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:
Apr. 25, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 08, 1996
William Allen Mills, Ijamsville, MD (US);
Tien Haphi Nguyen, Clifton, VA (US);
Tien Michael Nguyen, Columbia, MD (US);
Frank L Stein, Vienna, VA (US);
Srivatsa Krishnaswamy, Bangalore, IN;
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An interactive video system supports functions typically expected with a VCR such as play, pause, fast forward and rewind. A set top box is coupled to a display terminal and a first interface. The set top box includes a memory for storing an operating system in set top enabling codes. A video dial tone network includes a control channel and a data channel coupled to a second interface linked to the first interface. A first gateway controls establishment of a video session between a video server and the display terminal. A second gateway establishes connection between the video server and the set top box over a data channel in response to an input from the first gateway. An application server coupled to the first gateway and the video server contains executable code for transferring video data, video and audio information from the video server to the display terminal. The application server includes a shared queue coupled to a plurality of application engines and set top boxes and includes program code for multi-tasking operation. The code operates the application engines in response to application tables to provide video transmission as a panel object indicative of the state of set top boxes in a video session.