Multimedia on-demand server
US5720037A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 16, 1994 |
| Grant date | Feb 17, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 16, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N7/17336
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A multimedia on-demand server including a randomly accessible library of multimedia programs (such as movies stored on magnetic or optical disks), a limited amount of RAM to buffer and store selected portions of programs retrieved from the library, and an interface that switchably routes program material from the library and RAM buffers to an audience of viewers. The server employs a restricted retrieval strategy and a novel storage allocation scheme that enable different portions of one or more programs to be continuously retrieved and selectively routed to a large number of on-demand viewers, while at the same time minimizing the amount of the RAM required to effect this service. The on-demand server also responds to viewer-generated commands to control the viewing of a program. In a particular embodiment, these commands include video tape player-like operations such as fast-forward, rewind and pause.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.