System and method for transmission of programming on demand
US5512934A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 30, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N7/17336
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for providing programming on demand service to television subscribers. In a preferred embodiment, each group of viewers that requests a given program is coupled to a separate video "feed" of the program. Each individual feed shows the program at a different rate. In this manner a second group of viewers who begin viewing a program after a first group of viewers may "catch up" to the first group. Whenever such an "intersection" occurs, the groups are merged and view the remainder of the movie on a single feed. In this manner the total number of feeds to required to provide video on demand service to a large number of viewers is reduced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.