Method and system for remote reporting, particularly for pay television billing

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A method and system for providing subscription services, particularly subscription television services, involving transmissions from a remote location to a subscriber location for which payment is required for access. A cost signal containing a cost or charge associated with the transmissions is transmitted from the remote location, and a credit preferably is stored at the subscriber location. The magnitude of the charge contained in the cost signal is compared with the magnitude of the stored credit although it need not be if cost is accumulated as in one disclosed embodiment, and access by the subscriber to the transmissions associated with the cost signal is enabled in response to the …