SCALABLE NETWORKED MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM AND APPLICATIONS

摘要

A networked multimedia system (10) comprises a plurality of networks (40) and at least one storage server (100). A signal path interconnects the workstations (12) and the storage server (100). Each workstation (40) includes video and audio reproduction capabilities, as well as video and audio capture capabilities. Any given storage server (100) comprises a set of storage cells (120) that operate under the direction of a storage cell manager (160). A storage cell (120) may include one or more encoding (132) and transcoding converters configured to convert or transform audio and video signals originating at a workstation into a form suitable for storage. A storage cell (120) may further include one or more decoding converters (134) configured to convert stored signals into a form suitable for audio and video signal reproduction at a workstation. Each storage cell (120) additionally includes at least one storage device (150) and storage device controller (152) capable of storing, for later retrieval, signals generated by one or more converters. The storage cell controller responds to signals received from the workstations (40), and oversees the operation of the storage cells to facilitate the storage of converted audio and video signals in at least one file that can be simultaneously accessed by one or more application programs executing on one or more workstions