The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 17, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 04, 1995
Shinji Furuya, Osaka, JP;
Tadashi Okamoto, Osaka, JP;
Ichiro Okabayashi, Osaka, JP;
Shinji Sasaki, Osaka, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., LTD., Kadoma, JP;
Abstract
A data readout time adjuster to be used for a video-on-demand system includes the following units. A readout time adjusting data storage unit stores image data for adjusting readout time to be provided to subscribers who have not been assigned the readout right and are waiting for a start of a readout operation. The image data for adjusting readout time cause no inconvenience even if a transmission of the image data is interrupted any time. A readout start position check unit checks an expected time of an occurrence of the readout right and a readout start position at the expected time in response to an additional data transmission request. A readout control unit makes at least one of the readout unit and a private readout unit exclusively provided or the readout time adjusting data storage unit read the image data for adjusting readout time stored in the readout time adjusting data storage unit until the time of the occurrence of the readout right, for the subscribers who have checked the expected time and the readout start position. A readout time adjusting data transmission control unit controls the transmission unit to transmit the image data for adjusting readout time read by the readout control unit to the subscribers who are waiting for the readout right until the time of the occurrence of the readout right.