Information transmission system having a reduced number of stored programs and recording media playback drives
First Claim
1. An information on demand system, comprising:
- a library comprising a plurality of first recording media and a plurality of first playback means for reproducing a first plurality of program data signals stored on said plurality of first recording media;
memory means, coupled to said library, for storing the program data signals reproduced from said library, said memory means comprising;
a plurality of second recording media;
recording means for recording the program data signals reproduced from said library to at least one of said plurality of second recording media; and
a plurality of second playback means for reproducing a second plurality of program data signals from said plurality of second recording media;
control means for controlling said library and for controlling said memory means to transmit said second plurality of program data signals as a function of an access timing, said control means comprising;
reception means for receiving information indicative of a program requested for playback;
database means for determining whether the requested program is recorded on at least one of said plurality of second recording media; and
search and playback control means for searching for an idle second playback means operable with the second recording medium having the requested program recorded thereon, and for reproducing the requested program with said idle second playback means; and
dubbing means for dubbing the requested program onto another of said plurality of second recording media if said second recording medium having the requested program thereon has no idle second playback means operable therewith.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A VOD delivery system for delivering program data such as of movies or the like on a real-time basis which are requested by subscribers from time to time, in response to the requests from the subscribers has a reduced number of magnetooptical disks and a reduced number of identical programs available. The VOD delivery system has a library including an automatic cassette changer, a plurality of magnetooptical disk drives each having a plurality of playback heads, a distributor/exchanger circuit for delivering reproduced information from the magnetooptical disk drives to subscriber'"'"'s residences which have requested a source or sources, and a control computer for controlling the magnetooptical disk drives to output reproduced information from the playback heads depending on access timing from the subscriber'"'"'s residences.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An information on demand system, comprising:
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a library comprising a plurality of first recording media and a plurality of first playback means for reproducing a first plurality of program data signals stored on said plurality of first recording media; memory means, coupled to said library, for storing the program data signals reproduced from said library, said memory means comprising; a plurality of second recording media; recording means for recording the program data signals reproduced from said library to at least one of said plurality of second recording media; and a plurality of second playback means for reproducing a second plurality of program data signals from said plurality of second recording media; control means for controlling said library and for controlling said memory means to transmit said second plurality of program data signals as a function of an access timing, said control means comprising; reception means for receiving information indicative of a program requested for playback; database means for determining whether the requested program is recorded on at least one of said plurality of second recording media; and search and playback control means for searching for an idle second playback means operable with the second recording medium having the requested program recorded thereon, and for reproducing the requested program with said idle second playback means; and dubbing means for dubbing the requested program onto another of said plurality of second recording media if said second recording medium having the requested program thereon has no idle second playback means operable therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An information on demand system, comprising:
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a library comprising a plurality of first recording media and a plurality of first playback means for reproducing a first plurality of program data signals stored on said plurality of first recording media; memory means, coupled to said library, for storing the program data signals reproduced from said library, said memory means comprising; a plurality of second recording media; recording means for recording the program data signals reproduced from said library to at least one of said plurality of second recording media; a plurality of second playback means for reproducing a second plurality of program data signals from said plurality of second recording media; and a plurality of buffers for storing the reproduced second plurality of program data signals, wherein each of said plurality of second playback means corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of buffers; and control means for controlling said library and said memory means to transmit said second plurality of program data signals as a function of an access timing, said control means comprising; reception means for receiving information indicative of a program requested for playback; database means for determining whether the requested program is recorded on at least one of said plurality of second recording media; and dubbing control means for determining whether a second recording medium determined to have the requested program stored thereon is operable with an idle second playback means, and for dubbing the program recorded on the determined second recording medium onto another of said plurality of second recording media if the determined second recording medium does not have said idle second playback means operable therewith. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for processing information on demand, comprising the steps of:
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storing program data on one of a plurality of first recording media in a library that includes a plurality of first playback means for reproducing said program data; recording the program data received from said library onto at least one of a plurality of second recording media located in a memory which is coupled to said library, said memory including a plurality of second playback means for reproducing the program data from said plurality of second recording media, said memory further including a plurality of buffers for storing the reproduced program data, wherein each of said plurality of second playback means corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of buffers; receiving information indicative of a request for playback of a program; determining whether the requested program is recorded on at least one of said plurality of second recording media; searching for an idle second playback means operable with the second recording medium having the requested program recorded thereon; reproducing the requested program with said idle second playback means; and dubbing the requested program onto another of said plurality of second recording media if said second recording medium having the requested program thereon does not have said idle second playback means operable therewith.
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13. An information on demand transmission method, comprising the steps of:
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storing a first plurality of program data signals on a plurality of first recording media in a library; receiving a request for playback of a program; checking whether the requested program is stored on one of a plurality of second recording media in a memory coupled to said library, said memory including a plurality of playback means for reproducing a second plurality of program data signals from said plurality of second recording media, said memory means further including a plurality of buffers for storing the reproduced second plurality of program data signals, wherein each of said plurality of playback means corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of buffers; determining whether a second recording medium determined to have the requested program stored thereon is operable with an idle playback means; dubbing the requested program selectively stored on one of said plurality of first or second recording media onto another of said plurality of second recording media having said idle playback means operable therewith if the determined second recording medium does not have said idle playback means operable therewith or if the requested program is not stored on the determined second recording medium; and controlling an output of the requested program from said another of said plurality of second recording media in response to an access timing. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An information on demand transmission apparatus, comprising:
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a library including a plurality of first recording media for storing a first plurality of program data signals, and including a plurality of first playback means for reproducing said first plurality of program data signals; means for receiving a request for playback of a program; memory means including a plurality of second recording media for storing said first plurality of program data signals, said memory means including a plurality of second playback means for reproducing a second plurality of program data signals from said plurality of second recording media, said memory means further including a plurality of buffers for storing the reproduced second plurality of program data signals, wherein each of said plurality of second playback means corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of buffers; control means for controlling a playback of the requested program in response to an access timing, said control means including means for checking whether the requested program is stored on one of said plurality of second recording media and means for determining whether a second recording medium determined to have the requested program stored thereon is operable with an idle second playback means; means for dubbing the requested program selectively stored on one of said plurality of first or second recording media onto another of said plurality of second recording media having said idle second playback means operable therewith if the determined second recording medium does not have said idle second playback means operable therewith or if the requested program is not stored on the determined second recording medium; and output means for outputting the requested program from said another of said plurality of second recording media based on a signal from said control means. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification