Audio and video transmission and receiving system

• US 7,730,512 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acacia Media Technologies Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Acacia Media Technologies Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Browne, H. Lee, Yurt, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/414,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 725 86-104, 725/63, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/95 characterised by a specific format, e.g. an encoded audio stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• 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 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/23473 by pre-encrypting
• 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 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4341 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 21/6143 : involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6583 : Acknowledgement
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/54 : the signals being synchronous H04N21/23602, H04N21/23614, H04N21/2365, H04N21/2368, H04N21/4341, H04N21/4342, H04N21/4347, H04N21/4348 take precedence

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 method of obtaining data blocks comprising compressed digital audiovisual information transmitted via satellite on a multiplexed distribution channel to a remotely located user reception system, comprising:

accessing an item database containing items of factual information, each item of factual information being associated with a corresponding item comprising compressed digital audiovisual data blocks, via a user terminal interface including a screen for presentation of a plurality of the items of factual information at the user location;

selecting one of the items comprising compressed digital audiovisual data blocks from the multiplexed distribution channel by preconfiguring the user reception system;

receiving via satellite at the user reception system, a signal from the multiplexed distribution channel comprising a plurality of items of audiovisual information, including the selected item, wherein at least some of the received compressed digital audiovisual data blocks of the selected item are addressable by first relative time markers assigned to audio information and at least some of the received compressed digital audiovisual data blocks are addressable by second relative time markers assigned to video information, the first relative time markers and the second relative time markers allowing for realignment of the audio information and the video information;

separating audio information from video information in the selected item received via satellite at the user reception system;

decompressing the audio information using an audio decompressor of the user reception system and decompressing the video information using a video decompressor of the user reception system;

converting the decompressed audio information and video information into a format suitable for playback; and

transmitting information of receipt of the selected item via a telephone network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressed digital audiovisual data blocks are organized into frames.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video information was compressed using a compression technique comprising discrete cosine transform and motion compensation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the selected item is copy protected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected item includes redundancy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected item is converted for playback on a television.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing the decompressed audio information and the decompressed video information on a playback device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording the decompressed audiovisual information of the selected comprising audiovisual information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising buffering some of the received selected item and decompressing a remainder of the received selected item for immediate viewing as the remainder of the received selected item is received.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the item database is accessed via an application running on the reception system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising decompressing the audio information and the video information separately.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of receipt of the selected item comprises a confirmation of receipt of the selected item.