Television – Special applications – Manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-03-28
2001-05-01
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2711)
Television
Special applications
Manufacturing
C455S001000, C709S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226030
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to automated and selective distribution of video broadcasts. Video is received by at least one server connected in a networked environment. The video can then be selectively provided to a user with access to the network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Video broadcasts and televisions are ubiquitous. The broadcasts can contain a variety of content, ranging from entertainment to news. However, very few people have televisions at work and therefore cannot access video broadcasts during the day. This tends to isolate people from information during the very hours when many important events are occurring.
Instead of televisions, many in the work force have personal computers or work stations at their desks. These computers do not always work in strict isolation. Local area networks (LANs) now connect many workplace computers. The network uses a “server” computer to connect with and direct activities with the “client” computers located in individual offices. Computers can also be connected by means of a modem to bulletin boards and other commercial databases of information such as America Online or Prodigy. However, these sources typically only present text which was prepared earlier and then loaded onto the database being accessed.
Another source of information accessible by a computer is the Internet. A popular interface to the Internet is a software product known as a browser. The browser allows the user to search for particular sites on the Internet by presenting it the site's address or URL. The browser also takes advantage of hypertext markup language (HTML) links located at certain Internet sites that allows the user to quickly access additional sites. A particularly popular portion of the Internet is the World Wide Web (WWW), also known as “the web.” The web is characterized by “home pages” controlled by companies and individuals. The best web pages have interesting and interactive graphics. However, even the best web pages present only textual information or short prerecorded video clips.
A need exists for a method of allowing networked computers to have access to live video broadcasts. Such a method should provide the user with a choice between broadcasts and yet maintain a level of control at the server level as to which live feeds are available to particular client computers. Such a system should also allow the user to customize the video display. For example, the live video display should be sizable to allow the user to simultaneously work on other projects with his computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a “video jukebox” or sorts. It is a system or method of distributing live video broadcasts received by a server to selected client computers connected to the network. The system allows specific computers to receive only designated broadcasts. For example, the system could receive several live broadcasts including a financial news channel, a music channel and a general news channel. A first user in the accounting department might only be given access to the live feed from the financial news network, while a second user in the marketing department might be given access to the general news network, and a third user in management might only get access to the music channel to help relieve his job-related stress.
Video data is accepted onto the LAN through at least one server. If several video broadcast feeds are received, each might be assigned to a specific server. The video jukebox controls access to video data on a LAN in two ways. Both methods use a file system shared by multiple senders of video data. The first method uses a configuration file and multiple servers to allow system administrators to restrict access to video data. Each server sending video data to the LAN writes video frame data and accompanying descriptive information to a shared file system. This information uniquely identifies all video broadcasts. Each computer sending video data and each server has its own unique identity on a LAN. The system administrator uses the configuration file to direct each server to respond to requests for video data in a selective manner. Only those video sources specified in the configuration file for a particular server will be described in the server's response to requests for video data. Each request for video data is made by one client to one server. Successful requests for video data result in programs on the client machine accessing either multicast or unicast broadcasts made available to it by the server, despite the fact that the server has access to more sources of video data than those specified in the configuration file.
The second methodology uses a configuration file and a single server to allow system administrators to restrict access to video data. As in the first method described above, each computer sending video data writes video frame data and accompanying descriptive information to a shared file system. In contrast to the first method, however, only one server responds to client requests for video data. In this case the system administrator uses the configuration file to categorize clients into subgroups. Each request from a client is translated into a request from a specific subgroup, and the configuration file specifies which video broadcasts are to be made available to that subgroup. Consequently, only pre-selected broadcasts are made available to any request for video data from any specific client.
With either method, the request comes to the server via a World Wide Web (WWW) HTTP request from a client. The response is sent to the client via a WWW HTTP response packet. Upon receipt of a valid request for video data, the server sends descriptive information about each available broadcast to the client. This information is presented to the client in such a way that the client can use the provided video frame information provided to select the desired broadcast. Once a specific broadcast has been selected by the client, a program on the client's machine is started. It then waits to receive the video data associated with the selected broadcasts. In the meantime, the server establishes the data connections necessary to send the video data to the client, and then starts sending the data.
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Harvey John P.
Kressin Mark S.
Meriwether Vincent J.
Mills Richard A.
Tulkoff Michael C.
Emile Volel
International Business Machines - Corporation
Kostak Victor R.
Schultz George R.
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