Interactive video distribution systems – User-requested video program system – Video-on-demand
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-13
2001-05-29
Marcelo, Melvin (Department: 2663)
Interactive video distribution systems
User-requested video program system
Video-on-demand
C725S145000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240552
ABSTRACT:
Conventional cable tv systems deliver video data from a distribution company through a cable to a number of monitors of viewers. Although nowadays many programs are distributed through many channels by each cable tv company, the user or viewer has to wait until the desired program is started and transmitted through a selected channel.
Recently, also interactive video systems have been proposed. in such interactive video system a viewer can chose a desired movie to be displayed on a monitor. In such video-on-demand system a direct connection to the monitor or end device of a user is established, whereafter a demanded movie can be viewed by the end user.
In this known system it is however virtually impossible to upscale the system after it has been established e.g. at a distribution company. When the number of members for such a system increases and the number of demanded videos is increased, a new interactive video system has to be built.
The present invention provides a system for serving information, comprising:
routing means;
one or more archive storage medium units connected to the routing means for storing information data;
one or more delivery storage medium units connected to the routing means and for (partially) storing information data from the archive storage medium unit;
a plurality of end devices connected to the routing means each of which comprises input means and display means and which output demand data requesting selected information data;
managing means connecting to the routing means and for managing distribution of the information data, the managing means receiving demand data from the end device, the managing means outputs a distribution control data including channel information of the selected information data produced from the received demand data, routing information from the end device and copy operation information from the archive storage medium unit for copying information to the delivery storage medium unit;
wherein said delivery storage medium unit (partially) stores information data from the archive storage medium unit according to the copy operation information from the managing means and outputs the selected information data with routing information for the end device according to the distribution control data from the managing means.
The system according to the present invention is very versatile, as it is possible in this system to (automatically) change the number of storage medium units serving information data in proportion to the number of end devices used by a viewer.
Preferably the routing means comprise at least one ATM switch . The basics and standards of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) are laid down in recommendations I.150 and I.327 as published in March 1993 by the International Telecommunication Union). ATM is generally used for addressing a specific packet-oriented transfer mode which uses asynchronous time division multiplexing techniques. The multiplexed information flow is organized into blocks of fixed size called cells. A cell consists of an information filed and a header. The primary role of the header is to identify cells belonging to the same virtual channel within the asynchronous time division multiplex.
Preferably said information data are video and/or audio data although the present invention is not limited to this application. This system according to the present invention may also comprise applications for video-games, library functions, databanks etc., although a first promising application filed relates to video-on-demand services.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5544327 (1996-08-01), Dan et al.
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Patent Abstract Of Japan, vol. 016 No. 139 (p. 1334), Apr. 8, 1992, of JP 03 296851 Dec. 27, 1991.
Aerts Ives
Barraud Claude
Ceulaer Luc De
Copejans Gert
De Vos Johan
Chang Dexter T.
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Marcelo Melvin
Sony Europa B.V.
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