Information service control point, which uses different types of storage devices, which retrieves information as blocks of data, and which uses

Claims

We claim:

1. A method of communicating data, the data together forming a title in an interactive services information database, from a central station configured to administrate the information database to a remote station over a communications path, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the data in the information database as a plurality of data blocks over a plurality of storage devices, each data block being a sequential segment of the data;

retrieving the stored data blocks from the plurality of storage devices as retrieved data blocks; and

transmitting the retrieved data blocks from the central station to the remote station;

wherein said transmitting step comprises:

locating and seizing an available communications trunk; and

supplying the retrieved data blocks to the remote station via the available communications trunk and an associated communications path linking the available communications trunk and the remote station.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stored data blocks are sequentially retrieved in said retrieving step.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the retrieved data blocks are transmitted sequentially in said transmitting step.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said storing step comprises a step of distributing the plurality of data blocks over m storage devices, where m>2.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of queuing the retrieved data blocks in a predetermined sequence prior to performing said transmitting step.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stored data blocks are retrieved via a plurality of access points in said retrieving step.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said storing step comprises storing the data blocks independent of one another on playback units, each of which has at least one reading head.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said locating and seizing step comprises locating and seizing at least one additional communications trunk; and

said supplying step comprises copying the retrieved data blocks, and supplying the copied data blocks to a further remote station via the additional communications trunk and an additional communications path linking the additional communications trunk and the further remote station.

9. The method according to claim 1,

further comprising receiving a request for the title; and

wherein said retrieving step is performed in response to said receiving step.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein each data block is retrieved independently of other data blocks in said retrieving step.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in said retrieving step, the stored data blocks are retrieved in real time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in said transmitting step, the retrieved data blocks are transmitted in real time.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of storage devices additionally stores data blocks that are sequential segments of additional titles.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein said storing step further comprises a step of distributing the plurality of data blocks over a plurality of storage devices such that no single one of the access points retrieves more than a single one of the data blocks in said retrieving step.

15. The method according to claim 7, wherein said retrieving step comprises a step of assembling the retrieved data blocks in a predetermined sequence.

16. A method of communicating data, the data together forming a title in an interactive services information database, from a central station configured to administrate the information database to a remote station over a communications path, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the data in the information database as a plurality of data blocks over a plurality of storage devices, each data block being a sequential segment of the data;

retrieving the stored data blocks from the plurality of storage devices as retrieved data blocks; and

transmitting the retrieved data blocks from the central station to the remote station;

wherein said storing step comprises storing the data blocks independent of one another on playback units, each of which has at least one reading head;

wherein said retrieving step comprises a step of assembling the retrieved data blocks in a predetermined sequence; and

wherein said assembling step comprises:

performing an inventory of the retrieved data blocks, which together form the title; and

queuing the retrieved data blocks into a playback sequence.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said queuing step comprises constructing a playing table.

18. A method of communicating data, the data together forming a title in an interactive services information database, from a central station configured to administrate the information database to a first and a second remote station over a communications path, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the data in the information database as a plurality of data blocks over a plurality of storage devices, each data block being a sequential segment of the data;

retrieving the stored data blocks from the plurality of storage devices as retrieved data blocks; and

transmitting the retrieved data blocks from the central station to the first and the second remote station;

wherein the stored data blocks define respective block units of time;

wherein said retrieving step comprises retrieving the stored data blocks a first time and subsequently retrieving the stored data blocks a second time, such that said second retrieving is staggered in time from said first retrieving by at least one of the block units of time; and

wherein said transmitting step comprises:

locating and seizing a first and a second available communications trunk;

supplying the retrieved data blocks to the first remote station via the first available communications trunk and an associated communications path linking the first available communications trunk and the first remote station; and

supplying the retrieved data blocks to the second remote station via the second available communications trunk and an associated communications path linking the second available communications trunk and the second remote station.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein

said second remote station is remote from both the central station and the first remote station.

20. A method of communicating data, the data together forming a title in an interactive services information database, from a central station configured to administrate the information database to a remote station over a communications path, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the data in the information database on at least one storage device;

retrieving the stored data, which together form the title, as a sequence of data blocks, each data block being a segment of the stored data; and

transmitting the retrieved data blocks from the central station to the remote station;

wherein said storing step comprises circulating the stored data at a predetermined clock rate in at least one data storage ring; and

wherein said retrieving step comprises:

ascertaining a current location in the data storage ring of a predetermined one of the data blocks;

determining at least one read port from among a plurality of access points distributed throughout the data storage ring, wherein said determination is based on the current location ascertained; and

actuating the at least one read port to read at least a portion of the stored data, commencing with the predetermined one of the data blocks.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said storing step further comprises regenerating the circulating data at predetermined intervals.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the interactive services information comprises audio-visual information.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the interactive services information comprises audio information.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the interactive services information comprises video information.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the audio-visual information comprises movies.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the audio-visual information comprises television programming.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the audio-visual information comprises videogame programming.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the audio information comprises music.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein the video information comprises online text information.

30. A method of communicating data, the data together forming a title in an interactive services information database, from a central station configured to administrate the information database to a remote station over a communications path, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the data in the information database on at least one storage device;

retrieving the stored data, which together form the title, as a sequence of data blocks, each data block being a segment of the stored data; and

transmitting the retrieved data blocks from the central station to the remote station;

wherein said storing step comprises circulating the stored data at a predetermined clock rate in at least one data storage ring; and

wherein said retrieving step comprises:

ascertaining a current location in the data storage ring of an initial data block, the initial data block corresponding to a starting point of the title;

determining a read port from among a plurality of access points distributed throughout the data storage ring, wherein said determination is based on the current location ascertained; and

actuating the read port to read the stored data sequentially, commencing with the initial data block.

31. A method of communicating data from a central station configured to administrate an interactive services information database, wherein the data are composed of at least

first title data together forming a first title in the information database and

second title data together forming a second title in the information database,

said method comprising the steps of:

storing the first title data and the second title data in the information database as a plurality of first title data blocks and a plurality of second title data blocks, respectively, on at least two storage devices, wherein each data block is a sequential segment of either the first title data or the second title data, and wherein each of the storage devices stores at least a portion of the first title data blocks and a portion of the second title data blocks;

retrieving the stored first title data blocks as retrieved first title data blocks;

transmitting the retrieved first title data blocks from the central station;

retrieving the stored second title data blocks as retrieved second title data blocks; and

transmitting the retrieved second title data blocks from the central station;

wherein said retrieving steps comprise:

ascertaining current locations in the data storage devices of predetermined ones of the first title data blocks and the second title data blocks;

determining at least two read ports from among a plurality of access points distributed throughout the data storage devices, wherein said determination is based on the current locations ascertained; and

actuating the at least two read ports to read at least portions of the first title data and the second title data, commencing with the predetermined ones of the first title data blocks and the second title data blocks, respectively.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, in said retrieving steps, retrieval of any given one of the stored first title data blocks is independent of retrieval of a given one of the stored second title data blocks that corresponds to the given one of the stored first title data blocks.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the stored first title data blocks are sequentially retrieved in said first retrieving step and the stored second title data blocks are sequentially retrieved in said second retrieving step.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the retrieved first title data blocks are transmitted sequentially in said first transmitting step and the retrieved second title data blocks are transmitted sequentially in said second transmitting step.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein

said transmitting steps comprise transmitting the retrieved first title data blocks from the central station to a first remote station, and transmitting the retrieved second title data blocks from the central station to a second remote station.

36. The method according to claim 31, wherein said storing step comprises distributing the plurality of first title data blocks and the plurality of second title data blocks over m storage devices, where m>2.

37. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

queuing the retrieved first title data blocks in a first predetermined sequence prior to performing said first transmitting step; and

queuing the retrieved second title data blocks in a second predetermined sequence prior to performing said second transmitting step.

38. The method according to claim 31, wherein, in said retrieving steps, retrieval of any given one of the stored first title data blocks is independent of retrieval of all others of the stored first title data blocks, and retrieval of any given one of the stored second title data blocks is independent of retrieval of all others of the stored second title data blocks.

39. The method according to claim 31, wherein the retrieved first title data blocks and second title data blocks are independently transmitted from the central station to the remote station.

40. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interactive services information comprises audio-visual information.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the audio-visual information comprises movies.

42. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interactive services information comprises audio information.

43. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interactive services information comprises video information.

44. The method according to claim 36, wherein said retrieving steps comprise the steps of assembling the retrieved first title data blocks in a first predetermined sequence and assembling the retrieved second title data blocks in a second predetermined sequence.

45. The method according to claim 40, wherein the audio-visual information comprises television programming.

46. The method according to claim 40, wherein the audio-visual information comprises videogame programming.

47. The method according to claim 42, wherein the audio information comprises music.

48. The method according to claim 43, wherein the video information comprises online text information.

49. A method of communicating data from a central station configured to administrate an interactive services information database, wherein the data are composed of at least

first title data together forming a first title in the information database and

second title data together forming a second title in the information database,

said method comprising the steps of:

storing the first title data and the second title data in the information database as a plurality of first title data blocks and a plurality of second title data blocks, respectively, on at least two storage devices, wherein each data block is a sequential segment of either the first title data or the second title data, and wherein each of the storage devices stores at least a portion of the first title data blocks an