Pre-storing multiple programs with user control of playback

• US 7,809,849 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Beyler, John C., Sie, John J., Sabraw, Martin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US09/877,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,406 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 725/8, 725 86-102, 725131-153, 725/61
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for receiving a program by a user location is disclosed. The program is sent from a content provider. In one step, at least a first segment of each of a first number of programs sent from the content provider before any user request for any of the first number of programs is recorded. The user request for one of the first number of programs is detected. At least a second segment of each of a second number of programs sent from the content provider is also recorded if the user request is not detected before a stagger period expires. The one of the first number of programs is recorded if the user request is detected before the stagger period expires.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a program by a user location that is sent from a content provider, the method comprising steps of:

receiving, at the user location, signals from a plurality of transponders, wherein;

each signal is associated with a transponder, and

each signal comprises a plurality of programs having a start time associated therewith, the start time of each signal being staggered such that no two start times occur simultaneously;

each time a start time occurs, recording at the user location a first segment of all of the plurality of programs associated with that start time before any user request for the program;

detecting the user request for a selected program of the plurality of programs after recording the first segment of all of the plurality of programs; and

recording at the user location a second segment of the selected program.

2. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the content provider as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises a step of detecting the user request for the program during the step of recording the first segment.

3. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the content provider as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording steps comprise a step of recording on a rotating disk at the user location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first segment of each of the plurality of programs are sent from the content provider on the same channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second segment of the selected program is sent from the content provider more than once and on more than one channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second digital channel does not send the first segment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first digital channel does not send the second segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user location comprises a residence of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user location comprises a Set Top Box (STB).

10. A method for receiving a program by a user location that is sent from a remote provider, the method comprising steps of:

receiving, at the user location, a plurality of signals from a plurality of transponders, wherein;

each signal of the plurality of signals is associated with a transponder, and

each signal comprises a plurality of programs having a start time associated therewith, the start time of each signal being staggered such that no two start times occur simultaneously;

each time the start time for one of the signals occurs, determining if any of a first segment of each of the plurality of programs of the one of the signals are not already stored at the user location;

recording, at the user location, any first segment of each of the plurality of programs that are not already stored at the user location, wherein determining if any first segment of the plurality of programs are not already stored at the user location and recording any first segment that is not already stored at the user location are performed before any user request for any of the plurality of programs;

detecting the user request for one of the plurality of programs after storing the first segment of each of plurality of programs at the user location; and

recording, at the user location, a second segment of the one of the plurality of programs at the user location in response to the detecting step.

11. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the remote provider as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of recording any remaining segments of the one of the plurality of programs.

12. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the remote provider as recited in claim 10, wherein the first segment is sent on a first digital channel and the second segment is sent on a second digital channel.

13. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the remote provider as recited in claim 10, wherein the first segment and the second segment are on different transponders.

14. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the remote provider as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of playing the one of the plurality of programs.

15. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the remote provider as recited in claim 10, wherein the detecting step comprises steps of:

receiving a wireless request from a remote control; and

processing the wireless request to determine a desired program.

16. The method for receiving the program by the user location that is sent from the remote provider as recited in claim 10, wherein the first listed recording step comprises a step of recording the first segment on a mass storage device associated with a set top box at the user location.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first segment of each of the plurality of programs are sent from the content provider on the same channel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second segment of the one of the plurality of programs is sent from the content provider more than once and on more than one channel.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the first segment is sent only once.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the first segment is sent via a first delivery mechanism and the second segment is sent via a second delivery mechanism.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first delivery mechanism comprises a cable television network and the second delivery mechanism comprises a broadband network connection.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the user location comprises a residence of the user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the user location further comprises a Set Top Box (STB) at the residence of the user.