Method and system for providing time-shifted delivery of live media programs
First Claim
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1. A method for delivering media program content to users over a network, said method comprising:
- receiving media program content to be delivered to one or more users;
converting the media program content being received into data packets; and
multicasting the data packets to those of the users desirous of viewing the media content program, wherein the data packets are being substantially simultaneously stored into a buffer storage device.
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Abstract
Improved approaches for delivering media programs to viewers (e.g., subscribers) are disclosed. The media programs are typically broadcast in accordance with a schedule. The media program can be delivered to viewers through multicast or unicast. According to one aspect, the media programs are buffered (e.g., cached) in a data packet format such that producing unicasts for particular viewers requires less computation and resources such that more concurrent unicasts are able to be effectively supported.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for delivering media program content to users over a network, said method comprising:
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receiving media program content to be delivered to one or more users;
converting the media program content being received into data packets; and
multicasting the data packets to those of the users desirous of viewing the media content program, wherein the data packets are being substantially simultaneously stored into a buffer storage device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for delivering media program content to users, said method comprising:
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receiving media program content to be delivered to one or more users;
converting the media program content being received into data packets;
multicasting the data packets to those of the users desirous of viewing the media content program;
storing the data packets into a buffer storage device;
receiving a request from a particular user of the users receiving said multicasting, the request including a number of attributes; and
rearranging the particular user, in response to the request, with respect to the users receiving said multicasting. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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16. A method for delivering media program content to subscribers in accordance with subscriber control, said method comprising:
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receiving media program content to be delivered to one or more subscribers;
converting the media program content being received into data packets;
multicasting the data packets to those of the subscribers desirous of viewing the media content program;
storing the data packets into a buffer storage device;
receiving a pause request from a particular subscriber of the subscribers receiving said multicasting, the pause request including at least pause attributes;
removing, in response to the pause request, the particular subscriber of the subscribers receiving said multicasting;
subsequently receiving a resume request from the particular subscriber; and
unicasting, in response to the resume request, the data packets of the media content program to the particular subscriber from the buffer storage device in accordance with the pause attributes associated therewith.
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25. A method for delivering media program content to subscribers in accordance with subscriber control, said method comprising:
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receiving media program content to be delivered to one or more subscribers;
converting the media program content being received into data packets;
multicasting the data packets to those of the subscribers desirous of viewing the media content program;
storing the data packets into a buffer storage device;
receiving a pause request from a particular subscriber of the subscribers receiving said multicasting, the pause request including at least pause attributes;
removing, in response to the pause request, the particular subscriber of the subscribers receiving said multicasting;
subsequently receiving a golive request from the particular subscriber; and
adding, in response to the golive request, the particular subscriber to the subscribers receiving said multicasting of the data packets of the media content program.
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26. A method for delivering media program content to subscribers in accordance with subscriber control, said method comprising:
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receiving media program content to be delivered to one or more subscribers;
converting the media program content being received into data packets;
multicasting the data packets to those of the subscribers desirous of viewing the media content program;
storing the data packets into a buffer storage device;
receiving an instant replay request from a particular subscriber of the subscribers receiving said multicasting;
removing, in response to the instant replay request, the particular subscriber from the subscribers receiving said multicasting; and
unicasting, in response to the instant replay request, the data packets of the media content program to the particular subscriber from the buffer storage device in accordance with a replay point.
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28. A media delivery center that couples to a network for delivery of media program contents to users, said media delivery center comprising:
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a protocol conversion unit that receives a media stream of a media program and converts the media stream into data packets;
a network interface that couples to a physical network;
a multicast delivery unit, operatively connected to said protocol conversion unit and said network interface, that delivers the data packets for the media program to a plurality of users in a multicasting fashion;
a buffer that stores the data packets for the media program;
a unicast delivery unit, operatively connected to said buffer and said network interface, that delivers the data packets for the media program from said buffer to individual users in a unicasting fashion.
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Specification