Method and apparatus for permitting a viewer to scan through a plurality of video signals provided by a transmitter
First Claim
1. A method of offering to a receiver, a first set of video signals originating from a transmitter, each of the first set of video signals including video data, the method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a control signal from the receiver to the transmitter;
in response to the control signal,selecting at the transmitter a second set of video signals which includes a subset of the first set of video signals, andtransmitting from the transmitter the second set of video signals to the receiver;
transmitting from the transmitter to the receiver a third set of video signals, the third set of video signals including a particular video signal corresponding to one of the first set of video signals not included in the second set of video signals, the particular video signal having a data content that is less than the data content of the corresponding one of the first set of video signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for providing a receiver a high quality video signal and a plurality of lower quality video signals which can be zapped, i.e., searched through at any given time, via a channel having a limited data capacity. A first set of high quality video signals is present at a transmitter, e.g., fifty programs having a 10 Mbit/s data rate. A second set of video signals which is a subset of the first set of video signals is sent to the receiver in response to a control signal which indicates the programs a viewer has selected to be viewed at high quality, e.g., using the full 10 Mbit/s of data. A third set of video signals is also sent from the transmitter to the receiver. This third set of video signals represents low quality programs, e.g., signals having a 1 Mbit/s data rate, which can be searched. The video signals in the third set of video signals correspond to signals in the first set of video signals but have a video data content that is only a fraction of that of the corresponding video signals. When all programs present at the transmitter are supplied to the receiver as lower quality, e.g., 1 Mbit/s, video signals, it is possible to search through all the programs without having to send the transmitter a control signal to implement the search and without overloading the data capacity of the channel used to provide the video signals.
63 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of offering to a receiver, a first set of video signals originating from a transmitter, each of the first set of video signals including video data, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a control signal from the receiver to the transmitter; in response to the control signal, selecting at the transmitter a second set of video signals which includes a subset of the first set of video signals, and transmitting from the transmitter the second set of video signals to the receiver; transmitting from the transmitter to the receiver a third set of video signals, the third set of video signals including a particular video signal corresponding to one of the first set of video signals not included in the second set of video signals, the particular video signal having a data content that is less than the data content of the corresponding one of the first set of video signals. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system comprising:
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a channel for communicating video signals; a receiver coupled to the channel; a transmitter coupled to the channel, for offering the receiver, via the channel, a first set of video signals originating from the transmitter, each of the first set of video signals including video data, generating means for generating a transmitter control signal, first transmitting means for selecting, in response to the transmitter control signal, and transmitting to the receiver a second set of video signals which comprises a subset of the first set of video signals; and second transmitting means for transmitting to the receiver a third set of video signals, the third set of video signals including a particular video signal corresponding to one of the first set of video signals, the particular video signal having a data content that is less than the data content of the corresponding one of the first set of video signals. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A transmitter for coupling to a channel and for offering a first set of video signals via the channel to a receiver, each of the first set of video signals including video data, the transmitter comprising:
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first transmitting means for transmitting to the receiver a second set of video signals; second transmitting means for transmitting to the receiver a third set of video signals, the third set of video signals including a particular video signal corresponding to one of the first set of video signals, the particular video signal having a data content that is less than the data content of the corresponding one of the first set of video signals. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A network for coupling a transmitter to a receiver and for offering to the receiver video signals from a first set of video signals originating from the transmitter, each video signal including video data, the transmitter including first transmitter means for transmitting the first set of video signals, the network comprising:
a network transmitter for transmitting to the receiver a third set of video signals, the third set of video signals including a particular video signal corresponding to one of the first set of video signals but having a data content that is less than the data content of the corresponding one of the first set of video signals. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A receiver for coupling to a channel in order to be offered a first set of video signals from a transmitter coupled to the channel, each of the first set of video signals including video data, the receiver comprising:
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first receiving means for receiving a second set of video signals to be selected and transmitted by the transmitter, the second set of video signals including a subset of the first set of video signals; and second receiving means for receiving a third set of video signals, the third set of video signals including a particular video signal corresponding to one of the first set of video signals not included in the second set of video signals, the particular video signal having a data content that is less than the data content of the corresponding one of the first set of video signals. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification