Audio-video data transmission apparatus, audio-video data transmission system and audio-video data server

• US 5,911,046 A
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 06/08/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Amano, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/134,180
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.47, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/473, 348/484, 348/716, 455/4.2, 455/5.1
• US Class Current: 725/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An AV data transmission apparatus including an AV data storage unit for storing AV data comprising a single program and having audio data and/or video data, a reference time generating unit for generating a signal showing a predetermined reference time, a reproducing unit for reading out the stored AV data and preparing a plurality of channels of AV data comprising the single program for each channel and comprising the plurality of channels of AV data to be reproducible from the beginning of the program in order at predetermined time intervals from the reference time and comprising the predetermined time intervals to be shorter the closer to the reference time the channels are to be reproduced, and a data transmitting unit for converting the plurality of AV data into a predetermined transmission format and transmitting the same to a plurality of transmission channels and AV data server provided with a plurality of such data transmission apparatuses.

Claims

1. Transmitting apparatus for transmitting data including audio/video data over a plurality of channels, comprising:

data storage means for storing said data;

reference time generating means for generating a signal indicating a predetermined reference time on the basis of inputting timing data;

reproducing means for reproducing the data stored in said data storage means; and

data transmitting means for transmitting the reproduced data based on a program guide received over a first channel of said plurality of channels, starting at said predetermined reference time, and for transmitting the reproduced data over another channel of said plurality of channels at predetermined intervals, said predetermined time intervals being shorter in time for said data transmitted by said data transmitting means which are closer in time to said predetermined reference time.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said data storage means and said reproducing means are integrally formed, the data storage means and reproducing means having mass storage means for storing said audio/video data and a buffer memory, said data storage means and reproducing means reading out the stored audio/video data at different positions of the same program and at positions equal to the number of channels from the mass storage means at a speed equal to the normal reproduction speed of the program times the number of channels and storing the same in the buffer memory.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reference time is defined as a preset time for transmission of the audio/video data.

4. Transmitting apparatus for transmitting data including audio/video data over a plurality of channels, comprising:

a memory for storing said data;

a reference time generator for generating a signal indicating a predetermined reference time on the basis of inputting timing data;

a player for reproducing the data stored in said memory; and

a transmitter for transmitting the reproduced data based on a program guide received over a first channel of said plurality of channels, starting at said predetermined reference time, and for transmitting the reproduced data over another channel of said plurality of channels at predetermined intervals, said predetermined time intervals being shorter in time for said data by said data transmitter which are closer in time to said predetermined reference time.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said memory and said player are integrally formed, the memory and player having a mass storage memory for storing said audio/video data and a buffer memory, said memory and player reading out the stored audio/video data at different positions of the same program and at positions equal to the number of channels from the mass storage memory at a speed equal to the normal reproduction speed of the program times the number of channels and storing the same in the buffer memory.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said reference time is defined as a preset time for transmission of the audio/video data.

7. A transmitting method for transmitting data including audio/video data over a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:

storing said data;

generating a signal indicating a predetermined reference time on the basis of inputting timing data;

reproducing the stored data; and

transmitting the reproduced data based on a program guide received over a first channel of said plurality of channels, starting at said predetermined reference time, and transmitting the reproduced data over another channel of said plurality of channels at predetermined intervals, said predetermined time intervals being shorter in time for said data transmitted which are closer in time to said predetermined reference time.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said steps of storing and reproducing read out the stored audio/video data at different positions of the same program and at positions equal to the number of channels at a speed equal to the normal reproduction speed of the program times the number of channels.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of presetting said reference time to a time for transmission of the audio/video data.