Burst transmission apparatus and method for audio/video information
Nickname - "One of the Burst.com patents"
An improved video recorder/transceiver with expanded functionality ("VCR-ET") including a capability for storing video and video programs in digital format, editing such programs, transferring such programs onto a hard copy magnetic media, and transmitting such programs to a remote location using a second VCR-ET. The increased functionality is realized through the use of analog to digital conversion, signal compression and intermediate storage in an integrated circuit, random access memory. The recorder/transmitter has capabilities to transmit and receive program information in either a compressed or decompressed format over fiber optic lines, conventional phone lines or microwaves.
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1. An audio/video transceiver apparatus comprising:
input means for receiving audio/video source information, said audio/video source information comprising a multiplicity of video frames collectively representing at least one full motion video program;
compression means, coupled to said input means, for compressing said audio/video source information into a digital time compressed representation thereof, wherein said digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information
is capable of being transmitted in a burst transmission time period that is substantially shorter than a time period associated with real time viewing by a receiver of said audio/video source information;
storage means, coupled to said compression means, for storing said digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information; and
transmission means, coupled to said storage means, for transmitting said digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information away from said audio/video transceiver apparatus in said burst transmission time period.
2. The audio/video transceiver apparatus of claim 1, further comprising editing means, coupled to said storage means, for editing the digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information stored in said storage means and for storing the edited digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information in said storage means.
3. The audio/video transceiver apparatus of claim 2, wherein said transmission means is configured to receive the edited digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information and to transmit the edited digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information away from said audio/video transceiver apparatus in said burst transmission time period.
4. The audio/video transceiver apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
decompression means, coupled to said storage means, for selectively decompressing the digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information stored in said storage means; and
editing means, coupled to said decompression means and said storage means, for editing the decompressed digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information, and for then storing the edited decompressed digital time
compressed representation of said audio/video source information in said storage means.
5. The audio/video transceiver apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input means comprise analog to digital converter means for converting analog audio/video source information received at said input means to corresponding digital audio/video source information.
6. An audio/video information transfer network comprising a plurality of audio/video transceivers coupled via at least one communication link, each of the audio/video transceivers comprising:
input means for receiving audio/video source information, said audio/video source information comprising a multiplicity of video frames collectively representing at least one full motion video program;
compression means, coupled to said input means, for compressing said audio/video source information into a digital time compressed representation thereof, wherein said digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information
is capable of being transmitted in a burst transmission time period that is substantially shorter than a time period associated with real time viewing by a receiver of said audio/video source information;
storage means, coupled to said compression means, for storing said digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information; and
transmission means, coupled to said storage means, for transmitting said digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information away from said audio/video transceiver apparatus in said burst transmission time period.
7. The audio/video transfer network of claim 6, wherein:
said input means of at least one of said plurality of audio/video transceivers includes a fiber optic input port;
said transmission means of at least one other of said plurality of audio/video transceivers includes a fiber optic output port; and
said at least one communication link includes a fiber optic transmission line coupling in communication said fiber optic input port with said fiber optic output port.
8. The audio/video transfer network of claim 6, wherein said transmission means of at least one of said plurality of audio/video transceivers includes a modem, and said at least one communication link includes a telephone transmission line.
9. The audio/video transfer network of claim 6, wherein at least one of said audio/video transceivers further comprises editing means, coupled to said storage means, for editing the digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information stored in said storage means and for storing the edited digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information in said storage means.
10. The audio/video transfer network of claim 6, wherein at least one of said audio/video transceivers further comprises:
decompression means, coupled to said storage means, for selectively decompressing the digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information stored in said storage means; and
editing means, coupled to said decompression means and said storage means, for editing the decompressed digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information, and for then storing the edited decompressed digital time
compressed representation of said audio/video source information in said storage means.
11. The audio/video transceiver network of claim 6, wherein at least one of said plurality of audio/video transceivers further comprises analog to digital converter means for converting analog audio/video source information received at said input means to corresponding digital audio/video source information.
12. A method for handling audio/video source information, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving audio/video source information, said audio/video source information comprising a multiplicity of video frames collectively constituting at least one full motion video program;
compressing the received audio/video source information into a digital time compressed representation thereof, the digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information having an associated burst transmission time period
that is substantially shorter than a time period associated with real time viewing by a receiver of said audio/video source information;
storing the digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information; and
transmitting, in said burst transmission time period, the stored digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information to a selected destination.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
editing the stored time compressed representation of said audio/video source information; and
storing the edited time compressed representation of said audio/video source information.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of converting the received audio/video information from an analog format to a digital format.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of transmitting the stored digital time compressed video information further comprises sending said time compressed data to one of a plurality of audio/video transceivers connected over at least one communications link.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said at least one communications link comprises an optical channel.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one communications link comprises a telephone transmission channel.
18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of providing a network that includes a plurality of audio/video transceivers, coupled via at least one communications link, said selected destination comprising at least one of said plurality of audio/video transceivers.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one communications link comprises an optical channel.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one communications link comprises a telephone transmission channel.
21. A method for handling audio/video source information, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving audio/video source information as a digital time compressed representation thereof, said audio/video source information comprising a multiplicity of video frames collectively constituting at least one full motion video program selected
from a video library storing a plurality of video programs in a digital time compressed representation thereof for selective retrieval;
said at least one video program being received by a receiver in a burst transmission time period that is substantially shorter than a time period associated with real-time viewing by a receiver of said at least one video program;
storing the digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information; and
transmitting, in said burst transmission time period, the stored digital time compressed representation of said audio/video source information to a selected destination.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of providing a network that includes a plurality of audio/video transceivers, coupled via at least one communications link, said selected destination comprising at least one of said plurality of audio/video transceivers.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one communications link comprises an optical channel.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one communications link comprises a telephone transmission channel.
Comments from the community
2 comments have been received for United States Patent No. 5,995,705. Want to add another?
#1|FizzMaster comments:
Apple filed a declaratory judgment action against Burst.com on the following patents:
4,963,995
5,164,839
5,057,932
5,995,705
Judge Patel of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued a Markman ruling construing 16 terms from the claims of these patents. The claim construction was viewed as being very favorable to Burst.com, and the parties recently settled the suit with Apple apparently paying Burst.com $10M USD and Burst.com pledging not to sue Apple on these (and apparently other) patents.
A copy of the Markman ruling is available here.
#2|Anonymous comments:
Here's an ArsTechnica story on the settlement of the Apple/Burst lawsuit involving this patent.