Motion picture retrieval system

• US 5,973,680 A
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ueda, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LO, LINUS H
• Application Number:
  US08/597,398
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 348/1, 348/10, 348/7, 348/13, 348/12, 348/6, 348/8, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/2, 395/200.09, 395/10
• US Class Current: 715/721
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Upon a reception of a request for connection from a terminal unit, a server sends a start menu screen for video selection. A video selection range is narrowed by changing menu screens. When a certain menu screen is reached, a history table is accessed to read frequencies of use of a plurality of corresponding videos. Heading parts of frequently used videos are sent to the terminal unit, where they are stored in a terminal memory. With a final selection of a video, its heading part is read from the terminal memory, to be reproduced. A desired video quickly starts. The remaining part of the video is sent from the server.

Claims

1. A motion picture retrieval system, comprising:

video selecting means for enabling selection of a desired video by sequentially narrowing a range of videos for selection in a direction from a coarser classification of videos to a finer classification thereof;

history information deciding means operative when a plurality of videos remain in a final video selection range as a result of operation of the video selecting means for deciding as history information for each of the videos a frequency of selecting operations for each of the videos in the past;

video selection forecasting means for forecasting, as a finally selected video or videos, one video or a plurality of videos decided to have a highest selection frequency as a result of operation of the history information deciding means;

forecasted video transmitting means for transmitting a portion or all of videos forecasted by the video selection forecasting means from a server side in which the videos are stored to a terminal side in which the transmitted videos are reproduced, the videos being transmitted before a final selection of videos is conducted; and

motion picture reproduction preparing means for conducting preparation for reproduction of videos sent from the forecasted video transmitting means,

wherein the forecasted video transmitting means transmits to the terminal side a leading portion of each of the videos of which selection is forecasted,

wherein the forecasted video transmitting means transmits to the terminal side, when a final selection of videos is carried out, remaining portions of the finally selected videos while the leading portion associated with the selected video is being reproduced,

wherein the terminal side notifies the server side, before the forecasted transmitting means transmits videos, a receivable memory capacity available for reception of videos on the terminal side, and

wherein the forecasted video transmitting means adjusts the amount of transmission data of the videos to be transmitted according to the receivable memory capacity.

2. A motion picture retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the server and terminal sides conduct bidirectional communication therebetween,

wherein the video selecting means narrows the range of videos for selection by conducting a switching operation between menu screens, and

wherein each of the menu screens is transmitted from the server side to the terminal side in response to a request from the terminal side.

3. A motion picture retrieval system, comprising:

categorized video selection frequency storage means for storing for each category of videos a frequency of selecting operations of each video in the past;

category specifying means for specifying a category of videos for selection;

video selection forecasting means operative when a category of videos for selection is specified by the category specifying means for forecasting, as a finally selected video or videos, one video or a plurality of videos decided to have a highest selection frequency among videos belonging to the specified category as a result of operation of the categorized video selection frequency storage means;

forecasted video transmitting means for transmitting a portion or all of videos forecasted by the video selection forecasting means from a server side in which the videos are stored to a terminal side in which the transmitted videos are reproduced, the videos being transmitted before a final selection of videos is conducted; and

motion picture reproduction preparing means for conducting preparation for reproduction of videos sent from the forecasted video transmitting means,

wherein the forecasted video transmitting means transmits to the terminal side a leading portion of each of the videos of which selection is forecasted,

wherein the forecasted video transmitting means transmits to the terminal side, when a final selection of videos is carried out, remaining portions of the finally selected videos while the leading portion associated with the selected video is being reproduced,

wherein the terminal side notifies the server side, before the forecasted transmitting means transmits videos, a receivable memory capacity available for reception of videos on the terminal side, and

wherein the forecasted video transmitting means adjusts the amount of transmission data of the videos to be transmitted according to the receivable memory capacity.

4. A motion picture retrieval system according to claim 3, wherein the server and terminal sides conduct bidirectional communication therebetween,

wherein the system further comprises video selecting means for sequentially narrowing a range of videos for selection in a direction from a coarser classification of videos to a finer classification thereof by conducting a switching operation between menu screens, and

wherein each of the menu screens is transmitted from the server side to the terminal side in response to a request from the terminal side.

5. A method for sending video data from a particular server unit to a particular terminal unit that are connected to each other via a communication line, comprising the steps of:

a) determining, at the server unit based on historical information regarding selections of videos by a plurality of terminal units connected to the server unit, a selection frequency for each of a plurality of videos that are capable of being selected at the particular terminal unit;

b) receiving, at the server unit from the communication line, a request for menu information that was sent from the particular terminal unit;

c) sending, by the particular terminal unit over the communication line, data corresponding to the menu information requested by the terminal unit;

d) receiving, at the particular terminal unit over the communication line, menu information related to categories of videos that can be selected, the categories of videos being readable in a hierarchical menu structure having a plurality of hierarchies ranging from a highest level hierarchy to a lowest level hierarchy;

e) selecting, by a user at the particular terminal unit, a particular video category at the lowest level hierarchy;

f) sending, by the particular terminal unit over the communication line, information related to the particular video category;

g) sending, by the server unit over the communication line, data corresponding to a beginning portion of a particular video having a highest request rate among videos that are in the particular video category; and

h) selecting, by the user at the particular terminal unit, one video for display at the particular terminal unit,

wherein, when the selected one video is the same as the particular video, the beginning portion of the particular video is capable of being immediately displayed to the user at the particular terminal unit, and

wherein, when the selected one video is not the same as the particular video, the beginning portion of the particular video is not used, and the server unit sends a beginning portion of the selected one video for display at the terminal unit.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

i) updating, by the server unit, the historical information stored at the server unit based on the selection made by the particular terminal unit in the step h).