Various systems and methods of scheduling media segments of varying display rate, length and/or periodicity on at least one clustered, vertically-striped or horizontally-striped continuous media database volume. With respect to the at least one horizontally-striped database volume, one method includes the steps of: (1) associating a display value with each of the media segments, (2) sorting the media segments in a non-increasing order of value density to obtain an ordered list thereof and (3) bu...

A system and method of supporting pause-resume in a video-on-demand service of a type which can accommodate multiple viewers sharing a common data stream is described. When a video server receives a performance request from one of the viewers for showing a particular video, it identifies and reserves a look-ahead stream. The look-ahead stream is another video stream which is scheduled to become available after a predetermined time period. When the video is commenced, a common data stream for the...

An apparatus and method for broadcast burst transmission of compressed audio/video programs from a stored library to a multiplicity of subscibers. The stored programs are burst transmitted repeatedly in a predetermined sequence of entire programs or segments thereof to a receiver at each subscriber's location. Each receiver is operative for accessing the predetermined broadcast schedule, inputting a subscriber's order for one or more programs, monitoring the broadcast burst transmissions for the...

A multimedia information delivery network system is disclosed for delivering multimedia programs to a plurality of users at user-selected times. The network includes a wide area transmitter for transmitting the multimedia programs. Additionally, the network includes a plurality of network servers for receiving the programs and for selectively caching the programs for retransmission to downstream network servers and/or directly to one or more users at the user-selected transmission times. A sched...

Naphthenic acid corrosion in refinery distillation units is inhibited by introducing into the units effective amounts of a polysulfide corrosion inhibitor.

2-amino-1-methoxypropane is used as a neutralizing amine in crude oil distillation units. The amine of the invention gives superior neutralization at the first initial condensate compared to other commonly used neutralizing amines.

A system and method for distributing real-time, compressed, digital video data from a video library composed of multiple mass storage devices through a digital video data server to large numbers of viewers via distribution networks is provided. The server obtains selected frames of video data for viewer-requested programs from high-speed memory using a buffering strategy, replicates the data via a multi-cast technique for each viewer listed in an assigned synchronization group and forwards the d...

An on-demand communication system provides a multimedia server connected to a plurality of clients via a network. A data stream can be transmitted in response to a transmission request of a title from a transmission device at the site of the client. The transmission device will transmit a set of reproduction information, including a plurality of titles and reproduction start times to the server along with the client identification. The server contemporarily would store, in a buffer, the reproduc...

An intelligent asset management system is disclosed which includes a schedule manager for evaluation of predetermined events particular to each asset and predetermined requirements for distribution, updating, and deletion of the asset in view of real time current conditions and constraints; a resource manager for optimizing the utilization of hard disk storage devices on the system as well as optimizing the use of other types of storage devices available; a configuration manager that tracks and ...

A dual band optical system for a framing aerial reconnaissance camera is described. The camera including at least two two-dimensional image recording media for generating frames of imagery of a scene external of an aerial reconnaissance vehicle carrying the camera. The camera includes a Cassegrain optical system forming an objective lens for the optical system, including a a primary mirror having a central aperture and a secondary mirror. The primary and secondary mirrors are aligned along an ob...