Buffer memory dispersion type video/audio transmission system

• US 4,538,176 A
• Filed: 11/26/1979
• Issued: 08/27/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Shibata, Yoji, Kosuge, Wataru, Nakajima, Hirohito, Haji, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Jr., Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US06/097,364
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• Field of Search: 358/85, 358/86, 358/102, 358/143, 358/903, 179/1 B, 455/3, 455/4, 455/5, 455/6, 381/77, 381/78, 381/80
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/06 among broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A video/audio transmission system for sending video and audio information from video and audio files of a center to a subscriber through a subscriber'"'"'s junction line is disclosed in which at least one subcenter having a video/audio buffer memory, an exchange and the like is disposed near to the subscriber to reduce the number of repeaters arranged on the subscribers junction line, and in which the video and audio information is transmitted from the center to the sub-center in a time division multiplex fashion to reduce the number of transmission lines between the center and the sub-center.

Claims

1. A buffer memory dispersion type video/audio transmission system comprising:

a plurality of subscriber terminal units each including a telephone set and/or a keyboard, a video-audio receiver, and a converter for converting a video signal and an audio signal transmitted in a base band to a standard television signal;

a center including a group of audio files for storing audio information and a group of video files for storing video information, and a central processing unit responsive to a requesting command received from said subscriber terminal units for fetching specific video and/or audio information from said files and for transmitting the fetched information in time division multiplex form;

a plurality of sub-centers each accommodating thereto a plurality of said subscriber terminal units and each including a plurality of video and audio buffer memories for temporarily storing specific video information and specific audio information received from said center in time division multiplex form, a D/A converter for digital to analog converting the information of said audio buffer memory, a modulator for modulating a carrier wave by the audio information, and exchange means for combining outputs of said D/A converter and said modulator and for connecting said sub-center to a subscriber terminal lunit requesting information; and

a first transmission line connecting said sub-centers in common to said center and a plurality of second transmission lines connecting the respective sub-centers to a respective subscriber terminal unit, the length of said second transmission lines being shorter than the length of said first transmission line, said first transmission line enabling transmission in time division multiplex form and said second transmission lines enabling transmission in base band form.

2. A buffer memory dispersion type video/audio transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said center comprises a frame memory, video distributing coupling means for transferring picture information from said video files to said frame memory, a video output unit, video changeover means for transferring information from said frame memory to said video output unit, an audio output unit, audio changeover means for transferring audio information from said audio files to said audio output unit, and exchange means for transferring video and audio information from said video output unit and said audio output unit to a subscriber terminal unit, said exchange means being connected to said subscriber terminal unit by means of a third transmission line which is also shorter in length than said first transmission line.

3. A buffer memory dispersion type video/audio transmission system according to claim 2, wherein said center further includes connection matching means for connecting said video files and said audio files to said central processing unit.

4. A buffer memory dispersion type video/audio transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said audio information as stored in said audio files is in a time compressed form so as to fall within a frequency band substantially equal to the frequency band of said video information, said center including video/audio time division multiplex transmitter means for transmitting said video and audio information via said first transmission line to a sub-center, each sub-center including video/audio time division multiplex receiver means for receiving information from said first transmission line.

5. A buffer memory dispersion type video/audio transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said first transmission line enables direct connection between said center and said plurality of sub-centers, and said second transmission lines enable direct connection between a respective sub-center and a respective subscriber terminal unit.