Video store and forward on demand apparatus and method

• US 5,285,272 A
• Filed: 02/26/1991
• Issued: 02/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SASKTEL, 2121 SASKATCHEWAN DRIVE, REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA, S4P 3Y2
• Original Assignee: Sasktel
• Inventors: Reed, Gordon R., Bitter, Darrin W., Florence, Everett L., Bradley, Graham C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/661,521
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 358/85, 358/86, 358/142, 358/146, 358/147, 379/102, 379/105, 379/96, 455/4.1, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 725/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/087 with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A two-stage television signal distribution system, useful for distribution where the first stage of the television distribution occurs over satellite, has a distribution control center for encoding system control information in the vertical blanking interval of a television signal to be broadcast over a first transmission medium to at least one receive station, each receive station being provided with a plurality of video cassette recorders for storing incoming television signals under control of the system control information contained in the television signal. The system further includes a second transmission medium having multiple television channel capacity for transmitting television signals from a receive station to a plurality of terminations (i.e. the audience) where the television signals carried on the second transmission medium include television signals previously stored at the receiving station and may also include the television signal carried on the first transmission medium.

Claims

1. A television signal distribution system comprising:

means for producing a television signal having at least one receive station control information encoded into the vertical blanking interval thereof;

first transmission means for transmitting said television signal;

at least one receive station for receiving said television signal transmitted over said first transmission means and for producing a multichannel television signal; and

each of said at least one receive station having;

second transmission means for transmitting said multichannel television signal to a plurality of terminations;

at least one storage means for storing said television signal received over said first transmission means;

storage control means responsive to said at least one receive station control information encoded into the vertical blanking interval of said television signal received over said first transmission means for activating a desired one of said at least one of storage means to store said television signal therein and for deactivating said desired one of said at least one of storage means at the end of said received television signal;

playback control means for selectively activating a desired one of said at least one storage means to output a television signal stored therein; and

means for combining said multichannel television signal and the output of a desired one of said at least one storage means into a combined multichannel television signal and transmitting said combined multichannel television signal over said second transmission means to said plurality of terminations.

2. A television signal distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for producing a television signal further including:

a video source for providing a video signal to be transmitted;

an encoder for encoding the vertical blanking interval of said video signal with video library directory information and said at least one receive station control information;

a system controller providing said at least one receive station control information to said encoder on a real-time basis; and

a radio frequency modulator and power amplifier for preparing said signal for transmission and transmitting said signal over said first transmission means.

3. A television signal distribution system as defined in claim 2, wherein said encoder further including:

a cyclic encoder for repetitively encoding a video title directory maintained by said system controller into the vertical blanking interval of a signal to be broadcast, said video title directory containing descriptive information and broadcast schedule information respecting available video titles to allow users at each of said at least one receive station to determine when a desired video title will be broadcast.

4. A television signal distribution system as defined in claim 2, wherein said encoder further including:

a non-cyclic encoder for providing said system controller with a communications path to each of said at least one receive station to transmit coded real-time control information for the control of each of said at least one receive station, said real-time control information including said at least one receive station address information to direct the control information to a desired one of said at least one receive station and specific storage means control information to activate a desired one of said at least one storage means at said desired one of said at least one receive station to record the broadcast signal and to deactivate said desired one of said at least one storage means at said desired one of said at least one receive station at the end of the broadcast signal.

5. A television signal distribution system as defined in claim 2, wherein said encoder further including:

a cyclic encoder for repetitively encoding a video title directory maintained by said system controller into the vertical blanking interval of a signal to be broadcast, said video title directory containing descriptive information and broadcast schedule information respecting available video titles to allow users at each of said at least one receive station to determine when a desired video title will be broadcast; and

a non-cyclic encoder for providing said system controller with a communications path to each of said at least one receive station to transmit coded real-time control information for the control of each of said at least one receive station, said real-time control information including said at least one receive station address information to direct the control information to a desired one of said at least one receive station and storage means specific control information to activate a desired one of said at least one storage means at said desired one of said at least one receive station to record the broadcast signal and to deactivate said desired one of said at least one storage means at said desired one of said at least one receive station at the end of the broadcast signal.

6. A television signal distribution system as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for producing a television signal further including:

order entry means responsive to communications over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) with said at least one receive station to allow said at least one receive station to request receipt of a television program to be broadcast, said order entry means being operable to record the identity of said at least one requesting receive station, the identity of a desired video program, the identity of a desired one of said at least one storage means at said at least one requesting receive station to be used to record the selected video program as said at least one receive station control information, said system controller being operable, when the requested program is ultimately broadcast, to encode said at least one receive station control information into the vertical blanking interval of said video program.

7. A television signal distribution system as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said at least one storage means further comprising:

a video cassette recorder for recording said television signal received at said at least one receive station;

an addressable video cassette recorder controller for controlling activation of said video cassette recorder, said addressable video cassette recorder controller being connected to a control bus for communication with a receive station manager apparatus;

a television signal modulator for receiving the output of said video cassette recorder and for modulating the output of said video cassette recorder to an unoccupied channel on a local delivery network;

a fixed frequency modulator for receiving and modulating said television signal received by said at least one receive station to a predetermined channel; and

a combiner for combining said modulated received television signal with said modulated output of said video cassette recorder to produce a combined multichannel television signal for delivery into a local delivery network by a head-end distribution amplifier.

8. A television signal distribution system comprising:

means for producing a television signal having at least one receive station control information encoded into the vertical blanking interval thereof;

at least one receive station for receiving said television signal transmitted over said first transmission means and for producing a multichannel television signal; and

second transmission means for transmitting said multichannel television signal to a plurality of terminations;

said means for producing a television signal including;

a video source for providing a video signal to be transmitted;

an encoder for encoding the vertical blanking interval of said video signal with video library directory information and said at least one receive station control information, said encoder including;

a cyclic encoder for repetitively encoding a video title directory maintained by said system controller into the vertical blanking interval of a signal to be broadcast, said video title directory containing descriptive information and broadcast schedule information respecting available video titles to allow users at each of said at least one receive station to determine when a desired video title will be broadcast; and

a non-cyclic encoder for providing said system controller with a communications path to each of said at least one receive station to transmit coded real-time control information for the control of each of said at least one receive station, said real-time control information including said at least one receive station address information to direct the control information to a desired one of said at least one receive station and storage means specific control information to activate a desired one of said at least one storage means at said desired one of said at least one receive station to record the broadcast signal and to deactivate said desired one of said at least one storage means at said desired one of said at least one receive station at the end of the broadcast signal;

a system controller providing said at least one receive station control information to said encoder on a real-time basis; and

a radio frequency modulator and power amplifier for preparing said signal for transmission and transmitting said signal over said first transmission means; and

order entry means responsive to communications over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) with said at least one receive station to allow said at least one receive station to request receipt of a television program to be broadcast, said order entry means being operable to record the identity of said at least one requesting receive station, the identity of a desired video program, the identity of a desired one of said at least one storage means at said at least one requesting receive station to be used to record the selected video program as said at least one receive station control information, said system controller being operable, when the requested program is ultimately broadcast, to encode said at least one receive station control information into the vertical blanking interval of said video program;

each of said at least one receive station including;

at least one storage means for storing said television signal received over said first transmission means, each said at least one storage means comprising;

a video cassette recorder for recording said television signal received at said at least one receive station;

an addressable video cassette recorder controller for controlling activation of said video cassette recorder, said addressable video cassette recorder controller being connected to a control bus for communication with a receive station manager apparatus;

a television signal modulator for receiving the output of said video cassette recorder and for modulating the output of said video cassette recorder to an unoccupied channel on a local delivery network;

a fixed frequency modulator for receiving and modulating said television signal received by said at least one receive station to a predetermined channel; and

a combiner for combining said modulated received television signal with said modulated output of said video cassette recorder to produce a combined multichannel television signal for delivery into a local delivery network by a head-end distribution amplifier

storage control means responsive to said at least one receive station control information encoded into the vertical blanking interval of said television signal received over said first transmission means for activating a desired one of said at least one of storage means to store said television signal therein and for deactivating said desired one of said at least one of storage means at the end of said received television signal;

playback control means for selectively activating a desired one of said at least one storage means to output a television signal stored therein; and

means for combining said multichannel television signal and the output of a desired one of said at least one storage means into a combined multichannel television signal and transmitting said combined multichannel television signal over said second transmission means to said plurality of terminations.

9. A method for distributing television a signal comprising:

encoding system control information into the vertical blanking interval of a television signal prior to transmission thereof;

transmitting said television signal over a first transmission means to at least one receive station;

decoding said television signal at said at least one receive station to extract said system control information;

activating a storage means at said least one receive station in response to predetermined information in said system control information to store said television signal so that said storage means is subsequently activated to playback said television signal stored therein;

combining said television signal carried on said first transmission means and at least one television signal played back from said storage means into a combined multichannel television signal; and

transmitting said combined multichannel television signal over a second transmission means from said at least one receive station to a plurality of terminations so that said combined multichannel television signal carried on said second transmission means include said television signal carried on said first transmission means and said at least one television signal played back from said storage means.