Interruption tolerant video program viewing
DCFirst Claim
1. A video signal viewing apparatus having a receiver circuit, a user command circuit coupled to said receiver circuit, and a display means coupled to said receiver circuit, said apparatus further comprising:
- an input buffer circuit coupled to said receiver circuit and having an input for receiving and buffering a portion of a signal, and an input buffer output;
a memory circuit coupled to said input buffer output for storing said portion, and having a memory output; and
an output buffer circuit having an output buffer input coupled to said memory output for receiving and buffering said memory output, and an output buffer output; and
whereinsaid command circuit causes said output buffer output to be coupled to said receiver circuit for feeding said portion for display on said display means upon receiving a command from a user input.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Allows a video broadcast viewer to pause at anytime while viewing a program, and upon returning to be able to view the intervening segment. The video received during the pause period is stored and available for recall upon user command. The storage medium is circular in so much that the memory, upon becoming filled to capacity continues to write incoming information data over the previously stored data. The storage circuits employs a sequential access storage device and/or a direct access storage device. The storage circuit has a high speed memory input buffer and a high speed memory output buffer to account for the relatively long READ and WRITE access times of the storage device employed. At the end of the pause period, the user can view the stored video. The user has a choice between catching up to the regular broadcast or watching the remaining program video in a delay mode. The stored video may be viewed intermittently or continuously in regular, slow or fast motion, under user direct or remote VCR-type of video function control.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A video signal viewing apparatus having a receiver circuit, a user command circuit coupled to said receiver circuit, and a display means coupled to said receiver circuit, said apparatus further comprising:
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an input buffer circuit coupled to said receiver circuit and having an input for receiving and buffering a portion of a signal, and an input buffer output; a memory circuit coupled to said input buffer output for storing said portion, and having a memory output; and an output buffer circuit having an output buffer input coupled to said memory output for receiving and buffering said memory output, and an output buffer output; and
whereinsaid command circuit causes said output buffer output to be coupled to said receiver circuit for feeding said portion for display on said display means upon receiving a command from a user input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 29, 31, 33)
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11. A user command controlled apparatus receiving a video signal comprising:
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a video input circuit for receiving said video signal and having a video output; a receiving circuit having a first receiver input coupled to said video output for receiving said video signal, a second receiver input and a receiver output; a display means having a display input coupled to said receiver output for receiving and displaying said video signal; a storage circuit having a storage input coupled to said video output, and a storage output, said storage circuit receiving and storing a portion of said video signal; and a control circuit responsive to a user command coupled to said storage circuit and causing said storage output to be coupled to said second receiver input for feeding said portion for display on said display means when so commanded by a user. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 30)
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21. A method for servicing a video program user being interrupted for a duration while viewing a video signal on a display, said signal having a portion corresponding to an amount of said video signal transmitted during said duration, comprising the steps of:
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receiving said video signal, coupling said portion to a circular storage circuit; storing said portion in said circular storage circuit; commanding said portion to be displayed; and feeding said portion to said display upon receiving a command from said step of commanding. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32)
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28. An apparatus having a circuit to receive and display a video signal, comprising:
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at least one circular storage medium; an input buffer coupled to said medium; an output buffer coupled to said medium; a storage hierarchy for storing a portion of said video signal in said medium and buffers; a circuit for feeding said portion stored to said display; and a circuit for controlling said display, said circuit for controlling includes a video display function controller for controlling a function selected from a group consisting of at least one of;
play;
still;
stop;
rewind;
continue;
slow forward;
fast forward;
selective picture; and
picture in picture format.
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Specification