Media server for supplying video and multi-media data over the public switched telephone network
First Claim
1. A data handling system arranged to provide multi-media data to one of a plurality of subscriber premises in a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), servicing said plurality of subscriber premises and having means for circulating a data stream through said PSTN to be available to said plurality of subscriber premises, said data handling system comprising:
- (a) a digital cross-connect system responsive to control data for establishing conductivity between a multi-media data base and said plurality of subscriber premises;
(b) a plurality of programs designated for transmission to said plurality of subscriber premises, each program being divided into a plurality of program segments;
(c) a memory array constituted by a plurality of memory types, each memory type having a different operating speed, said memory array comprising a plurality of memory devices of each said memory type, said plurality of memory types being arranged from a first to n'"'"'th level according to increasing operating speed;
(d) first control means for distributing each program taken from a first memory type in sequential program segments over a plurality of memory devices of a second memory type having faster operating characteristics;
(e) second control means for repeatedly distributing the same program segment from at least one of said plurality of memory devices of said second memory type to a plurality of memory devices of a third memory type, where each memory device of said second type provides program segments to said plurality of memory devices of said third memory type;
(f) input control means for processing requests for said plurality of programs from said subscriber premises; and
(g) output control means for providing an output data stream constituted by intermixed program segments from said plurality of programs.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A media server receives, stores and forwards multi-media data and full motion video feature presentations within a public switched telephone network. The media server receives wide band digital video and MPEG encoded video signals. The wide band digital video is encoded using either a real-time MPEG encoding for immediate transmission over network facilities to subscribers or, using a multi-pass MPEG encoder for storage by the Media Server for subsequent transmission. The Media Server includes four levels of storage including DRAM, optical and magnetic disk storage, high speed tape storage and archival storage. A Librarian Processor allocates storage space on a media appropriate to retrieval requirements for the video data. The Librarian is responsive to a Storage Manager Processor and a Session Manager Processor for providing video program data to an Output Controller. The Session Manager Processor monitors all input, output and throughput of the Media Server and monitors all user initiated sessions. Interface with users for multi-media applications and interactive control of video presentations is over a packet data network, via an interactive processor which receives and decodes control data. A Multi-Media Application Processor supports multi-media applications resident on the Media Server.
520 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A data handling system arranged to provide multi-media data to one of a plurality of subscriber premises in a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), servicing said plurality of subscriber premises and having means for circulating a data stream through said PSTN to be available to said plurality of subscriber premises, said data handling system comprising:
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(a) a digital cross-connect system responsive to control data for establishing conductivity between a multi-media data base and said plurality of subscriber premises; (b) a plurality of programs designated for transmission to said plurality of subscriber premises, each program being divided into a plurality of program segments; (c) a memory array constituted by a plurality of memory types, each memory type having a different operating speed, said memory array comprising a plurality of memory devices of each said memory type, said plurality of memory types being arranged from a first to n'"'"'th level according to increasing operating speed; (d) first control means for distributing each program taken from a first memory type in sequential program segments over a plurality of memory devices of a second memory type having faster operating characteristics; (e) second control means for repeatedly distributing the same program segment from at least one of said plurality of memory devices of said second memory type to a plurality of memory devices of a third memory type, where each memory device of said second type provides program segments to said plurality of memory devices of said third memory type; (f) input control means for processing requests for said plurality of programs from said subscriber premises; and (g) output control means for providing an output data stream constituted by intermixed program segments from said plurality of programs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A data handling system arranged to provide multi-media data to one of a plurality of subscriber premises in a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), servicing said plurality of subscriber premises and having means for circulating at least one data stream through said PSTN to be available to said plurality of subscriber premises, said data handling system comprising:
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(a) a digital cross-connect system responsive to control data for establishing conductivity between a multi-media/video data base and said plurality of subscriber premises; (b) at least one multi-media/video data base comprising; (i) a plurality of programs designated for transmission to said plurality of subscriber premises, each program being divided into a plurality of program segments; (ii) a first memory array comprising a first plurality of memory types, each memory type having a different operating speed, said first memory array comprising a first plurality of memory devices of each memory type, said first plurality of memory types being arranged from a first to n'"'"'th level according to increasing operating speed; (iii) first control means for distributing each program taken from a first memory type in program segments over a plurality of memory devices of a second memory type having faster operating characteristics; (iv) second control means for distributing program segments from each memory device of said second memory type to a plurality of memory devices of a third memory type where each memory device of said second type provides memory segments to each memory device of said third memory type; (v) first input control means for processing requests for said plurality of programs from said plurality of subscriber premises; and (vi) first output control means for providing an output data stream constituted by intermixed program segments from said plurality of programs; (c) a media server comprising; (vii) a second memory array comprising a second plurality of memory types, each memory type having a different operating speed, said second memory array being constituted by a second plurality of memory devices of each memory type, said second plurality of memory types being arranged from a first to n'"'"'th level according to increasing operating speed; (viii) third control means for distributing each program taken from a first memory type in sequential program segments over a plurality of memory devices of a second memory type having faster operating characteristics; (ix) fourth control means for repeatedly distributing the same program segment from at least one of said plurality of memory devices of said second memory type to a plurality of memory devices of a third memory type, where each memory device of said second type provides program segments to said plurality of said memory devices of said third memory type; (x) second input control means for processing requests for said plurality of programs from said plurality of subscriber premises; and (xi) second output control means for providing an output data stream constituted by intermixed program segments from said plurality of programs. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A process for creating a data stream composed of a mixture of program segments from a plurality of programs for use in a data handling system arranged to provide multi-media data to one of a plurality of subscriber premises in a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) servicing said plurality of subscriber premises and having means for circulating at least one data stream through said PSTN to be available to said plurality of subscriber premises, said data handling system including at least one multi-media/video data base, and at least one media server arranged to distribute program data from said multi-media/video data base to said plurality of subscriber premises, said process comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting a plurality of programs from a plurality of memory devices of a first type; (b) concurrently distributing a plurality of segments of a selected program to be interspaced with program segments taken from other programs; (c) receiving input control signals; and (d) arranging program segments into a data stream responsive to said input controls signals; wherein step (b) further comprises the sub-steps of; (i) sequentially distributing program segments taken from a first memory device having a first operating speed into a plurality of memory devices having a second operating speed greater than that of said first memory device, and (ii) repeatedly distributing the same program segment taken from at least one of said plurality of second operating speed memory devices into a plurality of memory devices having a third operating speed greater than said second operating speed. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for providing data to at least one of a plurality of subscriber premises served by a public communications network comprising:
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a digital cross-connect system responsive to control data for establishing conductivity between a data base and said plurality of subscriber premises; said data base including a memory array comprising a plurality of storage components of varying access speeds arranged in a plurality of groups, the components of each group having similar access speeds, the group of lowest access speed components having stored therein complete programs; first distributing means for sequentially distributing a plurality of segments of one of said programs among a plurality of first storage components of a higher access speed group; second distributing means for repeatedly distributing the same program segment from at least one of said first storage components to a plurality of second storage components of higher speed than said first storage components; accessing means for accessing in parallel the distributed plurality of program segments from the plurality of second storage components; and
output control means for combining the parallel accessed program segments into a serial output data stream for output to said digital cross-connect system;whereby said plurality of subscriber premises can receive the complete program at a real time rate. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for delivering programs in real time from a source of video or multi-media information through a digital cross-connect system and broadband communications network to subscriber premises, said method comprising:
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storing complete programs individually in respective storage media having a first access speed; sequentially distributing a plurality of segments of one of said programs among a group of a plurality of storage components of a second access speed faster than said first access speed; repeatedly distributing the same program segment from at least one storage component of said second access speed group to a plurality of storage components of a third access speed faster than said second access speed; accessing in parallel the distributed plurality of program segments from the higher access speed group; combining the parallel accessed program segments into a serial output data stream; and feeding said output data stream to said digital cross-connect system; whereby said subscriber premises can receive the complete program at a real time rate. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification