Telaction Corporation

James L Fischer

Steven D Wilson

Karl W McCalley

Karl W Mccalley

Richard M McNorgan

Kenneth P Belau

Allan E Lodberg

A presentation player is described for use in an interactive digital communications system which may selectively communicate particular multimedia presentations to each of a plurality of subscribers along a CATV cable network, or other communications network. The player is part of a digital interactive system that distributes information representing requested presentations in the form of digital data on distribution channels to a plurality of presentation players located along the communications network. Each of the subscribers has a television set connected to one of these presentation players. The digital data is uniquely addressed to a particular subscriber and is processed by his corresponding presentation player to produce analog TV signals comprising the multimedia presentation. The presentation player automatically tunes itself to a distribution channel and can process data which include motion video sequences, background music, and real-time live video images, in addition to still-video images with audio commentary. The presentation player of the present invention comprises a converter capable of receiving the distribution channel frequencies and selecting one of those frequencies for further processing of digital data transmitted thereon.

Presentation player for an interactive digital communication system

A system is provided for interactively and selectively communicating particular multimedia presentations to each of a plurality of subscribers along a CATV cable network. The subscriber communicates his selections, both for viewing particular presentations from a menu and for transactions with respect to the information and products being viewed, by entering codes on his Touch-Tone telephone pad. Subscriber input signals are communicated as digital signals through the intercommunications network and response signals are generated, ultimately as analog TV signals for viewing by the subscriber.

Interactive multimedia presentation and communications system

An audio-video presentation display system based on manipulation of digitized information is disclosed for use in an interactive communications system wherein a subscriber may select for viewing on a television screen a plurality of audio-video presentations consisting of particular sequences of selected video frames and accompanying audio information. The audio-video presentation display system is responsive to commands from a host computer which designates and prepares the presentation for playback to the television of the subscriber who has requested it. The audio-video presentation display system includes a digital mass storage subsystem which provides for digital storage of compressed video and digitized audio information, and a plurality of digital audio-video display subsystems which include mechanisms for retrieving the selected digitized information from the storage subsystem, a subsystem for expanding and reformatting the data into a format suitable for television transmission, and another subsystem for controlling the transmission of the information to the subscriber who has requested it.

Digital audio-video presentation display system

The present invention relates to a presentation player which is utilized in a digital, interactive communication system accessible to a plurality of subscribers who can select any of a plurality of pre-recorded video/audio presentations for viewing on their television sets. The presentation player includes a converter which is tuned to a channel for monitoring a digital stream of information including digital packets representative of the video/audio presentations selected by subscribers. These digital packets of information include an address assigned to the particular requesting subscriber. In accordance with this addressing information, a controller distributes the digital packet of information to one of a plurality of subscriber servers housed within the presentation player. The subscriber server receiving the uniquely addressed digital packets converts the packet into an NTSC-compatible analog formatted video/audio presentation for transmission to the requesting subscriber.

Presentation player

The present invention relates to a digital interactive communication system accessible to a plurality of subscribers who can select by means of their touch-tone telephones any of a plurality of pre-recorded video presentations representative of products and services for sale. In this system, the subscriber requests are received by a voice network interface which is coupled to a local area network. A plurality of data processors, typically single-board computers, capable of various tasks are operatively connected to the local area network. A number of these data processors are each dedicated to serving one subscriber during a requesting session. Other data processors coupled to the local area network provide either navigational, subscriber, or purchase information during a subscriber session. Also coupled to the local area network is a large-scale data base which stores digital information representing the video presentations which are requested by subscribers for viewing on their televisions sets. Coupled to the large-scale data base is a second local area network, for transmitting the digital information representing the video presentations to a CATV network for distribution to the subscriber's television set.

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Barrington, IL, United States of America

James L Fischer