Video on demand transaction server

• US 7,784,079 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1999
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Sipple, Ralph E., Stanton, Michael F., McBreen, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US09/304,406
• Time in Patent Office: 4,130 Days
• Field of Search: 725 86- 88, 725 91- 93, 725114-116
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/218 Source of audio or video content , e.g. local disk arrays details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for efficiently providing video on demand services to a cable television subscriber. The provider system consists of two major subsystems. The first subsystem, called a video server, streams video to video on demand subscribers through the cable television network. The second subsystem, called the transaction server, performs virtually all remaining provider functions including, security, accounting, storage and spooling of video data, etc. The transaction server preferably uses a large scale mainframe computer. The video server subsystem may be a partitioned portion of same large scale mainframe computer.

Claims

1. In a video on demand system for supplying video data to a plurality of subscriber receivers via a program delivery network, the improvement comprising:

a. A data base storage system containing a plurality of video on demand programs;

b. A temporary video storage memory;

c. A transaction server directly coupled to said data base storage system, said temporary video storage memory, and said plurality of subscriber receivers whereby each of said plurality of subscriber receivers requests a different video on demand program from said transaction server and said transaction server spools said different video on demand programs from said data base storage to said temporary video storage memory wherein said transaction server further comprises a transaction gateway software module operating in a middleware environment and a video server frame and stream spooling program responsively coupled to said transaction gateway via said middleware environment and wherein each of said plurality of video servers further comprises an industry compatible personal computer;

d. A plurality of video servers directly coupled to said transaction server and said temporary video storage memory and responsively coupled to said plurality of subscriber receivers via said program delivery network wherein said plurality of video servers are assigned by said transaction server to stream said spooled different video on demand programs from said temporary video storage memory to said plurality of subscriber receivers via said program delivery network; and

e. A mainframe computer platform hosting said transaction server responsively coupled to said one of said plurality of video servers and said subscriber receiver.

2. The video on demand system of claim 1 wherein said mainframe computer platform further comprises a Unisys mainframe computer system.

3. The video on demand system of claim 2 wherein said transaction server spools said video on demand program in the MPEG-2 format.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a. A plurality of subscribing receivers each capable of providing a plurality of service requests;

b. A data base storage system which stores a plurality of video programs;

c. A temporary digital memory storage device;

d. A Unisys computer system transaction server directly coupled to said plurality of subscribing receivers, said temporary digital memory storage device, and said data base storage system capable of receiving said plurality of service requests, accessing said plurality of video programs corresponding to said plurality of service requests from said data base storage system, and spooling, in MPEG-2 format, said plurality of video programs into said temporary digital memory device in response thereto, wherein said transaction server further comprises a subscriber account whereby each of said plurality of subscribing receivers is charged for corresponding ones of said plurality of service requests; and

e. A plurality of video servers directly coupled to said transaction server, said temporary digital memory storage device, and said plurality of subscribing receivers wherein said transaction server assigns one of said plurality of video servers to stream said spooled plurality of video programs from said temporary digital memory device to said plurality of subscribing receivers.

5. A video on demand system comprising:

a. Storing means for storing a plurality of video programs;

b. Plurality of subscriber boxes generating a plurality of different requested video on demand signals;

c. A transaction gateway comprising a Unisys mainframe computer system, directly coupled to said plurality of subscriber boxes and said storing means, adapted for identifying a number of said plurality of video programs stored within said storing means corresponding to said plurality of different requested video on demand signals and wherein said transaction gateway further comprises processing means for processing subscriber transactions;

d. Temporarily storing means for temporarily storing said plurality of different requested video on demand signals;

e. Spooling means directly coupled to said a transaction gateway, said temporarily storing means, and said storing means for spooling said corresponding number of said plurality of video programs from said storing means into said temporarily storing means which said a transaction gateway identifies; and

f. A plurality of streaming means directly coupled to said spooling means, said temporarily storing means, and said receiving means for streaming said spooled number of said plurality of video programs corresponding to said plurality of different requested video on demand signals from said temporarily storing means to said plurality of subscriber boxes wherein said spooling means assigns one or said plurality of streaming means to stream said spooled number of said plurality of video programs to said plurality of subscriber boxes.

6. A method providing video on demand services comprising:

a. Storing a plurality of video programs in a video storage facility;

b. Receiving a video on demand request from a subscriber at a transaction server;

c. Determining a one of said plurality of video programs corresponding to said video on demand request by said transaction server;

d. Spooling said one of said plurality of video programs corresponding to said video on demand request from said video storage facility into a temporary storage facility by said transaction server;

e. Assigning one of a plurality of video servers responsively coupled to subscriber to stream said one of said plurality of video programs corresponding to said video on demand request to said subscriber by said transaction server;

f. Streaming said spooled video program from said temporary storage facility by said assigned video server to said subscriber; and

g. Pausing said streaming in response to a pause signal from said subscriber to said transaction server.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising said streaming in response to a reverse signal from said subscriber to said transaction server.

8. A method according to claim 6 further comprising fast forwarding said streaming in response to a fast forward from said subscriber to said transaction server.