JPH0955927A - Periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting video for broadcasting and method of transmitting video program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide device/method for the broadcasting burst transmission of a compressed sound/video program from a stored library to many reception contract destinations. SOLUTION: The stored program is repetitively burst-transmitted to a receiver 4 in the position of the reception contract destination in the prescribed order of the complete program or a part of it. The respective receivers 40 operate to access to a prescribed broadcasting schedule. Namely, the application of the reception contract destination is inputted for one or more than one programs, the broadcasting burst transmission of one or more than one applied programs is monitored and one or more than one applied programs are received at once in a burst period in accordance with the period of burst transmission. Then, one or more than one applied programs are stored. The reception contract destination can sufficiently enjoy the applied and stored program by control such as VCR on reproduction if need. The program is expanded for viewing it on a real time by the receiver 40.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video and a method for transmitting a video program.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Lang US Patent No. 4,9 which teaches audio / video program information during burst periods.
63,995 and 5,067,932 (both of which correspond to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-502244) are directed to reducing the time required for substantial retrieval of audio / video program information. These prior arts relate to teaching general aspects of compression, storage, burst transmission, reception, decompression, and display of audio / video program information. However, it does not mention the standard aspects of burst transmission systems for the periodic construction of audio / video program information. As used herein, periodic construction is directly tied to the method of transmitting audio / video program information that is typically associated with pay-per-view / PPV.

In a simple PPV system, subscribers,
That is, the receiving contractor selects, for example, an audio / video program in a predetermined broadcast schedule.
This application process can take many methods, such as specifying the telephone number to be called by the operation sound telephone, operating the appropriate key on the cable conversion box supplied by the service person, or having a direct conversation with the operator by telephone or the like. . In any procedure, the receiving contractor selects one program from the schedule of the predetermined programs broadcasted in real time by the service provider. When a given subscription is set up, the cable conversion box automatically descrambles the program on the selected television channel so that the subscriber can see the program being broadcast.

A video-on-demand (VOD) system differs from PPV in that a receiving contractee can subscribe to any audio / video program from a variable title list in an audio / video program schedule. The selected audio / video program includes the following real-time burst transmissions described by Lang, transmitted in whole or in part to a subscriber in a number of ways, or otherwise constructed. There is no barrier to select the transmission medium, and the receiving contractor selects either a variable audio / video program for viewing or delivery by tuning the broadcast according to a predetermined schedule that the receiving contractor cannot control. To do.

[0005]

With regard to the description of the VOD system in the above-cited prior art, burst transmission is limited to the construction means mentioned above. However, instead of providing an audio / video schedule for the subscriber to choose any program for delivery, the present invention provides a convenient, predetermined periodicity with a deterministic burst transmission technique. The schedule of various PPV systems. This bundling results in a simple and inexpensive video library device. In addition, as a result, the PPV system is extremely exaggerated from the perspective of the receiving contractor. In a simple PPV system, audio / video programs are broadcast over coaxial cable, microwave, fiber optics or various real-time transmission systems. They are not possible for VCR-type viewers to perform during playback such as stop, pause, rewind, fast forward.

It has the features of a simple PPV system audio / video program broadcast schedule, but utilizes the burst transmission taught by Lang, and uses the library-based
It provides the functions of a convenient PPV system at a much lower cost than using a VOD system. An object of the present invention is to provide a periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video and a method for transmitting a video program, which have these characteristics.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the present invention includes multiple stored centralized views of a time-compressed digital audio / video program, the centralized views being at one or more remote subscribers. Memory is selectively converted during the burst time, and the converted program is stretch-transformed and viewed according to Lang's technique. Focused views are periodic, time-compressed digital voices stored in them /
Video programs facilitate predetermined broadcast transmissions. The remote subscriber's receiver continuously monitors the transmission channel, where a continuous stream of time-compressed audio / video programs is broadcast from a central view, and either the single or Store multiple programs.

[0008]

The present invention relates to bridging the gap between prior art PPV and VOD systems.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a conceptual diagram of a broadcast video burst transmission system of the present invention. The ring or wheel 22 rotates counterclockwise to facilitate and facilitate multiple online storage of audio / video programs. It is known that the present invention does not include a physical wheel 22. Wheel 22 here
Are illustrated to make the concept of the present invention easier to understand. The system for burst transmission of broadcast video includes an offline storage unit 20, which is a composite of transmission segment 35, transmission line 30, receiver 40, monitor 45, wheel 22, offline storage unit 20, external control software and hardware (FIG. (Not shown) constitutes the library 55.
In the system shown in FIG. 1, the sixteenth predetermined program is stored on-line on the wheel 22 of the library 55 in a time compressed format. The online storage of the program on the wheel 22 requires reading information at a rate high enough to maintain the desired transmission rate along the transmission line 30. In one embodiment, for example, the transmission lines 30 operate at 114 Mbit / sec, which requires high speed storage media for storage program access. More popular programs are stored at slower speeds and more economically stored in the offline storage 20 to create an economical relationship with the high speed storage media. These programs are transferred for online storage on wheels 22 at the appropriate time.

Conceptually, the wheel 22 is made up of 16 wheel portions 25, each of which stores the program in a time-compressed format. The transfer of this program is achieved according to the prior art Lang patent with a burst period much less than real time. The rotation of the wheels 22 reproduces the predicted cycle of the 16 most demanding programs stored in them. The figure shows the rotation of the wheel 22 in the counterclockwise direction, and the programs stored therein are continuously transmitted on a transmission line 30 for burst transfer to all local stations of the subscribing party. In the system of FIG. 1, a continuous flow of 16 predetermined programs retrieved from online storage on wheel 22 is illustrated. In the drawing of FIG. 1, program number 3 has just been transmitted on transmission line 30, program number 2 has been transmitted in advance, and program number 4 is transmitted next.

Each of the 16 blocks stored on the wheel 22 is taught by Rung's prior art, which is significantly less than real time, and is associated with a burst transmission period.
The transmission section 35 of the transmission line 30 has an internal program number 1
5 is an example of these burst transmission periods in the presentation of the transmission request of 5 for a predetermined time. Given the send parameters detailed below, send segment 35 requires 76 seconds for sending internal program number 15.

Wheels 22 are illustrated which are preset and facilitated for online storage of 16 programs. For example, assuming a 1.2 Mbits / sec compressed digital video bit stream requirement for real-time playback, the transmission line 30 is tuned to approximately 4 bits / Hz plus 36 MHz satellite channel with overhead resulting in Is 114 Mbit / sec digital transmission rate.
114 Mbit / sec compressed video bit rate 114
The division of the Mbit / sec transmission rate results in a time compression ratio of 95: 1. In other words, a typical 2 hour program requiring 120 minutes of transmission time is divided into 95 or 76 seconds. Within these 1 hour, 1.26 minutes / program or approximately 60 minutes divided by 47.5 programs are transmitted. The transmission of 16 programs stored on wheel 22 in 1.26 minutes requires a total of 20 minutes each. Therefore, 1.26 in memory
For a complete 1 reversal in the transmission of any single 2-hour program that requires minutes, wheel 22 requires 20 minutes. According to other standards, the subscriber may not wait for more than 1.26 minutes to send one of the 16 preset programs stored on the wheel 22 for viewing and provided the 16 We do not wait more than 20 minutes for any selection from the inside for viewing, and the resulting average waiting time is 10 minutes. Of course, different digital compressed video rates and transmission channel widths result in different transmission rates, which results in different access times for the receiving contractor. For example,
2x Modulation rate of 228 Mbits / sec for 2x type and 4x system performance for 600 Kbits / sec compression
In the double type, each program is sent in 19 seconds (190 programs per hour). Increased performance is obtained with composite multiple channels with expanded variable bandwidth.

The receiver 40 shown in FIG. 1 provides a decentralized device for the purpose of receiving and / or storing one or more of the programs transmitted above. A request program is used as a simple user interface (not shown) to communicate with the library 55. The library 55 includes an online storage unit for the wheels 22, as well as an offline storage unit 20. The receiver 40 uses the transmission section 35.
VID to monitor the transmission line 30 of (program number 15)
A monitor 45 is included. When the transmission segment 35 does not match the VID (VID specially identifies the program in the procedure detailed below), the transmission is ignored. If the VIDs match, the receiver 40 is used to receive and store the transmit segment 35. After receiving the desired program, the receiver 40 expands and displays 5 for the convenience of the receiving contractor.
Dedicated to playing programs on 0.

Predictable transmission schedules are a key feature of the system for burst transmitting broadcast video of the present invention. This is in sharp contrast to the VOD system, which has no schedule at all. Many schedule changes are advances in the system, and without this benefit no advances in the system will occur. For example, the program transmission schedule is functionally determined and is based on a stable analysis of the requirements for a given program. The wheel 22 of FIG. 1 stores 16 programs which, as a result of the rotation of the wheel 22, under normal conditions orbit a predictable schedule for transmission on the transmission line 30. The transmissions of these same 16 programs are each stored in one of the wheel sections 25 of the wheel 22, and the rotation of the wheel 22 is repeated. However, the program stored in the offline storage unit 20 is
Determined by industrial cause or static analysis, eg 1
The top 1 of the 6 programs will be new. In this regard, it is desired that the new program be pre-stored in the offline store 20 and one of the 16 programs fluidly stored on the wheel 22 be relocated. This relocation of the program is associated with various ones of the wheel section 25 of the wheel 22 and occurs at regular scheduled intervals. Of course, this schedule modification should be contacted with each subscriber in a predetermined manner, such as by means of a video channel that continuously displays the fluid schedule of the 16 programs.

A program stored on the wheel 22,
And the transmission schedules for these programs change dynamically, and there are changed schedules, the recognition in the above example is important. This predetermined schedule is a factor that helps minimize the amount of online storage required, but it does not limit the senders and recipients. Rather, the use of burst transmission of programs stored on the wheel 22 provides such a convenient and fast program selection, with only a short timeline before reception of the selected program, and You will believe that it is served by the VOD system. It can be appreciated that this savings allows the VOD system to be completely free to choose the program for the receiving subscriber in the removal. Given this requirement, the transmission schedule of the system for burst transmitting broadcast video of the present invention is sufficient to predict the playback of the complexity of library 55 compared to VOD systems. Due to the adoption of the known schedule, fewer programs need to be stored online on the wheel 22 of the library 55, which is not readily apparent to the subscriber.

Another major feature of the broadcast video burst transmission system of the present invention is the use of burst transmission of programs in less than real time, which is based on the prior art by Lang. Many benefits are realized through the use of this type of transmission system. The system includes a source and a confirmation based on transmissions from the source that is determined in less than real time. The main advantage is that the receiving party receives the selected program in a digitally compressed format, and the received program is stored at the receiving party's local station for decompression and viewing at the convenience of the receiving party. It To that end, the device digitally compresses the program's format and applies VCR-like functions such as stop, pause, rewind, and fast forward. This unique feature of the present invention is, consequently, a system similar to holding an electrical video rental store accessible from the subscriber's home.

In FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In this example, subsections 110a-1 are
A wheel 100 including a plurality of 10d, an offline storage unit 120, a transmission line 130, and transmission line sections 140a to 140.
d, receiver 150, VID monitor divisions 150a to 150
d, and a display 170. Wheel 100, offline storage 120, and external control hardware and software (not shown) are in library 18
Configure 0. In a similar concept to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the embodiment of FIG. 2 bursts other audio / video programs in addition to a portion of the video or the entire video. The wheel 100 of FIG. 2 includes a number of arcuate sections, each arcuate section being divided into four radially extending sections.
In the figure, for example, the wheel segment containing program number 15 includes four program segments 15a, 15b, 15c, labeled wheel supplemental segments 110a-d.
And 15d. Sequentially, wheel assist section 110a stores a portion of program 15, wheel assist section 110b stores another portion of program 15, and so on. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the off-line storage unit 120 is used to store an uncommon program on a slow and ineffective medium.

When the wheel 100 rotates counterclockwise, one of the wheel sections representing a part of the program is burst transmitted. Transmission of internal program, for example, program number 15, etc., program divisions 15a, 15
Rotate the separate burst transmissions of b, 15c, and 15d.

FIG. 2 shows four radially extending storage sections consisting of 16 arcuate sections of the wheel 100, the actual values of the radially extending sections being required to be stored. To minimize the total amount of each program segment, the total length of the transmission cycle is varied and equivalently configured. For example, in the figure, each program is divided into four sections, and each section produces 30 minutes of real-time viewing. In connection with the system of FIG. 1 (114 Mbit / sec transmission rate and 1.2 Mbit / sec video rate), one wheel segment is burst transmitted within 19 seconds using the same transmission parameters as described above. This 19-second burst transmission is received and stored by the receiver 150, and when expanded, a view of 30 minutes and playback in real time are produced. In the embodiment, four burst transmission program divisions 15a, 15b, 15c, and 1 into which the 2-hour program 15 is divided are provided.
Burst transmitted by 5d, each program segment requires 19 seconds for transmission and production of a viewing time of 30 minutes.

The use of the system shown in FIG. 2 for reception and program viewing is, for example: The wheel 100 rotates and reaches the time of transmitting the program number 3, the program number 3 is divided into the sections 3a to 3d,
Section 3a is transmitted first. Receiver is receiver 15
When applying for program number 3 via the 0 user interface, VID monitor 160 monitors transmission line 130 for a VID identifying the applied program number 3. The VID monitor 160 has VID monitor sections 160a to 16
Note that it is divided into 0d. The VID monitor 160 includes sections 140a to 140d, each of which is appropriately transmitted.
It needs to be monitored for. In succession, the VID monitor 160 receives the transmitted sections and allows storage of these transmitted sections 140a-140d in quadrants. In this procedure, each transmitted section 140a-140d of the subscribed program is received and stored within receiver 150.

In this embodiment, when the first 19 seconds of the transmitted segment is received and stored, the receiving contractor initiates the reproduction of that program segment. At that point, the subscriber has 30 minutes of VCR-like control of the program. In order to maintain real-time decompression and playback of the program, receiver 150 must receive and store the next transmit segment before the playback of the former stored segment is complete. In order to play the program seamlessly and without a gap, it is clear that the receiver 150 has to start reception and complete reception of the section 19 seconds before the start of reproduction of the next section. In this operation,
When the reproduction of the stored section is obviously completed, the receiver 150 overwrites the next section to the previous section in the storage unit.
The input section becomes the processing section, and the receiver 150 continues the seamless reproduction by the start of decompression and the reproduction of the new reception section.

This embodiment creates the cost of the receiver 150 at the subscriber station by creating the amount of storage required. In the description of the previous example, normal storage capacities of 1 to 4 are required in the receiver 150. Different levels of segmentation are used, depending on market, economic and strategic considerations.

The request to send the next program segment in time, apparently before the segment stored in the receiver 150 is decompressed and viewed in real time, results in increased integrity. The timing and control of the transmission of the next section of the program is managed by the library 180. Retaining only the portion of the program stored in receiver 150 adds certain operational restrictions. For example, the receiving contractor cannot rewind or fast forward within the start or end of the portion of the program stored in receiver 150. However, these technical trades are designed in the system of the present invention based on strategic and economic considerations. For example, a market analysis might assume that the subscriber wants limited VCR-like control in generating the cost of the receiver 150. Perhaps this analysis shows that while the subscriber has full VCR-like control,
The 15 minute buffer will indicate that it is acceptable.

Many other advantages can be seen in the embodiment of FIG. The communication channels used for transmission are not entirely dedicated to the viewing time of the program, as in real-time broadcasting systems. This result in functionality results in a more effective specification of the communication channel. In one example, a burst transmission of a two-hour program occupies a transmission time of several minutes, and scheduling is done in a two-minute gap between burst transmissions of a continuous program transmission, where the gap is for data transmission, voice communication, other It is used for any purpose such as burst transmission of a predetermined segment from a program, burst transmission of the entire program, or transmission of the schedule information of the present invention. This advantage cannot be obtained by real-time systems due to the bandwidth used in real-time mode.

Another advantage of the broadcast video burst transmission system of the present invention is its low sensitivity to signal loss. In real-time, channelized transmission systems, any loss of signal results in loss of viewing time. In the present invention, the time during which the system is sensitive to loss of signal is dramatically reduced. For example, if the real-time signal is involved in any of the two-hour program transmissions, a burst transmission according to the present invention may be perceived only for a few minutes. Of course, the actual time required for burst transmission depends on several factors, including the level of digital video compression, the communication channel bandwidth, and the performance of the storage system.

The loss of signal in the system of the present invention is
Initially it seems to have a negative effect over real-time systems. In a real-time system, a 5 minute loss is literally a 5 minute loss of view of the transmitted program. In this system, the loss of 5 minutes is the loss of the whole program. However, in this area the invention does offer advantages in practice. Real-time systems are limited by the time domain. If a loss of 5 seconds or even 5 minutes occurs, it is impossible to recover the loss from the missed time pair for the view. On the other hand, the system is not limited in the time domain by utilizing Lang's prior art burst transmission technique. If a loss occurs between transmissions, digital error correction techniques are used to correct the loss. When loss occurs,
The system retransmits the corrupted or missing data. In an embodiment, this re-transmission does not occur in the view of the subscribing party until the entire program or a part of the program is received, which results in an indeterminate number of hours and is transparent to the subscribing party. Thus, the total restoration is effectively compensated.

The present invention operates with a variety of digital transmission means. In one embodiment, the transmission means is an ATM (Asynchr
onous Transfer Mode) networks, which are currently installed by telephone companies, cable companies, or for the use of computer networks. In this network, digital data is divided into small bundles, and voice /
Time-dependent data, such as video data, is compensated for reaching its destination in time of action. However, real-time compressed video transmission is likely to occur on this network. The present invention, which utilizes burst transmission, provides bandwidth on ATM networks simultaneously with other burst voice / video transmissions, real-time voice / video transmissions and other digital data. The bundling, the time-compensated nature of this network, ensures the coexistence of these different transmission methods.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a hardware block diagram of the broadcast video burst transmission system of the present invention. The library 210 is a transmission line 230
Is connected to the receiving unit 220 via. The library 210 includes a storage unit 240 and a controller 31.
0, CPU 260, memory 270, bus 280, and transmitter 290. The receiving unit 220 is
Storage unit 300, controller 310, bus 32
0, memory 30, receiver 340, CPU 60, decompressor 3
70 and an optional compressor 90.

A compressed digital audio / video program such as a movie can be stored in the storage unit 24 in several steps.
Input to 0. First, the storage unit 240 is configured with, but is not limited to, a number of different types of storage media, magnetic disks, optical disks, random access memory or a combination thereof. Further, the storage unit 240 may be a portable storage medium, an optical disc, a portable magnetic disc, a digital tape, a floppy disc, or the like. In this case, the physical media itself, such as an optical disc, is loaded into the storage machine for reading or converting to other media types. Different types of media for storage unit 240 are used by different embodiments of the present invention, in that some types of storage media are utilized by a given embodiment.

Several different types of transmitters are transmitter 2
90 is used. These include without limitation transmitters on fiber optic lines, microwaves, satellites, coaxial cables, television broadcasts, and telephone lines. In some embodiments, the latest storage unit 240 of library 210 may be
, The transmitter is used for burst transmission of the program to the receiving unit 220. In another embodiment, a separate transmitter (not shown) is used for modern storage unit 240. For example, a coaxial cable is used to build a program for a receiving contractor, and each receiving contractor has an embodiment of the receiving unit 220 at a local station,
Fiber optic lines or satellite links are envisioned in one embodiment with a very fast modern storage unit 240.

In any case, the storage unit 24
0 is updated by the appropriate new medium. This is a less popular program for storing units 2
40 means that the load can be transferred to a cheaper offline storage medium such as a magnetic tape. On the other hand, in a more sophisticated implementation of the storage medium, the system for burst-transmitting broadcast video of the present invention uses a program with a fluid schedule of varying programs. For more sophisticated storage medium implementations, the transmitter 2
It may be required to maintain a bit rate of data read based on a 90 rate requirement.

The storage unit 20 of the library 210 is
It acts for the collection and transmission of the time-compressed programs stored according to a predetermined schedule.
Timing of this schedule and storage unit 20
The selection of the program from is performed under the control of the CPU 260. This operation is executed based on the flowchart of FIG. 4, and will be described in detail below.

At the start of the burst transmission of the schedule program of the CPU 260, it interfaces with the storage unit 240 for reading the program information of the buffer memory 270. The purpose of reading the buffer memory 270 is to interface with the transmitter 290, which transmits program information on the transmission line 230. Transmission over transmission line 230 is accompanied by the transmission line protocol. For example, in the embodiment of the transmission line 230 composed of an optical fiber line, a protocol of a predetermined format, SONET or the like is used. Typically, the data format stored in storage unit 240 will be
The 30 protocols do not match the format requirements for transmission. There, the data is read from the storage unit 240 into the memory 270 via the controller 250 and appropriately reformed and timed to conform to the protocol defined by the transmission line 230. In all the above-described operations, data movement between the constituent parts is executed via the bus 280 shown in FIG. 3 under the control of the CPU 260.

The receiving unit 220 is connected to the transmission line 230 via the receiver 340, and operates to continuously monitor the data input from the transmission line 230. The incoming data is transferred to the memory 330 via the bus 32, and the data is examined by the CPU 360 to indicate if it is the entered program entry. If it is not the requested data, the data will be ignored. If possible data is found, the CPU 360 system is enabled to store the input data in the storage unit 300 as described below. This process is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 and is described further below.

The receiver 340 stores the input data in the memory 330.
Transfer to. Under the control of the CPU 360, the header information is stripped of which protocol the data is, and as a result, the storage unit 240 of the library 210 is removed.
It becomes the data stored inside. This data is on bus 3
20 to the controller 310. The controller 310 writes the time-compressed data in the storage unit 300. All the above operations are executed under the control of the CPU 360. When the viewing is initiated by the user interface (not shown) of the receiving unit 310, the controller 310 reads the data from the storage unit 300 and transfers the data to the decompressor 370. In one embodiment, decompressor 370 decodes the compressed data and converts it from digital data to analog signals at video output terminal 380 for viewing. In the subsequent, no analog-to-digital conversion is required. The video output terminal 380 is connected to a suitable display (not shown) such as a convenient television or computer monitor. In continuity, the subsequent decompression includes format conversion for the display. This decompression process has a memory 330 applied for the decoding process when the compression algorithm requires memory.

In another embodiment of the invention, the receiving unit 2
20 also includes a compressor 390 for receiving the input audio / video signal in video at terminal 395. CPU3
Under control of 60, and bus 320 and memory 330
The audio / video signal to be input is compressed upon access to and is written in the storage unit 300 via the controller 310. In providing such features,
The present invention may be used as a digital VCR for use in recording programs or other program information from standard broadcast sources such as cable television, network television, satellites, cameras and the like. The stored time-compressed program is decompressed and viewed under VCR-like control in a manner similar to that described above for viewing stored programs burst-sent to a subscribing party.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the receiving unit 220 is added to the receiver 340 for both real-time and burst transmission of stored time-compressed program or other audio / video program information. Alternatively, a transmitter (not shown) is included instead.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a flow chart of the steps for a burst transmission program from library 210 from when the receiving subscriber applies for the program until the transmission of the program is performed.
Step 470 is included as a gray operating step to indicate that the application does not affect the process as a whole. That is, this step is not part of the process in library 210 that results in the sending of the program. The flowchart of FIG. 4 shows the contouring of the sample time frame. Here, the receiving contractor arranges the program application for the process as a whole.

The process begins with a play list that is communicated to the subscriber in several ways, as shown in step 420. This performance listing is likely to contain some information such as a list of available program titles and time sequences. It is then delivered in a number of ways, such as dedicating a television channel to text showing a listing. Subscribers can subscribe to the program at any time based on the listing. This is accomplished with a touchtone telephone or through any suitable means well known in the PPV art such as interfacing to a cable converter box.

Next, the library 210 must determine whether the next program in the listing is stored online or in the offline storage unit 430.
This part of the process is selective. However, it allows programs to be stored on off-line storage media such as magnetic tape, optical disks, and the like. Offline storage is typically less expensive than online storage. However, it has insufficient read speed to interface to the transmit line at the desired bit rate. For this reason, off-line storage is used to transfer data from slower off-line
It is brought over the line by reading to an earlier online store such as M, a magnetic disk, etc. Thus, the process shows the system's decision as to whether the incoming planned program must first be brought on the wire.

Once the next program is on the line and ready to be sent, the system simply waits the appropriate amount of time, as indicated by process block 450. The transmission then begins as indicated by process block 460. During this idle period, the system may wait for transmission, while the system may be used for other purposes such as communicating updated schedules. In such an embodiment, care must be taken to ensure that the system keeps track of time, so that the next scheduled program transmission can begin at the appropriate time. The process of bringing this offline program to online storage for transmission is distinct from the VOD system in which it is automated. Changes to offline and online storage are determined by the system on a predetermined, and sometimes dynamic, schedule. In any case, the broadcast video burst transmission system of the present invention is to determine the schedule,
It is not a subscription choice from a virtually unlimited video library. This distinction brings many of the benefits of VOD systems without the expense of maintaining a large video library.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flow diagram of the process performed by receiver 340 is shown. This process receives data 520 and transfers it to memory 53.
0, confirmation of whether VID is included 540, confirmation of possible storage 550, confirmation of program instruction 56
0, permitting accumulation 570, transmitting data 580 to the controller, and writing 590 to the storage unit. With additional reference to FIG. 3, the process shown in FIG. 5 begins with receiving data at receiver 340, as shown at process step 520. This data
Bus 3 as shown in process step 530.
20 and transferred to the memory 330. Input data is
It is received in blocks with a block size determined by the protocol used for transmission over the transmission line 230 and the desired performance of the system. During the process of transmitting the data block to the memory 330, the data block may be reformatted by the CPU 360 to remove the protocol information as described above.

The receiving device of the present invention must monitor the system of the designated program. Alternatively, the receiver must be addressable in several ways. In one embodiment, CPU 360 uses process step 5
As indicated at 40, the data block is checked to see if it contains a video identifier (VID). V
The ID is defined as a system installation dependent column of data that identifies the program to be transmitted. In one embodiment, VID
Is transmitted only at the beginning of the program, along with the data associated with the display of the program's compressed digital video data.
In the preferred embodiment, the VID is a compressed digital video data.
Scatter at regular intervals throughout the data. VID must be defined to be easily distinguished from compressed digital video data. And it depends to some extent on the selected compression algorithm. Such design choices are well within the ability of one of ordinary skill in the art.

If the data block contains a VID, CPU 360 also processes step 560.
As shown in, the program is ordered by the receiving contractor.
You have to make sure that it is one that you did. if,
If the program has not been ordered, the data is ignored and the system operates to receive the next block of data, as shown in process step 520. VI of the program whose data is ordered
If D is included, storage is possible, as shown in process step 570. The data is then transferred to controller 310 as shown in process step 580.
Transferred to. Then, the controller 310 sequentially writes the data in the storage unit 300 as shown in process step 590. Prior to writing the data to the storage unit 300, the CPU 360 may read the VI from the data so that the pure compressed digital video may be stored for later decompression and viewing.
The data may be further reformatted to remove D. Based on the storage of the data, the system prepares for the next block of input data. The storage enable consists of setting some bits in the memory 330 or the enable of a specific circuit (not shown) in the receiving unit 220. By using the storage unit that became possible because the discovered VID and program were ordered,
All predictive data blocks representing the compressed digital video portion of the program are written to storage 300. By not requiring every data block to have a VID, the transmission of a significant amount of extra data is avoided.

If the VID is not found in the data block, the process is then in process step 550.
Includes confirmation of what can be stored, as shown in. The data does not contain a VID, as the complete data block represents the compressed digital video ordered program when storage was possible from the previous data block. Therefore, the data is controller 3
It is moved to 10 and written in the storage unit 300. If de
If the data does not contain a VID and cannot be stored, the data may be ignored.

In any case, when the appropriate VIDs are made identical, the burst transmission of the program is caught,
Memorized for viewing. Billing may result because of the commanded program. In one embodiment, the receiving device contacts back to the system library where the selected program was received. Therefore, the receiving contract party is appropriately charged. However, the present invention does not require such back channel communication. The system cycles through burst transmissions, so no back channel to the system library is required for instructions. Rather, the receiver simply catches the properly input burst transmission. Similarly, back channels are not required for billing purposes. In one embodiment, billing may occur due to system software being updated at the local receiving device. The receiving device is periodically registered by the billing system. For example, the receiving device may often be connected to a telephone line via a modem in addition to a network connection for burst transmission. Once per month, billing software running on the computer system located in the library may be connected to the receiving device to obtain usage information for the past months. This type of polling may occur for a desired period of time, perhaps even at night.

Further, the telephone line connection is also not shown,
The invention is provided with remote diagnostic features. Through this connection, remote computer hardware can send test data and commands and monitor the results to diagnose the system. In this way, system defects can be identified to the extent that an expert can replace parts in the receiver for repair without bringing the receiver to a repair center.

An important use of the broadcast video burst transmission system of the present invention is to implement it in multiple channels,
To combine themes into each channel. By way of example, the operator of such a system can offer comedy channels as well as channels that focus on drama, action, science fiction, and the like. In this way, the subcontractor is one of a very large number of top films in one category available in a very short time frame.
You can have one. On the other hand, on one channel, the listing may include, for example, 100 different burst transmissions before a special horror film is transmitted. This limitation can be avoided by implementing theme broadcasting.

It is also important to note that the digitization and compression of programs for entry into the video library can be reduced in time. This time-compressed video library construction does not need to happen in real time. If the selected vendor's device supports the build, the program is captured and compressed at an accelerated rate less than real time. For example, a program that is typically viewed at a rate of 30 frames per second may be played from the source at 300 frames per second due to the compression process. Such an embodiment reduces the time required to compress an hour program to only 6 minutes. This embodiment saves time, which directly impacts the marketability of such systems. This is because this embodiment has the unique ability to quickly update the video library with compression and subsequent less real-time program distribution.
For example, an hour of raw events that have just been broadcast on conventional television are compressed, distributed to a broadcast video burst transmission library, and available for burst transmission to subscribers in a short amount of time.

The above-described embodiment is an example of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a periodic distribution device for burst transmission of broadcast video according to the present invention.

2 is a diagrammatic view of the broadcast video burst transmission system of FIG. 1, showing a transmission portion of an audio / video program for storage and playback.

3 is a diagram block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a system for burst-transmitting broadcast video shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of a library portion of the embodiment shown in FIG.

5 is a flowchart of the operation of the receiver of each receiving contract partner in the embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 offline storage unit 40 receiver 45 VID monitor 50 display 120 offline storage unit 150 receiver 160 VID monitor 170 display 210 library 220 receiving unit 230 transmission line 240 storage unit 250 controller 260 CPU 270 memory 290 transmitter 300 storage unit 310 controller 320 Bus 330 Memory 340 Receiver 360 CPU 370 Expander 390 Compressor 380 Terminal 395 Terminal

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (71) Applicant 595124745 500 SANSOME STREET, SUITE 503, SAN FRANCIS CO, CALIFORNIA 94111, USA (72) Inventor Richard A. Lang, USA 95460, Mendashino, Highway 1, North Pacific Coast 9301 (72) Inventor R.I. Mincer USA 85255, Arizona, Scottsdale, Drive number 2027, East Princess 7900

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. Online storage means for storing a predetermined number of audio / video programs and operable to access said audio / video programs for their burst transmission, and said online storage means connected to said online storage means. The storage means accesses the audio / video programs stored in a predetermined order, and the audio / video programs are burst in the predetermined order to a large number of receiving contractors accessed from the online storage means in the predetermined order. A burst transmitting means operable to transmit the audio / video program in the predetermined order repeatedly in burst while transmitting, and each receiving contractor is connected to the burst transmitting means. The online memory hand Is stored and receives each one of the audio / video programs burst-transmitted in the predetermined order by the burst transmission means, and selectively stores one or more audio / video programs to be received by the subscriber. A periodic distribution apparatus for burst-transmitting broadcast video, comprising: a receiving unit operable to allow real-time playback. 2. An online storage means for storing a number of additional audio / video programs,
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising offline storage means for selectively transferring to the online storage means and updating a predetermined number of audio / video programs stored in the online storage means. A periodic distribution device that bursts broadcast video. 3. The burst transmitting means is connected to a communication network and burst-transmits an audio / video program to a remote place, and receives an audio / video program burst-transmitted from a remote place. 3. A periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to claim 1, further comprising a transceiver means. 4. A communication network and one selected from audio / video programs connected to the communication network and the off-line storage means and stored by the off-line storage means.
Burst transmitting one or more audio / video programs to a remote location, and transceiver means for receiving one or more audio / video programs burst selected from a remote location for storage in the offline storage means. A periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that it has. 5. A communication network, and one selected from audio / video programs connected to the communication network and the online storage means and stored in the online storage means.
A transceiver means for burst-transmitting one or more audio / video programs to a remote location and for receiving one or more audio / video programs burst-selected from a remote location for storage in the online storage means. The periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: 6. The online storage means further comprises video identification data storage means for storing identification data attached to each audio / video program stored in the online storage means. Item 1
6. A periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to any one of 1 to 5. 7. The off-line storage means further comprises video identification data storage means for storing identification data attached to each audio / video program stored by the off-line storage means. Item 2
7. A periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to any one of 1 to 6. 8. A contractor ordering unit, which is connected to the receiving unit and allows the receiving contractor to selectively order any of the audio / video programs received by the receiving unit. Claim 1 characterized by the above.
7. A periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to any one of 1 to 7. 9. The broadcast video burst transmission according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means includes a storage means for storing an audio / video program received by the receiving means. Periodic distribution device. 10. The receiving device is connected to the receiving device, monitors each audio / video program received by the receiving device, detects the identification data attached to the audio / video program, and receives the detected identification data. A video identification monitor operable to confirm the agreement with the identification data of the audio / video program ordered by the contractor and, by the confirmation, permit the storage of the audio / video program ordered by the receiving contractor in the receiving means. The periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to claim 9, further comprising means. 11. The audio / video programs are respectively stored as a plurality of program segments, and the burst transmission means connected to the online storage means stores the audio data stored in the online storage means in a predetermined order. / Accessing a segment of the video program to the plurality of subscribers that are accessed from the online storage means in the predetermined order
It is operable to burst transmit the segments of the video program in the predetermined order and repeatedly burst transmit the segments of the audio / video program in the predetermined order accessed from the online storage means; The receiving means connected to the burst transmitting means respectively receives the segments of the audio / video program stored in the online storage means and burst-transmitted by the burst transmitting means in the predetermined order, and the audio / video Burst broadcast video according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is operable to selectively store one or more program segments to allow real-time playback by the subscriber. Periodic distributor to send. 12. The video identification monitoring means connected to the receiving means monitors each one of the segments of the audio / video program received by the receiving means, and the identification attached to the segment of the audio / video program. The periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein data is detected. 13. The burst transmission means is connected to the online storage means and controls the online storage means, a data bus connected to the control means, and a command connected to the data bus and the control means. Microprocessor means for executing routines and subroutines;
Buffer memory means connected to the data bus for buffering data transferred to the control means and data transferred from the control means, and a communication network connected to an external communication network to interface the burst means with the communication network An interface and transceiver means connected to the data bus for burst-transmitting the audio / video program stored in the online storage means to the large number of receiving contractors; and the receiving means is connected to the external communication network. A communication network interface for interfacing the receiving means to the communication network, means for receiving compressed data corresponding to the audio / video program burst-transmitted by the burst transmitting means, and a data bus for transferring the compressed data. Connected to the data bus Buffer memory means for buffering compressed data, storage means for storing the compressed data, control means connected to the storage means and the data bus for controlling operation of the storage means, and connected to the data bus A microprocessor means for executing an instruction routine and a subroutine, and a compression contractor connected to the microprocessor means and the data bus for compressing the compressed data to select from an audio / video program displayed by the reception means. Compression delivery means for enabling one or more audio / video programs to be played back in real time according to any one of the preceding claims. apparatus. 14. The online storage means and / or the offline storage means comprises a magnetic disk storage medium, a semiconductor storage medium, a magnetic tape storage medium and / or an optical disk storage medium. A periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to claim 1. 15. The burst transmission means comprises an optical fiber transceiver, a coaxial cable transceiver, a satellite wave transceiver, a microwave transceiver and / or a telephone line transceiver.
5. A periodic distribution device for burst-transmitting broadcast video according to any one of 4 above. 16. The broadcast video burst according to claim 9, wherein the storage means comprises a magnetic disk storage medium, a magnetic tape storage medium, an optical disk storage medium, and / or a semiconductor memory. Periodic distributor to send. 17. Storing a predetermined number of audio / video programs in an online storage means operable to access the audio / video programs for its burst transmission, and in the online storage means in a predetermined order. Accessing the stored audio / video program; burst-transmitting the audio / video program in the predetermined order to a large number of receiving subscribers accessed in the predetermined order from the online storage means; Thereafter, a step of repeatedly burst-transmitting the audio / video programs in the predetermined order accessed from the online storage means, and the burst-transmitted audio / video programs at each receiving contractor.
A method of transmitting a video program comprising the steps of receiving a video program and selectively storing one or more of the audio / video programs for real-time playback by a subscriber.