EP0625857A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Video server
Assignee: Alcatel Lucent SAS
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Filing: 1993-05-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-05-19
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to a video server (DS) for transmitting video signals (VS) to user stations in response to the receipt of control signals issued by these user stations and including a plurality (HDA) of memories (HDASA, HDASB) which are controlled by a plurality of memory controllers (OBC, SCSIC-A/B). It is proposed to control the memory controllers based on said control signals by a server control means (DSC, PCM1/PCMN) which includes a server controller (DSC) and a plurality of program control modules (PCM1/PCMN) each of which is associated to a subset (HDA1/HDAN) of said plurality (HDA) of memories (HDASA, HDASB) and to a subset of said plurality of memory controllers (OBC, SCSIC-A/B). This server control means is kept relatively simple if said server controller activates for each requested video signal the program control module in which associated subset of memories this video signal is stored and if this program control module, upon being activated, operates its associated memory controllers to achieve said transmission.
Inventors
- 👤 Bart Frans Voeten
- 👤 Christophe Daniel Ghislain Vermeulen
- 👤 Frank Octaaf Van Der Putten
- 👤 Frank Cyriel Michel Defoort
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 13:32
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/21; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04N21/23; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17336
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
Video server (DS) for transmitting video signals (VS) to user stations in response to the receipt of control signals issued by said stations and including a plurality (HDA) of memories (HDASA, HDASB) controlled by a plurality of memory controllers (OBC, SCSIC-A/B) and server control means (DSC, PCM1/PCMN) for controlling said plurality of memory controllers based on said control signals, characterized in that said server control means (DSC, PCM1/PCMN) includes a plurality of program control modules (PCM1/PCMN) each of which is associated to a subset (HDA1/HDAN) of said plurality (HDA) of memories (HDASA, HDASB) and to a subset of said plurality of memory controllers (OBC, SCSIC-A/B) and a server controller (DSC) activating said program control modules to transmit video signals (VS) stored in their associated subset of memories, and said program control modules operating at least one of said associated memory controllers to achieve said transmission.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 1, characterized in that said server controller (DSC) includes translation tables specifying for each of said video signals (VS) in which one of said subsets of memories (HDA1/HDAN) it is stored, said control signals including request signals for requesting the transmission of one of said video signals (VS) to one of said user stations, said server controller handling each said request signal by deriving from said translation tables the subset of memories in which said requested video signal is stored and by sending, to the program control module (PCM1/PCMN) associated to this subset, an activation signal including an identifier of said requested video signal and an identifier of said requesting user station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
107 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 2, characterized in that each of said program control modules (PCM1/PCMN) includes a memory allocation table specifying for each video signal (VS) stored in said associated subset of memories (HDA1/HDAN) in which memories (HDASA/HDASB) of this subset respective portions of said video signal are stored, each of said program control modules handling said activation signals by deriving from its memory allocation table the memories in which said portions of said requested video signal are stored and by sending playback signals (PC1/PCN) to said associated memory controllers (OBC, SCSIC-A/B) such that specific ones of said portions are retrieved by these memory controllers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 3, characterized in that said control signals further include interactive signals for modifying the sequence in which said requested video signal is transmitted to said requesting user station, said program control modules (PCM1/PCMN) handling said interactive signals by modifying said playback signals (PCN1/PCN) for said requested video signal (VS) in function of both said interactive signals and said memory allocation tables.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
129 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 3, characterized in that to load a new video signal (VS) in said memories (HDA): - said server controller (DSC) is adapted to select, based on said translation tables, one of said subsets of memories (HDA1/HDAN) for storing said new video signal, to send upload signals to the program control module (PCM1/PCMN) associated to said selected subset and to route said new video signal to this program control module; and, - said program control modules (PCM1/PCMN) are adapted to provide upon receiving said upload signals said new video signal to said memory controllers (OBC, SCSIC-A/B) and to derive said playback signals (PC1/PCN) based on said allocation tables so that these controllers are controlled to write said new video signal in appropriate memory locations.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 3, characterized in that said video signals (VS) are stored as a plurality of data packets (DP), said memory controllers (OBC, SCSIC-A/B) being adapted to transmit said requested video signal as consecutive information packets each of which includes one of said data packets and said identifier of said requesting user station, and that said user stations and said video server (DS) are interconnected via a packet switching network (BBS) using said identifier as routing control information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 6, characterized in that said video server (DS) further includes multiplexing means (PACK, DL, NA) adapted to multiplex said information packets up to the bitrate allowed on the input ports of said packet switching network (BBS) and to apply said multiplexed information packets to said input ports via a media adapter (NA) transforming said information packets in packets able to be switched by said switching network.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 1, characterized in that said memory controllers (OBC, SCSICA/B) are coupled via respective small computer systems buses (SCSIA/B) to respective ones of said memories each including a plurality of random access memories (HDASA, HDASB) with a single output for retrieving data stored therein.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
106 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 4, characterized in that a plurality of said video signals (VS) stored within one of said subsets of memories (HDA1/HDAN) are linked in the said memory allocation table of one of said program control modules (PCM1/PCMN) associated to said one subset of memories, and that said one program control module is adapted to modify said playback signals in response to at least one of said interactive control signals such that the retrieval for said requesting user station of the currently requested one of said linked video signals is substituted by the retrieval of another one of said linked video signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
111 words
Video server (DS) according to claim 9, characterized in that each of said linked video signals (VS) relates to distinct display types of a same program, and that in the said memory allocation table also specific points of these linked video signals relating to the display of a same part of said program are linked, and that said one program control module (PCM1/PCMN) modifies said playback signals such that said retrieval of said other one of said linked video signals is taken up at the specific point of said other one video signal linked to the specific point at which retrieval of said current one of said video signals is halted.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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