Video on demand system with a transmission schedule table in the video server including entries for client identifiers, video titles, and reproduction start times

摘要

An on-demand communication system provides a multimedia server connected to a plurality of clients via a network. A data stream can be transmitted in response to a transmission request of a title from a transmission device at the site of the client. The transmission device will transmit a set of reproduction information, including a plurality of titles and reproduction start times to the server along with the client identification. The server contemporarily would store, in a buffer, the reproduction information and the client identifier, read the reproduction information and the client identifier and then create a set of transmission information for each client request. A timer unit can activate a timer assigned to the client to measure time when the data stream transmission device is to start transmitting the data stream to the client.