SPONTANEOUS REPORTING OF REMOTELY GENERATED DATA

摘要

A device (10) for spontaneously reporting remotely stored data is coupled to a descrambler (22) in an impulse pay-per-view television system for storing and reporting data pertaining to subject matter descrambled by the descrambler, such as identification of each impulse pay-per-view program that is descrambled. The descrambler (22) receives scrambled television programs over a data link (28) from a central station (24). The reporting device (10) is coupled to the central station (24) by telephone lines (26) for reporting the stored data to the central station. The reporting device (10) includes a memory (12) at the remote location for storing the generated data; and a control unit (14, 18) for causing the stored data to be spontaneously reported in response to the storage of at least a predetermined minumum amount of data, independently of responding to an interrogation signal requesting the report. The control unit (14, 18) includes a clock (18) for indicating elapsed time; and the control unit (14) processes the elapsed time indication to define time slots within which to make the reports, with predetermined time slots for the reporting of the stored data following the storage of at least the predetermined minimum amount of data being assigned by the control means in accordance with stored predetermined criteria. The control unit (14) monitors whether the stored data was successfully reported to the central station (24); and tries again to report the stored data when the stored data was not successfully reported to the central station. Upon trying again the control unit (14) causes the stored data to be reported in a different predetermined time slot than that used for the last previous unsuccessful report.