System for distributing video/audio files from central location to a plurality of cable headends

A system for transmitting video/audio digital file data from a distribution station to a plurality of cable television or CATV headends, said system comprising:

• a hard drive storage disposed at said distribution station, said hard drive storage for storing digital video/audio files to be sent to said cable headends;
• a file transmitter server (TS) located at said distribution station for retrieving files from said hard drive storage so that said files may be transmitted to said cable headends in less than real time;
• means at said distribution station for dividing each of said files into a plurality of data packets, each packet having a data or payload section and a header section;
• satellite transmission means for transmitting said data packets via satellite to each of said cable headends, each said headend having receiving means for receiving said data packets from said satellite transmission means;
• a land-link connecting each of said cable headends with said distribution station wherein the number of land-links substantially corresponds to the number of cable headends;
• error detection means at each of said headends for identifying which, if any, of said packets received from said distribution station are in error and need to be re-transmitted;
• re-transmission request means at each of said headends for sending an error signal over a corresponding one of said land-links from said headend to said distribution station, said error signal identifying (positively or negatively) specific packets which need to be re-transmitted from said distribution station to the requesting headend(s);
• re-transmission means at said distribution station for re-transmitting said specific packets identified by said re-transmission request means to said requesting headend(s);
• decision making means at said distribution station for determining whether said re-transmission of said specific packets is to be done via said land-link or said satellite transmission means;
• and
• means at each of said headends for storing said received packet data, said received data to be distributed over a cable television network to a plurality of subscribers at a later time.

A method of transferring/transmitting a digital data file from a first station to a second station, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) storing a plurality of digital data files in a storage area at said first station;
• b) instructing a file server at said first station to transmit a file to said second station;
• c) retrieving said file via said file server from said storage area at said first station;
• d) dividing said file into a plurality of data packets, each packet having a header section and a data payload section;
• e) adding error identification data to each of said data packets;
• f) transmitting said data packets via satellite or microwave to said second station;
• g) analyzing said error identification data from each of said data packets at said second station so as to identify which of said packets are in error and need to be re-transmitted to said second station from said first station;
• h) requesting, via a land-link connecting said first and second stations, said first station to re-transmit said packets identified in step g) to be in error;
• i) deciding whether to re-transmit via the land-link or via the satellite or microwave and re-transmitting from said first station to said second station via one of said land-link and said satellite or microwave said packets requested in step h) depending upon the transmission medium determined in said deciding step;
• j) receiving said re-transmitted packets at said second station by way of a data interface device;
• and
• k) storing said re-transmitted data at said second station adjacent the previously transmitted correctly received and stored data of said file.