Audio and video transmission and receiving system

• US 6,144,702 A
• Filed: 07/23/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acacia Media Technologies Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Greenwich Information Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Yurt, Paul, Browne, H. Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Amanda T.
• Application Number:
  US09/120,452
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240, 375/377, 375/240.01, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/5.2, 455/6.3, 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/17, 348/423, 348/384, 348/384.1
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 : for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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

Abstract

A system of distributing video and/or audio information employs digital signal processing to achieve high rates of data compression. The compressed and encoded audio and/or video information is sent over standard telephone, cable or satellite broadcast channels to a receiver specified by a subscriber of the service, preferably in less than real time, for later playback and optional recording on standard audio and/or video tape.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a transmission system at a first location in data communication with a reception system at a second location, wherein said transmission system comprises

a sequence encoder,

an identification encoder, and

a compressed data library in data communication with said identification encoder,

wherein said identification encoder gives items in said compressed data library a unique identification code; and

wherein said reception system comprises

a transceiver in data communication with said transmission system,

a storage device in data communication with said transceiver,

user playback controls in data communication with said storage device,

a digital compressor in data communication with said storage device, and

a playback device in data communication with said digital decompressor.

2. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a source material library storing a portion of at least one data file.

3. A communication system as recited in claim 2, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a converter having a data input in data communication with said source material library and a digital data output.

4. A communication system as recited in claim 3, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a data compressor in data communication with said digital data output of said converter.

5. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a compressed data formatting device in data communication with said identification encoder.

6. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said identification encoder allows entry of a popularity code.

7. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said sequence encoder transforms digital data blocks into a group of addressable data blocks.

8. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a transmitter in data communication with said compressed data library, wherein

said transmitter sends at least a portion of a compressed data file to said reception system.

9. A communication system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a user request interface in data communication with said transmission system,

wherein said user request interface enables a user to make a request for at least a portion of a data file.

10. A communication system as recited in claim 9, wherein said reception system comprises said user request interface.

11. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said reception system further comprises:

a receiver format converter in data communication with said transceiver, wherein

said receiver format converter converts at least a portion of a data file into a format suitable for playback by a user.

12. A communicatioin system as recited in claim 1, wherein said reception system further comprises:

an output data converter in data communication with said digital decompressor.

13. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said storage device stores at least a portion of a data file.

14. A communication system as recited in claim 13, wherein said storage device is a temporary storage device.

15. A communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said storage device stores an entire data file.

16. A communication system as recited in claim 15, wherein said storage device is a temporary storage device.

17. A communication system comprising:

a transmission system at a first location in data communication with a reception system at a second location, wherein said transmission system comprises

a source material library,

an identification encoder in data communication with said source material library,

a converter having a data input in data communication with said source material library and a digital data output,

a sequence encoder in data communication with said digital data output,

a digital data compressor in data communication with said digital data output,

a compressed data formatting device in data communication with said digital data compressor,

a compressed data library in data communication with said compressed data formatting device, and

a transmitter in data communication with said compressed data library; and

wherein said reception system comprises

a transceiver in data communication with said transmission system,

a receiver format converter in data communication with said transceiver,

a storage device in data communication with said receiver format converter,

user playback controls in data communication with said storage device,

a digital decompressor in data communication with said receiver format converter, and

an output data converter in data communication with said digital decompressor.

18. A communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein said digital data compressor is in data communication with said sequence encoder.

19. A communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein said compressed data formatting device is in data communication with said identification encoder.

20. A communication system as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a user request interface in data communication with said transmission system.

21. A communication system as recited in claim 20, wherein said reception system comprises said user request interface.

22. A communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein said storage device stores at least a portion of a data file.

23. A communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein said storage device stores an entire data file.

24. A communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein said transceiver transmits a user request for a data file to said transmission system and receives the entire data file as compressed data blocks from said transmission system.

25. A communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein said transceiver transmits a user request for at least a portion of a data file to said transmission system and receives the portion of the data file as compressed data blocks from said transmission system.

26. A communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein said output data converter is in data communication with said storage device.

27. A communication system comprising:

a transmission system at a first location in data communication with a reception system at a second location, wherein said transmission system comprises;

an identification encoder, wherein said identification encoder allows entry of a popularity code; and

a compressed data library in data communication with said identification encoder; and

wherein said reception system comprises

a transceiver in data communication with said transmission system,

a storage device in data communication with said transceiver,

user playback controls in data communication with said storage device,

a digital decompressor in data communication with said storage device, and

a playback device in data communication with said digital decompressor.

28. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a source material library storing a portion of at least one data file.

29. A communication system as recited in claim 28, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a converter having a data input in data communication with said source material library and a digital data output.

30. A communication system as recited in claim 29, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a data compressor in data communication with said digital data output of said converter.

31. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a compressed data formatting device in data communication with said identification encoder.

32. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said transmission system further comprises a sequence encoder.

33. A communication system as recited in claim 32, wherein said sequence encoder transforms digital data blocks into a group of addressable data blocks.

34. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said transmission system further comprises:

a transmitter in data communication with said compressed data library, wherein said transmitter sends at least a portion of a compressed data file to said reception system.

35. A communication system as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

a user request interface in data communication with said transmission system, wherein

said user request interface enables a user to make a request for at least a portion of a data file.

36. A communication system as recited in claim 35, wherein said reception system comprises said user request interface.

37. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said reception system further comprises:

a receiver format converter in data communication with said transceiver, wherein said receiver format converts at least a portion of a data file into a format suitable for playback by a user.

38. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said reception system further comprises:

an output data converter in data communication with said digital decompressor.

39. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said storage device stores at least a portion of a data file.

40. A communication system as recited in claim 27, wherein said storage device stores an entire data file.

41. A communication system as recited in claim 39, wherein said storage device is a temporary storage device.

42. A communication system as recited in claim 40, wherein said storage device is a temporary storage device.