Patent ID: 8661477

Claim:
A system for distributing and selecting audiovisual items on a pre-existing coaxial cable network including a plurality of channels, comprising: a jukebox device including a mass storage device to store a plurality of digitally compressed audiovisual items and running a multi-task operating system to manage a queue of selected items and to backup the operating status of the system when a predetermined event occurs, wherein the jukebox device communicates with the cable network via a dedicated channel of the plurality of channels, and further wherein the jukebox device is connected to a telephone switching system for receiving selection information for selecting one of said audiovisual items, said telephone switching system comprising a pre-existing telephone exchange of the PABX type, a plurality of television sets connected to the cable network for receiving a selected digital audiovisual item, a corresponding plurality of telephone sets, each being associated with the location of a television set and connected to said telephone switching system for transmitting said selection information, wherein the telephone switching system is configured to: receive and recognize a specific call number dialed by any one of said telephone sets, and determine identification information identifying said dialing telephone set, call the jukebox device upon receiving the specific call number, and transmit to the jukebox device the identification information, and wherein the jukebox device is further configured, when receiving said identification information, to transmit audiovisual items corresponding to said selection information to the associated television set and wherein the jukebox device is the only component added to and modified in the pre-existing coaxial cable network and the pre-existing telephone exchange portions of the system that exist apart from the jukebox device to enable operation of each said task, and wherein said selection information is received as either voice frequencies or control data superimposed on a carrier current that is interpreted by a software interface as mouse events.