Method and system for providing instant start multimedia content
First Claim
1. A method for delivering digital content from a server facility to a user/subscriber, comprising:
- providing, in said server facility, formatted digital content which has been divided into a plurality of data chunks prior to transmission;
providing a communications network for transmitting said digital content;
providing a user/subscriber control device for receiving, storing and playing the transmitted digital content; and
transmitting the divided data chunks from said server facility according to a predetermined time schedule.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing multimedia content through a cable, satellite television or other content server system. A server facility which provides multimedia content divides formatted multimedia content into data chunks (e.g., collections of data corresponding to one minute lengths) prior to transmission to a user/subscriber receptor unit, and sends the divided data chunks according to a schedule which permits instantaneous starting and viewing of the multimedia content, such as movies, upon user/subscriber request. The user/subscriber receptor unit includes a cable box, video game device, or the like having a digital video recording capability and at least a memory capacity or disk space sufficient to store a complete unit of media content, such as full-length feature film. The invention does not require intensive interaction between the server facility and the receptor unit, but rather, only requires sending of content signals in the form of an interleaved media stream from the server facility to the receptor unit. Further, the invention requires the use of no more than six times the bandwidth of the original signal for operation.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for delivering digital content from a server facility to a user/subscriber, comprising:
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providing, in said server facility, formatted digital content which has been divided into a plurality of data chunks prior to transmission;
providing a communications network for transmitting said digital content;
providing a user/subscriber control device for receiving, storing and playing the transmitted digital content; and
transmitting the divided data chunks from said server facility according to a predetermined time schedule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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23. A system for delivering digital content from a server facility to a user/subscriber, comprising:
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a digital content database;
a server facility which provides formatted digital content which has been divided into discrete data chunks prior to transmission;
a user/subscriber control device for receiving, storing and playing said transmitted digital content; and
a communications network for transmitting said divided data chunks from said server facility according to a predetermined time schedule.
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Specification