Program server for interactive television system
December 28, 2012. 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 3746780 Power cutting device for terminal units of CATV system CATV Service controller Process for the teledistribution of recorded information and a system for performing this process Multiple access communication on a CATV reverse channel Method and apparatus for polling subscriber terminals Dial-up telephone network equipment for requesting an identified selection Telecommunication system with frame selected continuous audio signals Communications format for a subscription television system permitting transmission of individual text messages to subscribers Method of and an arrangement for forwarding a customer order InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 997985 filed on 12/28/1992US Classes:725/92, Mass storage725/88, VCR-like function725/93, Control process725/94Buffering and switchingExaminersPrimary: Groody, James J.Assistant: Grant, Chris Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassH04N 007/173AbstractThe invention relates to a system for transmitting stored programs, such as movies and musical works, to customers via a distribution network, such as a cable television system. The programs are stored in compressed form in a program library, such as a tape cartridge library. On receipt of a request for a program, a request processor sends control messages causing a data block comprising the requested program to be read from the program library at high speed and stored in a large dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in a server. The server then sends the program from DRAM over the distribution system to a customer as a series of digital packets. Each instance of sending a program is managed by a separate command word. The customer can request such operations as "fast forward" by sending control messages that change pointers in the command word. Command words can be grouped to send multiple audio and/or video overlays simultaneously and linked to send program sequences. The request processor, server, program library and interfaces to distribution networks can be at different locations.Other References
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