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Information distribution system and method

  • US 6,438,368 B1
  • Filed: 05/26/2000
  • Issued: 08/20/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An information distribution system for distributing a plurality of information assets to a plurality of users, said system comprising:

  • a switching fabric, with a plurality of communication channel connection points, which is capable of establishing a virtual connection between one of said channel connection points and another of said channel connection points, a plurality of communication channels connected between a plurality of channel connection points of said switching fabric and an information asset transmission node associated with one or more of said users, a plurality of mass storage devices upon which is stored at least one information asset, each said mass storage device having an associated mass storage interface unit, at least one of said mass storage devices having a transmit communication channel connected to a communication channel connection point of said switching fabric and a receive communication channel connected to another communication channel connection point of said switching fabric, a control unit comprising;

    memory containing information relating to the information assets stored on said mass storage devices, processing means for;

    receiving at least one request for an information asset from at least one of said users, determining the availability of said requested information asset and designating one of said mass storage devices as a source mass storage device upon which said information asset is stored, supplying control signals to said switching fabric to establish a virtual connection between the connection point associated with said source mass storage device and the connection point associated with said user requesting said requested information asset.

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