Audio and video transmission and receiving system

Abstract

A system of distributing video and/or audio information employs digital signal processing to achieve high rates of data compression. The compressed and encoded audio and/or video information is sent over standard telephone, cable or satellite broadcast channels to a receiver specified by a subscriber of the service, preferably in less than real time, for later playback and optional recording on standard audio and/or video tape.

1 . A transmission system for providing audiovisual information to remote locations, the transmission system comprising: 
 a receiver, the receiver receiving audio/video material comprising compressed audio information and compressed video information via a communication channel from a remote location, the compressed audio information comprising compressed digital data blocks of audio information and the compressed video information comprising compressed digital data blocks of video information, the video information having been compressed using a technique including discrete cosine transformation and motion compensation, the digital data blocks of audio information having been assigned audio relative time markers for the audio information and the digital data blocks of video information having been assigned video relative time markers for the video information, the assigned audio relative time markers and the assigned video relative time markers allowing for realignment of the audio information and the video information;    an audio decompressor decompressing the compressed audio information;    a video decompressor decompressing the compressed video information;    an analog audio output converter converting the decompressed audio information and an analog video output converter converting the decompressed video information, the converted decompressed audio and video information being a television signal;    a transmitter for sending the television signal to a plurality of remote locations at a real time rate; and    wherein the receiver, the decompressors, the output converters, and the transmitter are at a cable headend.    
   
   
       2 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the signal receiving device, the converter, and the transmitter means are at a cable headend.  
   
   
       3 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the signal receiving device receives the compressed audio information and compressed video information over a satellite communication channel.  
   
   
       4 . The transmission system of  claim 17  further comprising an item database storing program note information associated with the compressed audio information and compressed video information.  
   
   
       5 . The transmission system of  claim 4  wherein the further transmitter-further sends at least some of the program note information to at least some of the plurality of remote locations.  
   
   
       6 . The transmission system of  claim 1  further comprising a storage device at the cable headend, the storage device storing the compressed audio information and compressed video information.  
   
   
       7 . The transmission system of  claim 1  further comprising a buffer, the buffer buffering a portion of the compressed audio information and compressed video information.  
   
   
       8 . The transmission system of  claim 6  wherein the stored compressed audio information and compressed video information comprises a file.  
   
   
       9 . The transmission system of  claim 1  further comprising a data library and a transmitter remote from the cable headend, the data library storing the compressed audio and compressed video information and the transmitter remote from the cable headend transmitting compressed audio and compressed video information in the data library to the receiver-at the cable headend.  
   
   
       10 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein time encoding of the digital data blocks of audio information and time encoding of the digital data blocks of video information allows for realignment of the audio information and the video information.  
   
   
       11 . The transmission system of  claim 2  wherein time encoding of the digital data blocks of audio information and time encoding of the digital data blocks of video information allows for realignment of the audio information and the video information.  
   
   
       12 . The transmission system of  claim 5  wherein time encoding of the digital data blocks of audio information and time encoding of the digital data blocks of video information allows for realignment of the audio information and the video information.  
   
   
       13 . The transmission system of  claim 9  wherein time encoding of the digital data blocks of audio information and time encoding of the digital data blocks of video information allows for realignment of the audio information and the video information.  
   
   
       14 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the transmitter means sends the television signal to at least one of the remote locations.  
   
   
       15 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the transmitter means sends the television signal to a plurality of the remote locations.  
   
   
       16 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the digital data blocks of audio information are addressable by the assigned audio relative time markers and the digital data blocks of video information are *addressable by the assigned video relative time markers.  
   
   
       17 . The transmission system of  claim 1  further comprising a further transmitter at the cable headend, the further transmitter sending compressed audio information and compressed video information representing the audio/video material to at least some of the plurality of remote locations at a real time rate.  
   
   
       18 . The transmission system of  claim 18  wherein the compressed audio information and compressed video information representing the audio/video material is the compressed audio information and compressed video information.  
   
   
       19 . The transmission system of  claim 18  wherein at least some of the receiving systems each comprise a storage device for storing received compressed audio information and compressed video information, an audio decompressor for decompressing audio information, a video decompressor for decompressing video information, and playback controls.  
   
   
       20 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the receiver receives the compressed audio information and compressed video information at a real time rate.  
   
   
       21 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the receiver receives the compressed audio information and compressed video information at a real time rate, the decompressors decompress the compressed audio information and compressed video information at a real time rate, and the output converters convert the decompressed audio information and decompressed video information at a real time rate.  
   
   
       22 . The transmission system of  claim 1  wherein the compressed audio information and compressed video information comprises a television program or movie.  
   
   
       23 . The transmission system of  claim 19  wherein the compressed audio information and compressed video information comprises a file.  
   
   
       24 . The transmission system of  claim 1  further comprising a further transmitter at the cable headend sending compressed audio information and compressed video information representing the audio/video material to at least some of the plurality of remote locations at a real time rate; and 
 a plurality of receiving systems, with a receiving system at at least some of the plurality of remote locations, each receiving system comprising an audio decompressor for decompressing compressed audio information and a video decompressor for decompressing compressed video information;    wherein the receiver receives the compressed audio information and compressed video information at a real time rate;    wherein the compressed audio information and compressed video information comprises a television program or movie; and    wherein the digital data blocks of audio information are addressable by the assigned audio relative time markers and the digital data blocks of video information are addressable by the assigned video relative time markers.    
   
   
       25 . The transmission system of  claim 24  further comprising a data library and a transmitter remote from the cable headend, the data library storing the compressed audio and compressed video information and the transmitter remote from the cable headend transmitting the compressed audio and compressed video information in the data library to the receiver at the cable headend.  
   
   
       26 . A transmission system for providing audiovisual information to remote locations, the transmission system comprising: 
 a receiver, the receiver receiving audio/video material comprising compressed audio information and compressed video information comprising a television program or a movie via a communication channel from a remote location at a real time rate, the compressed audio information comprising compressed digital data blocks of audio information and the compressed video information comprising compressed digital data blocks of video information, the video information having been compressed using a technique including discrete cosine transformation and motion compensation;    an audio decompressor decompressing the compressed audio information at a real time rate;    a video decompressor decompressing the compressed video information at a real time rate;    an analog audio output converter converting the decompressed audio information at a real time rate and an analog video output converter converting the decompressed video information at a real time rate, the converted decompressed audio and video information being a television signal;    a first transmitter for sending the television signal to a plurality of remote locations at a real time rate;    a second transmitter for sending compressed audio information and compressed video information representing the audio/video material to a plurality of remote locations, wherein the compressed audio information and compressed video information representing the audio/visual material is received at some of the remote locations by a receiving system, each receiving system comprising a storage device for storing received compressed audio information and compressed video information, a further audio decompressor for decompressing audio information, a further video decompressor for decompressing video information, and playback controls; and    wherein the receiver, the audio decompressor and the video decompressor, the output converters, and the transmitter are at a cable headend.    
   
   
       27 . A transmission system for providing audiovisual information to remote locations, the transmission system comprising: 
 a receiver, the receiver receiving audio/visual material comprising compressed audio information and compressed video information comprising a television program or a movie via a communication channel from a remote location at a real time rate, the compressed audio information comprising compressed digital data blocks of audio information and the compressed video information comprising compressed digital data blocks of video information, the video information having been compressed using a technique including discrete cosine transformation and motion compensation, the digital data blocks of audio information having been assigned relative time markers for the audio information and the digital data blocks of video information having been assigned relative time markers for the video information, the assigned audio relative time markers and the assigned video relative time markers allowing for realignment of the audio information and the video information;    a transmitter for sending compressed audio information and compressed video information representing the audio/visual material to a plurality of remote locations at a real time rate; and    wherein the receiver and the transmitter are at a cable headend.    
   
   
       28 . The transmission system of  claim 27  wherein the digital data blocks of audio information are addressable by the assigned audio relative time markers and the digital data blocks of video information are addressable by the assigned video relative time markers.  
   
   
       29 . The transmission system of  claim 27  wherein the transmitter sends the compressed audio and video information to a plurality of receiving systems.  
   
   
       30 . The transmission system of  claim 29  wherein at least some of the receiving systems each comprise a storage device for storing received compressed audio information and compressed video information, an audio decompressor for decompressing audio information, a video decompressor for decompressing video information, and playback controls.  
   
   
       31 . The transmission system of  claim 27  further comprising a storage device at the cable headend, the storage device storing the compressed audio information and compressed video information.  
   
   
       32 . A transmission system for providing audiovisual information to remote locations, the transmission system comprising: 
 a receiver, the receiver receiving audio/visual material comprising compressed audio information and compressed video information comprising a television program or a movie via a communication channel from a remote location at a real time rate, the compressed audio information comprising compressed digital data blocks of audio information and the compressed video information comprising compressed digital data blocks of video information, the video information having been compressed using a technique including discrete cosine transformation and motion compensation, the digital data blocks of audio information having been assigned relative time markers for the audio information and the digital data blocks of video information having been assigned relative time markers for the video information, the assigned audio relative time markers and the assigned video relative time markers allowing for realignment of the audio information and the video information;    a satellite transmitter for sending compressed audio information and compressed video information representing the audio/visual material to a plurality of remote locations at a real time rate; and    wherein the receiver and the satellite transmitter comprise a distribution system remote from the remote locations.    
   
   
       33 . The transmission system of  claim 32  wherein the digital data blocks of audio information are addressable by the assigned audio relative time markers and the digital data blocks of video information are addressable by the assigned video relative time markers.  
   
   
       34 . The transmission system of  claim 32  wherein the satellite transmitter sends the compressed audio and video information to a plurality of receiving systems.  
   
   
       35 . The transmission system of  claim 34  wherein at least some of the receiving systems each comprise a storage device for storing received compressed audio information and compressed video information, an audio decompressor for decompressing audio information, a video decompressor for decompressing video information, and playback controls.  
   
   
       36 . The transmission system of  claim 32  further comprising a storage device at the distribution system, the storage device storing the compressed audio information and compressed video information.