EON Corp. IP Holdings, LLC v. Apple Inc.

Filing 1

COMPLAINT against Apple Inc. ( Filing fee $ 350 receipt number 0540-3922929.), filed by EON Corp. IP Holdings, LLC. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A - '757 Patent, # 2 Exhibit B - '101 Patent, # 3 Exhibit C - '546 Patent, # 4 Exhibit D - '491 Patent, # 5 Civil Cover Sheet)(Scardino, Daniel)

EXHIBIT B

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
US005388101C2
c12)

EX PARTE REEXAMINATION CERTIFICATE (9205th)

United States Patent

c1o)

Dinkins

(45)

(54)

INTERACTIVE NATIONWIDE DATA
SERVICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR
STATIONARY AND MOBILE BATTERY
OPERATED SUBSCRIBER UNITS

(75)

Inventor:

(73)

Number:
US 5,388,101 C2
Certificate Issued:
Aug. 14, 2012

(56)

References Cited

To view the complete listing of prior art documents cited
during the proceeding for Reexamination Control Number
90/010,383, please refer to the USPTO's public Patent
Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system under the
Display References tab.

Gilbert M. Dinkins, Herdon, VA (US)

Assignee: Eon Corporation, Reston, VA (US)

Primary Examiner-Roland Foster
(57)

Reexamination Request:
No. 90/010,383, Jan. 9, 2009
Reexamination Certificate for:
Patent No.:
5,388,101
Issued:
Feb. 7, 1995
Appl. No.:
07/966,414
Filed:
Oct. 26, 1992

Reexamination Certificate Cl 5,388,101 issued Jan. 17,
2012
Certificate of Correction issued Dec. 22, 2009.
(51)

(52)

(58)

Int. Cl.
H04B 71185
H04N 71173
H04N 7124

(2006.01)
(2006.01)
(2006.01)

U.S. Cl. ...................... 725/62; 348/E7.07; 370/316;
370/328; 375/E7.025; 455/428; 455/436;
455/454; 455/507; 455/560; 725/65
Field of Classification Search ........................ None
See application file for complete search history.

ABSTRACT

In a two-way interactive communication video network having a network switching center for point-to-point communications between subscribers at different geographic
locations, a local base station configuration is provided for
facilitating low power battery operated portable subscriber
units. The local subscriber units surrounding a base station
are adapted for multiplex transmission of digital messages
synchronously related to a broadcast television signal for
system coordination. Digital messages are tansmitted from
the local subscriber units to the base station data processing
facility through a set of receive only cell site subdivision
zones distributed over the base station transmitter geographical range, which communicate with the base stations
data processing facility over a communication link such as
wired cable. Messages are compiled and relayed by satellite
to a network switching center transmitter site for nationwide
point-to-point communications. Small-size, inexpensive,
low-power, portable, digital-transmitting subscriber units
are introduced compatible with interactive video data system
standards with the ability to cross subdivision and cell zones.
Thus, monitoring of inventory, temperature, and other
parameters for passive automatic alarm systems and the like,
as well as active mobility of subscriber units for meter reading and the like is made possible with direct low-cost nationwide real time reporting capability.

lA

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16

AND PR.OC.ESSIN.G
STA.Tl~Tic..p.L SA.MPLE~

'2.0

INTe~C:TOR.

US 5,388,101 C2
1
2
AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS
EX PARTE
DETERMINED THAT:
REEXAMINATION CERTIFICATE
ISSUED UNDER 35 U.S. C. 307
The patentability of claims 1-20 is confirmed.
NO AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO
THE PATENT

* * * * *

BEEN

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
US005388101Cl
c12)

EX PARTE REEXAMINATION CERTIFICATE (8797th)

United States Patent

c1o)

Dinkins

(45)

(54)

INTERACTIVE NATIONWIDE DATA
SERVICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR
STATIONARY AND MOBILE BATTERY
OPERATED SUBSCRIBER UNITS

(75)

Inventor:

Gilbert M. Dinkins, Herdon, VA (US)

(73)

Assignee: Eon Corporation, Reston, VA (US)

Reexamination Certificate for:
Patent No.:
5,388,101
Issued:
Feb. 7, 1995
Appl. No.:
07/966,414
Filed:
Oct. 26, 1992
Certificate of Correction issued Dec. 22, 2009.
Int. Cl.
H04B 71185
H04H 9100
H04H 3100
H04N 71173
H04N 7124
H04Q 7112
H04Q 7114

(56)

References Cited

To view the complete listing of prior art documents cited
during the proceeding for Reexamination Control Number
90/011,264, please refer to the USPTO's public Patent
Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system under the
Display References tab.
Primary Examiner-Ovidio Escalante
(57)

Reexamination Request:
No. 90/011,264, Oct. 6, 2010

(51)

Number:
US 5,388,101 C1
Certificate Issued:
Jan. 17, 2012

(2006.01)
(2006.01)
(2006.01)
(2006.01)
(2006.01)
(2006.01)
(2006.01)

(52)

U.S. Cl. ...................... 725/62; 348/E7.07; 370/316;
370/328; 375/E7.025; 455/420; 455/428;
455/436; 455/454; 455/507; 455/560; 725/119;
725/65

(58)

Field of Classification Search .................. 370/95.1
See application file for complete search history.

ABSTRACT

In a two-way interactive communication video network having a network switching center for point-to-point communications between subscribers at different geographic
locations, a local base station configuration is provided for
facilitating low power battery operated portable subscriber
units. The local subscriber units surrounding a base station
are adapted for multiplex transmission of digital messages
synchronously related to a broadcast television signal for
system coordination. Digital messages are transmitted from
the local subscriber units to the base station data processing
facility through a set of receive only cell site subdivision
zones distributed over the base station transmitter geographical range, which communicate with the base stations
data processing facility over a communication link such as
wired cable. Messages are compiled and relayed by satellite
to a network switching center transmitter site for nationwide
point-to-point communications. Small-size, inexpensive,
low-power, portable, digital-transmitting subscriber units
are introduced compatible with interactive video data system
standards with the ability to cross subdivision and cell zones.
Thus, monitoring of inventory, temperature, and other
parameters for passive automatic alarm systems and the like,
as well as active mobility of subscriber units for meter reading and the like is made possible with direct low-cost nationwide real time reporting capability.

lA

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1

AWO

20
:lOA:

US 5,388,101 C1
1
2
AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN
EX PARTE
DETERMINED THAT:
REEXAMINATION CERTIFICATE
The patentability of claims 1, 2, 4-6, 8 and 12 is conISSUED UNDER 35 U.S. C. 307
s firmed.

NO AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO
THE PATENT

Claims 3, 7, 9-11 and 13-20 were not reexamined.

* * * * *

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
United States Patent

US005388101A

[II]

[19]

Dinkins
[54]

[45]

INTERACfiVE NATIONWIDE DATA
SERVICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR
STATIONARY AND MOBILE BATTERY
OPERATED SUBSCRIBER UNITS

[75]

Inventor:

Gilbert M. Dinkins, Herdon, Va.

[73]

Assignee:

Eon Corporation, Reston, Va.

[21]

Appl. No.: 966,414

[22]

Filed:

Oct. 26, 1992

[51] Int. Cl.6 ........................ H04B 7/185; H04N 7/14
[52] u.s. Cl..................... ;................ 370/95.1; 370/97;
348/8; 348/12; 348/13; 455/33.1; 455/53.1
[58] Field of Search .................... 358/86; 465/5.1, 6.1,
465/6.3, 3.2, 33.1, 53.1; 320/71, 73, 75, 85.1,
95.1, 95.3, 104.1; 379/90, 93, 58, 59, 63; 348/6,
8, 12, 7, 10, 13; 370/97; 455/54.1, 56.1
[56]

References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,481,670
4,525,861
4,550,443
4,591,906
4,755,871
4,870,410
4,875,039
5,036,389
5,101,267
5,177,604

11/1984
6/1985
10/1985
5/1986
7/1988
9/1989
10/1989
6/1991
3/1992
1/1993

Freeburg ............................ 455/33.3
Freeburg ............................ 455/33.3
Freeburg ............................ 455/33.3
Morales-Garza et al ............. 358/84
Morales-Garza et al ............. 358/84
Andros eta!. ................. 340/825.02
Andros et al .................. 340/825.44
Morales ................................ 455/5.1
Morales-Garza .................... 455/5.1
Martinez ............................... 358/86

5,388,101

Patent Number:
Date of Patent:

[57]

Feb. 7, 1995

ABSTRACf

In a two-way interactive communication video network
having a network switching center for point-to-point
communications between subscribers at different geographic locations, a local base station configuration is
provided for facilitating low power battery operated
portable subscriber units. The local subscriber units
surrounding a base station are adapted for multiplex
transmission of digital messages synchronously related
to a broadcast television signal for system coordination.
Digital messages are transmitted from the local subscriber units to the base station data processing facility
through a set of receive only cell site subdivision zones
distributed over the base station transmitter geographical range, which communicate with the base station
data processing facility over a communication link such
as wired cable. Messages are c01p.piled and relayed by
satellite to a network switching center transmitter site
for nationwide point-to-point communications. Smallsize, inexpensive, low-power, portable, digital-transmitting subscriber units are introduced compatible with
interactive video data system standards with the ability
to cross subdivision and cell zones. Thus, monitoring of
inventory, temperature, and other parameters for passive automatic alarm systems and the like, as well as
active mobility of subscriber units for meter reading and
the like is made possible with direct low-cost nationwide real time reporting capability.

Primary Examiner-Wellington Chin
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Patrick T. King

20 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets

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5,388,101

INTERACfiVE NATIONWIDE DATA SERVICE
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR STATIONARY
AND MOBILE BATTERY OPERATED
SUBSCRffiER UNITS
5
TECHNICAL FIELD:
This invention relates to an interactive two-way data
service network for conveying synchronously timed
digital messages point to point throughout the network, 10
and more particularly it relates to local area base station
cell sites subdivided into zones for processing communications within the zones from subsets of subscriber units
of a configuration for integrating communications into a
nationwide network of interconnected base station cell 15
sites for point to point communications with identified
remote subscriber units, wherein the subscriber units
comprise low energy, stationary and mobile, digital
transceivers, which may be battery operated.
20
BACKGROUND ART
A wireless interactive video system disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 4,591,906, May 27, 1986, Fernando MoralesGarza, et al. provides for real time interactive digital
communication from a large audience of subscribers in 25
urban areas in the vicinity of a central television transmitting station.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
has now established in the U.S.A. communication standards for such interactive video data service allocating 30
wireless transmissions in the 218-219 MHz band for
FCC licensing for public use in assigned local base
station areas a:uthorizing low power subscriber interaction units of maximum effective radiated power under
35
twenty watts.
There has been no known interactive video data service system available heretofore that has the capability
of servicing an assigned base station area with subscriber units transmitting in a milliwatt power range.
With such an improved system, battery powered, porta- 40
ble subscriber units, suitable for such functions as meter
reading, would become feasible with low battery drain,
permitting interactive digital communication in local
areas or nationwide.
Wireless interactive video data service is provided 45
without telephone lines or cable systems over a nationwide network of base stations in the manner disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,267, Mar. 31, 1992, Fernando Morales, by way of satellite transmissions between local
area base stations and a data center.
50
This nationwide communication capability permits
live video programs viewed nationwide, such as world
series baseball games, to become interactive for individual subscriber participation. Thus, mass communications over a substantially real time communication sys- 55
tern with such large urban area audience participation
that would jam any existing public telephone switching
network capability are made feasible.
Each local base station in such a nationwide communication system must be capable of interacting within 60
designated license restrictions in the presence of peak
local audience participation without significant switching delays to establish substantially real time interactive
two-way connections over a network processing an
audience of very large numbers of participants wishing 65
to communicate substantially simultaneously.
Prior art two-way radio transmission network technology, as represented for example by portable tele-

2

phone communication systems, is generally incompatible with efficient substantially real time communication
in the presence of heavy subscriber activity. This occurs
because in telephone systems switching and connection
operations must be made compatible with switching
instructions from subscriber instruments with coded
audio tones at audio frequencies accompanying analog
audio messages. Thus with long numeric identification
numbers for nationwide long distance connections, typically of ten decimal digits, which must be manually
entered while busying lines to complete point-to-point
connections as a part of the interconnecting signal data,
switching circuits are engaged for very long periods of
time inconsistent with substantially real time connections or heavy traffic conditions. Accordingly busy
signals are encountered often to restrict the size of a
participating audience for immediate connection and
the follow-up contention for a line requiring re-dialing
is frustrating to the potential using audience. Thus,
interactive response that requires telephone exchange
communications tends to be delayed and discouraging
to participants, and introduces the critical problem of
identifying and communicating interactively between
subscribers in real time without jammed exchanges and
the frustration of encountering busy signals and starting
over with a new attempt to communicate.
Similarly, even with the restricted amount of digital
data that might be transferred in. digital paging system
messages, where typically some messages only indicate
a short fixed length message such as a calling telephone
number, there is little possibility of approaching real
time communications in the presence of heavy traffic
because of the complexities of the necessary telephone
switching networks employed for conveying messages.
In order to process digital information accurately,
efficiently and privately it is necessary to precisely time
and organize the digital data and accompanying commands. For real time two-way digital communications
with large audiences wanting prompt access to the message conveyance system or network, synchronous signal timing becomes critical and absolutely necessary for
real time interactive communication. In general audio
telephone communications are of an analog nature not
critical to timing and are conveyed asynchronously.
Thus, prior telephone art signal communication systems
are unsuited for adoption in interactive video data systems that convey private point to point digital messages
on a real time basis for large audiences.
Typical patents relating to nationwide communications employing such prior art telephone switching
techniques are now briefly referenced as representative
of the present state of the art utilizing analog (voice)
telephone communication networks and cellular technology to accommodate low-cost mobile batteryoperated subscriber units operable within local cellular
subdivisions.
In the telephone arts: Freeburg, U.S. Pat. No.
4,481,670, Nov. 6, 1984 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,861,
Jun. 25, 1985 and 4,550,443, Oct. 29, 1985 provide for
handing off best signals from portable radio sets in twoway audio analog communications between overlapping zones served by different fixed location cellular
transceivers, which in some cases use different frequency bands for isolating adjacent zones.
In the paging arts, modems are used for connection
with a telephone system for communication and switching over a national network as typically set forth in

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Andros, et al. patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,410, Sep. 26,
1989 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,039, Oct. 17, 1989, and
therefore are subject to the same switching system bottlenecks previously described even when short digital
only communication is desired.
It is accordingly an objective of this invention to
improve the state of the art by effectively using licensed
interactive communication channels to provide substantially real time, synchronously timed digital communications of variable length between geographically separated base station subscribers of an interactive video
data service system. Capacity for heavy audience participation without substantial delays during peak loading conditions is essential in a manner compatible with
the FCC licensing conditions for interactive video data
service.
It is a further objective of this invention to introduce
into interactive video data service a system providing
effective two-way interactive communications with
simplified low-cost subscriber units transmitting in milliwatt peak power ranges under parameters compatible
with FCC licensing restrictions.
Another object of the invention is to introduce portable digital communication subscriber units into an interactive video data service system adapted for local and
national communications.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be found throughout the following description,
the drawings and the claims.
BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A base station configuration for interactive data service provides -several interrelated features for improving effectiveness of digital communication. Such features include (1) a system employing portable subscriber
units of milliwatt transmitting power capacity, and (2)
increasing substantially the number of subscriber units
operable at the base station. Thus, typically 4000 subscriber units at a base station may be processed for point
to point nationwide communication at 5.16 Kbaud data
rate per unit.
A significant advantage of the invention is the capacity to rapidly connect a very large number of individually identified subscribers at each base station for parallel communications and connecting new subscribers
into awaiting communication slots without significant
delay.
In one embodiment the features of the present invention are embodied in a subscriber multiplexing system at
the base station that relates synchronously with a base
station carrier signal or the television frames of a master
TV channel. Thus, the communications and switching
connections are synchronized throughout a nationwide
network for more efficiently and promptly processing
point-to-point real time communications. Even more
significant is the corresponding freedom to multiplex
digital messages of variable length from a large number
of transmitting subscriber units at the base station, with
the assurance that little access waiting time will be encountered by subscribers to complete switching connections, even for nationwide communications.
The base station comprises a central transmitter and
data processing site for processing transmitted digital
data to subscriber units within the base station designated area. A plurality of receive only stations distributed throughout the region and connected by wire,
cable, microwave link or radio to the central data processing site then process and relay transmitted digital

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data from subscriber units within subdivided zones in
the base station designated area. Thus, the base station
serves a gridwork of receiver sub-cell sites distributed at
locations permitting reliable response by subscribers
transmitting with milliwatt digit signal levels in the
FCC authorized 218-219 MHz band. Provision is made
to process fringe signals between the different subdivided zones so that low-cost portable battery-operated
milliwatt transmitter subscriber units may be moved
throughout the base station geographical area for reliably performing such functions as meter reading and
data transfer.
The base station system is adapted for communication
in a nationwide network of base stations over a satellite
communication network such as that of U.S. Pat. No.
5,101,267. Thus, the base station data processor locally
segregates, accumulates and formats the messages from
individual subscribers for re-transmission over the satellite network to a switching hub and data processing
center with the capacity to loq_ate individual subscribers
in remote base stations over a -nationwide network.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a block system diagram of a nationwide
interactive video data satellite system embodiment of
the invention that provides point"to-point communications between subscriber response units in local service
areas and with various vendors of goods and services;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a local area base cell
site system embodiment of the invention for communications with very low powered local subscriber units,
including mobile or portable units;
FIG. 3 is a fragmental sketch of r-f signal protocol at
the base cell site for permitting communications from a
significant number of subscriber units simultaneously in
real time;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic sketch of message frames
for illustrating the maximization of data processed at
local cell sites;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a base cell site to satellite
communication link afforded by the invention to process fixed length frames and formulate variable length
messages from subscribers during an active connection
interval;
FIGS. 6A and 6B respectively are a block system
diagram of communication channels at the base cell site,
and a corresponding diagrammatic system flow diagram for transmitted messages between local subscribers the cell data center and the satellite connected network of cell sites;
FIGS. 7A and 7B respectively are a block diagram
illustrating transit time characteristics of messages at a
base cell site, and a diagrammatic view of typical communication frames showing relative times at different
cell site communication stations;
FIGS. SA and 8B are respectively frequency band
charts for FCC allocated frequency bands and subchannel bands for interactive video data services as employed by this invention; and
FIGS. 9A and 9B are respective block circuit diagrams of subscriber units for digital only fixed or mobile
communication services and integrated video and digital data service embodiments of the invention.
THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:
In FIG. 1 the nationwide interactive network embodying this invention and setting out in perspective

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support services and equipment is illustrated in block
diagram format. Thus a set of subscribers at response
units 4 communicate over the wireless 218-219 MHz r-f
links 5 to either a set of local remote receivers 20, each
connected by a link 21 such as a telephone line to repeater cell 3, or to a local area base station repeater cell
3, one of a set of such repeater stations in different geographic locations for communicating via satellite 1
under control of a data and switching control center 2.
Regional and local service or product participants 7
also communicate with the local area cells 3 and the
control center 2. The basic operation of this system is
set forth in said U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,591,906 and 5,101,267.
Details of point-to-point switching and communication
throughout the system identified at switch control center 14 and accompanying terminal directory 13, downloading of data and software from the control center 15,
and the processing of billings and transactions 16, and
the corresponding interaction of the memory and software at the subscriber unit 17 are set forth in co-pending
applications Ser. No. 07/889,626, May 28, 1992 for
Software Controlled Interactive Video Network and
Ser. No. 07/932,241, Aug. 19, 1992 for Interactive Satellite Broadcast Network, which are incorporated hereinto by reference as background material to the extent
necessary for providing a full disclosure of operating
details.
In this system therefore, simplified low cost subscriber response units 4 are universally applicable to a
wide range of interactive functions by means of software control facilities. The system furthermore in its r-f
processing system efficiently handles mass data for accommodating ·very large system peak load capacity
substantially in real time through the switch control
center 14 with typically stores for each subscriber currently updated information that need not be transmitted
with every transaction such as the directory identification code, name, address, telephone number and credit
card, etc.
An explicit cell site 3 embodiment utilizing a local
base station repeater cell 3 afforded by this invention,
which expands the interactive capabilities and functions
of the subscriber response units 4 while improving performance and reducing cost, is diagrammatically shown
in FIG. 2. The outer dotted ring 19 outlines the limits of
a local area cell site, such as may be licensed by the
FCC for interactive video data service. The cell site
embodiment utilizing local base station repeater cell 3
communicates with the satellite system via directed dish
antenna 3A, and transmits digital communications and
TV video overlay trigger signals to a set of subscribers
X throughout the assigned territory by way of antenna

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A set of typically ten remote, receive-only, fixedlocation relay stations 20A-20N are positioned at strate- 55
gic locations within the cell area. Each local remote
receiver station 20 is connected by cable, microwave or
leased telephone line 21 to the cell site utilizing a local
base station repeater cell 3 Thus, transceiving subscriber units X 4, 4', etc located within the subdivided 60
response zones 22 communicate with the local remote
receivers 20 over a significantly reduced transmission
path distance within the subdivided response areas 22,
as compared with direct transmission from a local base
station repeater cell transceiving subscriber units X 4, 65
4'. This subdivision feature, accordingly for the first
time in interactive video data system provides for reliable transmission at radiated power levels in the milli-

6

watt region. Distinct advantages result including less
chance for external interference and long life battery
operated portable subscriber units 4 which can be
moved throughout the cell territory (19).
Accordingly, this invention encourages such additional interactive services in the network as typified by
meter reading, and inventory control in soft drink dispensing machines, etc. in a manner saving so much
manpower and expense as to be viable economically in
this type of interactive video data service system. In the
latter two examples, very simple digital communication
subscriber units 4 may be provided without the necessity for video displays, in the manner later described.
Other examples are site alarms for remote monitoring of
open doors, fires, failure, temperature, etc. Two-way
paging services are also thus made available, or telemeter in location or condition of delivery trucks, etc. Furthermore, with full service video display TV installation at a subscriber station 4, the feasibility of moving
such remote units to different)ocations in a house, office, or car is established. Accordingly this invention is
in part directed to the provision of portable or mobile
interactive subscriber stations and communication units
for interactive video data service systems compatible
with FCC standards. With the lower power transmitters provided, adjustments of power in the subscriber
units may be avoided by simple AGC at the remote
receiver terminals. Smaller and portable home units are
also possible. There is considerable advantage oflonger
battery life for portable units.
A further substantial advantage to the invention is the
ability to handle point-to-point connections nationwide
under peak traffic conditions with very little subscriber
waiting time for access to the system. The system protocol for reception of messages and response at the subscriber units in the chart form of FIG. 3 illustrates the
large number, typically 640, of subscribers X that can be
simultaneously using the system at any cell site 5. With
reference again to FIG. 2, thus assume that each of ten
fixed remote receiver stations 20A-20N within the cell
area (19) is capable of processing 64 on-air subscriber
units X. This results because the milliwatt powered
subscriber units X are adapted for transmission in a
single one of the ten subdivided areas or zones 22, with
provisions preventing interference with adjacent zones
22A, 22B, etc.
Other system advantages are: (1) that low power
subscribers use the system at outer cell boundaries,
thereby reducing chances for inter-cell interference, (2)
that the expansion of the system may occur by adding
subdivided zones as the subscriber base grows, (3) that
the passive local remote receive-only receivers have no
problems in meeting FCC interactive video data service
conditions, (4) and that capital, power and operating
costs substantially decrease.
With reference now FIG. 3, to transmit with ten
subscriber units X in the respective zones 22 of FIG. 2,
the protocol assigns in a timed broadcast period 30 a
home unit (HU) response time interval 31, at an accumulated 5.1 kbaud response rate. Each of these
switched-in user home units then transmits a digital
message superimposed by modulation on the 218-219
MHz band subcarrier. The broadcast time interval 32
permits the cell site transmitter 8 of FIG. 2 to broadcast
a message including a (ringing) signal that may include
an address code number for activating a single home
unit within the cell area 19 of FIG. 2. Each home unit
has a built in address code that must be used to activate

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that unit 14 of FIG. 2, and the central data switch control unit maintains a directory of all such numbers in the
nationwide network. The broadcast time interval 33
provides a time gap for checking errors and for providing desirable control signals. Guard gaps 36 are supplied
between successive broadcast periods 30, also identifiable as r-f frames.
With reference again to FIG. 3, the r-f frames permit
transmission at 5.1 kbaud for each of say ten subdivisions 22 of FIG. 2. Thus the cell stores in a buffer the
ten multiplexed home unit data rates to load the buffer
at a 51 kbaud rate. A total data rate for the main cell
area 19 of FIG. 2 is 51 kbaud from the ten simultaneous
responses from the separate subdivisions 22 of FIG. 2.
Assuming no errors and 1000 bit messages from each
home unit, with 3,000 home units trying to get their
message through ten channels, the waiting time for a
"line" would be less than one minute without contention, thereby minimizing the necessity of "redialing".
The legends in the right hand column show that each
remote receiver station 20A-20N is assigned a corresponding communication frequency bandwidth ft-fn,
thereby isolating the communications from subscriber
units X in each subdivision 22 within the cell area 19 as
shown in FIG. 2. The length of the r-fframes 30 is 12.4
milliseconds including a guard band 36 of about 120
microseconds.
Typical message protocol is illustrated in FIG. 4 for
fixed frame message lengths of 30 bytes of eight bits.
This fixed length is important in minimizing access time
to the system under peak load conditions, since there
will be substantially no dead air time incurred while a
subscriber is awaiting to be connected or disconnected.
Various functional categories are typically included in
the broadcast interval 32 as shown in the blocks. Of note
is the home unit ID section which addresses the unit to
be activated (similar to a telephone number), and the
Packet ID byte for accumulating a sequence of home
unit response frames into a packet. All messages and
protocols are consistent with the transmission of data
implicitly as part of a video message during the vertical
blanking interval or transmission over a digital r-f link
parallel to a video channel. However, as will be more
particularly set forth later, it is pertinent to synchronize
timed data within the nationwide system, even taking
into account differences in travel time of radio waves
(see U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,906), and for this reason the
technique described in Pat. No. 4,755,871, Jul. 5, 1988
for Control of RF Answer Pulses in a TV Answer Back
System may be used to synchronize transmissions with
the TV carrier signal from the cell site transmitter and
to organize all the multiplexed timing slots for avoiding
idle on-air time. Thus, this system departs from any
former telephone switching system art which is asynchronously switched.
As seen from FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the nationwide
transmission of messages from the individual subscriber
home units 4, (X) longer than 240 bits require several
frames, with accumulation into packets, identifiable in
the broadcast frame 32. The cell site transmission systern 40 thus processes a set of packets in the manner
shown in FIG. 5 to accumulate subscriber messages of
variable length in a set of serial transmissions for transmitting to the satellite at higher transmission frequency.
Accordingly packet builders 41, 41A, etc. are individually assigned to a responding one of simultaneously
active subscribers until the subscriber's variable length
message of n 240 bit frames is completed, and after

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pricing 42 the messages are accumulated 43, synchronously timed 45 and transmitted to the satellite 44.
These accumulated messages are received at the central
data station 2 for switching, adding pertinent subscriber
data and a receiving address and retransmitting over the
satellite at a receiving point, such as a further subscriber
or a service provider.
Now FIGS. 6A and 6B relate to the communication
sequences within the local base station repeater cell area
(19, FIG. 2) between home units 4, the cell site utilizing
local base station repeater 3 and local remote stationary
receivers 20A-20N Note that the home unit 4 is also
designated as an interactive data appliance (IDA), a
general term including subscriber video stations, digital
alarms, or the like, and portable units.
The data flow chart of FIG. 6B relates to a "set-up"
and response sequence of intercommunications between
the respective subscriber units 4, (IDA) local remote
fixed station subdivision receivers 20A-20N (RR) and
the cell site utilizing local bas_e station repeater cell 3.
Synchronization is controlled oy the carrier frequency
Txa of the cell transmitter upon which the subscriber
unit 4 locks. Then the subscriber unit 4 initiates a response which includes both the subscriber ID and the
cell ID for the purpose of handoff between cells with
portable units or fringe area cells.
The remote receiver 20 receives the subscriber's
transmission on its frequency Rxsu. and passes an acknowledgement to the base station repeater cell 3 for
sampling transmission and auditing the transmission
routing. Thus base station repeater cell 3 selects the
local receiver remote 20A-20N, etc. that receives the
best subscriber signal Note that the local remote receiver 20 receives both the transmissions from the cell
transmitter frequency at Rxai and the communications
at its assigned frequency Rxsu. and similarly the subscriber unit transmits on two alternative frequencies,
one tuned to a particular remote receiver 20 frequency.
The base station repeater cell 3 then relays the best
frequency back to the subscriber unit 4 for tuning in and
finishing communications with the best and only remote
receiver 20. This is the end of the "set up" period and
the start of the transmission period, during which the
message bits are relayed to the base station repeater cell
3 by the local remote receiver 20 tuned in, and are at the
base station repeater cell 3 processed and relayed into
the network to the central data hub via the VSAT link.
Note that the gap 33 between the base station repeater
cell 3 broadcast interval 32 and the home unit response
interval31 is used for the set up function so that a single
frame period covers the procedure of FIG. 6B through
the sending of a single frame of the message from the
subscriber unit. If transmission conditions change, a
succeeding frame of the subscriber's message thus could
be transmitted from a different remote receiver at a
different frequency. Thus the packet ID byte portion of
FIG. 4 is significant for reassembling the message
frames into a single message packet (also identified).
The arbitrary cell identification number 486 is similar to
a telephone exchange area code designation in the identification of the cell or the subscriber's complete ID
address.
This set up procedure is important for "hand-off" of
a portable unit from one stationary local remote receiver site 22 to another as fringe areas are encountered,
such as at borders 25 between two local remote receiver
22 activity sites 22 (FIG. 2). Similarly the portable units
can move from cell to cell when adjacent cells are pres-

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ent such as in urban areas, requiring similar hand-off
procedure. The hand-off may be initiated in different
ways.
As above described, the base station repeater cell 3
may initiate the hand-off of a subscriber 4 from a local
remote receiver 20 in one zone to another in a different
zone within the subdivided cell. Thus a signal strength
(RSSI) measurement may serve as a criterion for handoff, with the cell directing the subscriber into a set-up
routine when signals below a threshold, - 80dBm for
example, are encountered. Since the subscriber unit 4
stores the message data, it is retained until the set-up
procedure is completed in about 50 milliseconds.
Alternatively the subscriber unit software may cause
the subscriber unit 4 to place itself in a set-up routine
when the RSSI goes below a chosen threshold value, so
that the home unit response is transmitted only after
set-up with a satisfactory cell or cell sub-division zone
(22) connection of proper signal strength.
When the subscribers 4 are transportable from cell to
cell, the packets (FIG. 5) should be sorted at the data
processing center 2 rather than at the base station repeater cell 3 level. Each packet carries an identification
of the subscriber for this purpose and the packet ID is
carried in the broadcast frame (FIG. 4) for such processing. Thus at the central hub (2) a packet of three
frames could be derived from two different cells, generally adjacent in geographical relationship. Note the cell
ID in the subscriber's transmissions (FIG. 6B), which is
used for control purposes.
Also with reference to FIG. 2, the possibility of
fringe hand off errors or interfering signals between
cells is avoided by the allocation of different transmission frequencies for communicating with the geographically adjoining local remote receiver stations (20) in the
adjacent base station repeater cell areas (19, 26). Thus,
in the vicinity of overlapping base station repeater cell
regions 19 and 26, the related frequencies fx, fy assigned
to adjacent local remote receivers 20X and 20Y may
avoid interference problems between local remote receiver stations 20 in different adjacent base station repeater cell territories.
Critical timings in the messages processed within the
base station repeater cell site (19, FIG. 2) are discussed
in relationship to FIGS. 7A and 7B. For keeping the
message bits accurately synchronized within the system, the delays in transit time of r-f transmissions must
be accounted for. Those transit times are noted in FIG.
7A, and the transmitted message frame timings are set
forth in FIG. 7B. The frames are sequentially separated
by a 120 microsecond guard band. The approximate 2.7
microsecond delay within the cell area (19) of 2 miles
diameter is encountered between the subscriber (IDA) 4
and the closest local remote receiver station 20 of approximately ten such stations distributed about the base
station repeater cell. This is of no significance since by
the use of fifty microsecond pulse widths in the communications that is less than 6% of the pulse width and thus
no range adjustment is needed for that propagation
induced delay. The base station repeater cell 3 thus
adjusts its synchronization with system timing of the
received IDA responses after accounting for the approximately two times 10.6 microsecond (average)
delay time for the transmissions to IDA 4 and back to
base station repeater cell 3.
FIGS. SA and 8B set forth the FCC approved bands
for licensed interactive communications, thus allocating

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fifteen channels of bandwidth capable of carrying the
messages under the conditions described herein.
FIGS. 9A and 9B respectively illustrate portable
subscriber units afforded by this invention for interactive two-way wireless communications in a cell compatible with FCC standards for interactive video data services of the simplified digital appliance type (9A) and
the more comprehensive video display type (9B).
In the simplified version of FIG. 9A, the transceiver
50 permits two-way wireless communications in the
218-219 MHz bands set forth in FIG. 8, and compatible
with the functions hereinbefore set forth such as in
connection with FIG. 6A. The double headed arrow
notation for the radiowaves at antenna 49 signifies two
way wireless communication. For digital communications, an input register 51 for received digital data is
supplied and an output register 52 for retaining interactive subscriber entered messages from transducer 53,
typically a manual keyboard or a digital sensing instrument. Digital display means Il.).ay be provided for subscriber viewing of either or botli. register contents. Thus
the data processor 54, by way of suitable software controls the system with different modes of operation such
as the manual control 55 suitable to keyboard input of
data from a subscriber, or an automatic monitoring
control mode 56 for relaying an alarm or inventory
reading at a subscriber's coin operated vending machine. The frequency control section 57 serves to monitor and set the transmission carrier frequency during set
up procedures for transmission to a most favorable fixed
local remote receiver (20) station. Also it serves as the
system clock to synchronize the transmission frequency
of digital data pulses with the system by means of locking to a TV station carrier signal, for example. The
unique identification number 58 is built into each subscriber unit and serves similar to a telephone number as
a screen for incoming messages directed to that subscriber unit and as an identification of the source of
messages sent from an individual subscriber. General
software control technology for operation of the subscriber units and systems of the disclosed system are
known in the art as set forth in more detail in the before
mentioned prior patents and patent applications.
This interactive data appliance embodiment of the
invention provides a number of innovative features and
significant advantages, all compatible with operations
within the parameters of a nationwide network of FCC
licensed local interactive video data service cells, either
for interactive communication within the local cell or
for interactive communications nationwide over the
network. The software controlled data processor makes
the utility of the appliance substantially universal in
terms of introduction of modes of operation to match
with and integrate into machinery or systems and to
provide a variety of features for manual control of interactivity by a subscriber. The simplicity of the digital
mode of communication makes the unit simple, low cost
and small in size for ideal portability and long life from
battery power. It is of major importance to have the
ability in an interactive video data service installation
for portable movement of a subscriber unit for providing communication capabilities formerly limited to nationwide mobile telephone systems and further providing a range of interactivities not hitherto feasible.
The embodiment of FIG. 9B provides for interactivity in conjunction with video displays, and in particular as related to broadcast television programs. Thus the
conventional television receiver 60 with the wireless

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communication link 63 communicates with the interactive data appliance 61 for the type of service described
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,267, for example. Therefore the
manual control unit 62 controls the TV receiver 60 and
the interactive data appliance, which in this case maybe 5
termed a home unit or subscriber station. The portability feature made possible by this invention permits such
a unit to be moved next door or put into a car or van for
movement within or across cell boundaries with good
digital synchronous communication contact within the 10
nationwide network of cells, which utility has not heretofore been known or feasible in interactive video data
systems.
It is therefore evident from this disclosure that the
state ofthe art is advanced. Accordingly the features of 15
novelty believed descriptive of the spirit and nature of
the invention are set forth with particularity in the following claims.
I claim:
20
1. A base station configuration in a two-way communication interactive video network having a network
hub switching center for routing communications from
and to a plurality of subscriber units at various geographic locations served by a base station that processes
digital data modulated on an r-f carrier and transmitted 25
from a plurality of subscriber units dispersed over a
predetermined base station geographic area by presenting multiplexed digital data synchronously related to
the base station broadcast signal for communication
from identified individual subscriber units within desig- 30
nated geographic service areas, comprising in combination,
base station data processing and transmission facilities
for transmitting to a set of local subscriber units
and receiving from a subset of those local sub- 35
scriber units multiplexed synchronously related
digital data messages of variable lengths for pointto-point communication between individual subscribers with remotely located reception stations,
base station reception means for receiving and pro- 40
cessing data messages from the set of local subscriber units at that base station comprising a set of
cell subdivision sites partitioned from said base
station geographic area and dispersed over the base
station geographic area, each cell subdivision site 45
being adapted for receiving-only low power digital
messages transmitted from local subscriber units
within range of the partitioned cell site areas, and
a set of local subscriber transceiver units including
low power mobile units located within the base 50
station geographic area each adapted to communicate with said base station by way of digital data
signals of variable lengths synchronously related to
said base station broadcast signal and timed for said
55
multiplexed message transmission.
2. The base station configuration defined in claim 1
wherein said hub switching center is located remotely
from said base station, and said network comprises a
plurality of base stations located in different geographic
60
areas, further comprising,
data processing facilities in said base station and network for communicating designated digital data
messages between local subscriber units in said
predetermined base station geographic area and
other subscriber units located in the vicinity of the 65
base stations located in different geographic areas
via said hub switching center.
3. The configuration of claim 2 further comprising,

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message accumulation means in said base station data
processing facilities operative to store and retransmit digital message packets from identified subscriber units comprising a sequence of subscriber
transmission frames, and
processing means for retransmission of the digital
message packets to the hub switching center by
satellite.
4. The configuration of claim 2 further comprising,
subscriber unit management and transmission means
for conveying messages from the base station to the
hub switching center which processes a subscriber
message data bit output from the base station at
2.560 kbaud.
5. The configuration of claim 4 further comprising a
set of n isolated said cell sites, and assembling means for
accumulating the messages from said n cell sites and
transmitting the accumulated messages over said transmission means at a message data bit capacity of n times
2.560 kbaud.
-:..
6. The configuration of claim 5 further comprising
means for interlacing 64 subscriber units for transmitting simultaneously multiplexed messages at said base
station.
7. The configuration of claim 5 further comprising
means for transmitting bit data rate at 5.16 kbaud from
the home units to the assembling means.
8. The configuration of claim 2 further comprising
means for transmitting messages from the different subdivided cell areas on different carrier frequencies.
9. The base station configuration defined in claim 1
further comprising, means in said base unit for compensating for the time of propagation of messages between
the different individual subscriber units and the base
station data processing facilities.
10. The base station configuration defined in claim 1
further comprising a transmitter for conveying messages from said base station to said subscriber units on a
carrier frequency of substantially 218 MHz.
11. The base station configuration defined in claim 1
wherein each of said local subscriber units is individually identified by reception and transmission of digital
signal pulses in a predetermined timing relationship
synchronized with a television frame of said television
broadcast signal.
12. The base station configuration in claim 1 wherein
said local subscriber units comprise digital message
organization means that disassembles a variable length
digital message for transmission on a sequence of fixed
length transmission frames.
13. The base station configuration in claim 1 further
comprising receive only stations in said cell subdivision
sites, and means for operating the base station and subscriber units to hand-off a communication message for
transmission over a path through a single one of said
cell subdivision receive-only stations.
14. The base station configuration in claim 13 further
comprising subscriber units operable to transmit on a
plurality offrequency bands, and receive-only receivers
at different subdivision sites operable in different ones
of said frequency bands.
15. The base station configuration in claim 13 which
comprises one of a plurality of base stations in said
network, further comprising facilities for handing off
communications from a subscriber unit within the base
station geographic area for communication through a
network path of a different base station.

13

5,388,101

16. A point-to-point interactive video network system having a central switching station, a plurality of
base stations, a satellite station, and a set of subscriber
units located in the vicinity of each base unit, comprising in combination, means for providing for two-way
digital communications between two different subscriber units by a serial communication path extending
through a base station, the satellite, the central station,
the satellite and back to a base station, wherein at least
some of said base stations serve a set of subscriber units
dispersed over a predetermined geographic area and
comprise communication means between the subscriber
units with the base station including a set of stationary
receive only terminals remote from the base station
coupled by a communication link with the base station
for conveying transmitted messages from subscriber
units in a subdivided portion of said geographic area in
the vicinity of the receive only terminals to the base
station, subscriber transmitter units for transmitting
digital amplitude modulated pulses at a peak power in
the milliwatt range, and data processing means at the
base station for assembling and re-transmitting digital
subscriber messages from the subscriber units via the
satellite to the central station, said subscriber units
transmitting on a plurality of frequency bands.
17. A point-to-point interactive video network system having a central switching station, a plurality of
base stations, a satellite station, and a set of subscriber
units located in the vicinity of each base unit, comprising in combination, means for providing for two-way
digital communications between two different subscriber units by a serial communication path extending
through a base station, the satellite, the central station,
the satellite and back to a base station, wherein at least
some of said base stations serve a set of subscriber units
dispersed over a predetermined geographic area and
comprise communication means between the subscriber
units with the base station including a set of stationary
receive only terminals remote from the base station
coupled by a communication link with the base station
for conveying transmitted messages from subscriber
units in a subdivided portion of said geographic area in
the vicinity of the receive only terminals to the base
station, subscriber transmitter units for transmitting
digital amplitude modulated pulses at a peak power in
the milliwatt range, and data processing means at the
base station for assembling and re-transmitting digital
subscriber messages from the subscriber units via the
satellite to the central station, said subscriber units being
portable, said base station including means to receive
messages from said subscriber units through a single one
of said receive only terminals.

14

18. A point-to-point interactive video network sys-

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10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

tem having a central switching station, a plurality of
base stations, a satellite station, and a set of subscriber
units located in the vicinity of each base unit, comprising in combination, means for providing for two-way
digital communications between two different subscriber units by a serial communication path extending
through a base station, the satellite, the central station,
the satellite and back to a base station, wherein at least
some of said base stations serve a set of subscriber units
dispersed over a predetermined geographic area and
comprise communication means between the subscriber
units with the base station including a set of stationary
receive only terminals remote from the base station
coupled by a communication link with the base station
for conveying transmitted messages from subscriber
units in a subdivided portion of said geographic area in
the vicinity of the receive only terminals to the base
station, subscriber transmitter units for transmitting
digital amplitude modulated P.ulses at a peak power in
the milliwatt range, and data processing means at the
base station for assembling and re-transmitting digital
subscriber messages from the subscriber units via the
satellite to the central station, each-of the receive only
terminals receiving signals in a different frequency
band, and the subscriber units having means for selecting a transmission carrier frequency in a plurality of the
frequency bands.
19. An interactive video data system comprising:
subscribers with portable subscriber units and facilities for communicating from the subscriber units
when moved through different geographic zones,
and
a set of subscriber units limited to digital processing
facilities comprising digital transducers and means
for transmitting digital data derived by said transducers.
20. An interactive video data system comprising:
subscribers with portable subscriber units and facilities for communicating from the subscriber units
when moved through different geographic zones,
a base station of defined geographic area for serving
a set of said subscriber units, said area is subdivided
into a plurality of zones, and receive only stations
located in said zones for reception of transmissions
from subscriber units located in the respective
zones, and
facilities in said base station and subscriber units for
handing off communications between zones when
communicated signals deteriorate below a given
threshold.

* * * * *
55

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65

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
PATENT NO.
APPLICATION NO.
DATED
INVENTOR(S)

: 5,388,101
:07/966414
: February 7, 1995
:Gilbert M. Dinkins

Page 1 of 1

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent is
hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 12, Line 45. In claim 11, delete "said television" and insert --said base
station--.

Signed and Sealed this
Twenty-second Day of December, 2009

David J. Kappos
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office