||||||||
`
`USOO5721878A
`Patent Number:
`Date of Patent:
`
`5,721878
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`United States Patent (19)
`Ottesen et al.
`
`11
`45
`
`54
`
`(75
`
`MULTIMEDIA CONTROL SYSTEMAND
`METHOD FOR CONTROLLING
`MULTIMEDIA PROGRAM PRESENTATION
`
`Inventors: Hal Hjalmar Ottesen; Gordon J.
`Smith; George Willard VanLeeuwen,
`all of Rochester, Minn.
`
`73
`
`Assignee: International Business Machines
`Corporation. Armonk, N.Y.
`
`21
`22
`51
`52)
`58
`
`56)
`
`Appl. No.: 473,315
`Filed:
`Jun. 7, 1995
`Int. Clar. HO4N 7/14
`U.S.C. ............................................. 395/500; 348/7
`Field of Search ............................. 395/500; 455/4.2:
`364/514 A; 348/7
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`4,142,209 2/1979 Hedlund et al. .......................... 386/95
`4.420,828 12/1983 Yoshida et al.
`... 369/47
`4,475,132 10/1984 Rodesch .....
`... 386/92
`4,761,694 8/1988 Shudo et al.
`... 386/95
`4,797,752
`l/1989 Giddings ..............................., 386.25
`4,916,682 4/1990 Tomoda et al.
`... 369/32
`4,949,187
`8/1990 Cohen ....................................... 386/69
`4,972,190 11/1990 Primeau et al.
`341/55
`5,113,439 5/1992 Hashimoto .................................. 380/7
`5,191,410 3/1993 McCalley et al. ........................ 358/86
`5,197,051
`3/1993 Tomoda et al. ........................... 369/14
`5,208,665 5/1993 McCalley et al. ........................ 34.8/12
`5,257,111 10/1993 Kakuyama .........
`33612.5
`5,260,800 11/1993 Sturm et al. ................................ 386/2
`5,291.343 3/1994 Goto...............
`... 38.6/96.
`5,341,474 8/1994 Gelman et al. ......................... 395/200
`
`(List continued on next page.)
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`0 265 167 8/1989 European Pat. Off. ........ G11B 27/OO
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`Taylor, Herb et al. The Magic Video-on-Demand Server
`and Real-Time Simulation System, IEEE, 1995, pp. 40-51.
`Lougher, Phillip et al., The Impact of Digital Audio and
`Video on High-Speed Storage, IEEE, 1994, pp. 84-89.
`Sincoskie, W. D. System architecture for a large scale video
`on demand service, Computer Networks and ISDN Systems
`22, 1991, 155-162.
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Multimedia Extensions
`to Tutorial Manager for Officevision, vol. 33, No. 2, Jul.
`1990, p. 440.
`(List continued on next page.)
`Primary Examiner-Gary Chin
`Assistant Examiner-Matthew Loppnow
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Mark A. Hollingsworth
`57
`ABSTRACT
`An apparatus and method for effectuating local reception
`and processing of source program signals representative of
`a compressed digital multimedia program received from a
`remote multimedia server are disclosed. The multimedia
`server transmits a selected multimedia program as a custom
`ordered series of discrete program segments to a local
`set-top control system, which buffers and decompresses the
`compressed program segments for presentation on a local
`display monitor. A local set-top control system preferably
`includes a direct access storage device adapted to buffer a
`predetermined number of compressed program segments
`received from a multimedia server, some of which may be
`non-sequentially ordered and others of which may be
`sequentially ordered. A novel formatting methodology pro
`vides for the sequential presentation of the program seg
`ments asynchronously distributed on one or more data
`storage disks disposed in the direct access storage device. A
`user-definable presentation control window for performing
`local VCR-type presentation control functions for the por
`tion of a multimedia program buffered in the direct access
`storage device is also provided through the novel formatting
`methodology. The novel formatting methodology also pro
`vides concurrent presentation and buffering of program
`segments received from the multimedia server for
`on-demand viewing of a selected multimedia program.
`
`23 Claims, 30 Drawing Sheets
`
`is Pos SPA
`
`30
`
`t
`
`ASS
`STRE
`3RR
`
`- - - - - - -- - - - -
`
`- - -
`
`- - a--
`
`d. -
`
`36
`
`BN
`SYSTE
`
`sa
`
`TRER
`
`SRBIN
`SCH
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0001
`
`

`

`5,721,878
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`5,357.276 10/1994 Banker et al. .............................. 348/7
`5,369,533 11/1994 Ottesen et al. ............................ 360/51
`5,410,676 4/1995 Huang et al. ...
`... 395/500
`5,414,455 5/1995 Hooper et al. .............................. 348/7
`5.434,678 7/1995 Abecassis ................................ 358/342
`5,442,455 8/1995 Hioki et al. .........
`... 358/342
`5,517,250 5/1996 Hoogenboom et al. ................ 348/467
`5,517,652 5/1996 Miyamoto et al. ..................... 395/800
`5,528,281
`6/1996 Grady et al. ................................ 348/7
`5.535,137 7/1996 Rossmere et al. .
`. 364/514A
`5,555,441
`9/1996 Haddad .................................... 455/4.2
`5557,538 9/1996 Retter et al. ...
`... 364/514A
`5,557,541
`9/1996 Schulhof et al. ................... 364,514 R
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Interactive Computer/
`Video Server, vol. 34, No. 3, Aug. 1991, pp. 67-68.
`
`
`
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Automatic Multiple
`Source Selection in a Video Conference, vol. 34, No. 7A,
`Dec. 1991, pp. 385-386.
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Multimedia Bitmap
`Video Imaging in an OS/2 Window, vol. 34, No. 7A, Dec.
`1991, pp. 402-403.
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Multimedia Network
`System, vol. 35, No. 4B, Sep. 1992, pp. 118-119.
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Spiral Direct Access
`Storage Device Format for Non-Stop Multimedia Data
`Transfers, vol. 37, No. 8, Aug. 1994, pp. 7-8.
`Electronic Engineering Times, Rich Boyd-Merritt,
`Video-On-Demand Battle Brewing Oct. 4, 1993. pp.
`113-114.
`Electronic Engineering Times, Rich Boyd-Merritt, Rede
`signed Disk Drives Go To The Movies, Jan. 17. 1994, pp. 37.
`39-40, 53.
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0002
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 1 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`(L?JV AJOIHd) | '91-'
`
`
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0003
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 2 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`30
`
`MULTIMEDIA
`SERVER
`
`COMMUNICATION CHANNEL
`
`
`
`
`
`SE-TOP
`CONTROL
`UNIT
`
`
`
`
`
`.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`.
`
`SET-TOP
`CONTROL
`UNIT
`
`62
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`24
`
`25
`
`REMOTE
`CONTROL
`
`:
`
`
`
`25
`
`- - - - - - - - -
`
`REMOTE
`CONTROL
`
`FIG. 2
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0004
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 3 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`99.
`
`WELSÅS
`9NITTI 8
`
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`
`Z9.
`
`HE|0100
`
`COMMUNICATION CHANNEL
`
`- - - - - - - - - - - -
`
`----
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0005
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 4 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`BROADCAST
`CHANNEL
`
`COMMUNI CATION
`CHANNEL
`
`vdls
`
`
`
`
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`
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`
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`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0006
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0006
`
`
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 5 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`5,721,878
`
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`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0007
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0007
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 6 of 30
`
`5,721878
`
`S.
`
`G
`
`s
`
`S.
`
`S
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`
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`
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`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0008
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 7 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`902V
`
`H09. W
`
`902V
`
`909. W
`/09. W
`809. W
`609. W
`0I9. W
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0009
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 8 of 30
`Sheet 8 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`51
`
`F.G. 8
`FIG. 8
`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0010
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0010
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 9 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`R O W S
`
`C O L U M N S
`C3
`
`C2
`
`C1
`
`BLOCK-C
`
`FIG. 9
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0011
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 10 of 30
`
`5,721878
`
`
`
`PACKET if
`
`FG.O
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0012
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 11 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`MULTIMEDIA
`SERVER
`
`BUFFER
`
`SET-TOP
`CONTROLLER
`
`as as a
`
`s
`
`>
`
`se as - a
`
`CONTROLLER
`
`TRANSFER
`
`BUFFER
`
`
`
`OUTPUT
`BUFFER
`
`
`
`TW/MONITOR
`
`
`
`FIG.
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0013
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 12 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`CURRENT
`TIME 95
`
`g 5 MINUTE
`REWIND
`
`C 15 MINUTE
`FAST FORWARD
`
`30 MINUTE
`
`stfin INDO
`
`90 100 110 120
`
`91
`
`93
`
`/
`
`- - - - - - - - - - - - - s
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`P it we wer
`
`up
`
`70 V 80
`60
`50
`40
`MINUTES OF MOVIE TIME 90
`
`FIG. 2
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0014
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 13 of 30
`Sheet 13 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`
`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0015
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0015
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 14 of 30
`Sheet 14 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`68
`
`FG. 4
`FIG. 14
`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0016
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0016
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 15 of 30
`
`5,721878
`
`DIRECTION OF
`DISK ROTATION
`1--
`
`
`
`
`
`UPPER
`SURFACE
`
`105
`
`FIG. 5
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0017
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 16 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`DIRECTION OF
`DISK ROTATION
`-
`
`LOWER
`SURFACE
`
`F.G. 6
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0018
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 17 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`
`
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`
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`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0019
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`
`
`XI S I (I
`
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`ASTId
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`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 18 of 30
`Sheet 18 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`V8sl‘Sls
`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0020
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0020
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 19 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0021
`
`

`

`USS. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 20 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`111
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`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0022
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0022
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 21 of 30
`Sheet 21 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`5,721,878
`
`116
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`
`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1015
`Page 0023
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0023
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 22 of 30
`
`5,721878
`
`
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0024
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 23 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`(30et d-up-9pepdm) uo? neuad0 9) IJM
`
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`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0025
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 24 of 30
`
`5,721878
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Select Media Program
`
`Specify Duration Of Presentation
`COntrol WindoW Or Default. Duration
`
`Deterline Configuration Of
`Set-Top Control Systern
`
`302
`
`3Ol
`
`306
`
`Compute DASD Storage CapaCity needed
`to. Support Presentatign Control Window:
`Subscriber Specified PTD=Ut (SeCOnds)
`Ut = D x M x L. (Seconds)
`SC = D x M x
`X SO (MB)
`SC = Ut X SO (MB)
`
`Can
`DASD ACCOM.0date
`Presentation Control
`Window of Size SC
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Yes
`
`Transmit Configuration
`Parameters to Media Server
`
`Read Configuratl On Parameters:
`Number Of DSks (D)
`Storage CapaCity of DASD (SC)
`Presentation Control Window Duration (PTD)
`Size of Input Buffer (IBS)
`VeloCity of Spindle Motor (NV)
`
`312
`
`Alert SubScriber; Request
`Modification to Presentation
`Control Window Size
`
`3.
`
`316
`
`Digitize Selected Media Program
`
`38
`
`Segmentize Digitized. Media
`POg?an Into Sequential Program Segments
`
`320
`
`GA)
`
`FG 2
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0026
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 25 of 30
`
`5,721878
`
`Organize Sequential Program
`Segments into a Customized Program
`Segment Series
`
`330
`
`Determine Number Of
`Segment Blocks (M) per
`Disk (D); Compute BOCK Indexing
`COefficient: BI = modulo D X M
`
`332
`
`Determine Length (L) Of the
`Segment Blocks (M)
`
`334
`
`Determine Size of
`Program Segment Packets
`
`336
`
`Determine Duration of
`the Transmission WindoW
`
`Transmit Prograp. Segment
`Packets During Successive
`TranSINSS On WindoWS to
`Set-Top Control System
`
`338
`
`50
`
`
`
`
`
`FIG. 22
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0027
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 26 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
`
`
`
`Le??uanbas Le???u? ? ?ulsueJ 1 pue ap0000
`
`
`
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`
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`
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`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0028
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 27 of 30
`Sheet 27 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`5,721,878
`
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`Page 0029
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0029
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 28 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`MOVE Actuator and tower Transducer t0
`OSDL of Lower Spiral Track of DiSk
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`FIG. 24
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0030
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 29 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`Spiral Outwardly to First Upper Block (M UN
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`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0031
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 24, 1998
`
`Sheet 30 of 30
`
`5,721,878
`
`
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`
`488
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`FG. 26
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0032
`
`

`

`5,721,878
`
`1
`MULTIMEDIA CONTROL SYSTEMAND
`METHOD FOR CONTROLLING
`MULTIMEDIA PROGRAM PRESENTATION
`
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`2
`system reliability. These and other related operating
`expenses, however, are typically passed on to the consumer.
`Importantly, conventional multimedia services fail to pro
`vide media presentation control features now expected by
`the sophisticated consumer after enjoying more than a
`decade of home entertainment through the use of a video
`cassette recorder (VCR). Functions such as fast forward,
`reverse, and pause, for example, are standard presentation
`control functions now provided by all or most home VCRs.
`and are typically effectuated by use of an infrared (IR)
`remote control handset. The limited transmission bandwidth
`of household telephone lines, as well as common cable
`television channels, generally precludes accommodation of
`full VCR-type control functionality when employed to sup
`port a conventional multimedia communication system
`adapted to provide on-demand service to a large number of
`subscribing customers.
`In FIG. 1, for example, there is illustrated a generalized
`block diagram of a conventional pay-per-view communica
`tion service for providing video program distribution to a
`plurality of households over a public switched telephone
`network. Movies are typically stored on one or more media
`servers 10, each of which is multiplexed to the PSTN 16. A
`telephonic ordering system 14 is generally coupled to the
`PSTN 16, and provides a means for accepting a pay-per
`view order from a customer or user 20 over the telephone.
`Upon verifying the account status of a user 20, the media
`server 10 typically transmits the ordered movie or program
`to a decoderbox. 22 coupled to the customer's telephone line
`18.The transmitted program is continuously decoded by the
`decoder box 22 to provide continuous presentation of the
`selected program on the customer's television 24. Limita
`tions in the transmission bandwidth of the telephone lines
`18, as well as limitations in the switching capability of the
`PSTN 16, generally preclude the use of a PSTN 16 to
`support a media communication system that provides high
`quality, full-motion video signal transmission with full
`VCR-type control functionality. Such limitations similarly
`impact a conventional pay-per-view video communication
`service that utilizes cable television lines.
`Other video communication systems, such as that dis
`closed in U.S. Pat. No. 4949,187, provide a local disk
`storage system for storing a digitized multimedia program
`received from a central archive library. After establishing a
`telephonic link with the central server 10 over a PSTN
`telephone network, a selected digitized movie is down
`loaded in its entirety into the disk storage system incorpo
`rated into the terminal unit disclosed in the "187 patent. This
`and other home communication systems that employ disk
`storage systems to provide local storage of a selected
`multimedia program generally require downloading of the
`entire multimedia program prior to viewing the program on
`the subscriber's television.
`Depending on the bandwidth of the telephone line and
`source transmission rate, the downloading procedure may
`delay viewing of a selected movie for an appreciable amount
`of time. Very-high capacity data storage systems are gener
`ally required to locally store an entire feature-length movie.
`Such local data storage systems must generally be config
`ured to allocate several gigabytes of memory for storing a
`typical movie in a compressed form, and several hundred
`gigabytes of memory for storing a typical non-compressed
`OWC
`The excessively large memory requirement of these and
`other conventional local data storage systems employed to
`store video programming in accordance with a conventional
`
`RELATED INVENTIONS
`The present invention is related to:
`co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/288.525,
`filed on Aug. 8, 1994, which is entitled "Apparatus and
`Method for Providing Multimedia Data;"
`co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/488.329,
`filed on Jun. 7, 1995, which is entitled "Media-on
`Demand Communication Method and Apparatus;”
`co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/488.328,
`filed on Jun. 7, 1995, which is entitled "Multimedia
`Direct Access Storage System and Formatting
`Method;" and
`co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/472,506,
`filed on Jun. 7, 1995, which is entitled "Multimedia
`Server System and Method for Communicating Multi
`media Information," all of which are assigned to the
`assignee of the present invention.
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention relates generally to communication
`systems, and, more particularly, to a system and method for
`locally controlling multimedia programming received from
`a remote media-on-demand communication system server.
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`Advancements in communications technology and
`increased consumer sophistication have challenged the dis
`tributors of multimedia programming to provide the sub
`scribing public with entertainment services more convenient
`and accessible than those traditionally made available over
`cable television and telephone systems. An improving com
`munications infrastructure has resulted in a proliferation of
`pay-per-view media services in many of the larger broadcast
`markets. Most pay-per-view systems permit the consumer to
`choose from a relatively small number of motion picture
`selections for home viewing, with the selected programs
`generally being presented only at pre-scheduled viewing
`times.
`A number of on-demand video services have been devel
`oped that permit the consumer to order desired programs for
`home viewing through the household telephone line. For
`example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,347, assigned to Bell Atlantic
`Network Services, discloses a sophisticated video-on
`demand telephone service that provides consumer ordered
`video programming to a plurality of households through use
`of a public switched telephone network (PSTN). An exten
`sive discussion regarding the inherent deficiencies of com
`municating video and other multimedia signals over stan
`dard bandwidth limited analog telephone lines is provided in
`the 347 patent.
`The video-on-demand system disclosed in the '347 patent
`and other conventional telephony-based multimedia services
`fail to satisfactorily address the adverse impact to home
`communications during periods of prolonged program view
`ing. For example, a typical theatrical motion picture can tie
`up the household telephone line for over two hours. Further,
`such sophisticated telephony-based multimedia services
`generally require procurement of expensive communica
`tions and diagnostic equipment by the pay-per-view pro
`vider to ensure a reasonable level of signal quality and
`
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0033
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`5,721,878
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`10
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`30
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`35
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention is an apparatus and method for
`effectuating local reception and processing of source pro
`gran signals representative of a multimedia program
`received from a remote multimedia server. The multimedia
`server transmits a selected multimedia program as a custom
`ordered series of discrete. digitally compressed program
`segments to a local set-top control system, which buffers and
`decompresses the compressed program segments for pre
`sentation on a local display monitor. A local set-top control
`system preferably includes a direct access storage device
`adapted to buffer a predetermined number of compressed
`program segments received from a multimedia server, some
`of which may be non-sequentially ordered and others of
`which may be sequentially ordered. A novel formatting
`methodology provides for the sequential presentation of the
`program segments asynchronously distributed on one or
`more data storage disks disposed in the direct access storage
`device. A user-definable presentation control window for
`performing local VCR-type presentation control functions
`for the portion of a multimedia program buffered in the
`direct access storage device is also provided through the
`novel formatting methodology. The novel formatting meth
`odology also provides concurrent presentation and buffering
`of program segments received from the multimedia server
`for on-demand viewing of a selected multimedia program.
`
`3
`4
`program segment being representative of a predetermined
`media communication methodology generally results in a
`commercial product that is prohibitively expensive for the
`time portion of a multimedia program;
`average consumer. Also, such systems cannot provide
`FIG. 6 is an illustration of a customized series of discrete
`instantaneous viewing of a selected multimedia program
`source program segments including an asynchronous source
`immediately upon receiving the transmission of the program 5 program segment series portion followed by a synchronous
`signals from the server 10. Moreover, VCR-type control
`source program segment series portion, with each discrete
`functionality can only be provided, if at all, after download
`source program segment being representative of a predeter
`ing the entire multimedia program onto the disk storage
`mined time portion of a multimedia program;
`system.
`FIG. 7 is an illustration of an initially synchronously
`There exists a need in the communications industry for a
`ordered series of source program segments representative of
`multimedia control system and method for receiving,
`a two-hour multimedia program arranged as a 60x120
`processing, and locally controlling the presentation of a
`matrix of 7.200 discrete one-second source program seg
`selected multimedia program transmitted from a remote
`ments;
`media-on-demand communication system. There exists a
`FIG. 8 is an illustration of 7,200 discrete one-second
`further need to provide such a multimedia control system
`source program segments representative of a two-hour mul
`and method at a minimal cost to the consumer. The present
`timedia program arranged in a 20x360 customized matrix
`invention fulfills these and other needs.
`comprising two 10x360 sub-matrices or blocks, with each
`block containing 3,600 asynchronously ordered discrete
`one-second source program segments;
`FIG. 9 is an illustration of 3,600 discrete two-second
`source program segments representative of a two-hour mul
`timedia program arranged in a 20x180 customized matrix
`comprising four 5X180 sub-matrices or blocks, with each of
`the four blocks containing 900 asynchronously ordered
`discrete two-second compressed source program segments;
`FIG. 10 is a depiction of the asynchronously ordered
`source video segments contained in the first twelve segment
`packets transmitted by a novel multimedia server during
`successive transmission windows;
`FIG. 11 is a generalized block diagram of a novel intel
`ligent set-top control system adapted to communicate with a
`remote multimedia server to facilitate asynchronous format
`ting of source program segments on a multimedia DASD
`received from the multimedia server preferably on an
`on-demand, pay-per-view basis;
`FIG. 12 is a depiction of a novel presentation control
`window effectuated using a novel intelligent set-top control
`system for controlling a portion of a multimedia program
`presentation in a plurality of presentation modes, including
`forward, reverse, and pause modes;
`FIG. 13 is an illustration of a novel multimedia direct
`access storage device of a set-top control system adapted for
`buffering a predetermined number of discrete source pro
`gram segments representative of at least a portion of a
`multimedia program to provide full local VCR-type control
`of the buffered portion of the selected multimedia program;
`FIG. 14 is an exaggerated side plan view of a novel
`multimedia direct access storage device of a set-top control
`system including a plurality of data storage disks adapted for
`buffering discrete source program segments representative
`of at least a portion of a multimedia program;
`FIG. 15 is an illustration of a novel data storage archi
`tecture for buffering synchronously and asynchronously
`ordered discrete source program segments on an outwardly
`spiralling data track disposed on an upper surface of a data
`storage disk;
`FIG. 16 is an illustration of a novel data storage archi
`tecture for buffering synchronously and asynchronously
`ordered discrete source program segments on an inwardly
`spiralling data track disposed on a lower surface of a data
`storage disk,
`FIG. 17 is an illustration of the first twenty asynchro
`nously ordered source program segments defining a twenty
`second presentation control window buffer to be distributed
`on a lower and an upper surface of a data storage disk, with
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional communica
`tion system for distributing selected video programs to a
`plurality of users;
`FIG. 2 is a generalized block diagram of a novel multi
`media communication system for distributing multimedia
`programs concurrently to a plurality of subscriber set-top
`control systems preferably on an on-demand, pay-per-view
`basis;
`FIG. 3 is a generalized block diagram of a novel multi
`media server for communicating a synchronous,
`asynchronous, or combined synchronous/asynchronous
`series of source program segments representative of a
`selected multimedia program to a plurality of subscriber
`set-top control systems preferably on an on-demand, pay
`per-view basis;
`FIG. 4 is a generalized block diagram of a mass storage
`library portion of a novel multimedia server;
`FIG. 5 is an illustration of a partial series of synchronous
`compressed source program segments, with each discrete
`
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1015
`Page 0034
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`

`

`5
`each discrete source program segment being representative
`of a one-second time portion of a multimedia program;
`FIG. 18 is a depiction of twenty data storage locations
`defining a twenty second presentation control window dis
`posed on a lower and an upper surface of a data storage disk,
`and a novel method for writing and reading discrete source
`program segments to and from the ten storage locations
`disposed on each of the lower and upper disk surfaces;
`FIG. 19 is a composite illustration of a lower surface of
`a data storage disk superimposed along side of an upper
`surface of the data storage disk, with ten data storage
`locations disposed on each of the lower and upper disk
`surfaces for buffering at any one time twenty discrete source
`program segments comprising a twenty second presentation
`control window buffer in accordance with a novel formatting
`methodology;
`FIG. 20 is a depiction of forty data storage locations
`disposed on a lower and an upper surface of a data storage
`disk defining a forty second presentation control window,
`and a novel method for writing and reading discrete source
`program segments to and from the ten storage locations
`organized into two segment blocks disposed on each of the
`lower and upper disk surfaces;
`FIGS. 21-22 are flow charts depicting general processing
`25
`steps performed by a novel multimedia server when com
`municating with a subscriber's set-top control system to
`provide on-demand transmission of source program seg
`ments representative of a multimedia program in accordance
`with configuration parameters associated with the configu
`ration of a presentation control window buffer provided on
`a novel multimedia direct access storage device of the
`subscriber's set-top control system;
`FIG. 23 is a flow chart depicting general processing steps
`performed by a novel intelligent set-top control system when
`communicating with a remote multimedia server to receive
`on-demand transmission of source program segments rep
`resentative of a selected multimedia program in accordance
`with configuration parameters associated with the configu
`ration of a presentation control window buffer provided on
`a novel multimedia direct access storage device of the
`set-top control system;
`FIGS. 24-25 are flow charts depicting general processing
`steps performed by a novel intelligent set-top control system
`when writing a custom ordered series of discrete source
`program segments representative of a portion of a selected
`multimedia program to a presentation control window buffer
`provided on a novel multimedia direct access storage device,
`and when reading the discrete source program segments as
`a sequentially ordered series of discrete local program
`segments from the direct access storage device in accor
`dance with a novel update-in-place formatting methodology;
`and
`FIG. 26 is a flow chart depicting general processing steps
`associated w