Method and apparatus for processing requests for video on demand versions of interactive applications

A computer program for executing a computer process, said computer program being storage medium readable by a computing system in an interactive communication system and encoding a program of instructions for processing requests for video-on-demand and near-video-on-demand versions of interactive applications, said computer process comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving request from a viewing node to transmit a video-on-demand version of an interactive application through a communication network;
• (b) determining if transmission of said video-on-demand version of said interactive application through the communication network would constrain shared resources of the interactive communications system;
• and
• (c) if said transmission of said video-on-demand version of said interactive application would constrain resources of the system, denying said request for transmitting said video-on-demand version of said interactive application and directing said viewing node to view a near-video-on-demand version of said interactive application.

An apparatus for processing requests for video-on-demand and near-video-on-demand versions of interactive applications, said apparatus adapted to operate in an interactive communication network, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) receiving means for receiving a request from a viewing node in the communication network to transmit a video-on-demand version of an interactive application through the communication network;
• (b) determining means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining if transmission of said video-on-demand version of said interactive application through the communication network would constrain shared resources of the interactive communication system;
• and
• (c) directing means, responsive to said determining means, for denying said request for transmitting said video-on-demand version of said interactive application and directing the viewing node to view a near-video-on-demand version of said interactive application, when said transmission of said video-on-demand version of said interactive application would constrain resources of the system.

An interactive communication system comprising:

• (a) a service source storing a plurality of interactive applications;
• (b) a plurality of viewing nodes for viewing said interactive applications;
• and
• (c) a communication network coupling said service source and said viewing nodes;
• (d) wherein said service source comprises means for processing requests for video-on-demand and near-video-on-demand versions of said interactive applications, said processing means comprising:
• (1) detecting means for detecting a request from a viewing node to transmit a video-on-demand version of an interactive application through the communication network;
• (2) determining means, responsive to the request detected by said detecting means, for determining whether or not transmission of said video-on-demand version of said interactive application through a communication network would constrain shared resources of the interactive communication system;
• and
• (3) means, responsive to said determining means, for denying the request for transmitting said video-on-demand version of said interactive application and providing said viewing node with an option to view a near-video-on-demand version of said interactive application, when said determining means determines that transmission of said video-on-demand version of said interactive application would constrain resources of the system.