System and method for transmission of programming on demand
AssigneeAT&T Corp.
InventorGregory P. Kochanski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for providing programming on demand service to television subscribers. In a preferred embodiment, each group of viewers that requests a given program is coupled to a separate video "feed" of the program. Each individual feed shows the program at a different rate. In this manner a second group of viewers who begin viewing a program after a first group of viewers may "catch up" to the first group. Whenever such an "intersection" occurs, the groups are merged and view the remainder of the movie on a single feed. In this manner the total number of feeds to required to provide video on demand service to a large number of viewers is reduced.
Claims11
A method of providing programming on demand service, comprising the steps of:
- coupling a first subscriber who requests a program at a given time to a first program feed which plays said program at a first feed rate;
- coupling a second subscriber who requests said program at a different time from said first subscriber to a second program feed which plays said program at a second feed rate, said second feed rate differing from said first feed rate;
- grouping said first subscriber and said second subscriber into a first group when said subscribers progress to the same point within said program;
- and
- coupling said first group to a first group feed so that said first subscriber and said second subscriber receive the remainder of said program on said group feed, said first group feed being selected from one of said program feeds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.