Patents by Inventor Thomas R. Terry

Thomas R. Terry has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5016272
    Abstract: A home video system comprising a headend system, a transmission channel, a trap, a converter, descrambling equipment, receiving equipment, and requesting equipment. The headend equipment includes program equipment, interface equipment, protection equipment, scrambling equipment, and processor equipment. A transmission channel has a large capacity for a broadcast signal. The broadcast signal includes a plurality of standard signals occupying a first set of channels and a plurality of special signals occupying a second set of channels. The program equipment originates the braodcast signal. The interface equipment is coupled between the program equipment and the transmission channel, and interfaces the broadcast signal from the program equipment with the transmission channel. The protection equipment prevents recording of a first set of special signals. The scrambling equipment scrambles a second set of special signals. The processor tracks pay-per-view subscriber usage of the home video system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Inventors: James R. Stubbs, Thomas R. Terry