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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1 . Technical Field
The invention relates to the distribution of subscription and on-demand
audio program material. More particularly, the invention relates to high
speed recording of audio program material from a remote source on a
subscription and/or on-demand basis using a portable high capacity audio
recording and playback device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although much neglected by the public and the press in connection with the
current fascination with pay-for-view movies, video-on-demand, and other
multimedia services, sound remains the most compelling and informative
element in any form of interpersonal or electronic communication. To
understand this concept better, consider a television network news
broadcast. If the picture portion of the broadcast is lost, one is still
able to receive most of the content of the broadcast. However, if the
audio portion of the broadcast is lost, one receives almost none of the
content of the broadcast.
Radio was the most highly successful entertainment medium until sound
motion pictures and television added the visual element to entertainment
programming. The state of radio today is such that it provides a source of
music, as well as talk and news, especially for those environments that
require some level of visual concentration, such as operating a vehicle or
machinery, or working in an office. Thus, radio has been pushed into the
background as an ancillary form of entertainment.
One can listen to a radio and hear whatever is being broadcast at the time;
or one can record a desired piece of music or other program as it is
broadcast, and listen to the recording later, for example on an automobile
cassette player. One can also transport prerecorded audio program
materials, such as tapes and compact disks, and listen to them in the car
or on a portable playback device, such as a Walkman.RTM.. Prerecorded
audio programming that is available includes music, books on tape, and
various educational and entertainment materials.
All known audio program delivery methods have been generally accepted by
the public, but they are somewhat limited in their appeal because they are
time-consuming to prepare, for example making a recording for later use is
time consuming because the recording must be made in real time. They are
expensive, for example a compact disk containing a musical performance or
a book on tape may only be listened to once or twice, although the full
purchase price must be paid for such materials. And they do not offer the
variety of program material that is either now available from television
cable services, or that is available from other media, such as print
media, for example the New York Times or the Wall St. Journal.
There are other significant limitations inherent in an off-the-air
recording system that include a lack of control of the choice of program
material, and the time at which the subscriber can listen to this
material. In current radio broadcast systems, the program material is
broadcast when the station manager thinks it best. Such real time
distribution requires that interested listeners tune in at the designated
time, assuming that the station is willing or able to publicize its
broadcast schedule in advance of the broadcast. Even so, a listener must
typically endure several annoying interruptions for commercial messages,
even if listening to the so-called public radio stations. Prerecorded
materials are packaged by the manufacturer and must be used in the format
provided, i.e. all of the materials must be listened to in the order they
were recorded. Otherwise, the consumer must prerecord the prerecorded
materials to edit the content and/or order of the materials, as well as
adding other materials that were not included by the manufacturer of the
prerecorded programming. As discussed above, the recording process is time
consuming, requires a certain level of patience and skill, and is a
significant barrier to use for the typical listener. Thus, those persons
listening to a broadcast while in their automobiles have less control
because they cannot time shift a program by recording the program,
although they may nevertheless want to listen to certain programs while
traveling. Additionally, those persons listening in the automobiles may
want to listen to program material that is not normally available on a
public broadcast channel. While those persons listening in their
automobiles may listen to recordings that they have purchased or recorded
themselves when the program material was originally broadcast, the mobile
listener cannot take control of the program selection process and the time
at which the program is heard, nor can such materials be combined or
edited without a significant commitment of the listener's time to
assembling the desired materials, or portions of the desired materials, in
the desired order.
The most limiting factor in the expansion of audio related news and
entertainment services is probably the lack of program material having the
form and content desired by the subscriber, coupled with the lack of a
modern customer order and distribution system for such materials for
conveniently delivering the program materials in the desired format.
The video-on-demand industry is just evolving. However, the video-on-demand
industry has a fundamentally different focus than that of radio or other
audio-based program delivery services, i.e. to duplicate a theater-like
experience in the viewers home, not offer a commuter or other mobile
listener an audio-on-demand or subscription service. The state of the art
is therefore concerned with providing video services, not with informing a
busy commuter during otherwise idle time spent in an automobile traveling
to and from work.
For example, H. Brudner, Computer-Assisted Instruction Via Video Telephone,
U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,708(26 May 1969) discloses a teaching system that uses
a video telephone as a terminal. The video telephone is tied into a
computer and information is fed into the video telephone, while other
information is returned to the computer. A video tape recorder, containing
a central bank of pre-recorded reels of video tape, is connected to the
central processing unit of the computer and the video telephone, such that
pictorial representations, as distinguished from the alpha-numerical
representations, appear on the screen of the video telephone, enabling
interaction with the student. The central bank of pre-recorded reels of
video tape is connected to a buffer unit so that selected tape reels can
be transfer recorded material into the buffer unit, where it is played
back to the student selecting such tape. In this manner, the pre-recorded
reels of video tape in the central bank are available almost
simultaneously to a large number of students at different terminal units
in the teaching system.
See, also, the following:
C. Coddington, J. Gold, D. Klika, D. Konkle, L. Litteral, J. McHenry, A.
Richard III, PSTN Architecture For Video-On-Demand Services, U.S. Pat. No.
5,247,347 (27 Sep. 1991), which discloses a public switched telephone
network (PSTN) that provides digital video signals from a video
information provider to one or more of a plurality of subscriber premises.
A subscriber uses either a standard telephone instrument over the PSTN or
a dedicated control device over an ISDN packet network to order video
programming. The request is transmitted to a designated video information
provider and digital transmission connectivity is established between the
video information provider and the central office serving the subscriber.
Connectivity between the central office and subscriber is provided by
asymmetrical digital subscriber line interface units over a local Ioop.
The interface units frequency multiplex digital video information with
voice information to the subscriber and support transmission of a reverse
control channel from the subscriber to the central office for transmission
on the ISDN packet data network back to the video information provider.
The interfaces also allow base band signaling and audio between the
central office and the subscriber for conventional telephone instrument
connectivity;
J. Fischer, K. McCalley, S. Wilson, Interactive Multimedia Presentation And
Communications System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,410 (2 Mar. 1993), which
discloses a system 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;
D. Rhoades, Telephone Access Information Service Distribution System, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,181,107 (19 Jan. 1993), which discloses a digital, interactive
communication system designed to provide a plurality of remote subscribers
with any one of a variety of stored information service software packages
through the use of a home computing assembly maintained within the
subscriber's home and structured to display video as well as generating
audio on a standard television receiver. A bi-directional communication
link is established over telephone lines between the home computing
assembly and a central remote information storage center so that a
selected one of the variety of information services is transmitted as a
modulated carrier to the subscriber. Information service selection is
controlled by a remote information storage center executive software
program. Automatic billing is performed by computing equipment maintained
in the remote information storage center and transmitted to a headquarters
which also receives diagnostic messages associated with the remote
information center and/or the associated plurality of home computing
elements; and
D. Rhoades, Telephone Access Video Game Distribution Center, U.S. Pat. No.
5,051,822 (24 Sep. 1991), which discloses a digital, interactive
communication system that is designed to provide a plurality of remote
subscribers with any one of a plurality of stored video games or like
software packages through the use of a home computing assembly maintained
within the subscriber's home. The assembly is structured to display video
as well as generating audio on a standard television receiver, and further
incorporates the ability to use contemporary video gaming control devices
for subscriber program interaction. A bi-directional communication link is
established over the telephone lines between the home computing assembly
and the central remote game storage center wherein the software programs
are transmitted as a modulated carrier to the subscriber. Program
selection is controlled by a remote game storage center executive software
program. Automatic billing is performed by computing equipment maintained
in the remote game storage center and transmitted to a headquarters which
also receives diagnostic messages associated with the remote game center
and/or the associated plurality of home computing elements. And, also
Pocock et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,734,764 and 5,014,125 (a system for conveys
still frame video with overlaid graphics and audio to a CATV channel
during the vertical blanking interval of a television signal, including
subscriber control and selection of display material via operation of a
touch tone pad on a telephone); McCalley et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,372
(packet transmission of digital information to a subscriber via a
dedicated line/converter); Abraham, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,567,512 and 4,590,516
(telephone subscriber request and scheduling system); Harrison, U.S. Pat.
No. 4,584,603 (closed environment entertainment system including
subscriber selection and control of program material); Bessler et al, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,755,872 (pay for view system for use with cable system having
one way addressable converters); Clark et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,684
(telephone selection of video programming for cable television system);
Gordon et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,191 (telephone selection of video
programming for cable television system); Monslow et al, U.S. Pat. No.
4,995,078 (telephone scheduling of real time video broadcast over a
dedicated cable system); Lambert, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,522 (telephone
selection of video programming for viewing on a cable television system in
which a directory channel displays program selections and schedules);
Goodman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,399 (video transmission and control
over residential phone lines); and Kleinermann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,811
(simultaneous transmission of audio and image frames over standard
telephone lines).
Thus, while video distribution systems are being developed and the
video-on-demand industry proceeds apace, there is little or no effort
going into delivering audio programming, even though many people spend two
or more hours a day in their automobiles. Accordingly, an improved, easy
to use audio program distribution system would find ready acceptance by
the public.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an audio program distribution system that includes a
portable audio recording and playback device which is programmable from a
high speed download system, such as a television cable system, satellite,
or fiber optic telephone link. One embodiment of the invention uses
television cable as a distribution medium, and thus takes advantage of a
well known, established, high data rate communication infrastructure.
The portable device consists of the following components: (1) a
high-capacity data storage medium, such as a hard disk drive, optical
floppy disk drive (floptical), Digital Audio Tape (DAT), flash memory
PCMCIA disk emulation card, write once read many compact disk (WORM), or
other equally high capacity, high density storage medium; (2) a base
control interface for determining and accepting program material; (3) a
mobile control interface for displaying the identity of recorded material
for playback selection; (4) a recording mechanism for accepting very high
speed digital data from an external source, at rates faster than real
time; and (5) a playback mechanism for retrieving the stored data from the
storage medium and for converting the data into audio signals for playback
through an external audio amplifier, such as an automobile radio, via FM
or cassette tape modulation, or appropriate personal listening device,
such as a Walkman.RTM.. Operation of the system is as follows: (1) the
subscriber attaches the portable device to a cable television converter
and selects a dedicated data exchange channel, e.g. Channel 66, that
provides a menu display which includes a catalog of available audio
program material; (2) using a two-way feedback selection device, such as
the television remote control unit or a touch tone telephone connection to
a control center, the subscriber selects the desired audio program
material and then authorizes billing to a credit card or other account;
(3) high speed data transfer may begin immediately, or it may be deferred
as desired (for example, to a time when the television cable is not
otherwise in use, e.g. 2:00 A.M.); (4) after data transfer is complete,
the portable device may be removed from the base location and taken to a
vehicle or other mobile location for playback as desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block level schematic diagram of a high capacity, remotely
programmable audio storage and playback system according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a block level schematic diagram of a transportable, high capacity
audio storage medium, including base and mobile docking ports according to
the invention;
FIG. 3 is a block level schematic diagram of an integrated, transportable,
high capacity audio storage and recall device, including base and mobile
docking ports according to the invention;
FIG. 4 is a detailed block level schematic diagram showing a transportable,
high capacity audio storage medium, including the base docking port of
FIGS. 2 and 3, according to the invention;
FIG. 5 is a block level schematic diagram of a satellite based high
capacity, remotely programmable audio storage and playback system
according to the invention;
FIG. 6 is a block level schematic diagram of a broadcast based high
capacity, remotely programmable audio storage and playback system
according to the invention; and
FIG. 7. is a block level schematic diagram of a media-on-demand high
capacity, remotely programmable storage and playback system according to
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention allows a subscriber to: (1) select audio program material
from a remotely located library; (2) when he wishes to make the selection;
(3) receive the material via a variety of communications means at a rate
much faster than real time, such that it is not necessary to wait very
long to receive the program material; and (4) transport the stored program
material to a vehicle or other location for playback in a suitable
mechanism; (5) at any desired time. Thus, the invention provides a very
rich variety of program material via a wide-band high speed information
channel for storage on a subscription and/or on-demand basis available
from a much wider range of sources than is currently feasible on cable to
the subscriber, and for use when desired. The invention also includes a
system that transfers selected program material over a high speed data
link at a rate much faster than real time.
FIG. 1 is a block level schematic diagram of a high capacity, remotely
programmable audio storage and playback system according to the present
invention.
The system includes a library 18, that contains a plurality of audio
program materials stored in a digital format 12. The library may be
implemented in any known digital storage technology, for example as a
plurality of digital storage media, such as ultra fast hard drives.
Program material may be introduced into the library from a variety of
sources 14, 15, 16 that may be delivered electronically over a variety of
data communications media at high speed from a plurality of locations, for
example via modem transfer from a distributor, such as the Wall St.
Journal.
It is anticipated that one important use of the invention is as a
subscription service. For example, a daily newspaper, such as the Wall St.
Journal or the New York Times, may be transcribed each morning into an
audio version, that is then digitized and delivered to the library 18. In
this way, the library may provide daily delivery of a morning newspaper in
audio format that allows a subscriber to listen to the news in a way that
the news is not interrupted by commercial breaks and is not truncated to
fit into a tight broadcast schedule.
A program distribution system 10 is provided by the invention to enable a
subscriber to select desired programs, and to be charged for the service.
The program distribution system includes an information request manager 22
that selects a series of stored program materials from the library 18 via
an access and distribution control circuit 20. The subscriber is billed
for selected program materials by a billing and account manager 24.
Program selection may be made over a telephone line, as in shown in the
prior art, or it may be made from the subscriber's television 32 and/or a
standard interactive cable television converter 30. Orders placed by the
subscriber are routed via a cable television system 28, or from
residential phone lines via a telephone order and validation module 34, to
an input portion of the transmission system 26, from which they are routed
internally for scheduling by the information request manager 24.
The actual program material delivery system may be chosen to take advantage
of existing regional infrastructure. The invention is well suited for such
systems as cable television, interactive cable, pay-per-view, telephone,
and satellite distribution. Examples of such distribution vehicles, as
well as new and emerging forms of distribution are discussed in D.
Deloddere, W. Verbiest, H. Verhille,Interactive Video On Demand, IEEE
Communications (May 1994); R. Jones, Baseband and Passband Transport
Systems for Interactive Video Service IEEE Communications (May 1994); and
P. Baran, Satellite Communications System and Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No.
4,455,651 (19 June 1984).
During data transmission, program materials are transferred from the
library at rates faster than those corresponding to real time playback
rates for delivery to a series of high speed data transmission systems 26.
The broad band high speed data transmission systems are similar to those
that are currently used for video program delivery to cable television
head ends, except that in the system herein the program material is
subsequently delivered in digital high speed format to an individual
subscriber's home.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the transmission system 26
routes the selected program material to the subscriber's residence via any
known means, such as a cable television system 28. Once received at the
subscriber's residence, the standard cable television converter 30 routes
the program material to a docking interface device 36. Alternatively, the
cable system 28 may be coupled directly to the docking interface device
36. The cable converter 30 and television set 32 may then be selectively
coupled to the cable system 28 via control circuitry in the docking
interface device 36.
A portable program storage/playback system 40, provides a specialized set
of three interrelated subsystems that together capture the selected audio
program material, store the program material, and enable easy
transportation of the stored program material to a playback unit located
that is elsewhere, for example in a mobile environment, such as an
automobile. The three subsystems include a base docking device 36, a
portable storage unit 50, and a mobile docking device 44. Once program
materials are stored on the portable storage medium 50 as discussed above,
the medium is transferred (60) to an interface 42 provided by the mobile
docking device 44. The playback system permits the stored program material
to be played back in real time, for example over the AM/FM radio 46 in an
automobile. Operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention is as
follows:
The subscriber attaches the portable storage device 50 to the base docking
device 36, to which the cable from a cable TV supplier 28 is either
directly connected or is connected from a standard cable television
converter 30. The subscriber's cable converter is driven from a splitter
port on the base docking unit.
The subscriber selects a dedicated cable channel that displays a menu for
controlling the system, and that includes an indexed display of material
available to the subscriber from the library 18, as well as various
delivery options and transaction costs. The display may be a highly
intuitive, graphical user interface, such that the system is easy for the
subscriber to use.
The subscriber may use a two-way feedback selection device, such as a
television remote control device, to make the desired program material
selection. Alternatively, the subscriber may use a touch-tone phone to
dial a toll free number, such as an 800 number, and enter program material
selections from the telephone keypad, for example when the cable system
does not provide a two-way interactive capability. In such instance, the
cable system updates the subscriber's display such that choices made by
operating the telephone keypad are reflected immediately on the
subscriber's display. Thus, the subscriber navigates the display using the
telephone keypad in a natural and intuitive fashion. A subscriber may also
use a personal computer to access a program scheduling application, e.g.
via the INTERNET. Another aspect of the invention stores a user interface
image library at the base docking interface device in a ROM or flash
EPROM. In this way, a sophisticated graphical user interface is provided
without using any transmission time or bandwidth to support the interface.
An automatic counter at the information request manager 10 keeps track of
the duration of each selection, and informs the subscriber when the
capacity on the particular portable storage device had been reached. It is
anticipated that systems having various storage capacities may be offered
to subscribers based on the subscriber's needs and ability to pay for such
services.
When the subscriber has completed placing the order, a payment icon is
displayed that requires the subscriber to authorize billing to his
account. The subscriber may request materials on a one-time basis, which
for purposes of the invention is referred to as audio on-demand, for
example he may want to listen to a symphony; or he may want to receive
information on a daily or other periodic basis, which for purposes of the
invention is referred to as an audio subscription. These decisions may be
made during order placement, and may be canceled or revised at any time by
accessing the distribution system.
Once the order process is completed, high speed data transfer may begin, or
data transfer may be delayed until a time when the cable television line
is not being used to supply television programming, e.g. 2:00 A.M. Such
data transfer may take place over the same dedicated cable television
channel that is used to place the order, or data transfer may take place
over a separate dedicated television cable channel. Alternatively, the
subscriber may assign a channel for data transfer. It is not expected that
data transfer will affect operation of the normal cable television
function, e.g. the subscriber may simultaneously record a late night
television program with a cable ready television or a second cable
converter, and receive a subscription data transfer with the cable
television converter or directly through an internal RF
detector/demodulator.
Data transfer does not take more than a short period of time because the
data is digitized and is transferred at very fast data rates, e.g. at a 10
Mbit/second data rate, i.e. 10.sup.7 bits/second, with a 100 Mbyte storage
medium, the following amount of data must be transferred:
100 Mbytes=800 Mbits=8*10.sup.8 bits.
At a 10.sub.7 bits/second data transmission rate, it is possible to
transfer 8*10.sup.8 bits in 80 seconds. The actual length of the real time
program depends on the sampling rate, the quantizing levels, the
compression systems used, the use of packet transmission, and the type of
forward error correction employed, as well as cable network latency.
Additionally, the system may activate an error correction protocol in the
event such forward error correction fails. Thus, the system detects a
received error and dials a special retransmission request telephone
number, identifying the missing or lost data blocks. The information
request manager then resends the missing information.
All of the foregoing parameters may vary considerably according to market
requirements, e.g. with regard to quality and end-to-end transmission
integrity. An overall time compression ratio of about 100:1 is typical.
Based on the foregoing, the system allows a total program length of 8000
seconds,i.e. 133 minutes. The information real time bit rate is about 100
kB/sec, which is adequate for very high quality speech coding. The
foregoing discussion is provided for purposes of example only. It is
possible to implement the invention using different data rates,
bandwidths, storage capacities, sampling rates, compression, coding, and
encryption techniques, and total program space.
The total time required to transfer the material to the subscriber is a
function of the time it takes to transfer the materials selected by the
subscriber from the library, plus the time it takes to transfer the
materials to the subscriber at faster-than real time, typically a 10
MB/sec, transmission rate. This may take somewhere between 15 minutes and
one hour, using presently available technology. The base docking device
may provide a visual or aural indication, such as a beep, when data
transfer has been completed. Notwithstanding the example provided above,
the state of the art is such that approximately 4-6 or more hours of
material may be stored in the portable storage medium. Such medium may be
a hard disk drive, a floppy optical drive (floptical), a CD-ROM, a flash
memory disk emulation card, e.g. a PCMCIA card, and the like. It is
expected that the rapid rate of development in the technology of data
storage will produce much larger storage capacities.
For some types of materials, such as speech (typically 50-6000 Hz), the
bandwidth of the reproduced signal may be narrower than that of other
types of program material, such as music (typically 20-20,000 Hz). Thus,
the actual transfer time, and storage time of the portable storage medium,
are a function of the type of material transferred. The materials
transferred are processed in accordance with many factors, one of which is
the speed with which they may be transferred.
The invention allows materials having different bandwidths to be
transferred at the same time. In this application, each separate program
may be preceded by a header that configures the system for narrow
bandwidth or wide bandwidth reproduction. In this way, the invention
allows distribution of several types of material at the same time and in
the most efficient way possible. Additionally, some materials may be
transferred for repeated use, while other materials may be transferred for
use one time only. Each program includes a header that not only identifies
the bandwidth of the materials, but also identifies the use alloca | | |
