Multimedia direct access storage device and formatting method

• US 6,529,685 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Gordon J., VanLeeuwen, George Willard, Ottesen, Hal Hjalmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/771,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.591, H04/N.585, 386/125, 386/126, 386/124, 386/46, 386/105, 386/106, 386/45, 386/92, 386/83, 386/68, 386/67, 386/6, 386/7, 386/82, 386/70, 386/72, 360/32
• US Class Current: 386/344
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1062 Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/415 Redundant array of inexpensive disks [RAID] systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• 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 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/24 : Systems for the transmission of television signals using pulse code modulation H04N21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/476 : Free end only engaged

Abstract

A multimedia direct access storage device and a method for transferring source program signals representative of a compressed digital multimedia program to and from the direct access storage device are disclosed. A multimedia program is transmitted from a multimedia server as a custom ordered series of discrete program segments and received by the multimedia direct access storage device, which buffers the compressed program segments for subsequent presentation on a local display monitor. The multimedia direct access storage device is preferably incorporated as a component of a local set-top control system for buffering a predetermined number of compressed program segments received from the multimedia server, some of which may be non-sequentially ordered and others of which may be sequentially ordered. A novel formatting methodology provides for the sequential presentation of the program segments asynchronously distributed on one or more data storage disks disposed in the direct access storage device. A user-definable presentation control window for performing local VCR-type presentation control functions for the portion of a multimedia program buffered in the direct access storage device is also provided through the novel formatting methodology. The novel formatting methodology also provides concurrent presentation and buffering of program segments received from the multimedia server for on-demand viewing of a selected multimedia program.

Claims

1. A direct access storage device for buffering at least a portion of a multimedia program presentation comprising source program segments each representative of a temporally unique portion of the multimedia program, the direct access storage device comprising:

at least one data storage disk having a plurality of data storing regions disposed on any of a lower disk surface and an upper disk surface;

a spindle motor for rotating the at least one data storage disk;

a single actuator having elongated arms;

a read/write transducer disposed on each of the elongated arms;

a translatable presentation control window buffer supported by the plurality of data storing regions, the presentation control window buffer storing source program segments defining a portion of the multimedia program presentation and comprising a forward window portion and a reverse window portion defined with respect to a current viewing time reference; and

a controller for coordinating writing of the source program segments to the plurality of data storage regions and reading of the source program segments from the presentation control window buffer to effect at least pause, forward, and reverse functions in response to respective pause, forward, and reverse control signals.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one data storage disk includes an upper data storing region disposed on the upper disk surface and a lower data storing region disposed on the lower disk surface, the upper and lower data storing regions defining the presentation control window buffer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one data storage disk includes an upper data storing region disposed on the upper disk surface and a lower data storing region disposed on the lower disk surface, the upper and lower data storing regions comprising respective spiral tracks.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the controller transitions from a spiral track following mode to a cylindrical track following mode in response to one of the respective pause, forward, and reverse control signals.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the controller transitions from a spiral track following mode to a cylindrical track following mode to prevent an output buffer of the device from overflowing.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller coordinates writing of non-chronologically ordered source program segments to the data storing regions and coordinates reading of the non-chronologically ordered source program segments from the presentation control window buffer as chronologically ordered source program segments.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller coordinates writing of chronologically ordered source program segments to the data storing regions and coordinates reading of the chronologically ordered source program segments from the presentation control window buffer.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the multimedia program presentation comprises a live program broadcast.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the source program segments define frames of the multimedia program presentation.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the multimedia program presentation comprises pre-processed programming.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller coordinates asynchronous writing of the source program segments to the plurality of data storage regions and coordinates asynchronous reading of the source program segments from the presentation control window buffer to effect the at least pause, forward, and reverse functions in response to the respective pause, forward, and reverse control signals.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller coordinates transmission of the source program segments to an output buffer of the device concurrently with coordinating writing of the source program segments to the presentation control window buffer.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the source program segments comprise compressed digital program segments.

14. A method for buffering at least a portion of a multimedia program presentation comprising source program segments each representative of a temporally unique portion of a multimedia program, the method comprising:

providing a direct access storage device comprising a plurality of read/write heads supported by a single actuator and having a plurality of data storing regions defined on a surface of at least one data storage disk disposed in the direct access storage device;

providing a translatable presentation control window buffer supported by the plurality of data storing regions, the presentation control window buffer storing source program segments defining a portion of the multimedia program presentation and comprising a forward window portion and a reverse window portion defined with respect to a current viewing time reference;

writing the source program segments to the plurality of data storage regions; and

reading the source program segments from the presentation control window buffer to effect at least pause, forward, and reverse functions in response to respective pause, forward, and reverse control signals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one data storage disk includes an upper data storing region disposed on the upper disk surface and a lower data storing region disposed on the lower disk surface, the upper and lower data storing regions comprising respective spiral tracks, and writing and reading the source program segments comprises writing and reading the source program segments to and from the spiral tracks.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transitioning from a spiral track following mode to a cylindrical track following mode in response to an output buffer overflow condition or one of the respective pause, forward, and reverse control signals.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein writing the source program segments comprises writing non-chronologically ordered source program segments to the data storing regions, and reading the source program segments comprises reading the non-chronologically ordered source program segments from the presentation control window buffer as chronologically ordered source program segments.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein writing the source program segments comprises writing chronologically ordered source program segments to the data storing regions, and reading the source program segments comprises reading the chronologically ordered source program segments from the presentation control window buffer.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the multimedia program presentation comprises a live program broadcast.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the multimedia program presentation comprises pre-processed programming.