defined utilizing a common language architecture, associating enhancement objects with each data file, identifying characteristics in each data file which must be met by other data files, weighting characteristics in each data file differently from other characteristics in the same data file, enabling the selection of participation levels for each data file in marketspaces, and matching Category A data files participating in particular marketspaces to Category B data files participating in the same marketspaces using the common language architecture, the enhancement objects, the weights and the required characteristics.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for selecting groups of one or more cable television subscribers remotely from a billing computer using data fields in either the billing computer database or a system control computer database. A selection criteria language may be used for selecting subscribers based on data fields in the system control database. Once a group of cable subscribers has been selected, an on-screen message may be remotely created and transmitted to the selected subscribers using cable transmission apparatus. The method provides a way of correlating subscriber information in a comprehensive subscriber database (such as may exist on a billing computer) with other subscriber information in a more limited database stored on a system control computer to allow on-screen messages to be targeted at subscribers selected on the basis of criteria from either database.

Abstract: A method of transmitting addressed messages to subscribers comprises the steps of defining the group or individual subscriber to be addressed, creating the message, assigning the message to the individual or group to be addressed, scheduling the message for transmission, transmitting the message, and recording the transmission of the message. The message creating step further includes the steps of defining message attributes such as background color, creating sets of instructions for the subscriber, if required, setting a data field related to alerting the subscriber and compressing the data length of the message using a predetermined compression code. A system control computer, according to the present invention, comprises a billing computer interface for interfacing with a billing computer and a user interface for providing access to messaging services to a system operator, each of the billing and user interfaces for providing data to a group queuing subsystem and a system event scheduler, respectively.

Abstract: A method of selecting individual subscribers for inclusion in groups by means of certain selection criteria comprises the steps of storing criteria related to terminals of a subscription television system, defining criteria which characterizes a group, logically linking the criteria in a predetermined manner to form a group criteria definition statement, comparing the stored terminal criteria with the group criteria definition statement, and assigning an individual or group of terminals to the group when the stored terminal criteria matches the group criteria definition statement. The selection criteria, for example, may include a range of terminal serial numbers, a range of terminal addresses, the status of the terminal, the service codes for the terminal, subscriber terminal features, a code determining the headend to which a terminal is associated, a terminal model number, and the current orders (for example, pay-per-view events subscribed to).