Video distribution system
First Claim
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1. A method of distributing digital data content to a customer, the method comprising:
- degrading the resolution of digital data content in order to not permit proper display of the digital data content;
transmitting a plurality of the digital data content to the customer;
automatically selecting desired digital data content from the plurality of digital data content for storage according to a predetermined criteria;
permitting the customer to display any of the selected digital data content from storage;
upconverting the selected digital data content immediately prior to display to permit display; and
transmitting digital data content displaying information from the customer to a remote location to verify that a selected digital data content has been displayed.
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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.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of distributing digital data content to a customer, the method comprising:
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degrading the resolution of digital data content in order to not permit proper display of the digital data content;
transmitting a plurality of the digital data content to the customer;
automatically selecting desired digital data content from the plurality of digital data content for storage according to a predetermined criteria;
permitting the customer to display any of the selected digital data content from storage;
upconverting the selected digital data content immediately prior to display to permit display; and
transmitting digital data content displaying information from the customer to a remote location to verify that a selected digital data content has been displayed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for distributing digital data content to a customer, the system comprising:
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degrading means for degrading a plurality of digital data content in order to not permit proper display of the digital data content;
first transmission means for transmitting the degraded plurality of the digital data content to the customer;
receiver means for receiving the plurality of degraded digital data content and automatically selecting desired digital data content from the plurality of digital data content according to a predetermined criteria;
a memory for storage of the selected degraded digital data content;
enhancement means for enhancing the selected digital data content in the memory immediately prior to display in order to permit display;
a playback device for permitting the customer to display any of the enhanced selected digital data content from the memory; and
second transmission means for transmitting digital data content displaying information from the customer to a remote location to verify that a selected digital data content has been displayed. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A user station for displaying digital data content, the user station comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a transmission of a plurality of digital data content, the digital data content being degraded in order to not permit proper display of the content;
a memory;
a means for automatically selecting from the plurality of digital data content for storage in the memory;
selection means for informing the user of the digital data content automatically selected and for selecting from the automatically selected digital data content for display; and
enhancement means for enhancing the selected digital data content in the memory immediately prior to display in order to permit proper display of the digital data content. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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20. A user station for displaying digital data content, the user station comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a transmission of a plurality of digital data content, the digital data content being degraded from an acceptable displaying degree;
a memory;
selection means for informing the user of the plurality of digital data content received, for selecting from the plurality of digital data content for storage in the memory, and for selecting from the digital data content stored in memory for display; and
enhancement means for enhancing the preselected digital data content in the memory prior to display in order to permit display, wherein the enhancement means comprises a hardware implementation of artificial neural networks and wherein the hardware implementation comprises a zero instruction set computer.
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Specification