VIDEO DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of distributing movies and music to customer households comprising the steps of:
- blanket transmitting a plurality of movies and music selections to customer households;
permitting each customer household to preselect and record desired movies and music selections;
permitting each customer household to playback for viewing any preselected, recorded movie;
communicating movie playback information and music selection recording information from each customer household to a central controller system; and
billing customer households for music selections that are recorded and for only those preselected, recorded movies that are actually played back for viewing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to video distribution systems and, more particularly, to a system that blanket transmits video/audio content such as movies (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer'"'"'s computer-based recording, storage and playback system. Customers preselect from a list of available movies or other content in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay for only the video/audio content that is actually viewed.
83 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of distributing movies and music to customer households comprising the steps of:
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blanket transmitting a plurality of movies and music selections to customer households;
permitting each customer household to preselect and record desired movies and music selections;
permitting each customer household to playback for viewing any preselected, recorded movie;
communicating movie playback information and music selection recording information from each customer household to a central controller system; and
billing customer households for music selections that are recorded and for only those preselected, recorded movies that are actually played back for viewing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of distributing movies and music to customer households comprising the steps of:
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blanket transmitting a plurality of movies and music selections to customer households;
at each customer household, preselecting desired transmitted movies and music selections for recording;
at each customer household, recording preselected movies and music selections when they are transmitted;
at each customer household, playing back those preselected, recorded movies that the customer household desires to view;
providing a central controller system having a database for storing therein an address corresponding to each customer household;
communicating information from each customer household to the controller system to verify when a preselected music selection has been recorded and when a preselected, recorded movie has been played back for viewing; and
using the communicated information to charge each customer household when it records a music selection and when it views a preselected, recorded movie.
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14. A system for distributing movies to customer households, comprising:
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means for blanket transmitting a plurality of movies and music selections to customer households;
means permitting each customer household to preselect and record desired movies and music selections;
means permitting each customer household to playback for viewing any preselected, recorded movie;
means for communicating movie playback information and music selection recording information from each customer household to a central controller system; and
means for billing customer households for music selections that are recorded and for only those preselected, recorded movies that are actually played back for viewing.
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15. A system for distributing movies to customer households, comprising:
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a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) data transmission system blanket transmitting a plurality of encoded movies to customer households at a data transmission rate faster than real time;
a user station at each customer household, the user station including means permitting the customer household to preselect desired transmitted movies for recording;
a receiver and associated recording device at each customer household for recording preselected movies at a write speed faster than real time;
a playback device at each customer household for playing back those preselected, recorded movies that the customer household desires to view;
a central controller system having a database for storing therein an address corresponding to each customer household;
a communications link between each customer household and the central controller system to verify to the controller system that a preselected, recorded movie has been played back for viewing; and
a billing system associated with the central controller system to bill customer households for only those preselected, recorded movies that are played back for viewing. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for distributing movies and music to customer households, comprising:
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a data transmission system blanket transmitting a plurality of music selections and encoded movies to customer households;
a user station at each customer household, the user station including means permitting the customer household to preselect desired transmitted movies and music selections for recording;
a receiver and associated recording means at each customer household for recording preselected movies and music selections;
a playback device at each customer household for playing back those preselected, recorded movies that the customer household desires to view;
a central controller system having a database for storing therein an address corresponding to each customer household;
a communications link between each customer household and the central controller system to verify to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been recorded and when a preselected, recorded movie has been played back for viewing; and
a billing system associated with the central controller system to bill customer households for music selections that are recorded and for only those preselected, recorded movies that are played back for viewing.
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24. A method of distributing music to customer households comprising the steps of:
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blanket transmitting a plurality of music selections to customer households by direct broadcast satellite (DBS) at data transmission rates faster than real time;
providing each customer household with information identifying available music selections that will be transmitted;
permitting each customer household to preselect and record desired music selections in conventional compact disc (CD) format;
permitting each customer household to permanently select recorded music selections that the customer wishes to maintain for unrestricted playback;
communicating permanent selection information from each customer household to a central controller system; and
billing customer households for the recorded music selections that are permanently selected.
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Specification