Method and apparatus for selectively receiving and storing a plurality of video signals
First Claim
1. A television program insertion method for selectively inserting one or more commercial or secondary programs within one or more main television programs in response to requests from a selector unit, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing said one or more commercial or secondary programs and said one or more main television programs, using at least two separate channels;
(b) selecting said at least two separate channels;
(c) generating signals identifying said selected channels and the insertion positions of each of said one or more commercial or secondary programs relative to each of said one or more main television programs;
(d) feeding back said identifying signals to a transmitter unit;
(e) said transmitter unit compressing said selected channels in response to said identifying signals, and transmitting said compressed selected channels;
(f) storing said transmitted compressed selected channels for a predetermined period of time;
(g) multiplexing said stored compressed selected channels in a predetermined order; and
(h) if required, decompressing said stored selected channels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Video receiving method and apparatus, are responsive to requests from a selector unit (240), for identifying channels (1 through n), in a transmitter system (204), containing video signals to be sent from the transmitter system (204) to one or more receiver systems (202). The receiving method includes steps of having the receiver system (202) select (94) one or more channels. The receiver system generates (90) signals identificative of the selected channels, and sends (29) the channel identifying signals to the transmitter system (204). The transmitter system uses the channel identifying signals to selectively identify the channels to be transmitted to the receiver system (202). The transmitter system compresses (17, 19, 21) and multiplexes (25) the signals of the channels selected by the receiver system (202). The receiver system (202) receives (75) the compressed and multiplexed signals, and stores (35, 37, 39) the received signals.
235 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A television program insertion method for selectively inserting one or more commercial or secondary programs within one or more main television programs in response to requests from a selector unit, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing said one or more commercial or secondary programs and said one or more main television programs, using at least two separate channels; (b) selecting said at least two separate channels; (c) generating signals identifying said selected channels and the insertion positions of each of said one or more commercial or secondary programs relative to each of said one or more main television programs; (d) feeding back said identifying signals to a transmitter unit; (e) said transmitter unit compressing said selected channels in response to said identifying signals, and transmitting said compressed selected channels; (f) storing said transmitted compressed selected channels for a predetermined period of time; (g) multiplexing said stored compressed selected channels in a predetermined order; and (h) if required, decompressing said stored selected channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A television program-on-demand method for selectively requesting one or more main television programs and for inserting one or more commercial or secondary programs within said one or more main television programs in response to requests from at least one receiver unit, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing said one or more commercial or secondary programs and said one or more main television programs, using at least two separate channels; (b) selecting said at least one or more main television programs by means of the receiver unit; (c) scanning said at least one or more main television programs that have been selected by the receiver unit in step (b); (d) generating receiver unit identifying signals in response to said step of scanning in step (c); (e) transmitting said identifying signals to a selector unit forming part of an intermediate station; (f) generating intermediate station signals identifying, in response to said receiver unit identifying signals (1) said selected one or more main television programs, (2) one or more commercial or secondary programs, and (3) insertion positions of each of said one or more commercial or secondary programs relative to each of said one or more main television programs; (g) feeding back said intermediate station identifying signals to a transmitter unit; (h) said transmitter unit compressing said selected at least two separate channels in response to said intermediate station identifying signals, and transmitting said compressed selected channels to said intermediate station; (i) storing said transmitted compressed selected channels for a predetermined period of time; (j) multiplexing said stored compressed selected channels in a predetermined order; and (k) transmitting said multiplexed channels to said at least one receiver unit. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification