SISTEMA DI COMUNICAZIONE DIGITALE INTERATTIVO

The present invention relates to a digital interactive communication system accessible to a plurality of subscribers who can select by means of their touch-tone telephones any of a plurality of pre-recorded video presentations representative of products and services for sale. In this system, the subscriber requests are received by a voice network interface which is coupled to a local area network. A plurality of data processors, typically single-board computers, capable of various tasks are operatively connected to the local area network. A number of these data processors are each dedicated to serving one subscriber during a requesting session. Other data processors coupled to the local area network provide either navigational, subscriber, or purchase information during a subscriber session. Also coupled to the local area network is a large-scale data base which stores digital information representing the video presentations which are requested by subscribers for viewing on their televisions sets. Coupled to the large-scale data base is a second local area network, for transmitting the digital information representing the video presentations to a CATV network for distribution to the subscriber's television set.