Video storage and delivery apparatus and system

• US 6,005,599 A
• Filed: 12/23/1994
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Atsushi, Igawa, Masaru, Shibata, Koichi, Asai, Mitsuo, Sato, Mikiko, Hayashi, Takehisa, Takiyasu, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Application Number:
  US08/363,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/6, 455/4.2, 455/5.1
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/926 by pulse code modulation H04N5/919 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

In a video storage and delivery apparatus and corresponding system, video data items are simultaneously supplied to a plurality of users while guaranteeing the time axis and the picture quality of the video data. The apparatus includes a frame address table which indicates a storage location in the apparatus of each frame of video data to start a special reproduction or a reproduction at a desired frame and a control unit controlling a switch bus connecting a plurality of video storage and delivery apparatuses to a plurality of channels so as to conduct data transfers via the switch bus between the apparatuses and between video reproduction devices of the users. From an optical disk data storage storing video data, a plurality of video data items are read in a timesharing fashion to be temporarily stored in a magnetic disk device or a semiconductor memory, thereby delivering the video data items therefrom to the users.

Claims

1. A data transfer method for use with a data transfer system including a plurality of video storage and delivery apparatuses for accumulating video data therein, a plurality of clients for transmitting and/or receiving video data, a switch for selectively connecting the apparatuses to the clients, and a control unit connected to the apparatuses and the clients, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a signal of a request to access the apparatuses from the client to the control unit;

sending, by the control unit having received the request signal, a control instruction to the switch; and

controlling the switch and thereby connecting a particular one of the apparatuses to the client,

wherein the control unit stores a quality of service (OOS) control table indicating relationships of connections between the apparatuses and the clients.

2. A data transfer method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit references the QOS control table and thereafter indicates the switch to connect the client to the particular apparatus and updates the QOS control table after indicating the connection.