Method and apparatus for increasing video streams in a video system

Abstract

A video system for providing a large number of video streams. The video system includes a video server and dividing means. Storage means, a switch and control means are located at the video server. The video server has a plurality of central-processing units (CPUs). The dividing means divides a plurality of input video-streams entering the video system, and sends the divided plurality of input-video streams, with each divided video stream identified with a separate Ethernet address, to the video server. The storage means stores an input video-stream of the plurality of input video-streams as a stored-video stream. The switch routes an input-video stream of the plurality of input-video streams to the storage means. The control means controls the storage means to replay the stored-video stream and to control portions of the stored-video stream at an appropriate time, and controls the plurality of CPUs at the video server to work in parallel.

1 - 7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . A video system for providing a large number of video streams, as required in Retrovue, comprising: 
 dividing means for dividing a plurality of input video-streams entering the video system, and for sending the divided plurality of input video-streams, with each divided video stream identified with a separate Ethernet address, to a video server;    a switch at the video server for routing an appropriate input video-stream of the plurality of input video-streams to an appropriate disk drive; and    the appropriate disk drive for replaying the appropriate input video-stream and for controlling portions of the appropriate input video-stream at an appropriate time, through the switch, thereby avoiding a single bottleneck of a CPU and RAM and allowing a video-server having a plurality of CPU's to work in parallel to produce a much larger number of video streams.    
   
   
       9 . A video method for providing a large number of video streams, as required in Retrovue, comprising the steps of: 
 dividing a plurality of input video-streams entering the video system, and sending the divided plurality of input video-streams, with each divided video stream identified with a separate Ethernet address, to a video server;    routing, with a switch at the video server, an appropriate input video-stream of the plurality of input video-streams to an appropriate disk drive; and    replaying the appropriate input video-stream from the appropriate disk drive; and    controlling portions of the appropriate input video-stream at an appropriate time, through the switch, thereby avoiding a single bottleneck of a CPU and RAM and allowing a video-server having a plurality of CPU's to work in parallel to produce a much larger number of video streams.    
   
   
       10 - 34 . (canceled)  
   
   
       35 . A video system for providing a large number of video streams, comprising: 
 a video server having a plurality of central-processing units (CPUs);    dividing means for dividing a plurality of input video-streams entering the video system, and for sending the divided plurality of input-video streams, with each divided video stream identified with a separate Ethernet address, to said video server;    storage means, located at said video server, for storing an input video-stream of the plurality of input video-streams as a stored-video stream;    a switch, located at the video server, for routing an input-video stream of the plurality of input-video streams to the storage means; and    control means, located at the video server, for controlling said storage means to replay the stored-video stream and to control portions of the stored-video stream at an appropriate time, through said, and to the plurality of CPUs at the video server to work in parallel, thereby producing a much larger number of video streams than a single CPU.    
   
   
       36 . A video method for providing a large number of video streams in a video system, using a video server having a plurality of central-processing units (CPUs), comprising the steps of: 
 dividing a plurality of input video-streams entering the video system;    sending the divided plurality of input-video streams, with each divided video stream identified with a separate Ethernet address, to said video server;    storing, at said video server, an input video-stream of the plurality of input video-streams as a stored-video stream;    routing, at the video server, an input-video stream of the plurality of input-video streams to the storage means;    replaying the stored-video stream; and    controlling the plurality of CPUs at the video server to work in parallel portions of the stored-video stream at an appropriate time, thereby producing a much larger number of video streams than a single CPU.    
   
   
       37 . A video system for providing a large number of video streams, comprising: 
 a video server having a plurality of central-processing units (CPUs);    a signal divider for dividing a plurality of input video-streams entering the video system, and for sending the divided plurality of input-video streams, with each divided video stream identified with a separate Ethernet address, to said video server;    a storage device, located at said video server, for storing an input video-stream of the plurality of input video-streams as a stored-video stream;    a switch, located at the video server, for routing an input-video stream of the plurality of input-video streams to the storage means; and    a controller, located at the video server, for controlling said storage means to replay the stored-video stream and to control portions of the stored-video stream at an appropriate time, through said, and to the plurality of CPUs at the video server to work in parallel, thereby producing a much larger number of video streams than a single CPU.