Abstract: A massively parallel computer system employs hundreds or thousands of otherwise-idle microprocessors in set-top boxes distributed throughout a cable television system. Coupling between these processing nodes is effected by the cable television distribution network, which provides an asymmetrical transmission speed characteristic that is well suited for many parallel applications. The system is tolerant of interruptions due to preemption of set-top boxes for television viewing.

Abstract: An assembly or system for effecting control of an electronic device having an infrared sensor for receiving an infrared control signal from a manually actuated remote control comprises, in accordance with the present invention, an infrared sensor for receiving and converting the infrared control signal from the remote control to an electrical signal, the sensor being attached to an audio speaker assembly of an audio reproduction system. A signal generator also attached to the speaker assembly is operatively connected to the sensor for generating an RF carrier signal modulated by control information encoded in the infrared control signal and the electrical signal. A transmission link is provided for transmitting the modulated RF carrier signal from the speaker assembly to the electronic device.

Abstract: An interactive video entertainment distribution network utilizing a subscriber information maintenance system wherein the subscriber information maintenance system comprises a set-top box (STB) at the premises of an individual subscriber. A service provider headend is connected for video and bi-directional data communications with the STB, and to provide enhanced services and traditional video programming to the subscriber through the STB. A billing and subscriber management system (BSMS) maintains a BSMS database with billing information regarding individual subscribers and with information regarding traditional video programming provided to such subscribers. An interactive subscriber services program (ISS) maintains an ISS database with additional information related to enhanced services provided to individual subscribers that is not included in the BSMS database. An interactive application program executes on the STB.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of providing programming information to viewers using an interactive television or televideo (IT) system. The programming information includes video display images, and preferably a multi-frame video segment of or relating to the programming on at least one of the selected channels. In a preferred embodiment, the IT system obtains programming images corresponding to programming available on selected channels during a selected programming schedule period. Preferably, at least one of the programming images includes a video segment relating to programming available on one of the selected channels, and the remaining programming images include single frame images relating to the programming available on the remaining ones of the selected channels. The programming images for the selected programming are rendered simultaneously on the video display set of the selected viewer station.

Abstract: A communications network offers a variety of services to the customer while being able to add or modify the portfolio of services available. A service delivery infrastructure is provided, which would sit in the Service Control Point of an intelligent network architecture, and which delivers services using an array of service independent features. In the arrangement described, the service delivery infrastructure has an object oriented architecture and interacts with systems, such as billing and network management in the communications network by means of objects within the infrastructure. An aspect of the infrastructure is the provision of selected sets of services to users of the communications network, which selected sets effectively provide dedicated service networks to each customer.

Abstract: A transmitter which can easily suppress diffusion of a spurious signal with a simple constitution, wherein the on/off operations of the transmitting circuit and the carrier signal generating circuit are controlled by the first control signal which rises at the predetermined timing and falls at the predetermined timing, and the on/off operation of the modulator is controlled by the second control signal which gently rises at the same or later timing than the rise timing of the first control signal and gently falls at the same or earlier timing than the fall timing of the first control signal, so that a phenomenon which is similar to pulse modulation of the leaked carrier signal fc becomes hard to be generated, therefore diffusion of the spurious signal can be suppressed.

Abstract: A karaoke network system includes a central station for serving karaoke data and image data, and a group of karaoke terminals connected to the central station through a communication line having a common channel and a plurality of parallel channels for locally presenting a karaoke accompaniment and a background picture. The central station includes a first server responsive to a request command from karaoke terminal for transmitting to the common channel requested karaoke data individually addressed to the karaoke terminal, and a second server operative independently of the first server for transmitting to the parallel channels a plurality of different image data continuously broadcast to each karaoke terminal.

Abstract: A cable television control apparatus includes a television channel access controller connected at a node of a cable television network between the network and at least one subscriber household. All available cable television channels, including premium channels, can be transmitted by the headend without scrambling. Each access controller receives channel selection signals, such as television tuner local oscillator signals, from within subscriber households. The controller detects the channel selection signal and identifies selected channels. A channel filtering system is tuned in accordance with the detected selection signal to pass only selected channels to subscribers while blocking all other channels.

Abstract: A switching apparatus and method for routing RF scrambled signals. One of a plurality of scrambled RF television information signals is selected. A processor assigns an output carrier frequency. The selected scrambled television information signal is output by the switching apparatus on the assigned output carrier frequency.The plurality of scrambled RF television information signals is carried on an RF bus in the switching apparatus. The bus may consist of a plurality of cables. An RF switch connects a tuner to one of the cables. An amplifier is connected to the tuner. An amplitude information signal is decoded off the RF bus and is used for controlling gain of the amplifier. An up converter applies the output of the amplifier onto the assigned carrier frequency.

Abstract: To provide an interactive video service, a system is disclosed comprising a video server (VOD), an integrated services digital network (ISDN), and customer premises equipment (END) with a video telephone (TEL). The video server (VOD) has a memory (MEMO) in which a number of video signals, e.g., newscasts, are stored, as well as a transmitting unit (SEN) and a receiving unit (EMP), by means of which it is connected with the video telephone (TEL) via the integrated services digital network (ISDN). Via the video telephone (TEL), the customer calls the video server (VOD) to establish a switched connection, and selects from among a number of video signals available. By means of a control unit (CTRL) in the video server (VOD), the selected video signal is read from the memory of the video server and transmitted in real time over the switched connection to the video telephone (TEL). The customer can release the connection at any time, whereby the transmission of the video signal is stoppped.

Abstract: A video server is provided with buffer manager which balances the loads on the various "movie storage" elements of a video server by preferentially buffering streams on highly loaded storage elements. The allocation of buffer takes place only when the storage element load increases due to the arrival of a new request or when buffer becomes available due to the pausing or stopping of an old request.

Abstract: A multi-node video server system in accordance with the invention comprises disk storage associated with a first node which stores at least a portion of a video presentation in the form of plural data blocks, each data block comprising a viewing time segment of the presentation. RAM buffer in a second node receives and stores data blocks of the video presentation from the disk storage in the first node, upon an initial request by a first viewing terminal to view a portion of the video presentation. A communication module in the second node outputs the data blocks, as an isochronous data stream, to requesting terminals. A host controller is coupled to the video server nodes and receives requests from viewing terminals for the video presentation. The host controller causes the communication module in the second node to connect to a viewing terminal which renders the initial request.

Abstract: An interactive cable TV system includes a large number of set-top terminals that are connected to a system headend by way of a low-speed, time division multiplexed, channel. The headend includes the mass storage of multimedia data-assets that each contain a large number of individual data-items that may be of interest to various set-top users. A set-top user initiates an inquiry to the data-asset storage by way of an item-descriptor comprising a word-picture of the item. When this set-top query is received at the headend, a table or list is established whereby the query and its set-top ID are associated with related data assets. As the headend's data-asset storage is changed from time to time, the changes that relate to listed set-top queries result in an update of the query list. This updated data-asset information is sent to the related set-tops immediately, or is sent only when the headend receives a request from the related set-top.

Abstract: An advanced intelligent network (AIN) comprises an services control point providing fully integrated service logic for both narrowband and broadband communications. When a terminating trigger event of a switch on the phone number of the line serving a customer detects an incoming telephone call, the switch sends a query to the services control point with the calling number of the incoming call. The services control point retrieves calling party information corresponding to the calling number directly from a line identification database and issues a send data transaction with the retrieved calling party information to the customer's set-top box. The calling party information is then displayed on the customer's video display.

Abstract: A broadband communication system (SYS), which is used to distribute television, radio and video signals, is additionally used for transmitting data signals from one subscriber (TN) to another subscriber (TN). The center (ZE) of the broadband communication system (SYS) has a service-on-demand server (SOD) which contains a control facility (CONTROL). The control facility (CONTROL) receives information transmitted by a subscriber (TN) via the return channel (R) to the center, performs a frequency conversion and transmits the information via the downstream channel (V) to all the subscribers (TN) of the broadband communication system (SYS). The information contains a source address, a destination address and the subscriber-specific data to be transmitted. Only subscribers (TN) whose address coincides with the destination address are able to interpret the information through a modem MODEM.

Abstract: A waveform generating system generates one or more quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) spectrum pairs which are combined with a frequency modulated (FM) spectrum in the center. The QAM spectrums are offset in frequency to result in a gap in the center to allow combining of the FM spectrum without interference.

Abstract: An architecture for distributing digital information to subscriber units wherein selection from among multiple digital services is accomplished by transmitting a tuning command from a subscriber unit to an intermediate interface. The intermediate interface selects the desired service from a broadband network and transmits it to the subscriber unit over a bandwidth-constrained access line. The bandwidth-constrained access line may be implemented with existing infrastructure, yet the subscriber unit may access a wide variety of digital information available on the broadband network. Universal broadband access is thus provided at low cost.

Abstract: A wireless video terminal (17) creates a control signal for requesting video data. This control signal includes the type of the requested video data, a method of transmitting the video data, a position registration request and the like. The wireless video terminal (17) requests the video data by transmitting this control signal to a video server (11) through a base-station for control-data (19) and a network (13). The video server (11) transmits the requested video data to the wireless video terminal (17) requesting the video data through a designated channel, via the network (13), a router for video-data (14) and a base-station for video-data (15).

Abstract: The present invention includes a system for transmitting, receiving, storing and replaying a user selected program, which has a service center including an electronic user accessible interface and an electronically stored library of user selectable programs. It includes a base unit having an electronic interface that is electronically interconnectable with the service center's user interface to receive the user selected programs, and an output port that interconnects the base unit with a cassette.The cassette includes a data input port for the reception of electronic data representing the selected programs from the base unit output port, and a memory storage to store the electronic data. The cassette is insertable into and interconnectable with electromechanical components of a standard magnetic tape audio cassette player whereby the stored program selections are transmitted from the cassette to the audio cassette player for broadcasting.

Abstract: The present invention describes a new digital video tape recorder apparatus and method in which video channels are simultaneously recorded in a recording mode, and in which any of the recorded video channels is reproduced when in a reproducing mode. The apparatus includes a first selector unit for generating signals for identifying one or more channels containing video signals to be recorded. A receiver sends the channel identifying signals to a transmitter, which, in turn, uses the channel identifying signals to selectively identify the channels to be transmitted to the receiver. The transmitter compresses and multiplexes the video signals of the channels selected by the receiver. The receiver receives the compressed and multiplexed signals, and records and stores the received signals. A demultiplexer selectively demultiplexes the channels transmitted to the receiver, and a memory records or stores the signals in the demultiplexed channels.

Abstract: A public switched telephone network (PSTN) provides digital video signals from a video information provider to one or more of a plurality of subscriber premises. A subscriber uses either a standard telephone instrument over the PSTN or a dedicated control device over an ISDN packet network to order video programming. The request is transmitted to a designated video information provider and digital transmission connectivity is established between the video information provider and the central office serving the subscriber. Connectivity between the central office and subscriber is provided by asymmetrical digital subscriber line interface units over a local loop. The interface units frequency multiplex digital video information with voice information to the subscriber and support transmission of a reverse control channel from the subscriber to the central office for transmission on the ISDN packet data network back to the video information provider.

Abstract: A broadcast system supplies multiplexed channels to a plurality of receiving systems. The broadcast system preferably comprises a wireless digital simulcasting network. Each multiplexed channel carries multiplexed digital information signals relating to a group of programs. At least one of the receiving systems serves a plurality of living units. The multi-unit receiving system includes common equipment to perform as much of the processing of the digital information signals as is practical for the particular installation. The common equipment includes a digital receiver processing each multiplexed channel to capture a digital transport stream therefrom and a demultiplexer for separating out the digital information signals for each program from each digital transport stream. A switch routes selected information signals to individual drops or loops going to the living units.

Abstract: A reordering device 1.sub.-- 1 rearranges the segments of each block of time series data comprised of a plurality of blocks in block units. A selecting device 2.sub.-- 1 selects from among a plurality of time series data S1.sub.-- 1 to 1.sub.-- 4 rearranged by the reordering device 1 by switching in accordance with the speed and transmits the corresponding segments of the selected time series data sequentially to the reordering device 3.sub.-- 1 etc. as the streams S2.sub.-- 1 etc. The repeat reordering device 3.sub.-- 1 rearranges the segments contained in the stream S2.sub.-- 1 in units of blocks so as to restore the original order and transmits this rearranged time series data.

Abstract: An open-architecture digital cellular base station readily adapted to support communication over a variety of air interface standards is disclosed herein. The base station includes a wideband digital transceiver system having transmit and receive sections. Within the transmit section, an input line interface operates to couple a plurality of input information signals onto a time-division multiplexed (TDM) transmit bus. A plurality of digital transmitter modules are coupled to the TDM transmit bus, each of the digital transmitter modules generating a set of digital baseband signals in response to a corresponding set of the plurality of input information signals. The set of digital information signals are applied to a wideband summation network disposed to sequentially add the set of digital information signals into a wideband data stream. A wideband transmitter then generates a wideband transmission waveform using the wideband data stream.

Abstract: A system and method for scheduling the number of channels in video-on-demand servers so as to deal with time varying load. The scheduling process is hierarchical. A higher level scheduler controls the rate of channel consumption based on anticipated load, and a lower level scheduler selects the waiting client requests to be served when a channel is allocated by the higher level scheduler.

Abstract: The system and apparatus of the present invention includes, a triangular topology consisting of: 1) a distributor at the broadcast point which receives data and then transmits this data on the uni-directional broadcast channels, 2) a plurality of clients which receive this data and periodically connect to 3) a router which receives the requests and acknowledgments from the clients, and services these requests through its connections to remote systems such as networks, host computers, and the distributor.

Abstract: A media streamer (10) includes at least one storage node (16, 17) comprising mass storage for storing a digital representation of at least one video presentation; and a plurality of communication nodes (14) each having at least one input port that is coupled to an output of the at least one storage node for receiving a digital representation of a video presentation therefrom. Each of the plurality of communication nodes further includes a plurality of output ports, individual ones of the plurality of output ports being operable for transmitting a digital representation as a data stream to a consumer of the digital representation. Individual ones of the output ports also have an associated data buffer for buffering a portion of a digital representation prior to a transmission of the digital representation.

Abstract: A multimedia information distribution system includes one or more servers, each server having access to a database storing multimedia information for distribution to subscribers, each of the servers connected to a network such as an Asynchronous transfer Mode (ATM) packet switching network, a number of switching points connected to the network, each switching point accepting digital information from the ATM network and under the control of a resource manager providing one or more multimedia information streams through a coaxial switching network to one or more modems, wherein each modem is connected to a user's terminal by existing transmission media such as telephone twisted pair wires using Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). In an alternate embodiment, the digital switching may be distributed using a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable technique to extend effective range of transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for scheduling the receipt of desired movies and other forms of data from a network which simultaneously distributes many sources of such data to many customers, as in a cable television system. Customer profiles are developed for the recipient describing how important certain characteristics of the broadcast video program, movie or other data are to each customer. From these profiles, an "agreement matrix" is calculated by comparing the recipient's profiles to the actual profiles of the characteristics of the available video programs, movies, or other data. The agreement matrix thus characterizes the attractiveness of each video program, movie, or other data to each prospective customer. "Virtual" channels are generated from the agreement matrix to produce a series of video or data programming which will provide the greatest satisfaction to each customer.

Abstract: A data transmission apparatus comprising: data supplying unit for storing a plurality of types of data and simultaneously transmitting the plurality of types of data to a plurality of selected channels respectively; switching unit for outputting the plurality of types of data outputted from the data supplying unit to the selected different channels respectively; data storage unit for storing the data outputted from the selected channels after rearranging the data in a predetermined order; and data outputting unit for simultaneously outputting the data stored in the data storage unit from the plurality of channels after shifting the data by a certain amount.

Abstract: Apparatus for receiving and transmitting via the airwaves the audio component of a TV channel having a housing. Located in the housing there is provided a circuit located for receiving a plurality of TV channels from the airwaves, each of said TV channels including a video component and an audio component, said receiving circuit including a circuit for selecting the audio component exclusive of said video component from each one of said plurality of TV channels. Also in said housing and coupled to said receiving circuit there is provided a radio frequency transmitting circuit for transmitting a radio frequency carrier comprising said selected audio component via said airwaves.

Abstract: An image information distribution system is provided for distributing image information via a communication network to subscribers. When a subscriber changes an image information specification channel, the system changes the channel at high speed, shortening the image information wait time. An image information distribution system is also provided for offering a video on demand service. Thus, in the image information distribution system, in addition to image information requested by a subscriber, other image information is also provided for a subscriber accommodation node according to a predetermined image information selection rule. The node includes means for extracting the image information requested by the subscriber from a plurality of provided image information entries, and providing it to the subscriber.

Abstract: This invention relates to customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment, and in particular to a system that automatically constructs both a "target profile" for each target object in the electronic media based, for example, on the frequency with which each word appears in an article relative to its overall frequency of use in all articles, as well as a "target profile interest summary" for each user, which target profile interest summary describes the user's interest level in various types of target objects. The system then evaluates the target profiles against the users' target profile interest summaries to generate a user-customized rank ordered listing of target objects most likely to be of interest to each user so that the user can select from among these potentially relevant target objects, which were automatically selected by this system from the plethora of target objects that are profiled on the electronic media.

Abstract: This invention relates to customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment, and in particular to a system that automatically constructs both a "target profile" for each target object in the electronic media based, for example, on the frequency with which each word appears in an article relative to its overall frequency of use in all articles, as well as a "target profile interest summary" for each user, which target profile interest summary describes the user's interest level in various types of target objects. The system then evaluates the target profiles against the users' target profile interest summaries to generate a user-customized rank ordered listing of target objects most likely to be of interest to each user so that the user can select from among these potentially relevant target objects, which were automatically selected by this system from the plethora of target objects that are profiled on the electronic media.

Abstract: A digital modulator capable of obtaining a high FM modulation index and reducing the quantization noise without increasing the sampling frequency of an A/D converter of input voice. A phase variation .phi.(Ts) of the digital data (Ts is the sampling period) produced on the basis of the output from the A/D converter is divided by a predetermined integer N (N>1) by a divider, and is fed to an integrator. The integrator integrates the divided phase variation .phi.(Ts)/N for every time interval Ts/N, thereby producing a phase component .phi.(t) of the complex envelope of the modulation signal. The phase component .phi.(t) is resolved into cosine and sine components at the time interval Ts/N. The cosine and sine signals are D/A converted into analog signals which are quadrature modulated by a quadrature modulator.

Abstract: Portions of multimedia program (presentation) are repetitively broadcast to receiving stations with subsequent portions being broadcast less frequently than preceding portions. Blocks of at least one of the portions are broadcast in varying permutations from one repetition to a next repetition. Further, each portion is of a length which is proportional to a sum of the lengths of all preceding portions. A receiver is provided with selects blocks to be skipped (in a pyramid type broadcast) based on information indicative of the permutation selected by the server. The receiver determines the number of blocks to skip before buffering the next block for the video being viewed.

Abstract: The invention provides an image data communication system of a simple construction wherein wasteful processing is eliminated so that desired image data can be transmitted rapidly to a terminal of a source of a request for the image data. A server and a plurality of terminals are interconnected so as to allow communication of image data. A terminal information retrieval section provided in the server discriminates whether or not image data requested from a first terminal have already been transmitted to a second terminal. An image data transfer section provided in the server requests, when a result of the discrimination is that the data have been transmitted already, the second terminal for transmission of the image data and transfers the image data received from the second terminal to the first terminal.

Abstract: An undesirable energy suppression system in a contention based communications network having a shared communication path between a plurality of remote points and a headend in a simplex network or a bidirectional network. The system includes a method and apparatus for transmitting a signal on the shared communication path from any one of the plurality of remote points contending for the shared communication path, to the headend. The signal includes a gate enabling signal also known as a prybar signal. The shared communication path includes a gate where the gate connects the shared communication path when the gate is closed, and the gate disconnects the shared communication path when the gate is open. The system controls the gate in response to receiving the gate enabling signal. Absent a gate enabling signal, any signal or other energy on the shared communication path will not propagate through the network because the shared communication path is disconnected.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for transmitting information recorded on information storage from a central server via a high data rate digital telecommunications network to subscribers connected to the network. The telecommunications network is capable of two-way communication. The central server includes a central communication interface connected to the network, a magazine containing a very large number of disks, disk players, a controller for transfer of the disks between the magazine and the disk players, a central computer, a memory for storing information relating to the locations of the disks, and a multiplexer. Each of the subscriber stations includes a communication interface connected to the network, a computing terminal, a demultiplexer, a data rate expansion circuit, a digital-to-analog converter, and a transducer for converting analog signals into humanly perceptible signals.

Abstract: A mass programmable FM assistive listening system preferably consists of an FM transmitter adapted to send audio signals on a selected one of a plurality of predetermined available channels. The system includes a plurality of portable receivers which may be mass programmed to receive a selected one of said predetermined channels from a membrane style keypad. The audio signal is preferably stereo, sound equalized and within the frequency range of from about 72 to about 76 megahertz.

Abstract: An audio program of up to several minutes duration, together with identifying information, is transferred from a stationary low power radio transmitting unit to a receiving unit in a moving vehicle during a several second digitally encoded burst communication as the vehicle passes by.

Abstract: A center station 1 generates an all-channel signal 2 obtained by multiplexing signals on all channels, and transmits the signals to a selective distribution station 10 through 1 wire transmission line such as an optical fiber. Subscribers' transmitting devices 40.sub.1 to 40.sub.N transmit requests for channels to be received by corresponding subscribers' receiving devices 30.sub.1 to 30.sub.N to the selective distribution station 10 in a radio transmission system. The selective distribution station 10 selects the signals on the channels requested from the all-channel signal 2 in response to requests to receive channels serving as up-signals transmitted in a radio transmission system from the subscribers' transmitting devices 40.sub.1 to 40.sub.N, and distributes and transmits the selected signals to the subscribers' receiving devices 30.sub.1 to 30.sub.N as down-signals.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for Video-on-demand (VOD) satisfying the desire of `surfers`. The process entails a server operating in a standard Near-Video-on-demand (NVOD) mode, whereby it repeatedly transmits multiple copies of each program on separate channels. Each copy is delayed by a staggered time interval. The server also repeatedly transmits a beginning portion of each NVOD program of a duration up to the staggered time interval. The invention provides a way to fulfill a VOD user requests asynchronous with the start of a NVOD transmission but which still makes primary use of the NVOD transmission for that requestor. The invention further advantageously provides fixed asset utilization in a predictable manner.

Abstract: A transmitter-receiver system including a transmitter unit installed in an audio equipment, and a receiver unit installed in an earphone, wherein the transmitter unit includes an automatic electric level regulator to regulate the electric level of the output signal of audio equipment to a predetermined range, a power control circuit controlled by the output signal of the audio equipment to provide the necessary working voltage, and an inductance antenna to transmit output signal from the audio equipment to the receiver unit; the receiver unit is of low working voltage design, including an automatic 24-time frequency divider circuit to effectively discriminate left and right sound tracks, and an auto-shut off circuit to automatically cut off power supply when the audio equipment does no work; the transmitter unit and the receiver unit further use a respective dual oscillation frequency regulating circuit consisting of an oscillating transistor, a dielectric resonator, and two variable resistors for regulating

Abstract: Supplied with carrier and channel selection signals in a VOD receiver from a remote control data processor from a remote control switch, a switching control circuit produces demodulation and equalization control signals substantially concurrently with carrier switching started by the carrier selection signal. In response, a demodulator and a digital transversal equalizer are held in a held state. Immediately after completion of the carrier switching, the demodulator and the equalizer are turned back to an automatically controlled state to be operable with synchronism kept. While demodulation and equalization are held, a digital signal processor produces a receiver output video signal for standstill picture scenes. Immediately upon turn back of the demodulation and the equalization, the channel selection signal makes the output video signal represent moving picture scenes. The digital transversal equalizer may be an analog one connected to the demodulator.

Abstract: A system for interactive control of applications by users to whom information can be communicated by televisions in a multiservice installation includes a television program distribution server, user modules, a PABX, and an operating system. The television program distribution server (4) has means (12,13) for transmitting television programs. The user modules (6) each include a telephone (2) with a control device connected to the PABX and a television (5) served by the server. The PABX (1) has a control and management system for controlling the individual connection of the television to the server in connection with first coded signals sent by the user through the control device of the telephone included in the same user module.

Abstract: A power line communications system in which information signals are frequency multiplied in a transmitter unit, so that the critical information portions of the information signals are frequency shifted from a notch in the frequency response characteristic between an outlet in the power line communications system to which the transmitter unit is connected and an outlet in the power line communications system to which a receiver unit is connected, whereby the critical information portions of the information signals are not lost in the notch.

Abstract: A media streamer (10) includes at least one storage node (16) including mass storage for storing a digital representation of at least one video presentation. The mass storage is comprised of a plurality of mass storage units. The at least one video presentation requires a time T to present in its entirety, and is stored as a plurality of N data blocks. Each data block stores data corresponding to approximately a T/N period of the video presentation. The media streamer further includes a plurality of communication nodes (14) each having at least one input port that is coupled to an output of the at least one storage node for receiving a digital representation of a video presentation therefrom. Each of the plurality of communication nodes further includes a plurality of output ports individual ones of which transmit a digital representation as a data stream to a consumer of the digital representation.

Abstract: A public switched telephone network for providing information from a multimedia information server to any one of a plurality of subscriber premises, comprises a central office receiving multimedia information signals from a multimedia information server and orders from a prescribed subscriber. The central office includes a gateway system for conveying routing data in response to subscriber orders and a switch for routing multimedia signals from the server to the prescribed subscriber in accordance with the routing data. An interface at the central office transmits and receives audio telephone service signals, subscriber control signals and digital multimedia information signals on first, second and third signal channels. Each subscriber premises includes an interface for transmitting and receiving audio telephone service signals, subscriber control signals and digital multimedia information signals on the three signal channels.

Abstract: A computer implemented method captures advertiser information received from an audio or video signal. The method includes the steps of receiving an incoming video or audio signal, determining whether the incoming video or audio signal includes advertisement specific data of an advertiser, and capturing and storing the advertiser specific data. The method also includes the steps of selectively performing, responsive to the request of a user, at least one of the following steps: printing the advertiser specific data including current and previous advertiser specific data upon request; displaying the advertiser specific data including current and previous advertiser specific data upon request; obtaining an advertiser destination number from the advertiser specific data and automatically attempting to establish voice connection with the advertiser upon request; providing directions to an advertiser location; and determining a geographically preferred advertiser.