Patent ID: 6240552
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A system for serving information, comprising:routing means;one or more archive storage medium units connected to the routing means for storing information data;one or more delivery storage medium units connected to the routing means for partially storing information data from the one or more archive storage medium units;a plurality of end devices connected to the routing means for outputting demand data requesting selected information data, each of the end devices including input means and display means and/or a speaker system for audio information;managing means connected to the routing means for managing distribution of the information data; andone or more additional delivery storage medium units connected to the routing means for partially storing information data from the one or more archive storage medium units, whereinthe managing meansreceives the demand data from the end devices,outputs distribution control data, including channel information of the selected information data produced in accordance with the received demand data, routing information for the end devices, and copy operation information for copying information data from the one or more archive storage medium units to the one or more delivery storage medium units, andoutputs back-up control data when one of the delivery storage medium units is inoperative so that another of the delivery storage medium units outputs the selected information data according to the back-up control data, andthe one or more delivery storage medium units partially store information data from the one or more archive storage medium units according to the copy operation information from the managing means and output the selected information data with the routing information according to the distribution control data from the managing means, andthe one or more delivery storage medium units and/or additional delivery storage medium units store information data from the one or more archive storage medium units in accordance with a number of the end devices requesting said information data.