Communications architecture and method for distributing information services
First Claim
1. A store-and-forward architecture for distributing information programs to subscribers, comprising:
- a plurality of information warehouses (IWHs) which archive information programs and dispense segments of information programs in bursts;
a plurality of central offices (COs), each including means for managing subscribers'"'"' requests for information programs archived at said IWHs and for executing service presentation scripts and for utilizing program presentation maps, wherein said scripts include instructions for providing on-demand service to subscribers and said maps include information regarding said segments of information programs, and a plurality of means for buffering said segments of information programs received from said IWHs for play-out to subscribers in real-time; and
a plurality of customer premises equipments (CPEs), each said CPE including subscriber interface means for generating requests and control signals for interactive play-out of information programs to subscribers and means for receiving information programs from said COs and processing information programs for subscribers'"'"' use.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A store-and-forward architecture which stores and distributes information programs to subscribers on demand includes: information warehouses which archive information programs from multiple service vendors and dispense information programs in segments to central offices in high speed bursts; central offices which manages subscriber'"'"'s request for service and buffers segments of information programs for delivery to subscribers in real-time under the subscriber'"'"'s interactive control; and customer premises equipment where a subscriber'"'"'s requests and control signals for interactive play-out of information program are generated and information programs are received for the subscriber'"'"'s use.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A store-and-forward architecture for distributing information programs to subscribers, comprising:
-
a plurality of information warehouses (IWHs) which archive information programs and dispense segments of information programs in bursts; a plurality of central offices (COs), each including means for managing subscribers'"'"' requests for information programs archived at said IWHs and for executing service presentation scripts and for utilizing program presentation maps, wherein said scripts include instructions for providing on-demand service to subscribers and said maps include information regarding said segments of information programs, and a plurality of means for buffering said segments of information programs received from said IWHs for play-out to subscribers in real-time; and a plurality of customer premises equipments (CPEs), each said CPE including subscriber interface means for generating requests and control signals for interactive play-out of information programs to subscribers and means for receiving information programs from said COs and processing information programs for subscribers'"'"' use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for providing information programs to subscribers, comprising the steps of:
-
archiving information programs and corresponding service presentation scripts and program presentation maps at an information warehouse (IWH), wherein said scripts include a set of instructions for providing service and said maps include information for managing presentation of information programs; upon a request being generated by a subscriber for service and received by a central office (CO) serving said subscriber, placing a script request from said CO to said IWH for said script corresponding to said requested service; transmitting said script from said IWH to said CO; upon receiving a request for an information program from said subscriber, placing a map request from said CO to said IWH for said map corresponding to said requested information program; transmitting said map from said IWH to said CO and retrieving said requested information program from archival storage to on-line storage at said IWH; upon said subscriber initiating a request to play said requested information program, placing a segment request from said CO to said IWH for segments of said requested information program based upon segmentation information contained in said map; transmitting said requested segments of said requested information program to a buffer of said CO in bursts from said on-line storage at said IWH to said CO; playing-out said segments of said information program from said buffer to said subscriber; and upon said buffer being nearly depleted, placing segment requests from said CO to said IWH for additional segments. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification