Cable television system selectively distributing pre-recorded video and audio messages
May 6, 2005. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent References 3581209 3746780 3878560 3909512 System for recording and playing back individual frames of video and related audio signals Television signal distribution system Telephone interfaced subscription cable television system especially useful in hotels and motels Still picture program video recording composing and playback method and system Pictorial information retrieval system Cable distribution system for wide-band message signals InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 06/730822 filed on 05/06/1985US Classes:725/98, Transmission network725/119, Having significant intermediate network unit (e.g., hub, substation, etc.)725/122, Return path via telephone network725/87Video-on-demandExaminersPrimary: George, Keith E.Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassesG09B 7/04 (20060101)G09B 5/00 (20060101) G09B 7/00 (20060101) G09B 5/12 (20060101) H04H 1/02 (20060101) H04N 1/00 (20060101) H04N 7/173 (20060101) H04N 1/21 (20060101) H04N 7/16 (20060101) AbstractA method of, and a system for, selectively delivering still television video with accompanying audio to home subscribers over a cable television system for advertising, promotional or educational purposes. A maximum number of home subscribers can interactively request presentations of their own choosing to be displayed on their home television sets. Only one standard television channel is required for transmission of still video with accompanying audio to serve 300 concurrent users. No equipment is required in the subscriber's home. The video is presented as still frames from one of a number of videodisc players, transmitted over one television channel during the appropriate time interval of 1/30th (or 1/25th) of a second. Such video frames, which may also contain overlaid graphics information, are uniquely addressed to a remote storage device. Unused bandwidth is used for the transmission of up to 300 discrete audio messages. The remote storage device identifies the appropriate video still frame, stores it, combines it with the corresponding audio message and conveys both to the home subscribers' television on a pre-selected channel. By uniquely addressing video frames to the remote storage device, either 30 (or 25) different video frames per second can be conveyed on one television channel to 30 (or 25) different remote storage devices for retransmission to home subscribers. Thus, if a home subscriber sees a given still video frame for 10 seconds, his remote storage device need not be updated for those 10 seconds, enabling the system to transmit 300 (10 seconds×30/second) different video frames to 300 other remote storage devices, thereby serving 300 concurrent users.Other References
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