Patent ID: 6233428
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
A system for increasing access to child care training materials and services, including demonstrations and lectures, by child care service providers and parents, as part of an integrated child care network which also provides for increased parental involvement with child care personnel, including the ability of parents to observe classroom activities in real-time during the workday, comprising:at least one video camera located in a child care facility and capable of generating a live video feed;means for supplying said live video feed from said child care facility to a regional broadcast server, said regional broadcast server including means for splitting the live video feed into a plurality of live video feeds for transfer over the Internet to subscriber client nodes, a number of said live video feeds equaling a number of client nodes authorized to receive said live video feeds; andmeans connected to said client nodes for displaying one of said live video feeds upon authorization to receive said one of said live video feeds,wherein said means connected to said client nodes for displaying one of said live video feeds includes web browser software capable of receiving streaming video feeds, and of enabling said parents to communicate directly over the Internet with personnel at said child care center from any location with Internet access, andwherein said regional broadcast server further includes means for connecting said client nodes to a server arranged to provide child care information to said subscribers and to said child care facility on demand.