Patent · US Expired

Process and system for video on demand

US6988278B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
13References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 14, 2001
Grant dateJan 17, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 19, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/44016
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

For providing video-on-demand (VOD) a set comprising a plurality of N video programs at staggered time intervals is repeatedly transmitting from a VOD server to a network for access by a view box of an user; responsive to a request for access to a selected program by the user, there is selection of that in-progress transmission of the selected program for which a lead-in portion is shortest and storage of the program in a buffer associated with the view box as it is transmitted. A previously stored beginning portion of the selected program having a time length sufficient to compensate for that time interval is selected, in a memory associated with the view box, and outputting to the view box for display. The in-progress transmission stored in the buffer is continuously spliced to a conclusion of the beginning portion. All different video programs in a same set are transmitted with mutual time shifts equal to a fraction of the staggered interval.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.