Picture distribution service system

A picture distribution service system which carries out a distribution control of a cable television service from a remote equipment to a subscriber house in response to a request made from the subscriber house to the remote equipment, the remote equipment being connected to a source station via a broadband transit network, comprising:

• a network termination, provided within the subscriber house, which is connected to the remote equipment via a subscriber line;
• a plurality of subscriber terminals provided within the subscriber house and connected to an integrated bus of the network termination, each of which transmits a request for distribution of a cable television service program, a request for disconnection from the remote equipment, or a request for switching of the cable television service program, to the remote equipment via the subscriber line;
• concentration means, provided within the remote equipment and connected to the network termination via the subscriber line, which carries out a line concentration through a remote control signal supplied from the source station via the broadband transit network;
• and
• distribution control means, provided within the remote equipment, which distributes a cable television service program to one of the subscriber terminals by using a channel in response to the request for distribution of said cable television service program supplied from one of the subscriber terminals to the remote equipment;
• wherein, when said cable television service program is already distributed to another subscriber terminal of the subscriber house by using another channel, said distribution control means distributes said cable television service program to said one of the subscriber terminals by using said another channel, and, when said cable television service program is not distributed to any of the subscriber terminals of the subscriber house, said distribution control means distributes said cable television service program to said one of the subscriber terminals by using a new channel.

A picture distribution service system which distributes picture information service from a source to a plurality of subscriber terminals in a network, said system comprising:

• a transit switch which switches transit lines and receives requests from first requesting subscribers connected to said transit switch, to cause picture information to be distributed to said first requesting subscribers;
• first trunk means, connected to said transit switch, for distributing picture information from a center switch to the transit lines to which said first requesting subscribers are connected;
• a subscriber switch which switches subscriber lines and receives requests from second requesting subscribers connected to said subscriber switch, to cause picture information to be distributed to said second requesting subscribers;
• and
• second trunk means, connected to one of the transit lines, for distributing the picture information received via said one of the transit lines to the subscriber lines to which said second requesting subscribers are connected.

A picture distribution service system which distributes a cable television picture service from a source to a plurality of subscriber terminals in a broadband transit network, said system comprising:

• a transit switch which switches transit lines;
• a first trunk means for distributing picture information from a center switch to the transit lines;
• a subscriber switch which switches subscriber lines;
• and
• second trunk means, connected to one of the transit lines, for distributing the picture information received via said one of the transit lines to the subscriber lines, wherein said first and second trunk means each comprise a memory part having a plurality of storage areas which are each used to store supplied picture information, so that the subscriber switch carries out a switching of the subscriber lines and the transit switch carries out a switching of the transit lines to distribute picture information, which is read out from each of the storage areas of said memory part, to the subscriber terminals which have made a call to the source.