Abstract: A channel-switching multicast distribution apparatus in a system for providing channels by multicast. The apparatus includes a device for receiving multicast data of a first multicast group for a first channel; a device for storing the received multicast data; a delaying device for reading the stored multicast data, and delaying the data by a predetermined time; and a transmission device for transmitting the delayed data through a second multicast group for performing channel switching so as to select the first channel. Instead of the delaying device and the transmission device, a data rearranging device for reading the stored multicast data, and rearranging the data so as to change the order of packets thereof; and a transmission device for transmitting the rearranged data through a second multicast group for performing channel switching so as to select the first channel may be provided.

Abstract: A channel-switching multicast distribution apparatus in a system for providing channels by multicast. The apparatus includes a device for receiving multicast data of a first multicast group for a first channel; a device for storing the received multicast data; a delaying device for reading the stored multicast data, and delaying the data by a predetermined time; and a transmission device for transmitting the delayed data through a second multicast group for performing channel switching so as to select the first channel. Instead of the delaying device and the transmission device, a data rearranging device for reading the stored multicast data, and rearranging the data so as to change the order of packets thereof; and a transmission device for transmitting the rearranged data through a second multicast group for performing channel switching so as to select the first channel may be provided.

Abstract: A distributed multimedia server device for delivering requested multimedia data to terminals is formed by more than one storage server modules for distributedly storing fixed length multimedia blocks dividing each multimedia data, and reading out multimedia blocks in response to multimedia block read requests, more than one communication server modules, each capable of receiving a multimedia data read request for one multimedia data from a terminal through a connection set up with respect to the terminal, issuing the multimedia block read requests to the storage server modules so that the storage server modules read out multimedia blocks corresponding to that one multimedia data, and periodically delivering the multimedia blocks read out and transferred by the storage server modules to the terminal through the connection using a delivery period corresponding to a playback time of one multimedia block, and an inter-server module network for supporting communications between any of the storage server modules an

Abstract: A novel apparatus is provided for inspecting defects in cigarette bundles layered in buckets which are fixed to a bucket conveyor. The defects include tip fall state where the top content of cigarette piece is dropped off, loss of filter and shortage in the number of cigarette pieces. The apparatus consists of a gate time measuring device, a dark time measuring device, a computing device and a comparison device. The gate time measuring device measures gate time showing the passing time of the internal length of buckets, and the dark time measuring device measures dark time showing the passing time of a defective part of cigarette and of spaces between cigarette pieces. The computing device selects the maximum value of the dark time and computes a percentage of the gate time to the maximum value. The comparison device then compares the computed value with a predetermined value so as to determine whether or not there are defects in cigarette piece bundles.