Back to results
US 5,550,863 AGranted
Audio and video transmission and receiving system
AssigneeH. Lee Browne
InventorsPaul Yurt, H. Lee Browne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims19
A transmission system for providing information to be transmitted to remote locations, the transmission system comprising:
- a plurality of library means for storing items containing information;
- identification encoding means for retrieving the information in the items from the plurality of library means and for assigning a unique identification code to the retrieved information;
- conversion means, coupled to the identification encoding means, for placing the retrieved information into a predetermined format as formatted data;
- ordering means, coupled to the conversion means, for placing the formatted data into a sequence of addressable data blocks;
- compression means, coupled to the ordering means, for compressing the formatted and sequenced data blocks;
- compressed data storing means, coupled to the data compression means, for storing as files the compressed, sequenced data blocks received from the data compression means with the unique identification code assigned by the identification encoding means;
- and
- transmitter means, coupled to the compressed data storing means, for sending at least a portion of one of the files to one of the remote locations.
5 more elements
A receiving system responsive to a user input identifying a choice of an item stored in a source material library at a transmission system, the item containing information to be sent from the transmission system to the receiving system, the receiving system comprising:
- requesting means for transmitting to the source material library in the transmission system the identity of the item;
- transceiver means, coupled to the requesting means, for receiving the item from the transmission system as at least one formatted data block;
- receiver format conversion means, coupled to the transceiver means, for converting the at least one formatted data block into a format suitable for storage processing, and for playback at the receiver system;
- and
- storage means, coupled to the receiver format conversion means, for storing a complete copy of the formatted data, the storage means including an off line recording media allowing for future multiple playbacks of the data.
2 more elements
A receiving system responsive to a user input identifying a choice of an item stored in a source material library at a transmission system, the item containing information to be sent from the transmission system to the receiving system, the receiving system comprising:
- requesting means for transmitting to the source material library in the transmission system the identity of the item;
- transceiver means, coupled to the requesting means, for receiving the item from the transmission system as at least one compressed, formatted data block;
- receiver format conversion means, coupled to the transceiver means, for converting the at least one compressed, formatted data block into a format suitable for storage processing, and for playback at the receiver system;
- first storage means, coupled to the receiver format conversion means, for storing a complete copy of the formatted data;
- decompressing means, coupled to the first storage means, for decompressing the copy of the formatted data;
- and
- second storage means, including an off line recording media allowing for future multiple playbacks, for storing a complete copy of the data.
4 more elements
A system for providing information to be transmitted to remote locations, comprising:
- identification encoding means for assigning a unique identification code to items of information;
- conversion means, coupled to the identification encoding means, for placing each item of information into a predetermined format as formatted data;
- ordering means, coupled to the conversion means, for placing the formatted data for each item of information into a sequence of addressable data blocks;
- compression means, coupled to the ordering means, for compressing the formatted and sequenced data blocks;
- compressed data storing means, coupled to the data compression means, for storing as files the compressed, sequenced data blocks;
- and
- first transmitter means, coupled to the compressed data storing means, for selectively sending at least a portion of one of the files;
- a distribution system, remote from the transmission system, the distribution system comprising:
- means for receiving and storing a complete copy of the portion of one of the files sent by the first transmitter means;
- and
- second transmitter means, responsive to the stored portion of the one of the files, for transmitting a representation of the stored portion to at least one of a plurality of the remote locations.
8 more elements
A method of distributing audio/video information comprising:
- transmitting compressed, digitized data representing a complete copy of at least one item of audio/video information at a non-real time rate from a central processing location;
- receiving the transmitted compressed, digitized data representing a complete copy of the at least one item of audio/video information, at a local distribution system remote from the central processing location;
- storing the received compressed digitized data representing the complete copy of the at least one item at the local distribution system;
- in response to the stored compressed, digitized data, transmitting a representation of the at least one item at a real-time rate to at least one of a plurality of subscriber receiving stations coupled to the local distribution system;
- and
- decompressing the compressed, digitized data representing the at least one item of audio/video information after the transmission step wherein the decompressing step is performed in the local distribution system to produce the representation of the at least one item for transmission to the at least one subscriber station;
- wherein the transmitting step comprises:
- inputting an item having information into the transmission system;
- assigning a unique identification code to the item having information;
- formatting the item having information as a sequence of addressable data blocks;
- compressing the formatted and sequenced data blocks;
- storing, as a file, the compressed, formatted, and sequenced data blocks with the assigned unique identification code;
- and
- sending at least a portion of the file at the non-real time rate to the local distribution system.
11 more elements
A method of distributing audio/video information comprising:
- formatting items of audio/video information as compressed digitized data at a central processing location;
- transmitting compressed, digitized data representing a complete copy of at least one item of audio/video information from the central processing location;
- receiving the transmitted compressed, digitized data representing a complete copy of the at least one item of audio/video information, at a local distribution system;
- storing the received compressed, digitized data representing the complete copy of the at least one item at a local distribution system;
- and
- using the stored compressed, digitized data to transmit a representation of the at least one item to at a plurality of subscriber receiving stations coupled to the local distribution system;
- wherein the formatting step comprises:
- inputting an item having information into the transmission system;
- assigning a unique identification code to the item having information;
- formatting the item having information as a sequence of addressable data blocks;
- and
- compressing the formatted and sequenced data blocks.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.