US6091883A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and device for recording and reading on a large-capacity medium
Assignee: Thomson Licensing SAS
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Filing: 1996-07-02
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Granted: 2000-07-18
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Expires: 2016-07-02
Abstract
Abstract The disclosure relates to a recording and reading apparatus constituting a kind of video reservoir in the home of the consumer. Thanks to a large-capacity storing technique with suitable technical device, broadcasters transmit numerous programs via specific channels and the consumer may control the content of his reservoir (by recording, reading and erasing programs). The invention is applicable to on-demand video in the consumer's home with a video reservoir constituting a video-library that is regularly updated by broadcasters and/or by the consumer himself.
Inventors
- 👤 Max Artigalas
- 👤 Paul-Louis Meunier
- 👤 Alain Staron
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04H; H04H60/00; H04H60/09; H04H60/14; H04H60/16; G; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/02; G11B27/031; G11B27/032; G11B27/10; G11B27/102; G11B27/107; G11B27/19; G11B27/28; G11B27/34; H04H60/23; H04H60/27; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/27; H04N21/274; H04N21/2747; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/433; H04N21/4334; H04N21/4335; H04N21/47; H04N21/472; H04N21/47214; H04N21/482; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/91; H04N5/92; H04N5/9201; H04N5/9205; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/163; H04N7/165; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/40; G11B2220/41; G11B2220/90; H04H60/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
Method of recording and reading audio and/or video information broadcast as individual programs via one or several channels by air broadcasting, by satellite or by cable TV, comprising the following steps: selecting at least one channel to simultaneously provide one or more received signals; digitally encoding the received signals; compressing and/or multiplexing the encoded digital signals; recording the compressed and/or multiplexed digital signals on a large-capacity recording medium; creating an index on the recording medium for each individual program recorded; creating at least one menu of recorded programs; selecting one or several programs from a menu of recorded programs displayed on a screen; reading said signals indicative of said selected program(s); decompressing and/or demultiplexing the signals read; decoding the signals decompressed and/or demultiplexed; reproducing the corresponding audio and/or video information; and wherein said recording on and reading from said large capacity recording medium are independent of each other, in order to enable reading of a recorded program while simultaneously recording a plurality of other programs, said other programs not always being recorded in continuous form on said large capacity recording medium, without erasing said recorded program being read.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
188 words
Method of recording and reading audio and/or video information broadcast as individual programs via one or several channels by air broadcasting, by satellite or by cable TV, comprising the following steps: selecting at least one channel to simultaneously provide one or more received signals; digitally encoding the received signals; compressing and/or multiplexing the encoded digital signals; recording the compressed and/or multiplexed digital signals on a large-capacity recording medium; creating an index on the recording medium for each individual program recorded; creating at least one menu of recorded programs; selecting one or several programs from a menu of recorded programs displayed on a screen; reading said signals indicative of said selected program(s); decompressing and/or demultiplexing the signals read; decoding the signals decompressed and/or demultiplexed; reproducing the corresponding audio and/or video information; and wherein said recording on and reading from said large capacity recording medium are independent of each other, in order to enable reading of a recorded program while simultaneously recording a plurality of other programs, said other programs not always being recorded in continuous form on said large capacity recording medium, without erasing said recorded program being read.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a locking key to prevent the direct erasure of certain of the recorded programs.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
Method according to claim 1, consisting in recording and reading video programs (television programs or movies) and/or audio programs (music, news, conferences, etc. . . . ).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein several programs are recorded in parallel and simultaneously on said recording medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
11 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein several programs are reproduced simultaneously.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
195 words
Recording and reading device recording and reading audio and/or video information broadcast as individual programs via one or several channels by air broadcasting, by satellite or by cable TV, including: means of reception frequency selection enabling reception of one or more broadcasting channels simultaneously; means of digital encoding of the received signals; means of recording and reading said encoded digital signals, including a large-capacity recording medium in the form of at least one magnetic tape with N longitudinal parallel tracks (N>2), a magnetic recording head composed of N×M recording elements (M≧1), and a magneto-optic read head capable of reading the N tracks simultaneously; means of control enabling the recording and reading of programs to be controlled independently; means of processing the reading signals in order to reproduce the sound and/or image; and wherein: said recording on and reading from said large-capacity recording medium by said means for recording and reading are performed independently of each other in order to enable reading of a recorded program while simultaneously recording a plurality of other programs, said other programs not always being recorded in continuous form on said large-capacity recording medium, without erasing said recorded program being read.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
195 words
Recording and reading device recording and reading audio and/or video information broadcast as individual programs via one or several channels by air broadcasting, by satellite or by cable TV, including: means of reception frequency selection enabling reception of one or more broadcasting channels simultaneously; means of digital encoding of the received signals; means of recording and reading said encoded digital signals, including a large-capacity recording medium in the form of at least one magnetic tape with N longitudinal parallel tracks (N>2), a magnetic recording head composed of N×M recording elements (M≧1), and a magneto-optic read head capable of reading the N tracks simultaneously; means of control enabling the recording and reading of programs to be controlled independently; means of processing the reading signals in order to reproduce the sound and/or image; and wherein: said recording on and reading from said large-capacity recording medium by said means for recording and reading are performed independently of each other in order to enable reading of a recorded program while simultaneously recording a plurality of other programs, said other programs not always being recorded in continuous form on said large-capacity recording medium, without erasing said recorded program being read.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
Device according to claim 6, including means of access control (5) to enable reading of at least some of said recorded programs after identification of an access code.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
Device according to claim 6, including means (8) of decrypting of certain of said recorded programs that are in encrypted form after identification of a specific code.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
Device according to claim 7, wherein said means of access control (5) generate a locking key, at the request of the user, to prevent the direct erasure of certain on the recorded programs.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
Device according to claim 6, including a touch-sensitive screen (7) on which one or more menus can be displayed, generated by said means of access control (5), indicating the titles and possibly the themes of the recorded programs, so that the user can select and control said device directly by touching said touch-sensitive screen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
Device according to claim 6, connected to a television receiver whose screen (7) is used to display one or more menus generated by said means of access control (5), indicating the titles and possibly the themes of the recorded programs, so that the user can select and control said device directly by using a remote controller (6).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
Device according to claim 6, wherein said magnetic recording tape (4a) can be removed from the device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
Device according to claim 6, wherein said means of processing (8, 9) the reading signals provide at least two programs in parallel that are reproduced independently of each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
Television reception decoder, incorporating within its case a recording and reading device according to claim 6.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
Television receiver incorporating a recording and reading device according to claim 6.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the received signals are encrypted and further comprising the step of: entering a specific code to enable decrypting of said signals corresponding to at least one of said programs.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-18 | 2004-01-17 | 2004-07-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-18 | 2008-01-17 | 2008-07-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-18 | 2012-01-17 | 2012-07-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |