Navigation system

• US 6,367,079 B1
• Filed: 01/07/1998
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Service Centre Europe N.V. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Europa BV (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: De Vos, Johan, Barraud, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US08/930,407
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 725/52, 725/86, 725/93, 725/106, 725/112, 725/114, 725/116, 709/203, 370/352, 370/389, 370/395, 370/487
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A system for serving information comprises routing means for routing information to end devices and one or more storage units connected to the routing means. Managing means connected to the routing means manages distribution of the information data in response to identification data from an end device. Navigation means connected to the routing means provides information as to available information data and identification data thereof, wherein the navigation means provides data for navigating to an end device, and wherein at least one end device displays video information and outputs the identification data selected by a user.

Claims

1. A system for serving information, comprising:

one or more end devices;

routing means for routing information to said end devices;

one or more storage medium units connected to the routing means and for storing information data;

managing means connected to the routing means and for managing distribution of the information data, said managing means receiving selected identification data from an end device and outputting distribution control data, including information of a channel selected information data as produced from the received selected identification data, characterized by navigation means connected to the routing means and for providing information as to available information data and identification data thereof, wherein said navigation means provide data for navigation operation to an end device and wherein one or more end devices are connected to the routing means and have input means and display means for displaying the video information and wherein the end device output said identification data selected by a user or viewer of the end device through the input means.

2. An information service system according to claim 1, wherein said routing means comprise an ATM switch.

3. An information service system according to claim 1, wherein said identification data comprise public addresses respectively assigned to the available information data.

4. An information service system according to claim 1, wherein said information data are video and/or audio data.

5. An information service system according to claim 1, provided with:

a plurality of navigation means, each of which is connected to the routing means of providing an information of available information data, wherein said end device selects one of the plurality of navigation means in navigation operation.

6. An information service system according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of navigation means provide information of available information data in different languages to each other.

7. An information service system according to claim 1, provided with one or more navigation means capable of providing an information of available information data in graphical form.

8. An information service system according to claim 1, wherein said routing means are provided with a table for memorizing data, which represent a relation between virtual input channels and virtual output channels and wherein said managing means update the content of the table according to the routing information of the end device so that the output information data from the storage medium unit are routed to the end device as selected information data.

9. A video service system comprising:

an ATM switch;

a storage medium unit connected to the routing means for storing video data;

navigation means connected to the routing means for providing an information of available video data and identification data thereof;

managing means connected to the ATM switch for managing distribution of the information data, the managing means receives a selected identification data from an end device and outputs a distribution control data including an information of a channel of a selected information data produced from the received selected identification data and a routing information of the end device to the ATM switch,

said storage medium unit outputs the selected information data with routing information for the end device according to the distribution control data from the managing means.