Signal processing apparatus and methods

Abstract

A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for controlling the decryption of programming at a subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving programming, said programming having a first encrypted digital control signal portion and an encrypted digital information portion;   detecting said first encrypted digital control signal portion of said programming;   passing said first encrypted digital control signal portion of said programming to a decryptor at said subscriber station;   decrypting said first encrypted digital control signal portion of said programming using said decryptor at said subscriber station;   passing said encrypted digital information portion of said programming to said decryptor;   decrypting said encrypted digital information portion of said programming using said decryptor at said subscriber station based on the decrypted control signal portion; and   presenting said programming.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1  33, wherein said digital programming is received at said subscriber station in one channel of a multichannel signal and a second control signal portion used to decrypt said digital programming is included in said multichannel signal outside said one channel. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  1  33, wherein said subscriber station detects, in a transmission channel including said digital programming, a second control signal portion of used to decrypt the first encrypted digital control signal portion. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  1  33, wherein said digital programming is received in a transmission of a multichannel signal separated in the a frequency domain. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said transmission is a cable system broadcast. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim  1  33, wherein said digital programming is received in a transmission of a multichannel signal separated in the a time domain. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  1  33, wherein a transmission of said digital programming is generated at a local data source. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said local data source comprises includes a VCR. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said local data source comprises includes a laser disk. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim  1  33, wherein said digital programming includes a portion of a television program. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein said programming and a signal necessary for decryption are received from difference sources. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  11  34, further comprising the step of contacting a remote transmitter station to receive said one of said a transmission and said at least one signal necessary for decryption. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim  11  34, wherein a said at least one signal necessary for decryption is communicated by telephone. 
     
     
       14. A method of controlling a remote transmitter station to communicate program material to a subscriber station and controlling said subscriber station to at least one of process or digital programming and output decrypted digital programming, said subscriber station having an instruction based processor operating under control of operating instructions stored at said subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving at said remote transmitter station a first digital control signal which operates at the remote transmitter station to control communication of said digital programming and one or more digital first instruct signals, wherein said one or more digital first instruct signals operate at the subscriber station to decrypt one or more digital second instruct signals; 
 receiving at said remote transmitter station said one or more digital second instruct signals which operate at the subscriber station to decrypt said digital programming, wherein decryption of said digital programming uses a particular decryption technique of a plurality of decryption techniques available at said subscriber station, said particular decryption technique identified based on at least one signal received via electronic transmission from said remote transmitter station, each said decryption technique converts unintelligible digital information into machine readable, intelligible digital information; and 
 transmitting from said remote transmitter station to said subscriber station an information transmission comprising said digital programming, said one or more digital first instruct signals and said one or more digital second instruct signals, said one or more digital first instruct signals being transmitted in accordance with said first digital control signal, said step of transmitting allowing outputting, under control of said instruction based processor, of at least a portion of said decrypted digital programming formed as visual content at said subscriber station. 
 
     
     
       15. The method as in claim  1  33, or  14 , wherein said digital programming further includes encrypted video. 
     
     
       16. The method as in  claim 1 , or  14 , wherein said subscriber station stores information that evidences processing said digital programming. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the subscriber station detects, in a transmission channel for transmitting the digital programming, a second digital control signal used to decrypt the first digital control signal, and wherein the second digital control signal is encrypted, and wherein the second digital control signal is decrypted in order to enable decryption of the first digital control signal. 
     
     
       18. The method as in  claim 1 , or  14 , wherein said digital programming includes computer data. 
     
     
       19. A method of processing signals at a receiver station to deliver an output to supplement mass medium programming, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving said mass medium programming at said receiver station from a mass medium programming source and outputting said mass medium programming at said at least one output device; 
 receiving a broadcast or cablecast information transmission at said receiver station, said broadcast or cablecast information transmission including one or more digital instruct signals and encrypted digital information to supplement said mass medium programming; 
 detecting said one or more digital instruct signals in said broadcast or cablecast information transmission and passing said one or more digital instruct signals to a an instruction based processor operating under control of operating instructions stored at said receiver station; and 
 controlling said instruction based processor based on said one or more digital instruct signals, said step of controlling comprising the steps of:
 implementing a new technique of decrypting by identifying a particular decryption technique of a plurality of decryption techniques available at said receiver station; 
 directing said encrypted digital information to supplement said mass medium programming to be decrypted in response to said new technique of decrypting; and 
 decrypting said encrypted digital information based on a digital decryption code received via electronic transmission from a remote station, said decrypting converting unintelligible digital information into machine readable, intelligible digital information to form decrypted digital information; and 
 directing said decrypted digital information to supplement said mass medium programming to one or more output devices, at least a portion of said decrypted digital information forming visual content at said receiver station. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein said decrypted digital information to supplement said mass medium programming includes video, audio, or text, said method further comprising actuating a video, audio, or print output device to output said information to supplement said mass medium programming. 
     
     
       21. A method for controlling decryption of digital programming at a receiver station, said receiver station having a receiver for receiving a point-to-multipoint information transmission, a digital detector operatively connected to said receiver for detecting a plurality of signal types, a an instruction based processor operatively connected to said digital detector for locating or identifying a specific digital control signal, said instruction based processor operating under control of operating instructions stored at said receiver station, a plurality of decryptors operatively connected to at least one of said receiver or and said instruction based processor and with said instruction based processor programmed to control at least one of said plurality of decryptors, said method comprising the steps of:
 storing a an identification code designating at least a portion of said digital programming; 
 receiving an information transmission that includes said digital programming and a digital control signal; 
 separating said information transmission into a plurality of portions; 
 passing said plurality of portions selectively to said plurality of decryptors; 
 controlling said plurality of decryptors based on said identification code and said instruction based processor; 
 first decrypting said digital control signal using said plurality of decryptors at said receiver station; 
 second decrypting said digital programming using said plurality of decryptors at said receiver station based on said first decrypting, said second decrypting using a particular decryption technique of a plurality of decryption techniques available at said receiver station, said particular decryption technique identified based on at least one signal received via electronic transmission from a remote station, said second decrypting converts unintelligible digital information into machine readable, intelligible digital information to form decrypted digital programming; and 
 presenting at least a portion of said decrypted digital programming to at least one of a viewer or and listener. 
 
     
     
       22. A method of providing digital enabling information to a receiver station from a first remote source, said digital enabling information for use at the receiver station in decrypting a mass medium program presentation, said method comprising the steps of:
 storing digital enabling information at said first remote source;   receiving at said first remote source a query from said receiver station;   transmitting said digital enabling information which is effective to enable decryption from said first remote source to said receiver station in response to said step of receiving said query, said receiver station storing at least some of said transmitted enabling information;   transmitting from a second remote source to said receiver station an encrypted digital mass medium presentation signal which is decrypted on the basis of said stored at least some of said digital enabling information to present said mass medium programming presentation.   
     
     
       23. A method of processing signals at a receiver station, said receiver station having a receiver, a digital detector operatively connected to said receiver for detecting encrypted digital data, a decryptor operatively connected to said digital detector for decrypting said encrypted digital data, and a controller operatively connected to said digital detector or said decryptor for controlling said decryptor, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a plurality of signals including digital programming and inputting at least some of said plurality of signals to said digital detector;   detecting said encrypted digital data in said at least some of said plurality of signals in accordance with a varying pattern of timing or location and passing said detected encrypted digital data to said decryptor;   controlling said decryptor to alter its decryption pattern or technique on the basis of information included in said detected encrypted digital data; and   decrypting at least a portion of said digital programming using a selected decryption pattern or technique based on said step of detecting in order to provide a decrypted output of programming to a viewer or listener.   
     
     
       24. A method for controlling decryption of digital television or computer programming at a receiver station, said method comprising the steps of:
 storing a procedure for locating or identifying a specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal in a plurality of signal types;   receiving an information transmission that includes a plurality of signal types and at least one unit of digital television or computer programming;   passing at least some of said information transmission to a detector;   detecting data of said plurality of signal types and transferring said detected data to a processor;   identifying or locating said specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal by processing said detected data in accordance with said stored information; and   decrypting at least some of said unit of digital television or computer programming on the basis of said identified or located specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim  24  47, wherein said unit of digital television or computer programming is a channel of television programming, said method further comprising the step of communicating some of a selected channel of television programming to said a decryptor. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , wherein said specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal identifies or designates said channel of television programming. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim  24  47, wherein said information transmission includes a plurality of concurrently transmitted units of digital television or computer programming, said method further comprising the steps of:
 selecting a specific unit of digital television or computer programming; and 
 decrypting said selected specific unit of digital television or computer programming based on the basis of said specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal, wherein said specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal identifies or designates said specific unit of digital television or computer programming. 
 
     
     
       28. The method of claim  24  47, wherein said unit of digital television or computer programming is a television channel and said specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal is embedded in said television channel. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim  24  47, wherein said unit of digital television or computer programming is a television channel and said specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal is located in a portion of said information transmission that is outside said television channel. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim  24  47, wherein said information transmission includes a plurality of concurrently transmitted units of digital television or computer programming and two of said a plurality of digital instruct-to-decrypt signals control decryption of different ones of said plurality of concurrently transmitted units of digital television or computer programming. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , further comprising one of the steps of:
 processing a selected analog channel of television programming; and 
 processing a selected channel of television programming including a digital television signal. 
 
     
     
       32. The method of claim  24  47, wherein said unit of digital television or computer programming comprises includes a television signal comprising having digital video and digital audio, said method further comprising the step of programming said receiver station to process said digital television signal. 
     
     
       33. A method for controlling decryption of digital programming at a subscriber station, said subscriber station having an instruction based processor operating under control of operating instructions stored at said subscriber station, said method comprising the steps of:
 identifying, using said instruction based processor, a particular decryption technique of a plurality of decryption techniques available at said subscriber station, said particular decryption technique identified based on at least one signal received via electronic transmission from a remote station, each said decryption technique converts unintelligible digital information into machine readable, intelligible digital information;   receiving digital programming, said digital programming having a first encrypted digital control signal portion and an encrypted digital information portion;   detecting said first encrypted digital control signal portion of said digital programming;   passing said first encrypted digital control signal portion of said digital programming to a decryptor at said subscriber station;   decrypting at said subscriber station said first encrypted digital control signal portion of said digital programming using said decryptor to form a decrypted first control signal portion;   passing said encrypted digital information portion of said digital programming to a second decryptor;   decrypting at said subscriber station said encrypted digital information portion of said digital programming using said second decryptor based on said decrypted first control signal portion and said step of identifying to form decrypted digital programming; and   presenting at least a portion of said decrypted digital programming as visual content at said subscriber station.   
     
     
       34. The method of claim 33, wherein said digital programming and said at least one signal are received from different sources. 
     
     
       35. The method as in claim 33, or 14, wherein said subscriber station stores information that evidences processing said decrypted digital programming. 
     
     
       36. The method as in claim 33, or 14, wherein said decrypted digital programming includes computer data. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim 33, wherein said decryptor and said second decryptor are the same decryptor. 
     
     
       38. The method of claim 33, wherein said decrypted digital programming includes both content and one or more instructions that control how said content is presented. 
     
     
       39. The method of claim 33, wherein said subscriber station includes at least two different types of instruction based processors. 
     
     
       40. The method of claim 14, wherein said decrypted digital programming includes both content and one or more instructions that control how said content is presented. 
     
     
       41. The method of claim 14, wherein said subscriber station includes at least two different types of instruction based processors. 
     
     
       42. The method of claim 19, wherein said broadcast uses microwave frequencies. 
     
     
       43. The method of claim 19, wherein said receiver station includes at least two different types of instruction based processors. 
     
     
       44. A method of providing digital enabling information to a receiver station from a first remote source, said digital enabling information for use at the receiver station in decrypting a mass medium programming presentation, said receiver station including an instruction based processor under control of operating instructions stored at said receiver station, said method comprising the steps of:
 storing digital enabling information at said first remote source;   receiving at said first remote source a query from said receiver station, said query formed using said instruction based processor;   transmitting said digital enabling information, which is effective to enable decryption at said receiver station, from said first remote source to said receiver station in response to said step of receiving said query, said receiver station storing at least some of said transmitted enabling information;   transmitting from a second remote source to said receiver station an encrypted digital mass medium presentation signal, which is decrypted based on said stored at least some of said digital enabling information and a particular decryption technique, to present said mass medium programming presentation, wherein said particular decryption technique is identified from a plurality of decryption techniques at said receiver station based on at least one signal received via electronic transmission, wherein decryption of said encrypted digital mass medium presentation signal converts unintelligible digital information into machine readable, intelligible digital information to form a decrypted digital mass medium presentation; and   presenting at least a portion of said decrypted digital mass medium presentation signal formed as visual content at said receiver station.   
     
     
       45. The method of claim 44, wherein said receiver station includes at least two different types of instruction based processors. 
     
     
       46. A method of processing signals at a receiver station, said receiver station having a receiver, a digital detector operatively connected to said receiver for detecting encrypted digital data, a decryptor operatively connected to said digital detector for decrypting said encrypted digital data, and an instruction based controller operatively connected to said digital detector or said decryptor for controlling said decryptor, said instruction based controller operating under control of operating instructions stored at said receiver station, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a plurality of signals including digital programming and inputting at least some of said plurality of signals to said digital detector;   detecting said encrypted digital data in said at least some of said plurality of signals in accordance with a varying pattern of timing or location and passing said detected encrypted digital data to said decryptor;   controlling said decryptor, based on said instruction based controller, to alter its decryption pattern or technique on a basis of digital information included in said detected encrypted digital data, said decryption pattern or technique selected from a plurality of decryption patterns or techniques at said receiver station;   decrypting at least a portion of said digital programming using a selected decryption pattern or technique based on said step of detecting in order to provide a decrypted output of programming to a viewer or listener, said decrypting converts unintelligible digital information into machine readable, intelligible digital information; and   presenting at least a portion of said decrypted output of programming at said receiver station as visual or sound content.   
     
     
       47. A method for controlling decryption of digital television or computer programming at a receiver station, said method comprising the steps of:
 storing a procedure for locating or identifying a specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal in a plurality of signal types;   receiving an information transmission that includes a plurality of signal types and at least one unit of digital television or computer programming;   passing at least some of said information transmission to a detector;   detecting data of said plurality of signal types and transferring said detected data to an instruction based processor, said instruction based processor operating under control of operating instructions stored at said receiver station;   identifying or locating said specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal by processing said detected data in accordance with said stored information;   decrypting at least some of said unit of digital television or computer programming based on said identified or located specific digital instruct-to-decrypt signal, said decrypting using a particular decryption technique of a plurality of decryption techniques available at said receiver station, said particular decryption technique identified based on at least one signal received via electronic transmission from a remote station, said decrypting converting unintelligible digital information into machine readable, intelligible digital information;   forming a presentation dependent on said step of decrypting; and   outputting said presentation as visual content at said receiver station.   
     
     
       48. The method of claim 47, wherein said receiver station includes at least two different types of instruction based processors.