Method of accessing a repetitively transmitted video program

A method of operating an interactive video communication system comprising:

• repetitively transmitting a video program in the form of sequential digital data organized into equal duration segments, each segment comprising a plurality of fields, in a fifo memory having a plurality of taps at least equal to the number of said segments in said video program, said data including information identifying the segment including the beginning of said video program and the segment including the end of said video program;
• identifying the beginning segment of said video program responsive to a viewer request and selecting the segment tap next to said beginning segment;
• supplying said video program from said selected tap to a one segment-long fifo memory having selectable field taps;
• transmitting said video program to said viewer from an initial one of said selectable field taps at the beginning of said video program;
• and
• freezing the transmission of said video program to said viewer upon receipt of an interrupt signal by stepping across said segment taps and said field taps in synchronism with said video program.

A video information communication system comprising:

• a repetitive sequential source of video data defining a video program divided into fixed length segments, each segment including a number of fields, said video data including information identifying the segments in which the beginning and the end of said video program occur;
• a two-way communications link between said source and a viewer;
• a segment fifo memory having a plurality of segment taps equal to or greater than the number of segments in said video program supplied with said video data;
• a field fifo memory having a number of taps corresponding to the field in one segment;
• means for selecting the segment tap next to the beginning segment of said video program and coupling said video program therefrom to said field fifo memory;
• means for supplying said video program to said communications link from one of the taps on said field fifo memory;
• and
• means for stepping over said segment taps and said field taps in synchronism with said video program in response to an interrupt signal from said communications link to thereby supply a "still" video field in said video program to said viewer.