2005 results about "Video server" patented technology

The present invention overcomes the problems in the existing art described above by providing an online digital video signal transfer apparatus and method. Rental of the digital video signals occurs within an online environment including one or more client computers and at least one network server connected by a communications link to the one or more client computers. The method includes providing access to an online catalog stored within a memory of a network video server computer. The online catalog includes information regarding digital video signals available for rental from the network server computer. Requests are then received from client computers for rental of digital video signals selected from the online catalog for a specified period of time. The requests include electronic payment based on the selected digital video signal and the specified period of time. Once electronic payment is provided, the digital video signal is transmitted to the client computer via communications link. Once transmitted, the digital video signal is viewable by a user of the client computer during the specified period of time. Advantages of the invention include the ability to rent motion pictures without having to provide additional monies for purchase of the motion pictures. In addition, the present invention provides an interface that simulates the actual rental of motion pictures within a video rental store. Moreover, during the specified period of rental, the user is allowed to view the motion picture as many times as desired, thereby simulating the actual rental of video cassettes or DVDs of feature length motion pictures.

A messaging system (1) has a provisioning server (2), an application server (3), a notification server (4), a mail server (7), and a voice/video server (8) which act as clients toward an LDAP directory server (5). A proxy (“DAP”, 6) performs high speed write operations on a subset of attributes which it determines to be dynamic attributes. LDAP client requests that do not involve dynamic attributes are forwarded to the directory server (5) in a conventional manner. The proxy (6) also joins the results of requests that have both high-speed dynamic attributes as well as “static” attributes that are stored in a directory server (5). “Intelligent” services that involve maintaining dynamic attributes for large number of subscribers in a distributed environment can be deployed.

A method of serving out video over a network of video servers includes evaluating a capacity of the network as a whole to serve out specific video items by establishing, for each video server in the network, an established ability of each server to serve out the specific items that are potentially servable from each video server. The method further includes using the established abilities of each video server to evaluate an overall capability of the network as whole to serve out each of the specific video items. The method also includes varying the overall capability to serve out at least a selected one of the specific video items in accordance with the overall capability of the network.

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.

A video-on-demand (VOD) system and method which efficiently enables a user to resume viewing of a video program from an interrupted position is disclosed. The present invention allows the user to resume viewing of a video program even if the user requests a resumption of the interrupted video program several times or through different video servers. Particularly, the video viewing characteristic information of a user terminal is not managed by a video server of the VOD system, but is managed by the user terminal. Accordingly, when a user interrupts viewing of a video program, the video server transmits to the user terminal user profile information which includes the characteristic information related to the viewing of the video program. Thereafter, if the user requests resumption of the interrupted video program using the user profile information, the video server re-transmits the video program from the interrupted position of the video program.

A video server provides video content to a client via a network. At the instruction of the video server, a player at the client contacts an ad server and downloads one or more creatives and a controller file to the client. The controller file indicates how the creative manifests itself in play. The player displays the video content in a display area at the client. The controller file causes the creative to appear as an animated overlay over the video content. User interface elements indicate the point in the video when the creative appears, and allow the user to minimize and replay the creative. The player can also display other creatives, such as a static creative that is associated with the animated creative. A user can select the creative to view additional information about a product advertised by the creative.

A heterogeneous information system such as a digital library often uses a database manager together with other data resource manager(s), such as an object server or a video server, to manage digital content. Such a system often needs to maintain an application-specific database and/or to handle application-specific operational requirements. To facilitate system integration and application development, an application-independent reusable product is created which generates a custom system component or utility, such as a loader, according to a specification provided by a system integrator or an application developer.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method for monitoring usage of a channel, including monitoring upstream information, and determining usage of the channel in response to the monitoring is disclosed. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a service module for monitoring usage of a channel includes a data input operative to monitor upstream information, and a processor that determines usage of the channel in response to the data input is disclosed. In accordance with another aspect of present invention, the method and module also include monitoring video delivery path performance and detecting potential denial-of-service (DoS) attacks to video servers is disclosed.

A method of providing programming content from a video server to a client coupled to the video server by a video content network includes the steps of sending, to the client, a playlist describing an interrelationship between at least one program segment and at least one related segment; sending, from the video server to the client over the video content network, video content comprising the at least one program segment and the at least one related segment; and modifying the playlist via communication to the client. The steps of sending the playlist, sending the content, and modifying the playlist are all accomplished within a single video-on-demand session per user.

Systems and methods of monitoring packet delivery are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes querying multiple network devices for performance metrics corresponding to video data packets sent from a video server. The network devices may include multicast branching points between the video server and the destination. A delivery failure may be identified based on the performance metrics, and a response to the delivery failure may be initiated.

An Internet gateway video server transmits selection information to a set top box connected to a television. The set top box displays the selection information on the television. A user views the selection information, and inputs user selection requests to the set top box. The Internet gateway video server receives user the requests for information and retrieves the information. The server then converts the network information from a network format to a television format. The conversion includes scanning the network information for selection elements, and adding selection elements for transmission in the television format. The converted network information is then transmitted to the set top box for display on the television. The user may then make further selections based on the displayed network information.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for dynamically altering a portion of a digital video image based upon a user profile. A source, such as a network feed or video server, sends a digital video image to a broadband network. The broadband network includes a multicast router, a service node, and a broadband access network. The multicast router receives the digital video image and sends it to a video processor. The video processor can be located in the service node or in a subscriber terminal connected to the broadband network. The video processor retrieves a profile associated with a user. The profile includes information pertaining to a desired characteristic relating to the first user. The video processor digitally alters a portion of the digital video image with a replacement digital image based upon the desired characteristic to produce a dynamically altered video image.

The invention relates to an intelligent monitoring and anti-theft system for a family. The system comprises an intelligent monitoring system, an automatic warning system and a network server. The intelligent monitoring system stores videos recorded by a camera in the network video server so that an intelligent video analyzing system can analyze figure information in the videos. Therefore, the purposes of monitoring from the videos whether strangers enter, recognizing faces of the entering strangers and sending the figure information to a mobile phone of a user are achieved, and the purpose that the user can remotely monitor family safety is achieved. By means of the intelligent monitoring and anti-theft system, an unmanned work mode used when the user goes out and a night work mode used when the user is at home can be achieved so that 24-hour intelligent monitoring of the family can be achieved. When the strangers enter a room, the system can automatically alarm through sound and effectively guarantee property safety of the user.