Fast channel change for a set top box based on channel viewing behaviors

A device, comprising:

• a processing system including a processor;
• and
• a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
• obtaining channel change data for a media processor coupled to a gateway, the channel change data relating to channel changes requested via the media processor during each of a plurality of predefined recurring time periods;
• determining a channel viewing profile for the media processor, based on the channel change data;
• generating a neural network for the media processor and the time periods, wherein each node of the neural network comprises a channel viewing map corresponding to a portion of the channel viewing profile for a time period of the plurality of predefined recurring time periods, the node accordingly comprising a list of predicted channels likely to be requested during a subsequent occurrence of the time period, the predicted channels comprising a portion of channels available at the media processor, the list of predicted channels having a ranking of the predicted channels according to a likelihood of being requested during the subsequent occurrence of the time period, and wherein the neural network trains according to channel change data for the plurality of predefined recurring time periods;
• providing signals to the media processor corresponding to the predicted channels, each of the predicted channels thereby being available for a rapid channel change responsive to a channel change request;
• determining a current channel viewing map based on channel change requests during a current time period;
• comparing the current channel viewing map with the list of predicted channels;
• and
• generating a new channel viewing map, responsive to a determination that the current channel viewing map does not correspond to the list of predicted channels based on the channel change requests during the current time period.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

• obtaining channel change data for a media processor coupled to a gateway, the channel change data relating to channel changes requested via the media processor during each of a plurality of time periods;
• determining a channel viewing profile for the media processor, based on the channel change data;
• generating a neural network for the media processor and the time periods, wherein each node of the neural network comprises a channel viewing map corresponding to a portion of the channel viewing profile for a time period of the plurality of time periods, the node accordingly comprising a list of predicted channels likely to be requested during a subsequent occurrence of the time period, the predicted channels comprising a portion of channels available at the media processor, the list of predicted channels having a ranking of the predicted channels according to a likelihood of being requested during the subsequent occurrence of the time period, and wherein the neural network trains according to channel change data for the plurality of time periods;
• providing signals to the media processor corresponding to the predicted channels, each of the predicted channels thereby being available for a rapid channel change responsive to a channel change request;
• determining a current channel viewing map based on channel change requests during a current time period;
• comparing the current channel viewing map with the list of predicted channels;
• and
• generating a new channel viewing map, responsive to a decision to generate the new channel viewing map responsive to a determination that the current channel viewing map does not correspond to the list of predicted channels based on the channel change requests during the current time period.