System and method for storing and forwarding audio and/or visual information on demand

• US 5,440,336 A
• Filed: 07/23/1993
• Issued: 08/08/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raseborg Communications LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buhro, William R., Radowick, Ernest W., Rogers, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US08/096,098
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.3, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 348/7, 348/8, 348/12, 348/6, 348/13, 348/409
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A system and method for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand is shown including an encoder for receiving, digitizing, and compressing audio/video signals into a data stream, and a first processing system for further compressing and storing the data stream received from the encoder, and for later transmitting the data stream via a transmitting system to a location remote from the first processing system. The first processing system preferably also includes a microprocessor. The second processing system includes a microprocessor for receiving, processing, and storing the data stream from the remote first processing system, and later transmitting a copy of the data stream, upon receipt of a request for replay of the audio/video signal after retrieving and decompressing the copy of the data stream. Such system and method also includes a decoder for further decompressing and transforming the data stream into an analog signal for transmission to at least one television set for replay.

Claims

1. A system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand, comprising:

an encoder for receiving at least one of said audio/video signals, digitizing each of said received at least one audio/video signal, and compressing said digitized signal into a data stream;

a first processing system for receiving said data stream from said encoder, further compressing said data stream, storing said data stream in a first storage media, and later transmitting said data stream from storage;

a transmitting system for receiving said data stream from said processing system and transmitting same to a location remote from said processing system;

a second processing system including a microprocessor for receiving said data stream from said transmitting system, processing said data stream, storing said data stream in a second storage media, and, upon receipt of a request for replay of said at least one audio/video signal later transmitting a copy of said data stream from such storage media after decompressing said copy of said data stream; and

a decoder for receiving said data stream copy from said storage media, further decompressing said data stream copy and transforming said decompressed data stream copy into an analog signal for transmission to at least one television set for replay.

2. The system for storing and forwarding audio/visual signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said first and second storage media are random access mass storage media.

3. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said transmission by said second processing system is synchronous replay to said decoder.

4. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said request for replay of said analog signal is from another processing system.

5. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said request for replay of said analog signal is from a program running simultaneously on said second processing system.

6. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said decompressing by said second processing system is rebuilding of said copy of said data stream.

7. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said compressing by said first processing system is stripping off network overhead from said data stream.

8. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 7, wherein said network overhead includes forward error correction and addressing information.

9. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said second processing system further comprises a communications board for enabling direct data transfer from said storage media to said decoder.

10. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 9, wherein said communications board bears a data queue controller for managing input, output and system channels of said communications board.

11. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 10, wherein said data queue controller ensures buffers in all output channels of said communications board are timely filled during transmission to prevent under- or over-filling of a channel.

12. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said first processing system further comprises a communications board for enabling direct data transfer from said encoder to said storage media.

13. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 12, wherein said communications board bears a data queue controller for managing input, output and system channels of said communications board.

14. The system for storing and forwarding audio/video signals on demand of claim 1, wherein said first processing system further includes a microprocessor.

15. A system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand, comprising:

an encoder for receiving at least one of said analog signals, digitizing each of said received at least one analog signal, and compressing said digitized signal into a data stream;

a first processing system for receiving said data stream from said encoder, further compressing said data stream, storing said data stream in a first storage media, and later transmitting said data stream from storage;

a transmitting system for receiving said data stream from said processing system and transmitting same to a location remote from said processing system;

a second processing system including a microprocessor for receiving said data stream from said transmitting system, processing said data stream, storing said data stream in a second storage media, and, upon receipt of a request for replay at least one of said analog signal later transmitting a copy of said data stream from such storage media after decompressing said copy of said data stream; and

a decoder for receiving said data stream copy from said storage media, further decompressing said data stream copy and transforming said decompressed data stream copy into an analog signal for transmission to at least one presentation system for replay.

16. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said first and second storage media are random access mass storage media.

17. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said transmission by said second processing system is synchronous replay to said decoder.

18. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said request for replay of said analog signal is from another processing system.

19. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said request for replay of said analog signal is from program running simultaneously on said second processing system.

20. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said decompressing by said second processing system is rebuilding of said copy of said data stream.

21. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said compressing by said first processing system is stripping off network overhead from said data stream.

22. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 21, wherein said network overhead includes forward error correction and addressing information.

23. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said second processing system further comprises a communications board for enabling direct data transfer from said storage media to said decoder.

24. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 23, wherein said communications board bears a data queue controller for managing input, output and system channels of said communications board.

25. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 24, wherein said data queue controller ensures buffers in all output channels of said communications board are timely filled during transmission to prevent under- or over-filling of a channel.

26. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said first processing system further comprises a communications board for enabling direct data transfer from said encoder to said storage media.

27. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 26, wherein said communications board bears a data queue controller for managing input, output and system channels of said communications board.

28. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said first processing system further includes a microprocessor.

29. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said presentation system is a television set.

30. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said presentation system is a multimedia platform.

31. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said multimedia platform permits interaction with a user.

32. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said presentation system is an audio speaker.

33. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are a multimedia production.

34. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are an audio/video program.

35. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are an audio-only presentation.

36. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are a conference video with associated program audio.

37. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are a video-only presentation.

38. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are a television program.

39. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are a commercial.

40. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said analog signals are video footage.

41. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said second processing system inserts additional programming at predetermined locations within said analog signal during said transmission of said analog signal to at least one presentation system for replay.

42. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said additional programming is a commercial.

43. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said additional programming is an announcement.

44. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said presentation system is a cable television distribution system.

45. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said presentation system is a fiber optic link.

46. The system for storing and forwarding analog signals on demand of claim 15, wherein said presentation system is a VCR.